KODIAK MAY 2011

This was probably our worst spike camp. It was really really windy on top of this noll, and the tent flapping around kept me and Jed awake most of the night. You can't tell from the pic but it was actually really flat on top.

We spent days glassing for bears, but unfortunatly we only saw 4 of them (two being a sow with a cub) the whole time we were there. I am already starting to plan the next trip to kodiak for bear, and it will not be in this area.

This is Dog Salmon river behind Jed. It was full of fish, but they just wouldn't bite anything I threw at them.

Although we did not come home with a bear, it was still a great trip. I had an awesome time getting out in the middle of nowhere with Jed. We did a lot of hiking around the valley we were in. I can't think of anything we could have done differently that would have changed our outcome, the bears just weren't in our area. My father in law was successful on his hunt though. He saw over 20 bears where he was, and ended up taking a boar with a really really nice coat.

BABY ON THE WAY!!!

Me and rachel have known for about a month, but were waiting until after the first doctors appointment to let everyone else in on our secret. This is a pic of the ultra sound that was done today. Rachel is apparently 9 weeks pregnant, and our due date is 12/4/11. Still too early to know boy or a girl, (but I know its a boy). Hopefully my next post will have a giant bear in it :) i'm leaving for kodiak this friday morning!!!!!!

Ice Fishing 3/11

So Rachel got a new Ice fishing shelter for Valentines day this year. I have been out a few times with some work buddies this year, but Rachel had not used her new toy yet. So last week and this week we went fishing on finger lake. No, the monsters were not there the days we fished but we had fun catching their little brothers.

Rachel was very proud of this guy.

This is Rachels new shlter. It is really AWESOME. It sets up in minutes. Even on sunny days it helps to keep the wind off of you, which is really the most important. It seems break up has started earlier then usual this year, so it might be the last time we get to use it this year.

comments...

I know a bunch of you have asked about commenting on our blog. I beleive I have fixed the problem and you all should be able to comment now if you wish.

X-mas 2010

Here is our christmas family photo for 2010. All the pictures we took the dogs have 'alien eyes' and I can't figure out how to fix them, oh well. They were really good (for the most part) during photos this year. Also we are wearing our grandma pajamas. I decided to go with a nice pair of camo fleece PJs this year.

So funny story. I got 3 new guns during the month of December... About a week and a half before christmas I decided to buy myself a new .375 H&H mag. I had been doing research a little less then a month, and settled on the remington XCR II. I also purchased a Leopold 3x-9x scope to go along with it, mount / rings, and a sweet new sling. the whole set up just how I wanted it for my Kodiak Bear hunt coming up this May. Then, just before my parents go down to Utah for Xmas my dad gives me his Browning Citori 12 ga. for Xmas. I couldn't beleive it!! I was super stoked, I love that shotgun. And then Xmas morning, I unwrapped Rachels final gift to me and guess what it is!?!?!?! I new .338 Win Mag Remington XCR II!!! Rachel had bought it months before, the exact same gun I had just purchased weeks earlier (just in a different caliber). I couldn't stop laughing all morning. Rachel really knows me well. Rachel thought I wouldn't really want it because I already had an XCR II, but quite contrary.... I love the XCR II and thats why I bought it in the first place, Im super excited to have both. I ordered a Burris 4.5x-12 scope to put on my .338 Win Mag. I can't wait for it to get here!!!

This Christmas came and went pretty fast this year. I got some awesome presents, and so did Rachel (a nook, kitchen aid mixer, and coach purse to name a few). She did a wonderful job of decorating the tree and fireplace this year. And Rachel made lots of my favorite cookies.

fishing at the russian 2010

the old pro going to work

Me working hard to get some fish

father and son living the AK dream....

So here are some more old photos from this past summer. these are from a fishing trip me, rachel, and dad took down to the russian. really poor red salmon run this year unfortunately. the only fish that we caught on this trip was a rainbow that dad caught. i'm glad we caught something at least. better luck next year.

Halloween, Wonderland style

This Halloween I was actually off which was so exciting cause I love to hand out candy and see all the little costumes. Unfortunately we don't have many kids on our street so i didn't get that many trick or treaters. I wanted to carve scary pumkins and decorate the porch really spooky but as always I didn't have enough time between work, school and hunting. It was still fun though! On Saturday the 30th Eagle River Elementary school had their Halloween carnival so I took the night off of work to dress up with my sister Nicky and her kids and help out at the carnival. Our theme this year was Tim Burton's Alice and wonderland. I was supposed to be Tweedle Dee but the costume we wanted never came into stock and I couldn't find the parts to make my own, so I had to go as Dorthy from the wizard of Oz. I had a great time going through the haunted house, doing the cake walk and trick or treating in the halls. So here are a few pictures from the night of the carnival and our adventure in Wonderland. I'm also throwing in a picture of the three stooges (the dogs) that Bryce took recently. Prudhoe and Sadie are inseperable little trouble makers!