Christmas Cruise Aboard the Carnival Fantasy

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This Christmas, just as last year, found us aboard a cruise ship. This year we chose the Carnival Fantasy. Our cruise was a bit special as we brought along Stan's mom and older sister, their Christmas gift from us.

Arriving at the Port of Mobile went without a hitch. The embarkation process was smooth and quick. Aboard ship around noon we went directly to the lunch buffet. Then we proceeded to our cabins. Our cabins were adjoining, first time we ever had adjoining cabins. The cabins were rather roomy as was the head (bathroom). Usually the heads are small closets with very little maneuver room. The rooms were equipped and laid out nicely, no complaints.

Surprisingly our luggage arrived within an hour of getting to the cabin. So we emptied our suitcases and awaited the mandatory life boat drill. We toted our life vests up to the muster station as we were always instructed to do so. We were the only ones there with vests!!! We were told life vests were not required and had we read the in cabin instructions we would have known this!

The weather in Mobile was cold and very overcast with a forecast calling for rain. So after the drill we headed to one of lounges, found a window, and settled down to watch our sail away. We were to sail around four in the afternoon. The time passed and were still alongside the pier. Five o'clock, six, six-thirty passed. Finally an announcement stating Mobile was under a severe weather alert and the Captain decided to wait out the storm. About six-forty the storm hit. Oh my gosh, the rain, wind, lightening, and thunder came with a fury. A tug pulled alongside the ship, bow pressing against the Fantasy at wide open throttle, holding the ship against the pier so the wind would not do damage! What a way to start a cruise. We finally sailed around eight p.m.

Christmas Eve aboard the ship was rather exciting. Lots of children running about; many adults in ridiculous holiday garb! Figured they knew they'd never see any of us again so what the heck.

The ship was decorated very nicely for the holiday, I'll post a link to photos at the end of the review. I did not take a bunch of photos, never even took pics of our cabin. Sorry!

We spent the first night exploring the ship. My sister wanted to particiapte in Karoke so we hung out to endure that!!! Actually she did rather well. We donated a few nickles to the casino and then finally around midnight headed for bed.

The ship was fairly easy to navigate, only a few decks were tricky. The dining rooms were very nice. We chose traditional sitting and did late dinner (8:15) in the Jubilee Dining Room. The menu was okay, nothing to knock your socks, but nothing to complain about either. Our server seemed overwhelmed and a few nights got our orders out of sync and they ended up being less than hot. Still nothing that one doesn't experience in a local retaurant from time to time.

Breakfast in the Celebration Dining Room was superb, as was lunch. The Lido deck buffet was rather difficult. Too many different venues. On the outside they served burgers and hot dogs as well as freshly prepared meats, i.e. ham, roast, chicken etc. By the time you got through the line and made your way inside to sit, the food was less than hot. Inside housed the salad bars, the ethnic buffets, pizzaria, desserts etc. Eggs/omlets/waffles/pancakes to order in the mornings were also offered here. Again, the food was good with a very nice menu to choose from. The wait staff were great. Coffee and juice carts being pushed around refilling your needs.

The cruise staff were terrific. The activities were great. We participated in several activities. We walked away with 100% genuine fake gold plated trophies worth "far less than one thousand dollars," along with several medallions. Mom won a rubber bracelet inscribed with "Carnival Funships." She was so proud. As we were disembarking, Lewis, one of the staff, yelled, "Lee come back and see us." An indication of how many activities we participated in.

Bingo was a bust, I think mom managed to get three numbers on her card.

The weather in Cozumel was great, probably mid to high seventies. We piered at the far away pier so a cab to town was necessary. The line was so long we opted to take a horse and buggy. My bad, I should have negotiated price prior to us getting on. When we got to the city dock and got off, I asked how much, ugh $40. No sense to argue, like I said my bad! Headed to Pancho's Backyard for lunch and then shopping. Mom hung in there very well, but by three she was getting tired so we made our way back to ship.

The ship was very clean and the entire very friendly. Disembarkation was a breeze, we did the self assist, we were in the car on the way out of the parking deck by eight-forty-five.

