The Fleet Report and Daily for Monday June 17th, 2024

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We've been to Talkeetna at least three times when doing the 14 day Alaska cruise out of Seattle.  We have also been there when we were in the motorhome.  As @rafinmd Roy said, it's a stop on the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks, but the train station is out of town a ways, as is the airport for the flightseeing planes.

 

Talkeetna is a very small town with basically one paved main street.  It is the base for flights to see Denali.  On a clear day, you can see Denali from the rear deck of the Talkeetna Lodge which sits on a hill outside of town.

 

I posted a few pictures of Talkeetna when it was the destination of the day earlier.  I'll repost them and add a few more for those who have not been there or even to Alaska.

 

The view from Talkeetna Lodge on a typical day.

 

Denali from the same place on a very rare day when the mountain and the mountain range is completely visible.  I could have stood and looked at the mountain for a long time that day.

 

 

Random views, but they include most of the main street in Talkeetna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the shopping "venues".

 

There is a nice little park in town.

 

Lenda

[rafinmd]

One more sunrise from my 2015 Prinsendam cruise.  On June 17 I disembarked in Ijmuiden, Netherlands:

 

 

Roy

[Cruzin Terri]

@StLouisCruisers, I am sorry I missed you before.  I hope you are feeling better.  If not, please get medical help.  I thought I just had a cold and when I got home took a Covid test.  It was too late for Paxlovid.  So now I have to wait and let it run its course.

Hope you are on the mend.

Terri

[aliaschief]

Goodness, I slept in to 8:30 which I haven’t done in a long time.

Happy Birthday @durangoscots. Now we are getting a little deep when we start recognizing CC anniversary’s. It’s called ADDICTION!

The Gazpacho was fantastic. Sue went on a Downton Abby marathon yesterday so I was also drawn in. Made me miss our butlers on the Onward!
The diet continues and the pounds are shedding. Need to get going as I’m slightly behind this morning. It’s laundry day.

May all of you have a great week and thanks for all your postings. Bruce

[Haljo1935]

Happy Birthday @durangoscots🍰🥳

[Haljo1935]

@StLouisCruisers Happy CC Anniversary 🥂

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

...We had a nice Father's day. Allen wanted purple hull crowder peas, ham hocks, and corn bread. And ice cream.

Oh yummy - sounds like the perfect meal!! I have 1 package of purple hull peas in the freezer from a local farmers market - I'll take your message as a sign it's time to cook them 😎

[durangoscots]

Good morning all and Thank you all for the Birthday wishes. It will be a rather quiet one. Was going to meet a friend for lunch, but she is still incapacitated by her back injury (done while having physical therapy).  The day got started early this morning as the Shih Tzu suddenly announced that he had to go OUT!!! NOW!!! Unfortunately I did not pull on clothes quickly enough and so at 2:20, after taking both dogs out, I was mopping the floors. We all went back to bed after that and I did manage to go back to sleep. So today will continue my downsizing and reorganizing at my slow pace. I expect my Sister to call later.

 

@cruising sisterI did not know you had cancelled Antarctica. Are you doing Pole to Pole? I am rethinking the Med cruise although I will wait awhile before making a decision since I like my cabin location. I am looking at a couple of shorter cruises that I might take which would be less strenuous. I am very pleased with the work I had done on my condo last week.... am rid of some popcorn ceilings and the main bedroom has been repainted and crown molding added. It is a good birthday present to myself.

 

Our weather is clear and hot, although not nearly as hot as it was last week when my fan gave out. I am waiting to see how the mini-split works for the unit next door before getting pricing for putting one in my unit. All of this will make resale easier when the time comes.

 

@StLouisCruisersGlad you are feeling better. The cough seems to linger if it is anything like the cold that I had on the GANZ. Even when I was feeling better I still worried about having coughing "jags" and felt that people would be trying to move away from me. The corner of Lido worked for me too when I felt I could not stand my cabin anymore.

 

@Cruzin TerriI am sorry about you contracting Covid. Hope DH manages to avoid it. Sounds like you are doing the best you can under the circumstances.

