Carters In Alaska: May 2011

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Palmer Musk Ox Farm - May 2011

Enjoying an ice cream cone after our tour of the Musk Ox Farm.

The Musk Ox Farm has free admission for moms on Mother's Day. So we made our annual visit a couple of weeks ago. It was a chilly day, but it was sunny. Generally the wind REALLY blows out there. This year there was just a gentle breeze. You can see that it was sort of cloudy off in the distance. The mountains in the background were not as clear and sharp as they sometimes are. Nevertheless, it is quite a place to be farming!!! Imagine that view every day as you look across your field. They had a record eleven calves born this spring.

After our visit to the Musk Ox Farm we did our annual Mother's Day greenhouse tour to shop for plants to put in our yard and our planters.

Knik Glacier Trip - May 2011

We made our annual 4-wheeler trip to the Knik Glacier on May 14. It was a nice day, but somewhat windy. As we neared the glacier it got colder and the wind became a factor. You can see many dust swirls in some of the glacier pictures. The glacier dust is finer than sand. That is one of the reasons I wear my helmet with a visor. If you breathe in too much glacier dust it causes respiratory problems. I learned that lesson on our first trip. I did not have a face mask or goggles that first year. I suffered from a double dose of dust when the volcano was erupting and the volcanic ash came up the Knik River valley.

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PANORAMA VIEW OF THE KNIK GLACIER

NOTE DOUG'S FACE - HE DID NOT HAVE A FULL VISOR
- AND WE STILL HAD TO MAKE THE TRIP BACK IN THE DUST!

LUNCH BY THE GLACIER
YOU CAN SEE A RAVEN IN THE PICTURE FLYING OVER THE GLACIER

TWO OF THE GUYS WHO WERE LEADING THE WAY FOUND A BIT OF A DEEP SPOT. THE YELLOW DRY BAG WHICH YOU SEE ON THE SHORE ACTUALLY FLOATED OUT OF THE FOUR WHEELER AND HAD TO BE RETRIEVED.