Worse part of the trip was Lee losing an earring that Santa gave her Christmas morning:(

All things considered it was a good cruise. The weather did not totally cooperate as our first day at sea was windy and cool with eight foot sea. Our sea day from Cozumel greeted us with terrible rain storms and six foot sea. Surprisingly the ship maintained a fairly smooth balance. Did not observe anyone really suffering from sea sickness, however bags were provided at every elevator. Probably a good idea.

Will we do this venue again? You betcha!!

Christmas Aboard the Fantasy Album

Thanksgiving aboard the Norwegian Spirit

We opted to drive to New Orleans from Little Rock, Arkansas. An easy 8 hour drive. We spent the night in New Orleans. Got up Sunday morning and had breakfast at Mother’s Restaurant. Took our time, really, getting to the terminal.

Mr GPS brought us to the Erato Street terminal, however, brought us to the old terminal. No problem we had plenty of time. We followed the signs to the terminal. A few signs were confusing, but nonetheless we made it. It appeared there were two lots you could opt to park, an open lot to the right of the terminal and the parking deck. Not sure how much the open lot was. Prior to entering a security guard checked the vehicle to ensure it was safe, no hidden explosives etc!! The deck cost $112 for the seven day cruise. We had been told on the boards that the parking was a cash only affair. Turned out we could use a credit card.

Once in the parking deck we proceeded, we were stopped by a gentleman who informed us to drop our luggage, park on deck 4 or 5 and then take the elevator down to the second floor. One of the easiest drop offs we have done.

Off on the second floor we went through security, were given a number, one, and were directed to the waiting area. I’m thinking we were in the terminal by eleven a.m. We waited but a few minutes when our check-in number was called. We went up to the Lattitudes check-in desk and within probably three minutes were ready to go. Sign and sail cards in hand.

We waited another thirty minutes before they started boarding. Boarding went in accordance to the number you were holding. So we pretty much were the first ones to board. Lots of staff greeting you, however, no one told us what to do. So that could have been a bit confusing to first time cruisers. We just figured we’d head to lunch. So up to Raffles. Very clean and the food offered was very nice. The roast beef was delicious!!!!

After lunch we walked around and familiarized ourselves with the ship. Right at about two, we headed to our cabin deck. The doors were opened as we arrived so we proceeded to our cabin, 9122. Wow were we surprised. Excellent cabin. Nice balcony, bathroom was spacious and clean. Safe was left open in the locked position so we had to call the reception desk. Within minutes security arrived and reset the safe.

We figured we would put our valuables in the safe and head out to a lounge. A knock at the door? Hmm, guess it’s our cabin steward, nope it was our luggage!!!!! Our luggage arrived to the cabin around two-thirty. That is the quickest we have ever gotten our luggage. So we proceeded to unpack and put stuff away. Empty suitcases fit under the bed with room to spare.

The abandon ship exercise was held at four-thirty. We sailed shortly after.

We ate dinner at Windows, one of the two main dining rooms. The other is the Garden Room. Dinner was good, as were all the meals. Our wait staff was very personable. Food arrived hot and very good. The second night we ate in the Garden Room, sadly the service lacked the charm of sailing. And we felt a bit enclosed in the Garden Room, so that was the only meal, other than the Mystery Dinner, we ate there.

Windows is a much nicer, open area dining room. First day at sea we opted to actually get up early and go to Windows for breakfast. Breakfast was very disappointing. I ordered poached eggs which came out hard boiled. I also ordered corned beef hash, one of my favorite things to order on board. The hash was just that, diced up little pieces of meat, tossed with diced potato and I think celery. Needless to say, we did not do the main dining room for breakfast anymore.

Raffles probably has the best breakfast. Made to order eggs, perfect every time; Belgian waffles and wonderful French toast. Although busy, Raffles was always clean and very organized. One thing I did notice in Raffles and the main dining rooms, there were no bar personal trying to push drinks of the day or to take a dinner meal cocktail order. Our last night, we ate in Windows and ordered dinner cocktails from our waiter. So drinks were available on request.