 

My downstairs neighbor got home yesterday from a week on the Eurodam...her first cruise. She loved it but.... she has a cold... or a least we hope it is a cold. I have only talked with her at a distance.

 

I had better get back to work.... laundry and working on the curio cabinet contents. Have another small box ready for the thrift store.

 

Have a great day everyone and take care.

 

Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 17 by durangoscots

[luvteaching]

Good morning, 

It's a grey overcast day here but it's supposed to get sunny by mid-week. Heading to water aerobics this morning then meeting DS at the Depot to look at base boards and then a stop to put gas in my car. This week is busy with PT tomorrow and then a visit with friends (the wife and I are cruising on Princess together in August), more pool time and a trip to Canada to spend the day with my mom on Thursday. 

The symphony yesterday was wonderful! It was Disney themed and the audience was very enthusiastic. The symphony members pretty much all dressed up and it was a lot of fun. They played everything from Fantasia, the Mickey Mouse Club march, Mary Poppins selections, Pocahontas, Frozen, Pirates, etc. The concert was about 2 hours and just a delight. 

 

Have a good day! 

Karen

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @richwmn.

Growing up, there was a Stewarts that we passed on the way to a mall; my DM and I would stop and they came out to your car. Crocodiles are ok from a distance. Desertification and Drought can be destructive, especially for farmers. Good quote. I've not had or made a galette, but have recipes for fruit ones. Pass on the drink and wine. I haven't been to Talkeetna, but passed it while on the train trip from Anchorage to Denali, and maybe was there for Denali flightseeing. A good day in history.

 

The start of the heat wave is here. It's already 81F. Heat index to be 100-101F. The city has opened cooling centers. I hope my HVAC guy comes, and isn't taken by people needing emergency service (although I'd understand). But it takes up my day waiting for a phone call. I have a PT evaluation tomorrow, and I'm anxious to start working on getting stronger.

 

@durangoscots Happy Birthday Susan! Sorry about the early wake-up call and having to mop the floor.

@StLouisCruisers I hope they find some ports for you to stop at. Congrats on your CC anniversary! I'm glad to hear that you are coughing less today. 

@kazu Hoping for less pain for you today.

@smitty34877 I wasn't aware of raccoons around here until I put up a Blink camera that looks at my side yard. I see them going through (and deer) occasionally, and once up on my porch. I put garbage out the night before, but some of my neighbors leave theirs in the alley all the time. 

@dfish I have never been aware of rate differences for electricity at different times of day. I'll have to see if I can find that out. Not that I use the AC much any way, except at night for comfortable sleeping. That mushroom galette looks good.

@Cruzin Terri I'm sorry you're still feeling sick. Rest and sleep if you can. I hope DH stays negative. Why can't you have another vaccine? Even though I may not have as robust a response due to my RA treatment, I plan to get another shot before my fall cruise.

@0106 Thanks for the remainder of the Dickenson poem. 

@rafinmd I'm glad you're back to your normal walk now.

@marshhawk I too was a bit late to Bridgerton, then caught up. This year I watched parts 1, then 2 each in their entirety at one sitting, staying up way too late. It sounds like DH's birthday present is a hit!

@Quartzsite Cruiser Thanks for the Talkeetna photos. Great shots of Denali on a rare clear day.

@aliaschief Oh, I loved Downton Abbey!

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers to those Celebrating.

[marshhawk]

@smitty34877Odd that you mentioned raccoon.  Injured.  I looked out before I locked the doors last night, and there was a raccoon eating the cat food in the car port  He only had 3 paws.  He was missing his left front paw.  So I didnt chase him away.  All Gods creatures need help once in a while.

Edited June 17 by marshhawk

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

10 minutes ago, marshhawk said:

@smitty34877Odd that you mentioned raccoon.  Injured.  I looked out before I locked the doors last night, and there was a raccoon eating the cat food in the car port  He only had 3 paws.  He was missing his left front paw.  So I didnt chase him away.  All Gods creatures need help once in a while.

