Blogtober, Day Eighteen

 Today's post is short and not about Alaska (come back tomorrow for that).

I finished a Pickles Plain Vest with the left over pink yarn from the blanket I made last week.  Yes, it is for the same little girl who is due to arrive in the world within a month (maybe just a couple of weeks).

Details:  size US 9 needles.  Yarn is Baby Bee from Hobby Lobby.  I used two strands to make the yarn thick enough for the pattern.  Size one.  It's a quick and easy knit.

Alaska, Day Eight-E

 When we left Bennett, we quickly crossed over the border into Yukon Territory.  Another new province for us!

Close up of the sign

Carcross (originally named Caribou Crossing) was our final destination on the train.  It was the end of the Chilkoot Trail of the Yukon Gold Rush.  The current population is about 300 people and is an important cultural hub for the Tlingit people.

Arriving in Carcross...

We finally saw a moose!

He was very tame, so Eleanor requested a photo with him.

St. Savior's Church was located at the edge of the Carcross community.  The sign (if you can read it) gives some historical information.

Then it was time to board the bus that would take us back down the highway to Skagway.  There was some concern about whether we would be able to navigate the highway because there had been a landslide that had closed the road.  Fortunately, by the time we arrived at the location of the slide, one lane had been cleared and opened for traffic.

We inched past (kudos to our wonderful bus driver).  Then we made a quick stop at Tagish Lake just for the view.

After we climbed back in the bus, our driver reminded us to have our passports ready as we would soon be crossing back into Alaska, US.

I won't fill this post up with more photos of the incredible beauty of this area.  Just look back at the previous photos and that's what we experienced yet again.

Except this amazing waterfall that started at the top of the mountain and flowed all the way down to the river in the gorge.

Our two hour bus ride brought us back to Skagway.  We were ready for dinner!  We chose Skagway Brewing Company, restaurant directly across the street from our hotel.  Great choice!  It was delicious!

Alaska, Day Eight-D

 And Blogtober, Day 16.

We arrived in Bennett, British Columbia just after we ate our complimentary lunch.

A bit of history about the town of Bennett, which is located on the shores of Lake Bennett.  Today it is a ghost town.  But during the Klondike Gold Rush (1897-1899) there were more than a thousand buildings there.  In 1900, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad was built and passed directly by Bennett.

Not my photo.  Credit to Nils Oberg.

The railway station is still there and a few other buildings.  But that's all.  We had about a half hour to wander around and hike to a few places.

Lake Bennett and an old boat

Always totem poles

Hiking up to St. Andrews Church

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is one of the few remaining buildings in Bennett.  This church wasn't just a place for worship services.  It also was the gathering place for almost all of the social events.

I don't know if you can read the sign.  It gives more information.

We made it back to the train in time for departure (just barely).

Eleanor was ready to keep going to our next destination-- Carcross!

Friday Fave Fives, Mid October

It's Friday and I am one day behind on Blogtober as I missed yesterday (it was a crazy busy day).  So I will be posting a second time later tonight.  But for now, I want to focus on being thankful.  Friday Fave Fives with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.  Every week.  It really helps me remain grateful in my life.

1.  I have a very quiet house this evening.  The Professor and grandson Liam are at Daniel Boone Campout Weekend with all the Trail Life guys from several states!  I am so thankful for Trail Life and how it has kept The Professor involved in his grandsons' lives through the years.  Here's hoping the weather doesn't get too cold and wet.

2.  PAL's birthday party was a blast.  She chose Rick Riordan's Camp Half Blood as the theme.  Then she asked the adults attending to dress up as Olympic gods and goddesses.  The Professor was Zeus and I was Hera.  So of course we had to find props.  No luck in thrift stores.  So we made our own.  I posted the photos HERE.  One of the photos... Hera and Zeus wearing their crowns and their Camp Half Blood shirts.

3.  I finished another baby blanket.  This one is for a little girl who is expected in the next couple of months.  Her parents are our neighbors and attend the same church as we do.  I just delivered it to them and they love it.

4.  Reading time.  I am thankful that I am able to carve out time to read from our busy schedule!  I just finished So Big and I really enjoyed it.

5.  Because I know that many areas around North America and other places are experiencing drought conditions, I have to adjust my attitude and be thankful for the rain we are getting.  More than we expected.  But I am thankful for rain.  And that I don't have to water the plants this week.

How has your week been?  Have you seen the blessings?

Blogtober, October 14

No photos today.  Just a comment.

I have been a coin collector since I was six years old and my uncle introduced my brother and me to it.  We began with pennies and moved up to dimes.  Somewhere along the way, in my high school and college years, I lost interest.

But now I'm back into it.  And I'm having fun!

Do you have a hobby like coin collecting or stamp collecting?

Alaska, Day Eight-C

 Alaska and Canada are places for reflection.

Alaska, Day Eight-B

 We spent more than four hours on the Skagway White Pass train.

How many photos can one take in this amazing and awesome landscape?  It turns out that one hundred and seventy pictures is not that unusual.  Are you ready to be overwhelmed? Or bored?

We traveled high above the river and crossed ravines on rail bridges.

Not this bridge...

Wait!  Are there three flags there?

Yes.

One of them is the Canadian flag.

We crossed the border from Alaska into British Columbia!  We had to provide our passports.  Even Eleanor had to show her US citizenship.

Good-bye Alaska!  See you later today!

Our next stop will be Bennett, British Columbia...