The food we experienced was very good. The staff very professional and for the most part attentive.

The Blue Lagoon had the best wings and best burgers hands down. The fish and chips were pretty good as well. The Blue Lagoon operated 24/7, and was very conveniently located. Maybe too convenient. Those late night stops!!!!!! Walking back to our cabin we would walk through and yep, the aromas always got us. So at two in the morning, we’re sitting eating wings!!!!! Yum-O!

All the lounges were clean and the entertainment was good. Arwin and Emily, a duo, played at Michael’s Champagne Bar nightly and were fantastic. Fusion Wave, a band, played in the Galaxy most nights and were great. We were a bit disappointed with the Spirit Show Band, they played mostly Latin/Salsa, so dancing was limited.

The Quest and Second City were absolutely outstanding. There was a toga party we missed, a Hot White dance party, a Why Wait til New Year’s party which was fun. All the entertainment we saw was on par, not outstanding, but not bad.

The highlights for us were the Mystery Dinner and the Enchanted Dinner.

The Mystery Dinner: you gather in the Stardust theater for a briefing and an intro of the crime. You are broken into groups of eight and handed an information packet. Each player in the group becomes a character and you play that part. After a brief intro of all the players you are escorted to the dining room (Garden Room) for a special dinner (you can order off the regular menu if you choose, however you still pay your $20 per person). The leader of your group then opens scene one, follow the instructions, dine, have fun, through scene four. A pretty good time was had by all. And no, no one solved the crime!

Enchanted Dinner: $65 per person, wine is unlimited and the dinner absolutely awesome. The setting is in the art gallery. Tables are set in a very intimate layout, providing you a bit of romantic privacy. There were ten couples to participate, I doubt there is room for more then maybe twelve tables. So if you are interested sign up early. Some folks were dressed to the nines, most were in very nice resort casual. The wait staff were fantastic. The Executive Chef prepares this dinner himself. Ship staff, to include the Captain, pop in to greet you etc. Again, this is probably one of the best things we have done on any cruise. Think of an elegant restaurant at home, what you pay for a dinner which includes personal service, appetizers, salads, main course, dessert and after dinner cordials, and did I mention unlimited wine? $65 becomes moot!!!! Go and enjoy.

We were disappointed with the Lattitudes parties. The first party introduced the Captain and his staff. The drinks of course were passed around, the usual mimosa, red birds, champagne and I think wine. This was the first time that when I asked for a beer instead of all the sweet stuff, I was refused. They said I could buy a beer, but did not offer any substitutes to what was being served. At every repeaters party I have ever attended I have always been allowed beer. Oh well, no big deal, just don’t expect a substitute beverage. I think it is very nice that the cruise lines continue to do the repeaters party. The second party, which was for Silver and above, was held in the art gallery and I do not remember seeing any staff except for the Lattitudes liaisons and they were enthralled with two passengers. They spent the party with those two, never did mingle. So that was sorta of a bust. Paul the cruise director answered our questions. BTW for those of you that collect Lattitude pins, NCL has done away with the program. Paul told us to drop by and see one of the Lattitude folks and they probably could get us a pin. We did and we did get pins for the Spirit.

We were told there were over six hundred children aboard. Yikes!!! For the most part children were behaved. Some kids were absolutely rowdy, mis-mannered, and destructive.

We were walking up one stairwell where two little boys were wrestling with the banister fennel. Wrenching it back and forth, mom standing within a few feet of them, never said a word. Late night, maybe one in the morning, young kids, probably ten to twelve years old, jumping up on bar stools demanding a soft drink!!!

I don’t like to deprive anyone of having fun, but these kids were terribly out of control and at one in the morning, where are the parents? I think all cruise lines should institute a policy that after ten p.m. children under thirteen need to be accompanied by an adult. No exceptions.

I also think that when an event is labeled “adults only, eighteen years and older” anyone younger should be required to leave. And the rules should not be relaxed to appease an upset parent. Rules are rules, period.