 

Annie, the racoon who visited us in The Woodlands to eat the cat food, showed after being missing for a while with one of his front feet missing.  We guessed he'd been caught in a trap, and maybe chewed his leg off to get free.

 

Lenda

[Nickelpenny]

Thanks for the daily and fleet report.  Crocodiles are so interesting and combating desertification and drought is so important.  HATE root beer; when I was a young competitive swimmer in Calif, one of the swimmers parents owned an A&W joint and we would get coupons for root beer floats.  We would go after evening swim practice with everyone - except me - getting their free float.  Me - soda!  Thanks @0106 for the poem, as it helps understand the quote. The mushroom galette looks so good (recipe downloaded) but I will pass on the drink and wine.  I think I have been to Talkeetna when I drove the loop from Anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks-Tok-Anchorage but no pics. I didn't know Drake landed in Cali!!

 

 

We are almost at 90F at 0830 and the expected high is ~105F but we have been having some breezes up to 15mph.  Sitting here watching the birds drink out of the hummingbird feeder then fly over to the fountain and also take a drink there.  The birds and hummingbirds do that a lot. I do love watching them.

 

 

I accomplished a lot yesterday but I can tell I overdid it just a tad.  So today will be a rest day that maybe I will tackle cleaning out my numerous external hard drives.  I have so many files of policies/procedures, presentations, resources, movies and television programs (that I torrented) and other bits and bobs from my time overseas.  I just am having a hard time deleting them as they are memories of a very exciting/rewarding/adventurous 10 years of my life.  Will I need them again?  Nope (except, of course, the movies and tv programs).  But it is fun to look at them with the multi-language stuff in them.  Oh, the memories.

 

 

@dfish I had to laugh at your "dream". I guess we could bail you out if you got arrested!! ( @marshhawk guard the kitties!!  LOL!!)

@StLouisCruisers Happy CC Anniversary and glad you are starting to feel better.

@durangoscots Have a very Happy Birthday!!

 

 

Keeping anyone in the path of bad weather/fires in my thoughts.  The fire in Gorman, CA looks horrendous; we would routinely drive pass Gorman on our way through the ridge route to my grandfather's house in Porterville.  Cheers to those celebrating.  Have a great day everyone!!

 

 

 

 

Edited June 17 by Nickelpenny
spelling

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

34 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @richwmn.

Growing up, there was a Stewarts that we passed on the way to a mall; my DM and I would stop and they came out to your car. Crocodiles are ok from a distance. Desertification and Drought can be destructive, especially for farmers. Good quote. I've not had or made a galette, but have recipes for fruit ones. Pass on the drink and wine. I haven't been to Talkeetna, but passed it while on the train trip from Anchorage to Denali, and maybe was there for Denali flightseeing. A good day in history.

 

The start of the heat wave is here. It's already 81F. Heat index to be 100-101F. The city has opened cooling centers. I hope my HVAC guy comes, and isn't taken by people needing emergency service (although I'd understand). But it takes up my day waiting for a phone call. I have a PT evaluation tomorrow, and I'm anxious to start working on getting stronger.

 

@durangoscots Happy Birthday Susan! Sorry about the early wake-up call and having to mop the floor.

@StLouisCruisers I hope they find some ports for you to stop at. Congrats on your CC anniversary! I'm glad to hear that you are coughing less today. 

@kazu Hoping for less pain for you today.

@smitty34877 I wasn't aware of raccoons around here until I put up a Blink camera that looks at my side yard. I see them going through (and deer) occasionally, and once up on my porch. I put garbage out the night before, but some of my neighbors leave theirs in the alley all the time. 

@dfish I have never been aware of rate differences for electricity at different times of day. I'll have to see if I can find that out. Not that I use the AC much any way, except at night for comfortable sleeping. That mushroom galette looks good.

@Cruzin Terri I'm sorry you're still feeling sick. Rest and sleep if you can. I hope DH stays negative. Why can't you have another vaccine? Even though I may not have as robust a response due to my RA treatment, I plan to get another shot before my fall cruise.

@0106 Thanks for the remainder of the Dickenson poem. 

