Kenai, AK 6/27

Yesterday (Thursday) was a rainy day so we did a little shopping at Fred Meyer’s in Soldotna.  Got a couple of gifts and then two place mats for our table – ours from 2011 were getting old.

We passed the The Moose is Loose Bakery; they had a new sign up.  

Judy got some cookies for her dinner party that she went to while I went to the VFW for some beer and storytelling with the guys.

We passed this sign - indicative of the perils of fishing for salmon in the Kenai River.

Today, Friday, we went to the Kenai Beach again (you can never get enough - kinda like the Gulf Beaches in Florida).

This is a picture of the canneries across the bay.  Forgot to include this in yesterday's blog.

We found a log on the beach and sat for awhile and just enjoyed the scenery.

The waves today were the biggest we have seen yet (must be from that earthquake/tsunami out in the Aleutians!!!).

While we were there, the fishing boats began to leave the harbor.

The end of a beautiful day...

Kenai, AK 6/22 - 6/26

Today, Thursday the 26^th, is turning out to be a rainy day so we are at home in the RV.  We have had a lot of rain most days over the past three weeks or so.  Most days we have sunshine, then rain for a little while, and then sunshine again.  Today it looks like an all-day(er).

Well, I finally got the front of the trailer waxed on Wednesday.  I actually used something called "Rejex" which is supposed to help in getting the bugs off when you try to wash them off.  

Before we left TX last April, we looked at buying a small chest freezer so that we could bring the fish we catch up here in it and not have to pay shipping costs.  Well, I guess I couldn’t decide what to get so we didn’t get one.

Yesterday we were in Home Depot and there was a freezer for us – only $202.  It was a 5 cu. ft. model and didn’t seem too heavy.  We got the dimensions and came back to the trailer to make sure it would fit.  Well, wouldn’t you know, it is too big!!  Bummer.  So then we went to every store around to see if we could find something smaller (like a 3 cu. ft.) but no one has one.  So I guess we are out of luck on that.

Went to the Kenai beach and saw a guy fishing and had sea gulls everywhere as a result.  Not sure what he was fishing for, but he did show some other people a small halibut that he had caught.

Interesting how this shell got up on the big rock.

It was a beautiful pinkish shell.

Mountains to the south of the beach.

Mountains again across Cook Inlet.

A couple of beach bums!

On Monday we drove over to the old cannery area.  In 2011 there wasn’t much there – the Libby cannery had been closed for several years.  But today it looks like some canning is going on again, not only here but further down the intlet.

New building on the site.

Went to church again on Sunday.  This is a picture of the altar area at the church we have been attending (Grace Lutheran Church in Soldotna).  I keep expecting to see a moose or elk or bear pop in those trees, but nothing so far!

Pine trees near our site at the school.

Nice view of the mountains to the south of Kenai, on the way to Soldotna.

Went to the Pizza Boys Restaurant for pizza again and they served beer in a glass jar from the Kenai River Brewing Company.  So, of course, we had to find this brewery as well.  Here is the sign.

Didn’t get a picture of the building but it is very small.  We went inside and they had a bar setup.  The young lady asked us what kind of beer we liked and she gave us samples of a couple of each.  We made our choices and bought two quarts – don’t remember the names but Judy’s is the darkest you can buy and mine is a lighter variety.

The bottles are the same, but they initial the type of beer on the cap.

You can buy their beer in 10 oz. cans, 32 oz. bottles, 64 oz. growlers, and a couple of kegs sizes.

Found this cute little pond - has a couple of picnic tables here and on the other side.

Speaking of the other side, that is the Walmart Store in the background so I guess this is called the Walmart lake!

Judy thought we should put this picture in the blog and say that this is what the Alaskan roads look like!

Daisies along the road by Walmart lake.

When we went to the Kassiks Brewery in Nikiski, we picked up four bottles of beer - two for me and two for Judy.  I got 2 "Beaver Tail Blonde Ale" and Judy got two flavors - "Chocolate Cherry" and "Roughneck Stout."  They sell their beer in 22 oz. bottles.

Here is a little BREWERY HISTORY:

Kassik's Brewery is housed in a small warehouse, nestled in a clearing in the

woods, adjacent to the Kassik’s home in Nikiski.  Frank's passion for brewing

began when his wife Debara, bought him a home brew kit for Christmas. Frank

was hooked and soon became a proficient home brewer.  They built a 36 X 50

shop in hopes to someday have a brewery.  In May of 2005 Kassik's purchased a used seven barrel system, and then remodeled their building to accommodate the equipment with the help of family and friends.  The brewery opened Memorial Weekend 2006 with their first brew Beaver Tail Blonde, their Moose Point Porter was on tap a few weeks later.

