Surgery Day Cometh ...

Greetings Everyone!

We've been in Anchorage - preparing for Ernie's knee surgery.  He's been busy doing  pre-op, physical and hospital registration.  Ernie will have surgery at Alaska Regional Hospital, Wednesday, March 7th at 9:00 am.  The doctor expects to have Ernie in surgery for about 65 minutes. 

After surgery Ernie will go to 'recovery' for about an hour or so - then, up to his room.  We expect Ernie to be in the hospital for three days.  He'll be discharged when he can demonstrate to the physical therapist that he can walk up a flight of steps.

So what does a 'total knee replacement' mean?  It's actually a cartilage replacement with an artificial surface.  Ernie's knees' will not be replaced, as is commonly thought, but rather an artificial substitute for the cartilage is inserted on the end of the bones.  This is done with a metal alloy on the femur and plastic spacer on the tibia and kneecap.  This will create a new smooth cushion and a functioning joint that does not hurt.  Hopefully, Ernie will not experience the knee pain that's he's been having for the last couple of years. 

So what does Rocky have to do with Ernie's surgery?  Absolutely nothing - but like Alice In Wonderland - "What's a book without pictures?"  -- so I've just inserted a picture.

Oh yes, on the eve of Ernie's surgery - our truck's transmission went out.  So now our truck sits at the garage - after being towed - and we'll need to deal with the truck problem while Ernie is in the hospital.  We do have a full moon so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the truck.   We are just thankful the truck didn't breakdown while we were out of Anchorage.

Well - I'm off to assist Ernie with his 'surgical shower' this evening.  He needs to shower with a surgical soap - tomorrow morning he will repeat the process and then, label each knee with his doctor's name.  I suppose this is 'surgical art' per the doctors' instructions - it adds to the fun.

How are we doing?  Ernie is mentally ready and fully expects to have pain from surgery - and he's a bit nervous going into surgery - but who wouldn't be?.  I'm fully prepared to be Florence Nightingale - and feel a bit nervous too - having the man I love go through the procedure.  All in all, we both are looking forward to having this unique adventure behind us - and recovery before us.

Take care - I'll let you all know how Ernie is doing.

Snow & More Snow

Greeting Everyone!

We've been getting a LOT of snow this year - and its been fun to take advantage of it --- cross country skiing and snowmachining!  The snow turned to the powder kind a couple of days ago - so its perfect.

Our cabin - showing off the snows.

Another view of our cabin from the lake.

Friends - Nancy and Vince stopped by to invite us to join them on a snowmachining adventure out on the lake.

So - we all took off and went zooming around.  We went up lake, just past the glacier but turned back because of overflow.

Ernie took this photo - left to right - me, Nancy and Vince.  The snow is quite powder like - so we had fun going fast across and around the lake.  Ernie got his Arctic Cat snowmachine - a heavy workhorse model -- to go 60 mph.  Vince got his machine to go faster and at times, all we could see was a 'roster tail' of snow flying from behind his machine.

Of course we had to check out the Upper Landing - lots of deep snow.  The parking lot and road down to the ramp were not plowed.  Making it fun to zip around.  Ernie is coming down towards the ramp in the above photo.

Taking a rare moment to check out Gull Rock. 

Yesterday, we celebrated Leap Year with our friends, Gunther, Bridgett, Kirby, Vincent & Nancy. Our event started out at Gunther and Brigetts' cabin with three yummy homemade pizzas and two salads.  Bridgett tried her pizza skills - and succeeded - in making a pineapple and Canadian bacon pizza for Kirby - which we all ate. After stuffing ourselves, we 'leaped'  over to our cabin on snowmachines for peach cobble, jokes and more conversation. 

During our conversations - the idea came up that next year - we'd have a 'stations of the cabins' event to celebrate the coming of Spring.  Each cabin site - with an owner present - would have a task for participants to complete.  Not sure what the task would be - suggestions ranged from shooting a bow & arrow at a designated target to seeing who could flip a pancake the highest into the air.  It was even suggested that we have a day long breakfast!

Before we went over to Gunther's cabin - we stopped to visit our friend Kenny to see how his work was coming along with his water pump and to remind him of the 'leap year party'.  Kenny however, had a friend who had come to help him for the day and would be taking his friend, Tim back across the lake - so he wouldn't be coming to the party. 

 What surprised me most about our visit with Kenny and meeting his friend --- is that Tim knows and works with my brother on the North Slope!!  My brother is an avid Sea Hawk fan and Tim is an avid Packers fan.  What a small world!  

Now on a note of a different tune -- Ernie and I will be leaving our cabin for this year's Spring Breakup.  Ernie is scheduled for  'double knee replacement surgery' on March 7th -- so we are going into Anchorage and expect to be there until May or when the ice goes out from the lake - whichever comes first. 