@rafinmd I'm glad you're back to your normal walk now.

@marshhawk I too was a bit late to Bridgerton, then caught up. This year I watched parts 1, then 2 each in their entirety at one sitting, staying up way too late. It sounds like DH's birthday present is a hit!

@Quartzsite Cruiser Thanks for the Talkeetna photos. Great shots of Denali on a rare clear day.

@aliaschief Oh, I loved Downton Abbey!

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers to those Celebrating.

 

Vanessa, some electric utilities have various rate plans, and others don't, but just ask you to reduce electricity usage in peak hours.

 

Lenda

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Our rain is slowing down, and we'll get sunshine later this week and up to 80.  Then back down to the 60's.  It has been a very strange late spring/early summer.

 

I love root beer but had never heard of Stewarts Root Beer. I don't think we have it here in the West.  Crocodiles are ok from a distance, and combating desertification is so important.

I know I would like the wine from NZ, maybe on the drink, and maybe on the meal.  I've never had a Galette, the 2nd recipe looks the best to me.  Like others, I've been to Denali but not to Talkeetna.

 

Sandi @StLouisCruisers I'm glad your cough is getting better, hope you feel much better soon! And happy CC anniversary!  I always miss my anniversary, I see it was 3 weeks ago -- 17 years.   I didn't realize you're on next year's 28-day Alaska -- I don't think you've joined the roll call (?)

 

Happy Birthday Susan @durangoscots!!

 

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

3 minutes ago, Nickelpenny said:

Thanks for the daily and fleet report.  Crocodiles are so interesting and combating desertification and drought is so important.  HATE root beer; we I was a young competitive swimmer in Calif, one of the swimmers parents owned an A&W joint and we would get coupons for root beer floats.  We would go after evening swim practice with everyone - except me - getting their free float.  Me - soda!  Thanks @0106 for the poem, as it helps understand the quote. The mushroom galette looks so good (recipe downloaded) but I will pass on the drink and wine.  I think I have been to Talkeetna when I drove the loop from Anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks-Tok-Anchorage but no pics. I didn't know Drake landed in Cali!!

 

 

We are almost at 90F at 0830 and the expected high is ~105F but we have been having some breezes up to 15mph.  Sitting here watching the birds drink out of the hummingbird feeder then fly over to the fountain and also take a drink there.  The birds and hummingbirds do that a lot. I do love watching them.

 

 

I accomplished a lot yesterday but I can tell I overdid it just a tad.  So today will be a rest day that maybe I will tackle cleaning out my numerous external hard drives.  I have so many files of policies/procedures, presentations, resources, movies and television programs (that I torrented) and other bits and bobs from my time overseas.  I just am having a hard time deleting them as they are memories of a very exciting/rewarding/adventurous 10 years of my life.  Will I need them again?  Nope (except, of course, the movies and tv programs).  But it is fun to look at them with the multi-language stuff in them.  Oh, the memories.

 

 

@dfish I had to laugh at your "dream". I guess we could bail you out if you got arrested!! ( @marshhawk guard the kitties!!  LOL!!)

@StLouisCruisers Happy CC Anniversary and glad you are starting to feel better.

@durangoscots Have a very Happy Birthday!!

 

 

Keeping anyone in the path of bad weather/fires in my thoughts.  The fire in Gorman, CA looks horrendous; we would routinely drive pass Gorman on our way through the ridge route to my grandfather's house in Porterville.  Cheers to those celebrating.  Have a great day everyone!!

 

 

 

 

 

Pennie, you probably missed Talkeetna when you did the loop around the Alaska interior.  It is on a side road off the Parks Highway between Willow and Trapper Creek.

 

Lenda

[dfish]

Well, we won't be using a lot of electricity during peak hours as the AC is not working.  I have a call in for service and they said they'd get here sometime this afternoon.  The window  unit in the TV room, which worked perfectly last summer, isn't working either.  The service company asked me to turn off the AC and just run the fan, but the only way to get the fan to run is to turn on the AC.  Grrrr.  

