Mt Redoubt erupts!

Last night Redoubt blasted off as we were sleeping 5 times! There is a link in the title to the official AVO website. Here is a link to the Anchorage Daily News article. Also here is a link to the weather service so we know which way the ash is being carried by the winds.

Here is a photo taken on the 15th from the end of our driveway; you can see a small steam/gas plume.



Here is another photo taken from beach at Captain Cook Park. Holly and i were walking around there on the 19th. You can see a plume coming off the right side of the mountain. We did not feel anything when it erupted last night. I remember thunder and lightning from the 89/90 eruptions.

Spring break visit

Emery and me. Holly, Heidi, and Emery came up for Lois' spring break.
Life is full of choices. This photo is sort of an optical illusion; Emery looks like she is standing.
Getting ready for a photo shoot of new hats.
Emery found her feet.
I like all the mirrors in the hotel room.

Holly, Heidi, and Emery

Look who earned her wings and flew up to Alaska to visit Grandma on spring break and Grandpa!!
Some matching hats.
Some special bibs for the girls. Emery is just learning to talk, sounds like she is saying "blah, blah, blah, blah" - typical girl talk...

The Perfect Bowl of Cereal

I figure that we can get some feedback on what makes a perfect bowl of cereal. Just remember that you saw it here first, even before being submitted to COOK'S Illustrated magazine. This is how to make the best bowl of cereal:

1. Add the following berries (frozen in winter or fresh in summer) blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches... Pour in some milk and cream.
2. Smash up the blueberries and raspberries and slice up the strawberries. Next add some bananas and some pecans and cashews.
3. Crush up some frosted shredded wheat and on top of that add Quakers natural granola with raisins. Get it all wet with milk and eat all of it with a large spoon. You may have to add cereal to use up the milk; then you might have to add some milk to use up the cereal; and so on.

1986 or Later? (Part 3: Heidi S)

You know the routine. Mystery Heidi sure looks a lot older than Heidi 86. And the hair cut and style are very different. For some reason I don't have any other photos of Heidi from the early 90's, but I'll bet they'll look more like Mystery Heidi.

Cartoons

Are you all aware Steve's cartoons are back on the Duluth News Tribune web-site? This one from a few weeks ago is wonderful:

1986 or later? (Part 3: Christopher)

Look at Christopher in the mystery year then compare him to Chrisotpher 86.

Christopher 86 is way too young. Besides. . .he hasn't yet perfected the classic "Christopher smirk". Compare, for example, the next sample I have, Christopher 92. Now there's the smirk we all know and love.


The mystery year has to be later than 1986. If there's any doubt look at the picture below from Christmas 1986. Look at the height of Christopher compared to his dad. He's only half his height. Now look again at the Myster Year. He's nearly full grown!

1986 OR LATER? (Part 2: Holly)

Starting with Mark's family. . .it would helpful if Mark could remember when they came down from the late 80's to the early 90's. I have photo proof they were here the summer of '85, Christmas of '86 and summer of '88. If they weren't here the summer of '86 then the mystery year could not be '86. I have a vague recollection that only Mark was able to attend the funeral and that is why the whole family showed up that Christmas.


But on to the kids. Holly is first up. Holly 86 has a different hair style, she's wearing glasses, and I think the shape of her head is more child like, more oval in shape. Did she get contacts at a certain age? If so when?


To my mind Holly 88 looks more like Mystery Holly - no glasses, a more mature head shape. But in '88 her hair style was decidedly "spikey". When was the next time Mark and family came down after '88? I'd like to see a photo of Holly from that trip!

Regarding that spikey- do, would it have looked that way all the time or would it depend upon the day and how much time she spent on it? Maybe she could have flattened it out when she went to Duluth so as not to shock Grandma Ruth.

Not 1986: The Evidence (part 1)

If Mom's note on the back is right then the photos were taken in 1986 when Steve turned 40. Both Jo and Jean are ok with that, but I'm still very skeptical. The kids look too old.

I don't want to sound obsessive about this getting the date right, but I've been looking for evidence to corraborate the 1986 theory and the more I look the more I think they were taken later. . .as many as four or five years later in 1990 or 1991. I have nothing conclusive but I'll present the evidence over a number of posts. (We could use more posts!) But first the facts:

1. These are photos found in Mom's stuff. They are not mine.

2. There are 10 photos that appear to be taken near the same time showing two gatherings in the back yard. On the back of one Mom wrote "Steve is 40!"

3. In June of 1986 John died and in August Steve turned 40.

4. Six photos are of a summer party with Carlson's and Steve (see previous post) and it is a party. Notice the water balloons. Also Mom wrote on the back that it was a party when Steve turned 40. Also notice the Carlson's canoe is parked by the house. I'm guessing they're on their way up to or back from The Boundary Waters.

5. Four photos are of a picnic in the backyard with Mark, Lois Ann and kids. Mom's friend Agnes was there too. It looks to me like Mom is serving salmon Mark and Lois Ann probably brought down with them.











5. Why do I say these ten are a batch? First: They were on facing pages of the album book. Second the photo paper is all the same with the same "AGFA" print on the back. Third: Seven of the ten have the identical serial number on the back "1111 N N N+ 1L-1" including photos of Steve's party and Mark and Lois Ann's picnic.

6. What about the other three photos that had a different number on the back? Two were of Heidi Carlson obviously at the same party for Steve. (wearing the same clothes, tossing the same balloons, with the same canoe in the background standing next to the same dad wearing the same T shirt etc.) One was of Heidi Stynsberg obviously at the same salmon feast. (sitting at the same outdoor table with the same table cloth and the same lemon slices on a plate and the same salmon on a tray etc.)