...That's about how many days I have ridden my bike to work this year - it would have been more except that it snowed in late April, I caught a cold in the summer and had a couple of flat tires. (4 actually) so next year the next step is getting studded tires for my bike and riding in winter, if I get motivated...

So, I'm setting a goal of 100 days - the snow will probably be here soon but I should be able to ride as long as it isn't too dark and icy and as long as I can stay warm enough.

I'll be having a pottery sale near the end of October - I'm really looking forward to it because I'm going to have such a cool set-up this year - Newly made me some really cool free-standing shelves and I can't wait to use them! I have to stain/shellac them first and I have no experience in that but I'll just have to muddle through that part of it. I also have to do about 4 glaze fires and a bisque fire between now and the sale. It's crunch time!

After this sale I plan to change my focus to working on projects that people have requested, things I want to make for my own use, glaze tests, and ongoing pottery committments.

Last weekend we drove to Ninilchik to visit my grandma. I made potatoes au gratin with ham for dinner. We left at 7am Saturday and got back Sunday. On our drive back we saw an amazing rainbow and took some photos of other things along the way. The only wildlife we saw were a couple moose and (sadly) a dead porcupine that didn't make it across the highway.

Tonight I hope to finish putting together a package to send to my sister and her significant other with some stuff for his birthday, and hopefully have some time to work on more clay projects for my sale.

This summer everyone has been complaining about the weather - It has been cloudy almost every day and if you put all the sunny days together it might equal a week or so. Life goes on though.
I've tried to "sieze the day" whenever it has been sunny. Last weekend we actually had a nice sunny day and I spent almost the whole day outside in the sun. I wore a tank top and missed a couple spots o n my back with the sunblock and got burned - yes, even in Alaska you can get a sunburn!

I've ridden my bicycle to work as much as possible - even in the rain, and when the birch stopped pollinating sometime in June Newly was able to join me in biking to work.

We've had a lot of relatives come up to visit - Newly's cousin Justin and his uncle Walt, Newly's sister and her boyfriend, My Aunt Zoe and Uncle Budand cousin Christopher, My cousin Molly, My aunt Marilyn, and forgive me if I left anyone out! My mind is a little foggy today...

We've gone to 2 weddings this summer, both weddings were for people at Newly's workplace.
At the most recent wedding, the bride threw the boquet right to me (or it seemed) but I am so used to not trying to catch one (out of shyness I guess) that I didn't try to and several of the other girls scrambled for it - oh well. No big deal I guess

We've gone to Ninilchik twice to visit my Grandma, and went camping for a night on the Homer Spit (a long narrow strech of land that extends into the Cook Inlet.

Father's day was a hike and dinner in Girdwood, which is becoming a tradition, as well as Mother's day brunch at the museum.

I missed the Botanical Garden Fair for the 2nd or 3rd year in a row, and the Girdwood forest fair was cancelled due to the scandelous activity of campers nearby last year - another case of the thoughtless actions of the few ruining the fun for the rest of us...

We've made 2 bicycle trips to get ice cream on a couple of the sunny days we've had and did our annual summer bicycle ride from our place through Kinkaid park, down the coastal trail to downtown and had dinner at the Snow Goose restaurant. That was on the 4th of July - there was a thin haze of cloud but the sun was shining through it and it was warm enough to wear a tank top and shorts without even threat of a chill!

I've seen several moose on the bike trails so far, plenty of geese, some baby sea gulls (and many other types of birds) and luckily haven't run into any bears, though there is a lot of talk about the increased activity of bears in the city, including several serious maulings.

I went to an Ikebana demonstration and exhibit in July and a Taiko Drumming concert this month, but no pottery events yet, though there might be a raku fire soon.

There's been a lot more to the summer but that's the thing about highlights - they are the things you remember first. If I were to look through the photos I took this summer I'd remember a lot more, but I don't have time for that right now - in fact, I think it's time for some hot chocolate!

It was really sunny and clear yesterday, but still a bit windy. I have been riding my bike to work rain or shine this summer. Today I noticed after being at work for a couple hours that I have a flat tire (for the 3rd time this summer) so I'll have to get a ride to the bike shop to repair the tire so I can keep riding.

I work for an acupuncturist and yesterday I got to learn how to put needles in my guy, Newly, to help his seasonal allergies. They were the short kind(3mm or 6mm in length) and are made to leave in the skin for a few days (you put a bandaid-like sticky on them to keep them in place)...that was interesting! I was instructed to angle the needle up so it stays just under the skin, and there's no blood because you're not piercing any blood vessles. I was instructed to feel the area where the acupuncture point is, and feel for a difference in texture (and where Newly tells me it's most sensitive) in order to pinpoint the area to needle (I was told that acupuncture points aren't static, like a place on a map, but move a bit depending on things like body mechanics and restrictions). I put needles in "Kidney 6" on the ankles and "Kidney 27" on the clavicles and on a lung point in one ear. (The Dr. did the other ear to demonstrate the technique) That was worth missing some sunshine for, and I was relieved that the experience wasn't too painful for Newly.

Last night around 10pm there was a mother moose and a tiny calf - looked like it had just been born not more than a month ago. They were behind our townhouse complex.

That's all for now!

Today is the first day I have ridden my bicycle to work. It was only about 34 degrees (F) this morning so I had a polar fleece, medium thickness coat, and earmuffs and something to cover my head under my helmet. I also had my warm mittens. I only had "all weather mocs" on my feet but they were warm enough.

There was only one large puddle and one large patch of snow on the approximately 5 mile ride to work. I was a little apprehensive about riding because I didn't know if I'd be warm enough or if there'd be a lot of snow and ice, but I made it in time!