Sand Dune Hike

Sand dunes at Kincaid today.

Sadie loved the sand.

Up on the bluff.

Sun came out for the ridge section.

Sun makes me happy.

Sleepy Sam

Kenai River Float

We took our new raft out on the Kenai for our first float this weekend. We hoped to catch the early Russian red run, but we missed it. We spent a considerable amount of time in the parking lot at the boat launch prepping the raft and packing up gear. The staging area became a very entertaining place.

Floating puts Sadie to sleep- which is just fine because after five minutes of floating Sadie whined, "I want to go to the bye-bye area!"

Maren was happy to fish and float.

M&Ms help the crankies.

All is fair on the river.

Riding the whitewater. The girls enjoyed the Class II waves.

Here fishy fishy!

Caught a big one!

Campsite Fun

Lots of horseracing around the campground. Maren road Belle and Sadie ( I mean Alec) rode the Black. Ya, ya!

We camped on the East side of Kenai Lake and enjoyed the Quartz Creek boardwalk after dinner.

Kenai Flowers

Tall Jacob's Ladder

Dwarf Fireweed
River Beauty

Yarrow

Dwarf Dogwoood

Bunchberry

Lupine

Prickly Rose

The River Day Two

Sadie began Day 2 with a snooze. One minute she was holding onto the front bar, riding the waves and the next minute she was very quiet.

We propped her up along the side and she slept for the first 45 minutes of the float.

But after all that rest, she was ready for hikes! While David and Maren fished, Sadie and I explored the river banks. She took me to " Ayaska" for "a secret aventure." We pretended we were lost and that we were scared. She hiked me on any little trail she could find. When she said she heard a bear, I was done with her little aventures.

Hanging out on the river in the rain IS fun!

David and Maren fished. That is all Maren wanted to do.

Happy river rat.

The eagles were everywhere. We saw eagles eating, eagles soaring, perched eagles, young eagles and heard them calling too. We saw many merganser families swimming along the
edge of the river. We watched swallows diving for bugs all around us and a Mama black bear and cub too.

Polarized glasses help you find the fish.

So Sleepy

Two days on the river makes for sleepy girls...

...and kitties.

Rarajipari

A Tarahumara rarajipari run around Lake Loop

We say the rarajipari is the game of life. You never know how hard it will be. You never know when it will end. You can't control it. You can only adjust.

~Angel Nava Lopez

Followed by a barefoot loop of the lake.

Hike #5 Russian Jack

Lovely hike at Russian Jack Park. Hikers enjoyed hillsliding...

...spider web observation and...

creek exploration.

Sam Settles In

Meet Sam

Meet Sam. The newest member of our family. He is ten weeks old and full of beans! Maren's dream has come true. She is beyond happy. He is friendly and curious and freakish and loving. He may make me into a cat person yet. Ellie has barely noticed his existence although she is fond of his food. His fourth night with us tonight, he is roaming freely around the house and will sleep on his own. Maren has been up with him multiple times during the night and began the last three mornings at 5am. We are all enjoying this little guy!