This summer went by so fast and all we did was work.  :(  Rene decided to quit Air Traffic Control and go back to school so this summer we both did seasonal work.  We decided to work separate shifts so we wouldn't have to get sitters for the dogs and they wouldn't be alone for too long.  It was a very long, and early, summer for me.  :)  lol  

The highlight of the summer was having one of my nieces, Makayla, come up to Alaska.  I had previously spoken with my two oldest nieces and told them of some seasonal job opportunities up here but unfortunately, only one got a job.  It was wonderful having Makayla here!  Although it took us the entire summer to coordinate some days off between the three of us so we could go out and have an adventure.  

Here are some pics of our trip to Seward.  It was a gorgeous day, after days of rain the sun came out just for us!!  Along the way, we saw the Beluga whales coming into the Turnigan Arm.  This is a pic of Rene trying to get some close-ups of the whales. 

Next, we saw dall sheep right along the road.  I was able to snap a beautiful pic of one of the two families we saw.  (Makayla decided she didn't need to take any pics since I was)

Our three hour car ride turned into 6ish hours because of all our stops along the way.  We were ready to settle in and get some rest before our morning adventures.  Now, hotels were a little spendy so we camped out in the car. It was supposed to be Makayla and I resting up in the back but she thought she'd be more comfy in the front.  However, it ended up being a lot colder since Rene's a total furnace and kept the back of the car nice and toasty.  

In the morning, we went on a 6-hr Kenai Fjords boat trip.  It was another beautiful day.  Here's the Seward boat docks in the early morning.

Makayla on the boat.  It was a little chilly in the morning and Makayla wished she had her big, warm coat.

One of the humpback whales we saw.  It was hard to get a decent pic with all the waves and the boat constantly moving, but this one turned out okay.  

We were so fortunate to see so many wonderful sights and animals, but for me the whales were the highlight.  Below are some Orca's.  There were so many pods out there that the Captain was saying he thought they were forming a super pod before going out to the ocean.

It was a wonderful trip and so great to be able to spend some quality time with Makayla.  I just love my nieces so much and value all the time I get with them.  Shortly after this trip, Makayla went home to start her second year of college.  Maybe next summer both Makayla and Jessica will come up here!

Towards the end of the summer, Rene's Aunt Joan and Uncle Dave came up to Alaska for a short stay.  As I was working and Rene started school, we didn't get to see them too often, but we did meet up in Talkeetna for a day.  Again, the weather was on our side.  It turned out to be another gorgeous day.  Here's Rene, his mom, aunt and uncle.

After breakfast in downtown Talkeetna and walking around the 'town' we headed up the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge for the best view of the Alaska Range.  We took a bunch of pictures, and no matter how many times I see Denali I'm always awed.  Here's a B&W of the Alaska Range with Denali in the middle.