Driving

Whenever you leave our place on the Denali Highway, it's a long drive to anywhere.

42 miles one way to mailbox (mail arrives our mail box just twice a week)

50 miles to the Paxson Lk house

120 miles to the bank, library, Delta greenhouse, post office, grocery store, doctor, vet, salon and favorite ice cream hot spot.
Fairbanks and Anchorage are 6-7 hr drives...Valdez is just a five hour drive.

There's little traffic on the Richardson highway which makes the trip more relaxed and enjoyable! Summer roads are typically in Good condition although road construction is prevalent in most areas of the state now thru Oct. 1st
The mountain views are always beautiful and we travel smart- armed with a variety of music, water, coffee, trail mix and sandwiches.

Today we're driving 120 miles one way for a visit to the library, the greenhouse and the grocer. Mail is in today also!

If we see a dozen vehicles, I would be surprised. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see a handful of moose,caribou and fox scattered along the drive.

Happy driving:)
Z

cha cha changes!

In the last 96 hours I've been seriously mulling over the fact that I'm getting ready to leave our kennel/ summer business for a month and headed to a different country- leaving so much in the hands of a new trainee.
Trey, our kennel handler who plans to stay a year-is the finest of help. We couldn't ask for a better guy for the job but a month away while John is commercial fishing remote on the western coast of Alaska seems like a stretch.
The sensible side began to fret a little!
Like any good business owner, I'm interested in seeing another profitable summer while it lasts and make sure everything runs smoothly...out here..hundreds of miles from anywhere.
And like any other good dog owner, I'm already missing the pooches. A month away from them is a long time.
Our summer business months are short and sweet and I feel like either myself or John needs to be around to over-see the operation if a big trip is in order. Uh!! Guess I'm officially a "grown up" now.


On the other hand, it's interesting how things always work out.
So, the day before yesterday I receive an email from my host family in Ireland asking me if it's ok by me if the present volunteer stays on with us there because she isn't able to find another great opportunity for the time being. I wasn't bothered by this but room might be an issue. It didn't sound critical to have my help now and maybe it would be a little later on. 
Then discussing all this with John over a coffee break yesterday; her situation and mine ( my responsible fretting side, the room issue, etc.) ......he had another idea.  Why don't we all go in October?

So, rather than go and fret..we'll go together as a family at the end of October for 10 days to two weeks. Trey will just have the dogs to care for and not the whole gamut. Plus we'll be living closer to town near by friends & services in case he needs something while we're away. Once in Ireland, we'll rent a car, see all of Ireland ( or as much as we can fit in) and stay with host family and I can still be of help in house with family and dogs and John can work on their home renovations. It's a win win. It was Johns idea. He just lives to build.
We are receiving their house pics tomorrow and looking forward to going as a family this trip to Ireland!

This leaves my summer wide open in Alaska! Leaving for a week is doable this summer but a month.. makes me fret! I love working for myself because of the flexibility and financial freedoms it bring but darn it if it doesn't tie us down a little or keep me up at night sometimes.

I'm thinking of different day to three day trips I can take with Jona while John is fishing that month. The ferry, day cruises, Valdez is a favorite, hiking trips, the train..

Stay tuned.
Zoya

Ok, we will go in October now and bring Dad with us! YAY!!!

Where did the last few weeks ago?

Building
Running
Running dogs
Placing dogs
Rescuing dogs
Driving
Training new help
Oh yeah, the big move
Shoveling snow
Moving snow
Cooking
Repotting all my flowers
Making plans for Aug, friends coming to visit...
Chores
Baking
Cleaning
Building
Playing with Jona
Waiting for the Sparkle puppies to be born
Running between Maclaren River abd Fairbanks for ...more lumber, more supplies, more lumber...
Taking reservations
Building
Running

.... June will be here before we know it and we'll be heading to Ireland! Yeahaaa!

Tickets!

We got 'em! Jona & I leave on our trip the 10th June through the 6th of July.

I decided against staying longer and traveling further..we have company coming a week after I return home and more friends visiting at the end of the month. I don't like leaving my dogs either. 

Alaska air to Seattle..

3 hr layover- perfect. Just enough time for bathroom break and a little breakfast on the go before finding our terminal and switching airlines.

Seattle to Chicago.
Once we're there, another three hour stop. Again,  a nice layover, not too short & too long. And then the longish flight to Ireland!

I normally would read and sleep. But since having Jona, I am Miss entertainer, chef, game player, etc. Jona travels well as she has grown up out here in Paxson. Every time we leave to go somewhere, it's an 80 miles at the least. She's a trooper! We always have good stuff on hand--books, music, treats, hand size pocket toys and pictures of our dogs. I'm sure by the time we reach Dublin, we'll be ready to zonk out and sleep for a day. We have a few days in Dublin to play before venturing off to the small village for our stay.