The Mystery Dinner was labeled adults only, one group came in with three children, young children, the staff person informed them it was an adults only event. Probably after ten minutes of discussion, the staff person gave in and allowed them to stay. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I had previously read on the boards that the disembarkation process in New Orleans was terrible. To be totally truthful I don’t see anything NCL could do to make the process any simpler. I think the New Orleans terminal personnel have the embarkation/disembarkation process down to a fine science.

I’m sure I missed a few things. I did not address the ports of call on purpose. Most of you have been to them and not much has changed. If you have a specific question feel free to ask.

Bottom line, the cruise was all we expected it to be and maybe a little more thanks to the Enchanted Dinner.

Ft Hood - The Answer!

Well here I go again. Seems I am always against the grain, but this time I think in a good way.

I think everyone knows I support the right to bear arms. Not going to go into the 2nd Amendment as I believe far too many people skew the real meaning. Nor am I going to rant about the fact weapons do not kill people. Let me just quickly repeat myself. It takes a deliberate act of squeezing the trigger to make any gun go "bang." So, the person attached to the finger is the cause of a weapon discharging a round.

In the past few days a lot has been printed and reported about the Ft Hood shooting. Many are appalled that soldiers were not armed to defend themselves. Many are questioning that fact. I am not going to discuss Maj Hasan. Why he snapped or what made him execute such a horrific plan, we may never know. So I'll allow you to speculate and draw your own conclusions.

Let me quickly address why the solders were not armed. Being a veteran of 24 years, all Infantry, I have quite an extensive weapons experience base to draw from.

If this happened on an Air Force base or a Navy ship at sea, would the question still be why weren't the Air Force and Navy personnel armed? I think not.

I really don't think Americans look at the Air Force and Navy in the same light they do the Army and Marine Corps.

For some reason we never really relate guns and combat to the Air Force and Navy.

So why weren't the Ft Hood soldiers armed? For the same reason Air Force pilots do not take their fighter jets home! Or why Navy Commanders aren't leisurely floating their big grey ships in the local lake! Just not feasible.

What if IBM had all their employees toting weapons, or Ford Motor Company armed everyone on the assembly line, would we accept this? An emphatic and resounding no!

Military personnel, regardless of service, prepare to defend a great country against foreign or domestic threat. Never a thought to defend the place you work.

If all our military walked around carrying a weapon, it would be more of a street gang with sophisticated weapons rather than a well regulated militia.

I cannot recall an incident during my twenty-four years of service that required us to be armed, locked and loaded, on any installation I was assigned. Quite possibly, the 9-11 incident may have been one tragedy that caused all military installations to lock down and their Rapid Response Units to be placed on alert.

The incident on Ft Hood came unexpectedly, just as 9-11, the shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech, to name a few.

There is no defense against such an act of violence. I do wonder sometimes why all these so called psychics we have in this country cannot see stuff like this before it happens!

If the unexpected was expected, we could prepare for it. Sadly, it is always just that, unexpected.

Maybe Murphy gave us the most profound observation ever. "If anything can go wrong, it will; and at the worst possible moment." Maybe we need to add "and with horrific consequence."

And now soldiers are shooting soldiers!

The news today was absolutely heartbreaking and sickening. An Army officer, a doctor and psychiatrist, shot and killed 12 fellow soldiers. How horrific! In all, at latest count, 12 dead, 31 wounded.

How crazy! What in the hell did these soldiers do to hurt this officer? What role did they have in his being deployed? None, an emphatic not one damn thing. But yet, as innocent bystanders their lives are ended.

Ladies and gentlemen, do not blame the guns used. Guns are inanimate objects that do no harm on their own. I can attest to that. None of my guns have ever jumped out of their cases and began shooting. It is not the gun manufacturers fault anymore than it is the fault of an automobile manufacturers fault because someone runs a red light.

"A firearm holstered properly, lying on a table, or placed in a scabbard is of no danger to anyone. Only when handled is there a need for concern." (Excerpted from: The Modern Technique of the Pistol, by Greg Morrison, Gunsite Press, Paulden, Arizona, ISBN 0-9621342-3-6, Library of Congress Number 91-72644, $40)

Rather it is the fault of a radical SOB that had total disregard for the Hypocratic Oath that he had vowed to uphold.