We are sad to leave our home - but Ernie has been having too much pain with his knees for the past couple of years and his mobility is slowing down.  So it's time for surgery.  I will keep you posted through our blog as to his surgery and progress.

Gunther and Bridgett will remain on the island though break-up and our friend, Kirby may also stay.  Of course, Kenny and Clancy will be out frequently.

Take care everyone and I'll keep you posted on Ernie's progress.

Lot's of snow ..

Greetings Everyone!

Overnight and throughout the day it snowed, then melted and snowed again.  So Nancy and I decided to cross country ski around the island.  Vincent zoomed around the island a couple of times to make us a ski trail and waved us off as he zoomed across the lake to the upper landing to check things out. 

However, because the snow became 'wet' from rising temperatures - Nancy and I had a slow time of it. We did make it though!

As I played, Ernie took advantage of the new snow on the lake to make a propane run into Kenai.  On his return trip - he stopped to take a photo of the island.

On his way over to the lower landing, about a mile out - Ernie came upon what appears to be overflow.  He stopped and tested the ice and it was quite solid but had slush on top. 

While waiting for Ernie to return, our other island friends showed up.  Gunther and Bridgett were skiing around the island but the snow was quite wet - so they came in for afternoon coffee and debate if they should try to continue skiing or have Gunter walk back and get his snowmachine.  As we all discussed the pros and cons of skiing on wet snow -  Ernie showed up with the propane.  Gunther then went out to help Ernie unload the propane bottles.  Afterwards, Ernie took Gunter home to get his snowmachine so they didn't have to ski or walk. Perfect timing!

Hopefully the temperatures will drop for a few days so that we can enjoy the snow by getting out and snowmachining or skiing.

Tomorrow is February 29th - Leap Year!  To celebrate - a few of us will be getting together for a once-in-a-four-year dinner.  We'll 'leap' from one cabin to another for appetizer's, dinner and dessert - only we'll use snowmachines to make the 'leap'. 

Take care!

Friends, Fun & Projects

Greetings Everyone!

As we approach the month of March - activity has picked-up.  Two other cabin owners have joined us.  Nancy and Vince  will be here a few weeks and the other couple, Gunther and Bridgett will remain until the fall.  Plus there have been other cabin owners coming out for a few days to a couple of weeks.

Pumping water from the lake -- the traditional winter method. 

After using the auger to cut into the ice - we 'hit' water at two feet. 

Our friend Kenny took on the challenge of drilling a Sand Point Well through his cabin floor!  It took him a few days of drilling and pumping out brackish water - BUT - by golly - he was successful!  Kenny now has water flowing out of his interior cabin well!  What a feat! 

To prepare for summer boating activities - our friend Clancy is building himself a floating dock. 

 He plans to have it completed and ready to moor his boat in May. 

How many islanders' can you get on a snowmachine?

Well - four (left to right - Nancy, Bridgett, Deb and Ernie)

Standing - (Left to right - Vincent and Tom)

Out of sight - Gunther - who took the photo.

Yes, that Tom is the 'bear man' - he's come to his cabin for a few days.

Take care everyone!!

Wow Days ..

Greetings Everyone!

We've been catching up on chores around the cabin and enjoying the brief days of sunshine.  It's been rather warm, snowie and cloudy lately.

The other day Ernie went into Sterling to pick-up our mail and got a few supplies.  Before he took off across the frozen lake - he set his GPS coordinates. We just starting using a Garmin GPS this winter and its quite the marvel in technology. Each time we cross the lake, the GPS tracks our route to and from the lower landing -- which has kept us on the correct snowmachine trail. Undoubtedly, this will assist us greatly when crossing during low visibility.  We are also  looking forward to setting the GPS coordinates to the Upper Landing - where we launch our boat during the summer.

Ernie setting the GPS coordinates.

The other day when we were getting ready to sit down for breakfast - Ernie spotted three moose crossing the lake.  Two females and one young bull.  This is the first time we've seen three moose crossing the frozen lake from the mainland to the island.  They came ashore just down from our cabin.  It was exciting to just sit and watch them.  

Then, about 45 minutes later we spotted three wolves crossing the lake along the same route the moose had taken across the lake to the island.  At first we thought they were coyotes but as we watched them it became apparent they were definitely wolves.  The alpha male was black in color and seemed intent about leading his pack across the lake.  We got so excited that we just watched the trio as they followed the moose tracks -- they too disappeared onto the island where the moose had - just down from our cabin.  Unfortunately, we were so caught up in watching the wolves lope across the frozen lake that we forgot to grab the camera to take a picture.

We have no idea where the wolves went after they came onto the island.  The next day however, Ernie spotted two of the moose over by Clancy's place - the big cow and the little bull. We've no idea where the other female moose was - perhaps hidden in the trees.

