Peterson Lake

July 17th

This was an initially lazy day for Mark and me, possibly chalked up to a week of socializing with
loved ones, after not for a month; although it was a great time with the God-Family, and did my
heart good for them to meet Mark. Coffee and half the shared cinnamon roll in bed, latter from
one of Mark's fave bakeries in Soldotna, The Moose Is Loose. I kept dozing off from reading,
with the sun's rays shining down on me from the sunroof. Finally, at about 10, I forced myself to
get movin', get hygiened and dressed. Then, it was the guy's turn to doze for an hour on the
sofa, sitting up, while I perused the emails and facebook, read.

 

We laugh at our lethargic moments, knowing we will perk-up with getting our feet and butts
outside, so we lunched on turkey thinwiches and chocolate b'day cake, and went for a three
mile hike. Part of the hike was bush-whacking to another lake, and I've learned to trust Mark's
navigational instincts and skills, since mine are pretty wacko, oftentimes. Lucy is another
direction master in the family. It was breezy and rainy occasionally, but dry during our outing
along two lake trails, the latter leading to a sweet, beautifully constructed cabin, this national
wildlife refuge provides in addition to a rowboat for the occupants' use. The current residents
motored their own to dock and stay. I thought this would be a fun activity for the Bocheneks'
someday, when they get their potential A-frame trailer.

Back at "M" we both felt rejuvenated, not slug-bugs anymore. Again, this retirement is lovely for
long indulging reading, which is how I have spent most of this 17th, and Mark too, in addition to
working on his photos and reading emails. Christine, one of his daughters, got to wed her
sister-in-law, Clint's sista, in CO, this last week, as a surprise to their parents. Stiners has her
Universal Life Church fun credential (or something equivalent to) to do such joyful events, and I
am sure she is fabulous and playful.

Great tasty pasta dinner tonight, wind picking-up at 7:30 p.m., but with large swaths of blue and
sunshine, with encroaching grey clouds coming this way. Malala pulls at me throughout the day,
and her account is so educational about the middle eastern history and its tug-of-wars
throughout the last fifty years between nations, the shifting of allegiances, including our own and
with the Taliban. Hoseini's historical fictions of A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner,
were other novels that brought much clarity and understanding of the Muslim faiths, splits and
cultural changes with every invasion and ruler.

Tomorrow, we see Lael in Seward, dine and hike with him, until he returns to Anchorage,
possibly on Sunday night, to oversee the groundbreaking of his shop-studio being built, at
Marah's home, which will also become his in September. On Monday, we'll do a 7.5 hour, park
ranger boat tour, for glaciers and sea life; hopefully seeing some whales. After that, we'll head
to Anchorage, spend the night with the Bocheneks' and head back towards Idaho, with about
another month's travel plan worth of new and former sights and adventures.