I cannot fix this, nor can I turn back the hands of time. I can only wonder why. And I can render prayer to those involved.

Although no official words have ever been printed, these verses have become popular.

I render the salute of TAPS to my fallen comrades. May God be you!


Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?
All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.

Alaskan Vacation

I will tell you before you even start, this is lengthy!! I have included links (in blue) to points of interest and a link to our very condensed album titled "Alaska Adventure 2009" at the end of the blog.

We departed Little Rock on July 25th en route to Anchorage Alaska. We flew this time and arrived around 11 p.m. Alaska time. Slight baggage screw up, one bag made it, three did not!

Traveling with us are our best friends Ron and Lynn. Lee's brother, Pat and his wife Suzanne's, house is our base camp.

Monday was a lazy day for us. We walked and shopped the downtown area, explored Kincaid Park and Flattop Mountain. On Tuesday we headed for Homer to do some halibut fishing.

We lodged for two nights at The Beary Patch Bed & Breakfast. The first night we dined at The Homestead restaurant. Outstanding food and great atmosphere. The second night we dined at Cafe Cups. The food here was good. We all concurred that The Homestead was a bit better.

We had fishing reservations with Big Bear Charters. Captain Brandon and his deck hand Ty were the crew for the day. Weather wise the day was pretty lousy. We would have fished for Lingcod as well as halibut, but, the weather did not permit us into Lingcod water. So halibut it was. Lynn was the first to have a fish on, however, it ended up being a spiny dog shark!!!! Quite a few of these sharks were caught.

By days end we all caught our limit of two fish per person. The biggest fish being probably 40 - 60 pounders. If ya'll think this type of fishing is easy, it isn't. We fished in 200 feet of water with a 2 - 3 pound weight. Just pulling up line to check bait was tiring. Now add 20 - 30 pounds of combative fish. No easy task for any of us. However, everyone prevailed and by days end we were bushed!

No telling how many fish were actually caught as many were tossed back in because bigger fish could be had. Back at the dock, the fish were unloaded, washed and hung up for photos and then they were filleted. The end result was 114 pounds of fresh halibut. We had them flash frozen and shipped via FedEx back to Ron's and put in his freezer at home. FedEx was on time and fish made it without problem.

Many of the local folks suggested we eat at Crabbies. So we stopped there prior to heading back to Anchorage. Sadly, the food nor the atmosphere equalled the previous dining experiences. Crabbies ended up being a disappointment.

On the way out of Homer we stopped and visited the Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center. A very educational experience.

Back in Anchorage for a day before we head to Talkeetna. We dropped the girls downtown to shop and we headed to view spawning salmon. Stopped first at Ship's Creek, saw a few fish and a few fisherman. We then headed to Campbell Park where the Alaska Game and Fish have a few viewing areas set up. We saw a few fish, but nothing to speak of. So Ron and I made our way to West Marine. Yeppers we visited the northern most West Marine Store, didn't buy anything, but hey we were there!!!!

We then headed into town to meet up with the girls. The girls had lunch at Sack's. One of those nice little foo foo kinda places girls like to go. Ron and I had reindeer sausage from a street vendor!!!! After lunch we headed to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson. Here the story of Alaska is told. Many many great exhibits and wonderful art.

Friday we headed to Talkeetna. Took our time getting started and really took our time getting to Talkeetna. Along the way we stopped in Palmer, walked through the local farmers market and had lunch at Vagabond Blue's. Then onward to Talkeetna. Well actually a little place named Sunshine where we stayed at the Fireweed Station Bed & Breakfast. I could ramble on for days about this place, check out the link and spare the rambling. Tom and Hobb's are host and hostess of this wonderful place. We brought fresh caught halibut for dinner and Tom prepared it. He is a fantastic cook. We spent Friday and Saturday evening here. After breakfast on Saturday we took a short hike to pick berries and see the Yak's. The Yak's are used to pack in camping supplies for hikers conquering Mt McKinley. The rest of Saturday was a downtown Talkeetna day. Talkeetna consists basically of one main street. We had lunch at Twister Creek a busy little place. Reindeer soup was a hit with us as were the huge burgers. One thing that can be said about Alaska, the meals are not skimpy!