More on that to come soon..

off to drive about a hundred miles tonight -to Maclaren place & back.

zoya

Cultural Etiquette

Ireland
The People The Irish are interested in people and place great value on the individual. They are naturally courteous, quick-witted and will go out of their way to welcome visitors to their country. Don't rush the Irish. Although they work very hard, the Irish are dedicated to a less stressful lifestyle that allows time for friends and family, a visit to the pub, a cup of tea, or just a bit of a chat on the corner. Families are closely-knit and very important to the Irish. Meeting and Greeting Shake hands with everyone present -- men, women and children -- at a business or social gathering. Shake hands again when leaving. A firm handshake with eye contact is expected. Body Language The Irish are not very physically demonstrative and are not comfortable with public displays of affection. The Irish are uncomfortable with loud, aggressive, and arrogant behavior. A "Reverse V for victory" gesture is considered obscene. Corporate Culture Business is best initiated through a well-connected third party. Who you know may be vital to your business success. The Irish are not very time conscious and may not be punctual for business and social meetings. They have a relaxed sense of time and may be a little late for meetings. However, a foreigner should be on time for business meetings. Business cards are exchanged, but not necessarily immediately upon meeting. Irish people tend to be creative and calm in a crisis. They prefer to improvise rather than follow a rigid plan. Outwardly the Irish accept authority but inwardly have strong displeasure in accepting it. They also dislike bureaucracy. Planning and strategy are short term. Irish tend to be poor in long-range planning. Don't be misled by the easy going and amiable attitudes of the Irish. In negotiations, the Irish are astute and tenacious. The golf course is a major venue for conducting business in Ireland. Dining and Entertainment Business entertainment is commonly conducted in restaurants. Business dinners are usually considered more of a social occasion and a good way to develop relationships. Spouses may or may not be invited to a business dinner. The small plate next to a dinner plate is for peelings removed from boiled potatoes. It is polite to eat everything served to you in a private home. Table manners are the same as in England, only a bit more relaxed. Refusing a drink can be perceived as insult in Ireland. Always buy your round of drinks. Dress Dress modestly and conservatively. Flashy colors and styles, white pants, nylon running jackets, etc. do not blend into Irish style. Tweeds, wools and subdued colors are recommended. A raincoat is needed year around. For business meetings, men should wear suits or sportcoats and ties; women should wear suits or dresses and blazers (women wear pants less often than in America). Gifts Gift giving and receiving is unusual in a business setting. Small gifts may be exchanged, but are not expected, at the successful conclusion of negotiations. When invited to someone's home, always bring a small gift for the hostess. Give flowers (lilies are for religious occasions only; red and white flowers symbolize death), chocolates, a bottle of wine or continental cheeses. Do not give expensive or ostentatious gifts. Helpful Hints The Irish respect reserved behavior. Initial meetings should be low key. Assume that children will be included in family entertaining. Send a thank-you note after receiving a gift or being a dinner guest. Always be sincere. The Irish dislike pretentious behavior. Remember the Irish want to do things their way. You will not succeed if you insist on doing it "your way." Especially for Women A foreign woman will be accepted easily in the Irish business community. The 'Old Boys Club' still exists. Whom you know is vital to getting the job done. It is considered more proper for a woman to order a glass of beer or stout rather than a pint. It is acceptable, but may be misconstrued for a foreign woman to invite an Irishman to dinner. It is best to stick with lunch. If a woman would like to pay for a meal, she should state so at the outset.

A World away

In Ireland right now, our host family is working on their garden...

Here, we're still running dogs over the frozen lake, shoveling and plowing. Another month of melt down and we can finally bring out the flower baskets and call it spring.

Enjoying a cup of coffee as I look at our mountain view, lots to do today and a ton to accomplish this week. Focus, focus, focus!

Funny how different our lives are yet how we're all connected by these common day things.
zoya

view from the Denali Highway, milepost 7.

Home

Still searching...

...for a better deal on flights. A week ago, the fares were up by $200.00 more than they are today. They seem to change almost daily. So, do we buy that cheaper flight today or wait a few more days? I'm going to wait and see what things look like by late this week.

A friend in Hungary sent me a link to a great place to buy tickets;
ryanair.com/en/cheapflights-destinations
And Yes, this is a great site for Euro travel. Thank you Regina:)
You can find super cheap flights! Really cheap!!

I wish I had two months to travel! And I wish money grew on trees. Darn it.
There is so much to see and do..and once you are in Europe, everything is so close and travel is made so easily .....all though I know I would get very home sick if I dare leave for two months..so that is not possible at present.

 A month is enough right now. I love travel and adventure but since meeting John, having dogs and Jona...I've grown accustomed to loving home very much. Who knew! And I know my daughter and after about a week, she's going to be talking about home, her dogs and daddy, too. We're going to go equipped with pics' and video of home and kennel to share with our host family and for those homesick moments.

more later!