Garden Update. More Moose, and a Modern Day Mining Mule

Lots and lots of daylight but often very cool nights have produced some interesting results in the greenhouse to date and with the flowers that we have growing just about everywhere. Between the truly wild flowers and the wild flowers we planted in designated sites and those grown from starts or seeds- this is a very colorful camp. Of all the gardens, for certain the most popular ones with the guests are located just outside the outhouse doors. Certainly these are the most photographed outhouses in all of Alaska (if not the entire rest of the world, which is only slightly larger than Alaska). Wildflowers, petunias, African daisies, and pansies have been selected and placed for maximum color accent. Of course the main entry way to the camp, the rock garden with the flags raising in the sky above, consists almost entirely of mariGOLDS. What else would you expect? Here, dredge buckets, old pots and pans, even the old wheelbarrows are planters. In fact anything and everything in the way of gold mining antiques that will hold dirt and water is a potential for planting- even the old iron "basket" that was used to carry the gold proceeds from the dredge to the camp office at the end of a cleanup.

So here's a look at how things are shaping up here near the mid summer point:



I haven't seen the moose and her twins up on the Myers Fork claim in a few days now, and apparently she (they) missed me so they came down to the camp and stood in the roadside pond by the camp sign that we recently updated and oiled. It's a nice sign- made even better by the real live moose hanging out and admiring the view into camp.



Meanwhile, back up at the claim this week, a modern day miner and his family demonstrated how the old timers used to go at the process. Oh sure some had a mule to pack things on, but there was still an awful lot that had to be carried by the miner and prospector regardless and here's the proof that the more things change, the more they stay the same: Looks like preparation for the Chilkoot Pass to me.


And here's a few more entries from our That Was Then series from the trip to Alaska of two years ago in this same time frame. We're on the go every bit as much this year but not nearly so much on the road, and there is a difference to be sure.

Light At The End of the Tunnel: a look at Whittier, Alaska and why sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is not such a good thing after all....

Alaska Wildlife Photos: I try my hand at shooting some pictures I don't usually get to take. I'm no Harry Pherson when it comes to this kind of stuff but if nothing else it PROVES what you did and didn't see on your trip to Alaska.

Beautiful Downtown Anchorage: A great city shows off what it has to offer.

Flat Top: We go for a bird's eye view of Anchorage with our pals Gary and Judy.

More Odds and Ends: Some really neat stuff that just didn'tfit into another category or story and MUST reading for those of you who want to know the skinny on Marilyn's World Famous Moose Turd Pie!

Up By Palmer Creek: Visit another of the places that will always be part of the history of gold in Alaska.

Hope And Resurrection: A look at Hope Mining and the good people that gave us our first real schooling on prospecting for gold.

Flowers of Hope and Resurrection: a sentimental look back at those past and present that colored the pages of Alaska.

I'll close for now with a look at some of the wildflowers from all across Alaska. It seems like every day on every path a new flower opens and takes a peek at life in this great state, if only for a short time before going back to rest for next year's appearance....