Later on that evening we chartered Talkeetna Air Taxi for an aerial tour of Mt McKinley. What an absolutely awesome experience. The planes had not been able to land on the glaciers due to weather for several days or so. We were informed that the flight before us was successful at landing, as were we! Yep, the plane landed on the glacier. I guess I already used the word awesome, but I have to use it again. The glacier experience was beyond awesome!!!!! It was so cool walking out on the glacier and experiencing first hand what a crevasse looks like.

Upon returning to Talkeetna we met Pat, Suzanne, Tom and Hobb's at Mountain High Pizza for dinner. I guess we ordered dinner a few minutes after nine. Being that the sun stays up so long in Alaska it's hard to gauge the time. We had an early Sunday morning meeting time with the iFishAlaska folks some forty-five minutes from Talkeetna. We originally were to meet at five-thirty which was plenty early for us; the meeting time ended up being four-forty-five, yes a.m.! Here we are choking down pizza trying to finish up dinner so that we could get back to Fireweed and catch a few hours of sleep.

Second Week: Sunday morning alarms went off at three-thirty and we were on the road at four. We arrived at the Deshka River Landing in Willow on time and met with our fishing guide, Pat. We loaded our gear onto the boat and headed out. A very cool morning to say the least. We made our way up river to a hot spot, that turned out to be warm rather than hot. The limit for Silver Salmon is three per person. Ron and I caught our limit with Pat, Lee, and Lynn catching one each. Made our daily catch at nine, six fish short of a full limit. At any rate we all had a great time, saw a few eagles and lots of jumping fish. Filleted out, I venture to say our catch rendered probably 40 pounds or so of fresh Alaskan Silver Salmon! These were packed up in a fish box and carried home.

Very tiring drive home, but it was well worth it. Monday was a lazy day, well laid back day. We all decided we could do "nothing" at home. We ended up going to the Anchorage Zoo. Have to laugh, because we have been moose-less so far. When we got to the moose enclosure, we had to ask one of the workers to point out the moose!!!! We should have visited the zoo the first day here. The "bad moose karma" was finally broken. Pics of this trip are included in the Anchorage album.

Tuesday morning was a rise and shine early day as we were taking the train to Whittier and then taking a glacier sight seeing cruise. Both the train and the cruise turned out to be fantastic. Can't tell you how many glaciers we got to see, I think they said twenty-six. Along with the glaciers we saw eagles, otters and harbor seals. And we were fortunate to witness a glacier calving. Calving is when a piece of the glacier breaks away and falls into the ocean!

On our return train ride, we saw moose in the wild. First a cow and her calf, then a young moose that was on the track. The train probably followed this moose for a half mile or so before it jumped to safety. We also saw a big bull with a large rack of antlers. Also spotted a small group of Dall Sheep frolicking on the rocks.

Wednesday found us at the Aviation Museum where the history of Alaska aviation and bush pilots is displayed. Then we had a moment of sheer impulse. The museum is located on the shore of Lake Hood, the worlds largest float plane base. So yep you guessed it, we decided to take a float plane tour with Ellison Air. From the plane we saw moose, elk, bison, eagles, seals and Beluga whales(the little white amoeba looking things). How fun to take off from and land on water. Pics of this trip are included in the Anchorage album.

Thursday brought us to Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. There is a wonderful tram that takes you to the top of Alyeska Mountain. Sadly the clouds were so heavy that once on top we couldn't see anything. We had lunch with hopes the clouds would clear. No such luck, so that plan basically bombed.