 

@aliaschief the gazpacho sounded so good that I stopped at the store to get the makings for it.  I'm off now to make some as that will be a nice, cool lunch.

[Sharon in AZ]

Good morning and Happy Monday from a toasty Tucson. 
 

@cruising sister, there really aren’t any good restaurants near the airport, just fast food places. However, one of the concourses has a Beyond Bread with a smaller menu than their regular place. The sandwiches are really good. When I was working I ate lunch there many a time. It’s in concourse B so just depends which airline you’re flying. Concourse A has a few places to eat too but I don’t think they are as good as Beyond Bread.  ** I just looked up their website and it says that they are also in concourse A.**
 

Susan @durangoscots, Happy Birthday!!  Enjoy your special day! 🎈🎈🎈

 

Paul @kochleffel, thank you for the article about making your own savory galette. I have some ingredients that just might make a good one. Debbie @dfish, thank you for the recipes today. The mushroom one looks good and so does the corn one. My first thought about your dream was that you had stolen Annie’s @marshhawk’s kittens!

 

Root beer is about the only soda that I’ll drink but only as a float. Little known fact about me is that I worked for a summer when I was 15 at an A&W as a carhop. No roller skates but I did have a change belt. This was in a tiny town in Colorado on the eastern plains, Limon. 
 

Living in the desert I’m not sure how to combat drought but I do think it’s important to have drought tolerant plants and conserve water. 
 

Sandi @StLouisCruisers, good to read you are feeling better. Happy CC anniversary!

 

Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser, your brisket sounds like it turned out great. My step father was from San Antonio and he always marinated brisket in store bought Italian dressing before grilling it. It always came out really good. 
 

Today we are taking Blue to the vet. Ann @Vict0riann, I took your advice and checking on the glands you mentioned might be a problem. We will see. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

17 minutes ago, dfish said:

Well, we won't be using a lot of electricity during peak hours as the AC is not working.  I have a call in for service and they said they'd get here sometime this afternoon.  The window  unit in the TV room, which worked perfectly last summer, isn't working either.  The service company asked me to turn off the AC and just run the fan, but the only way to get the fan to run is to turn on the AC.  Grrrr.  

 

@aliaschief the gazpacho sounded so good that I stopped at the store to get the makings for it.  I'm off now to make some as that will be a nice, cool lunch.

 

Debbie,  now is not the time for the a/c and the window unit to quit working.  I hope the service people get there this afternoon, and that it is an easy and not too expensive a fix.

 

15 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser, your brisket sounds like it turned out great. My step father was from San Antonio and he always marinated brisket in store bought Italian dressing before grilling it. It always came out really good. 
 

Today we are taking Blue to the vet. Ann @Vict0riann, I took your advice and checking on the glands you mentioned might be a problem. We will see. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Sharon, we've smoked a lot of briskets over the years, and this was absolutely the best.  It is also the first one I've seen that had marbling throughout the meat which made it much more tender.  Except when the smoker element burned out, we don't cook our briskets on the grill.  To be really tender, they need to be cooked low and slow and then held at 190 to 200 degrees F for at least an hour if not longer.  It took us many years to really start cooking them long enough.  I put a dry rub on the brisket the night before since I have to get in the smoker about 6am.  We've never marinated any of our beef.  The one time DH's uncle cooked steaks for us, he marinated them, and for me, they just didn't taste the same.  BTW, he owned a series of butcher shops in the LA area.

 

We've been through Limon many times, and we may even have stopped there one night.

 

Lenda

[Cruzin Terri]

2 hours ago, JazzyV said:

 

@Cruzin Terri I'm sorry you're still feeling sick. Rest and sleep if you can. I hope DH stays negative. Why can't you have another vaccine? Even though I may not have as robust a response due to my RA treatment, I plan to get another shot before my fall cruise.

The Covid vaccine causes a flare-up in the PMR and I have to start a new course of Prednisone again.  It appears that the PMR is in remission and I am a course of weaning myself off.  The Rheumatologist and Internist both have advised no more Covid shots.  So this is the price I pay for that.  

