Alaska Photos & Winners Announced!

I am back early from my trip to Alaska!

First though; I have two winners to announce before I share more pics:)

The winner of the Pattern Bundle by Jacquelynne Steves, given in conjunction with Block Five of the Cozy Afternoon Quilt Along and Blog Hop is Helen! Thank you Helen for the sweet comment! BTW, Jacquelynne's "Catching Up, Sew Along Day" is Saturday! Link up here for more details if you are participating in this BOM!

I also have a winner of my Hearts and Flowers UFO, which I linked up with the Quilty Orphan Adoption hosted by Quilting is More Fun Than Housework. Cynthia is the brainchild of this genius event that connects UFO's with quilter's who are excited to finish them! She will be hosting this again in March, and I have vowed to come up with another project to giveaway, to further lighten my stack. Congratulations to Lee, whose name was drawn at random by those who expressed interest! The match seems meant-to-be, as Lee has a recipient in mind who happens to love hearts, flowers, and the color blue. Perfect!

Comments left by reader's for my current giveaway kept me entertained while shivering in Alaska. Seems many people would prefer the cold temps up North to the hot ones of Nevada, but I am glad to be home and thawing out with all my modern luxuries. A tough and admirable lot of folks I found living up North, but I am not as young as I once was and perhaps I am more pampered than I would have admitted prior to this trip.

The ride inland from Anchorage was about 4 1/2hrs. That was following two flights of course, so I am looking a bit beat here. We found the stuffed moose in a greenhouse along the way.

We skidded to a stop when I spotted a quilt shop in Palmer. These pretty trees were growing outside the shop. They reminded me of crabapples, but I am not sure what they actually are.
I was NOT given permission to take photos inside the store, but I will share the two little prints I selected that gave me a souvenir feeling..

I may overdye the bird print, and the blue will be added to the batiks I am collecting for my mother.
This little guy kept my lap warm on the drive..

The leaves were beginning to turn color when I arrived,
I took quite a few drive-by shots, this glacier pic being the best of those..

Just two weeks later, the Aspens were super vibrant and I caught this shot - my favorite of all!

Alaska was a great experience overall, but I am really glad to be home with my hubby again!

I complain some about the price of food here in Vegas, but I filled my fridge with pleasure yesterday!

Prices at the grocery were astounding.
I was most surprised that chicken was so much more than beef - $16 for one whole chicken.

I couldn't help but snap some cellphone photos while shopping:
Do you like to drink coffee?
$19 for 25oz..

I wont even mention the Starbuck's, haha!
But do you take sugar with that?
4lb bags for $6..

The locals love their pets, but it seems they feed them leftovers more than store-bought kibbles.
6lbs Friskies nearly $15.

It was explained to me that weight of freight was the big factor for high prices,
25lbs kitty litter for $30.

And water of course is heavy.

The water in Glennallen is NOT drinkable-

A case of 24bottles cost $10.

 

The TP wasn't any heavier than the type I buy here in the Lower 48, yet..

$16 for 12 rolls of the type my pampered butt prefers..

I managed to do without chips..
$7 for 13oz!

Home Sweet Home at last, and looking forward to some sewing lock-down time this weekend!