From the resort we decided to head to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Here they have rescued animals living in a protected environment. More moose, elk, bison, black bear, caribou, and a few other species. Good weather and good experience.
Finally heading back to Anchorage. Already planning Friday's activities of last minute shopping, packing, returning the rental car and getting to the airport to catch a one-thirty a.m. Saturday morning flight. While at the conservation center Lee overheard someone saying there had been a fatal accident on Seward Highway and that the highway was closed. Not sure exactly where the accident was, we drove towards Anchorage. Needless to say we only got about fifteen miles when we came to stopped traffic. Lee's brother sent a text informing us the highway would be closed until five-thirty. Ron had already decided to turn around and go back to one of the creeks where we could park and view salmon and watch folks fish.

The real Alaskan adventure begins. As we watch the salmon and fishermen in Bird Creek, someone yells "bear!" Holy cow, yes a bear, doing some fishing of it's own. From the bridge we frantically snap pictures. The Ron decides to make a move off the bridge to get closer. I follow.
I guess I could go on and on about this encounter, but pictures are worth thousands of more words then I could possibly write. After returning to the bridge, a second bear appeared. As I watched the second bear, it all of a sudden jolted back into the foliage. Come to find out, Ron and Lynn had gone hiking and found themselves directly above the bear on a ridge. As Ron states, it was one of those "holy crap" moments!!!

Headed back to the bridge we encounter a wild squirrel!

I can tell you honestly that this days experience is probably the best wildlife adventure we have ever had!!!!

Friday we prepare to leave. The girls went off to do last minute shopping and to turn the car in. Ron and I stay home and relax.

After dinner at Carlo's Mexican restaurant, we head back to the house and pack our salmon. Then it's off to the airport to catch a 1:30 a.m. flight home. The flight long and uneventful. We arrive home in Little Rock around 4 p.m. Oh the comfort of sleeping in your own bed!!!!!!

Our album: Alaska Adventure 2009

So I was asked my opinion about the Second Amendement

Here is my reply.

Being a military retiree and spending 24 years in the Infantry I have had my experience with weapons. I have a Concealed Carry Permit and I do carry about 95% of the time.

The argument of the Second Amendment has been an ongoing discussion for years. Sadly the majority of the people do not really know what the Second Amendment Right is.

The true interpretation of the Amendment does not give every citizen of this country the right to bear arms.

The argued excerpt: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The intent of the Amendment was to give citizens, farmers and home owners the right to bear arms to protect their properties and families against aggression.

So the NRA's (of which I am a member) argument that everyone should have the right to bear arms is a moot point with me.

Yep, I'd be pissed if the Government came in and told me I could no longer own a gun, and yep, I'd be illegal because I will not give up my guns. Period!

I feel if they stop all gun sales and take away every one's right to own and bear arms, the only folks that will have guns will be the criminals and we surely have enough of that problem now.

The argument from the righteous people that say guns kill, haven't a friggin clue. Hell cars kill as well. However, if I leave my gun in a safe locked up it isn't going to kill anyone by itself. It will need a mechanism to squeeze the trigger to make it go bang.

So why don't people that have lost family members due to a drunk driver behind the wheel not sued or condemned the car manufacturer involved? Well simply, because it's a stupid thought. The car did not kill anyone. The car was the projectile that the drunk driver used to kill someone.

I think it is just so very hard to blame an inanimate object of a crime!

Do I support the Second Amendment? You betcha, I gave 24 years of my life for that right. It would be nice if everyone really knew what that right was all about.

After all these years, I have realized.....

That I am the best driver on the road!!!!!!

It is beyond my level of comprehension how so many people behind the wheel can be so careless.

Directional (turn) signals are mostly never used. This is due to not having the hand free to flip the lever. I have actually witnessed folks passing me with a book or magazine on the steering wheel; or see them texting, or applying makeup as they are going 60 or 70 mph.

And why don't people look? Whether a directional signal is used or not, people just pull out. And then of course the sense that, "hey I put my signal on."

Driving for me has become a simple necessity, I really no longer enjoy it. The rudeness of people is crazy.

Funny how everyone is so against things that are hazardous to one's health, smoking, drinking, obesity and the like. However, when it comes to driving all caution is thrown to the wind. Do people not realize they are vulnerable or that they really are sitting behind the wheel of a 2,000 pound killing machine?

But I know I'm preaching to the choir, cuz after all, it's never gonna happen to me!