Check out these names:

On Tap
Kenai Chamber Winner:  BLACK JACK STOUT
Brewed with Licorice Root & Black Strap Molasses

Big Nutz (Imperial Brown)
Caribou Kilt Scotch
Whaler's Wheat
Beaver Tail Blonde
Dolly Varden Nut Brown
Moose Point Porter
Orion's Red Ale
Roughneck Stout
Pale Moon Ale
Morning Wood IPA

22 ounce Bottles
Kenai Chamber Winner:  BLACK JACK STOUT
Brewed with Licorice Root & Black Strap Molasses
Chocolate Cherry Stout
Buffalo Head Barley Wine
Smoked Russian Imperial Stout
Roughneck Stout
Orion's Quest Red Ale
Caribou Kilt Wee Heavy Scotch
Big Nutz - Imperial Brown
Beaver Tail Blonde
Dolly Varden Nut Brown
Moose Point Porter
Morning Wood IPA

And, one final note, you can't have a view of mountains without one of Mt. Redoubt (again) on the Kenai Spur Highway.

.
It's there every day - some days are just better than others!!

Kenai, AK 6/16 - 6/21

Doesn't seem like it's been 3 weeks here in Kenai already - been having too much fun, I guess!!!

Today is 6/21 - summer soltice - and, Summer Soltice Party 2014!!  Not sure how much fun it will be this year.  It is trying to rain, and the party is in a big field.  Will have to wait and see.  Ended up not going.

We visited the airport last Sunday afternoon and saw this plane parked.  It says "Everts Fuel Air."  They are a cargo carrier like FEDEX.

Later we drove over to where we were told there was an eagle's nest.  And, we weren't disappointed.  Notice the female in the nest.

 And here is the male perched close by.

At one point, he flew away to shoo a raven away.

And then he came back to watch over the nest.

On another note, Judy found this t-shirt at the store.

We had read thru all of the paperbacks that we had so went to this unique bookstore here in Knai.  It's called "Read, Ready, Read."

This is a picture of the entryway:

There were books everywhere from floor to ceiling.

One could get lost in here!  And, to top it all off, there is a method to their madness.  They are sorted by, fiction, travel, childrens, biographies, etc. Then they are basically sorted by author too yet.

The books are all used and the paperbacks cost $2.50 and the hard cover books were more.  We turned in 6 books and got $.50 for each.

More moose sightings.  This one was along the road when we were headed up to the Nikiski Beach. 

Another shot of the Nikiski beach.

Yesterday, Friday, was the best weather day we have had yet so we did a little walking around old Kenai.  

This is The Holy Assumption Orthodox Church and has been the principal and most enduring representative of Russian culture in southcentral Alaska from 1841 to the present. For the Kenaitze Indians, who are still a significant portion of the population, it was the major institution for the assimilation of western culture when the Russian fur traders first came to the area. In addition to serving as a religious center, the church began the first school on the Kenai Peninsula educating the local Kenaitze children and young adults to read, write, grow vegetables, and learn basic building methods. It served as a judicial center acting as arbiter between the officials of the Russian-American Fur Trading Company and the natives. The church served as a social center, bringing the community together to share ideas and promote the welfare of all.  The church also provided the region’s first access to public health with the introduction of smallpox vaccine after the first epidemic decimated the local population.

Across the street is this neat little coffee shop (Veronica's Coffee House and Cafe) that we checked out and had coffee and bread pudding.

This was another historical landmark next to the restaurant.

Of course, there were some beautiful flowers there.

This week I have been busy waxing the trailer.  On Tuesday I did the back; Wednesday one side; Thursday the other side.  Now all I have left is the front.  Wanted to do that yesterday, but after a good time at the Legion with the 'boys' on Thursday night, I decided that I didn't need to be up and down a ladder too many times!!  So, it will have to wait until Monday.

Judy has been busy with her crafts.  We have gone to the beaches several times - both the Nikiski beach and the local Keani beach.  And we look for rocks!

She also found some material at Walmart, got her sewing machine out, and made some scarves.

We also made another trip to the Kenai beach.  The tide was 'way' out so we got some unique pictures of the sand.

Found a few shells including one conch shell.

We went to Walmart the other day for some groceries.  They usually have a sign out listing job openings in the store.  This time this was the sign:

Apparently they have a shortage of cashiers!!!  And to prove it, they only had one line open!

Went to the Peninsula Oilers ball game last night.  The day was just beautiful - sunny and temp was about 70 degrees.  Best day weatherwise yet!!  For the game I put on a sweater and light jacket;  Judy wore her Girl Scout hoodie. And we were too warm!  Usually, by 6 or 7 PM the temp starts to drop, but not last night.  I keep remembering the game we went to back in 2011 when we wore our winter coats!!

Anyway, the game was great - and fast.  The Oilers won 1 - 0 on a home run by the batter below. Hardly any other hits and the game was over by 9 PM. There is one more game here (tonight) and then they go on the road so we probably won't see them again this year.

We finally made it up to the Kassik Brewery on Wednesday.  

They are located off the beaten path so you have to have directions to get there.  We bought some beer - two bottles for me and two for Judy.  Judy likes the darker stuff - one was Chocolate Cherry stout and mine was this one:

They are a rather unique brewery in that all of their beers are in 22 oz. bottles.


Judy woke up early this morning (4 AM) and came downstairs.  Heard some noise outside and took a look.  There must have been 200+ sea gulls out there!  Couldn't get a picture then.  
No idea why they came here, but by morning, most of them were gone.

Tomorrow is Sunday - church and The Moose is Loose Bakery for coffee and fritters again!!