Terri

[Cruisercl]

Good Monday afternoon everyone!

 

Been reading along but not posting much. Everything continues to be great on the Daily; sharing knowledge, the funny memes and caring for everyone. Thanks to everyone for contributing.☺️

 

The Summer is busy as I expected but really fun with weddings, graduations, baseball games of nieces (so cute!) to name a few things.

This week looks like rainy/stormy, hot with flooding alerts. We are finally out of our >2 year drought but now on the other end of having enough water/rain. It is always something! I should be OK as I don't live too close to water.

Had some really good fresh cherries for lunch. I am thinking they are in season but they were yummy!! 

Love a good galette savory or fruit. I downloaded the mushroom and leeks recipe, looks really good! Thanks @dfish.

@durangoscots Susan, Happy, Happy Birthday! 🎂 🥂 If we lived closer I could come by, pick you up for a Birthday lunch. Hope your day is going good!

 

Also been busy planning my travel schedules. The big news for me is that I booked the 2026 GANZ cruise. I loved, loved the GANZ this past Winter so will go again. I believe I booked about 1 1/2 years out the last time so this is about the same, it just seems long. This time I will know what and what not to do and bring! Lots of laughter around that...LOL. 

I also have some trips planned for this Fall and a couple of cruises in the Winter. Seems like alot now that I have written them down!

Safe travels for everyone on a cruise, those cruising soon and those with any kind of travels!  I read about your glorious sailings and have bouts of jealousy!

 

Prayers for all of us, extra for those in need.🙏

Celebrate your joys no matter the size!! IMO sometimes the small joys are the best. 

Please take care everyone. 

Caron  😎

 

[dfish]

I have a new best friend!  The AC tech got the main unit working.  The outside unit wasn't getting an electrical signal.  Problem was a switch was tripped in the attic.  I now know where it is and I can fix it if it happens again.  The window unit in the family room is also working.  That just took switching the breakers off and back on again.  I managed that one myself.  Best news is that it did not cost an arm and a leg for the fix.  No parts needed, just expertise.  We are not worrying about peak hours today as we need to cool the place down.  We can worry about them tomorrow.  

 

@Cruisercl Caron, congrats on booking the GANZ for 2026.  We'd have to win the lottery to do that cruise.  And right now that is down on the list right after new roof, mini splits for the family room and basement, and a powder room on the kitchen/dining/family room level.  

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, your brisket sounds a lot like my method for ribs.  I put a dry rub on them the night before and then cook them slowly over indirect heat on the grill.  Long and slow and they are very tender.  

[Cruising-along]

48 minutes ago, Cruisercl said:

The big news for me is that I booked the 2026 GANZ cruise. I loved, loved the GANZ this past Winter so will go again.

Nice!  I see that one will be on the Zaandam -- did you book the same cabin you had on the Volendam?  I loved the GANZ, but it was once and done for me because of the heat and humidity.  I'm really glad to have done it though!  

 

Debbie @dfish SO glad the A/C tech got things going again for you.  I was worried when you said how hot it would be.  Your ideas for the house sound good!  We'll want photos, of course, when the work is done.

 

My plan to have salmon tonight has changed.  I'm having some mild stomach/flu symptoms and that just sounds too rich.  I have no idea where/how I got anything, I haven't been anywhere in days and DH is fine.

[superoma]

The heat dome has reached us. We have a feels like temp of 101F. It is humidity at 53% but feels worse than that. Staying inside for the most part  and staying hydrated.

 

 

[dfish]

25 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

 

 

Debbie @dfish SO glad the A/C tech got things going again for you.  I was worried when you said how hot it would be.  Your ideas for the house sound good!  We'll want photos, of course, when the work is done.

 

My plan to have salmon tonight has changed.  I'm having some mild stomach/flu symptoms and that just sounds too rich.  I have no idea where/how I got anything, I haven't been anywhere in days and DH is fine.

 

We have to win the lottery before the work starts.  LOL  Especially for the mini splits and the powder room.  One can dream.  I hope your stomach settles for you.  We are having salmon on the grill tonight.