 Later - we did see our island resident moose.  She came to our cabin and browsed along her browsing route around our cabin - so we knew it was her.  She sure has grown up and didn't look pregnant.   

 

This is the big cow moose that Ernie saw over by Clancy's cabin.

Take care everyone - and we'll touch base again!

Interesting Days...

Greetings Everyone!

For the past couple of days we've been enjoying mild weather - including some rain showers! 

Ernie went into town the other day - he followed the markers made by our neighbor. The weather has been warm during the day, 30+ degrees and 20's at night.  Everyone seems to be enjoying the mild weather - a respite after a record breaking January of below zero temperatures. 

The lake has ruts, grooves and overflow - so going back and forth across the lake is bumpy

View looking towards Caribou from the Lower Landing.

Ernie returning from checking out the lake and zooming around the island.

Yours truly - after snow shoeing across the top of the island behind our cabin. 

As I was out and about - I noticed a number of fresh moose tracks which I assumed are from the little moose that's been here since last year.  I'm guessing that she did not leave the island and spent her second winter here. This morning however, Ernie spied a young bull moose crossing the lake towards our cabin.  We could see his spiked antlers - so he's young - his antlers were far from the large scooped antlers common to mature male moose. Now I'm wondering if the tracks I've seen are his or the resident, little moose.

One of the beautiful sunsets we've seen recently - this view is from our deck looking up lake. 

In a couple of days our next door neighbors - just down from us - will come to spend a couple of weeks at their cabin.  It will be good to see them again and catch up on stories.

Take care - and we'll touch base again soon.

Back to Blogging ...

Greeting Friends & Family,

Ernie and I took a break from blogging because we had completed our winter adventure at the cabin.  However, many of you requested that we continue to blog because of your interest in our other seasonal adventures at the cabin.  Thank you for encouraging us to continue!

Today it is February 5, 2012 - Superbowl Sunday - and a lot has transpired since we last blogged.  Rather than go to far backwards in time - we will continue with our return to the cabin.

In November we left the island to go visit our family - grown children, grand-children, aunts, cousins, in-laws and Ernie's mom.  We returned to the island in February after spending some time in Anchorage. 

Returning to our cabin was an adventure in and of itself.  To begin - our friend Mike volunteered to join us on our crossing of the lake. We all had left Anchorage the day before a predicted blizzard and spent the night in Soldtna.  The next morning we left Soldotna to be greeted by blizzard conditions beginning to develop at the 'lower landing'.  So we unloaded Mike's snowmachines and made the decision to cross the lake with only necessary supplies. 

Before we managed to reach Frying Pan Island - whiteout conditions reduced our visibility to 50 feet.  We continued on - following the quickly disappearing snow machine tracks made previously by our friend, Kenny - he has a cabin at the island.

                                           The snow storm and whiteout conditions have continued for the past four days. 



                                              The above photo is from the deck of our cabin.  Not much to see.

We were also greeting by 3 - 4 feet of snow around our cabin.  Some depths are more due to the drifting of snow. Nothing like shoveling out the front entryway to open our cabin door.  It's even more fun to be greeted by 8 degree interior cabin temperatures.  No matter - Ernie got - the oil and wood stoves up and going. 

Besides the blizzard conditions and falling snow - the temperatures warmed up above freezing.  So when Ernie and Mike hooked up the snowmachine sleds to retrieve our supplies from the lower landing - all they managed to do was gob on lots of wet snow onto the bottom of the skids.  So - it wasn't until the following day that they were able to cross the lake and retrieve all of our supplies before another whiteout set in.


 After retrieving supplies, Ernie got to work and augured a waterhole.  He went down 18 inches before getting water.  As we were filling up water containers - our friend Mike came by -- he had been zooming around and across the island making snowmachine trails to pack down the snow.

With the days being filled with snow falling, intermittent whiteouts and warm temperatures - we've been enjoying ourselves.  Ernie and Mike seem to love sharing stories and discussing the weather.

                           After Ernie got his snowmachine up and running - he took it for a spin around the lake. 

 Finally a break in the weather!  We were finally able to see the mountains across from our cabin - what a beautiful sight!  

Later in the day - we were alerted by our friend Kenny - that he spotted a fire burning near our neighbors' cabin as he was snowmachining.  All of us - who were here at the island - quickly went to our neighbors' - and discovered their sauna building was burning down!  Our neighbor's were out-of-state and not at the island. There was not much we could do other than ensure the fire did not spread - the winds were blowing about 20 mph!   

 
The Park Rangers showed up and accessed the situation - and another crew flew over.  Later a crew showed up and shoveled snow onto the embers and ensured the fire was out.  On Sunday the Rangers' showed up to double check on the burn site.

Today is Superbowl day - and we are expecting a few friends to show up for the game.  Ernie will be making 'Jessie's Sloppy Joe's'.

Take care everyone - and we'll keep you posted.