Happy Mother's Day to my sweet Momma, who's been there for me through good times and bad, who's been an amazing support system and never judged me, who's loved me unconditionally for 30 years.
2012 in Review: Alaska Adventures Galore - PART TWO!
Hello there! If you haven't checked out Part One of my 2012 Alaska Adventures, please mosey on over to see a recap of January - June 2012. (Pssst, click the "Part One" link above...) Here's the second installment of my video and photo synopsis of 2012's adventures. This blog features some of my experiences from July - December 2012. Enjoy - and know that you, too, can have these awesome adventures if you just put your mind to it!
Cleared for landing - Juneau, Alaska.
Somewhere in Southeast Alaska (near Juneau).
Fourth of July Trip to Haines, Alaska
All aboard the Alaska Marine Highway!
With my buddies, Ben and George.
Pilot approved!
Mom's First Trip to Alaska
No trip to Juneau is complete without a stop at Tracy's Crab Shack. She's got the best legs in town!
Commercial fishing near the Shrine of St. Therese.
Whale watching with Captain Larry of Orca Enterprises.
Tracy Arm Cruise with Adventure Bound Alaska
BIG splash!
Soulful eyes.
Quenching my thirst like a real Alaskan.
Mom and I at the Sawyer Glacier.
I love all the action in this sunset shot: cruise ship, fly fisherman, and purse seiner fishing boat.
Catching up with Snickers at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Summer 2012 was a busy cruise ship season for Juneau.
Seen in downtown Juneau.
Jumping for joy because I got to take this Cessna 182 from Anchorage to Palmer and back!
Icefield and Dog Sled Tour with Coastal Helicopters
Ziplining with Alaska Canopy Adventures and Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip
Kodiak Island and a Washed Up Whale
Saw huge bear tracks up and down the beach near the rotting whale, but the majestic Kodiak Brown Bear was elusive.
Pillar Mountain on Kodiak Island
And When Back in Juneau...
For ONE SINGLE DAY in 2012, Juneau saw temperatures in the low 80s. Sonny Bunny was beyond miserable, as was half of Juneau.
One of the last cruise ships in town for the season.
2012 was a terrific year because of new friendships shaped and old friendships reconnected. 2012 showed me I am blessed beyond measure!
Christmas Eve in Alabama
I celebrated Christmas Eve this year in Alabama, my hometown. Needless to say, there wasn’t snow on the ground like there was in Alaska, but it was still a lovely holiday. I cooked a herb-crusted standing rib roast (recipe below), and Mom did an outstanding job with the Christmas decorations. It really felt like home. And of course Momma was happier than a hog laying in the sunshine because I was finally home for the holidays.
My Momma, the goofball.
Donning my new frilly apron from Anthropologie.
Ta da! The standing rib roast.
The holiday spread. We are so blessed to have food on the table.
My tummy is grumbling just posting this photo. Yum!
A Riesling toast.
Recipe - Herb-Crusted Rib Roast
This is probably the only time you'll see a recipe on this blog. And this is also likely the easiest, tastiest, simplest recipe you've ever come across.
Ingredients
1 standing rib roast (4-5 lb)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, coarsley chopped
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Steps
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Season roast on all sides with salt, pepper, and garlic (wash hands). Place roast on rack in medium-size roasting pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours.
- Chop parsley. Combine with bread crumbs and rosemary.
- Remove roast from oven. Coat roast with mustard and then bread crumb mixture. Bake 1 more hour or until roast is 145°F (medium-rare) up to 170°F (well-done). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. Transfer roast to cutting board; let stand 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve.
Cold is Relative
"Momma, I'm movin' to Alaska."
"What?! Are you outta your pea-pickin' mind?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Not
long after this heated conversation, I came across the following comical rundown of Alaskans' approach to weather. Of course, I
promptly sent it to my Mom. She was not
impressed.
- At 65°F ABOVE zero: People in Florida turn on the heat. People in Alaska plant gardens.
- At 60°F: People in California shiver uncontrollably. People in Alaska sunbathe.
- At 50°F: Italian and English cars won't start. People in Alaska drive with the windows down.
- At 40°F: People in Georgia don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and wool hats. People in Alaska throw on a flannel shirt.
- At
30°F: New York landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Alaska have the last cookout before
it gets cold. (I can attest to this.)
- At 0°F: People in Arizona fly away to Mexico. People in Alaska get out their winter coats.
- At 10°F BELOW zero: Hollywood disintegrates. Girl Scouts in Alaska are selling cookies door to door.
- At - 20°F: Washington, D.C. runs out of hot air. People in Alaska let the dogs sleep indoors.
- At - 30°F: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Alaskans get upset because they can't start the snowmachine.
- At - 40°F: ALL atomic motion stops. People in Alaska start saying, "Cold enough for ya?"
- At - 50°F: Hell freezes over. Alaska public schools will open two hours late.
Please note: I am not the author of the above bullet points; just merely reposting as I think y'all will get a kick out of it. Right now, it's a balmy 27°F in Juneau. And I'm wearing flip-flops.