I just don't take pictures. I do other things in Nome too.

I share a lot of photos on this blog.  Sometimes it probably seems like all I do up here is go around taking pictures, and then blog about them.  I do take a LOT of pictures.  I also have to work.  Since I work in a hospital HIPAA legislation does not allow me to take pictures of much of my work.  Besides work and picture taking I also cook.  Food is expensive, so I don't make a lot of extravagant meals.  I have been pleasantly surprised on what I have created in a crock pot.  A package of beans, some sort of meat, tumeric, curry, Lawry's, and a vegetable or two, can become a tasty stew.  Besides cooking I have also done quite a bit or reading.  I brought quite a few books with me.  I have been "collecting" a bunch that have been sitting around collecting dust, so I decided to finally read them.
Don't worry, I still have been taking scenic pictures, and no blog would be complete without them.  This was the sky one early Sunday evening.

 I have bought some books, since getting to Alaska.

I bought Trapline Twins at the Anchorage airport.  I find it interesting to read stories about the local area.  This was about female identical twins, who worked a trapline, with a sleddog team.  It was a fun read, and I would recommend the book to anyone with a sense of adventure.

4 Signs of a Dynamic Catholic, I started back in Fremont.  It is a good book, and could help a lot of churches become more.

Fearless was one of the books, I bought on a book sale, and just had not gotten around to reading.  If you like Max Lucado, you will enjoy the book.

A Concise History of the Catholic Church.  It is long (~2000 years concise), but I found it very interesting.  It made me proud, sad, enthusiastic, disheartened, and joyful at different parts of the book.  In the end it did help me realize that I am at home in the Catholic Church.

Among Giants, is a book I bought at a continuing education seminar quite a few years ago.  I finally got it read.   Great book for those in health care, or who have to work with the profoundly obese.

 Michael Lewis's books were ordered off of Amazon Prime.  Interesting financial market information.  Flash boys details how the government regulations and lack of regulations make for interesting results.  Both are quick reads, and I enjoyed both.

I read a review online, that said Ulysses was the "Greatest Novel" of Western literature.  I have started reading, but have found it not the easiest book to read.  Needless to say, it may end up staying in the apartment when I leave Nome.

I am not going to say it is bad, but I have not enjoyed the read.  At present I am reading "One Naton".    It is very timely with the actions that are taking place in Ferguson, MO.  I am a few chapters in, and it is very insightful. I have to agree with much of what Dr. Carson points out as the problems our nation faces at this time.   I am just getting to his solutions.  I hope they are as agreeable as the first part of the book.

The next 2 books I will be reading are the following.  Many Scott Hahn books have been recommend to me, and I have finally purchased one.

Self-Sufficient living, is a topic in which I have some interest.

Finally, I have started to get back to reading at least a few chapters in the Bible every morning.  It is a great way to start the day.  I am presently reading Joshua.

Besides reading I have also started to do Cross Fit workouts.  I cannot run as much in Nome, so I decided to try these workouts.  So far (3 weeks) I have been doing Cross Fit 3 times a week, and have enjoyed the variety of the workouts.  I have learned about, and earned my first Cross Fit hickey.

That came doing a push press.  You start with the bar at your collar bone level and then press it up over your head.  Then you bring it back down, and rest the bar across the top of your chest.  Needless to say, the bar bruised me. It did not come out well on the photo, but it is there, just to the right of my thumb.

I will leave you with one last scenic picture.  This was the sunset on Friday August 22, 2014.  It was taken on East Beach in Nome, Alaska.

Until next time, stay safe, and allow peace in your hearts.

Nebraska has picture taking opportunities too.

Most people who follow this blog know I am from Nebraska.  I grew up in Nebraska.   As a teenager, I just wanted to leave Nebraska.  I think a lot of teenagers want to get away from where they grew up.  Since becoming an adult I have realized

Nebraska is a great place.  

There is beauty in Nebraska.

The views can be gorgeous, especially the sky.

Things can get green in Nebraska, and it is not as bleak as the Bruce Springsteen album cover.

Things change in Nebraska.  One day you have a field of tall alfalfa.  The next days you have rows of hay being raked.  A few days later, you have the hay gathered into stacks or bales.

The pictures in this post are only from Dakota, Dixon, Thurston, & Wayne counties.  They are in the Eastern part of the state.  These are 4 of the 93 counties in Nebraska.

I am partial to Nebraska because I have a lot of family and friends in Nebraska.

One thing about most of the Nebraskans I know, is that they are there for 

each other in times of need.

If I could predict the weather or when people would leave this world I would 

have stayed in Nebraska a little longer.   

Tornadoes ravaged the communities of Pilger and Wakefield while I have been gone.  I have friends and relatives who live in the vicinity.  

The last Aunt on my Dad's side of the family passed away just after I traveled to Nome.  

One of my cousin's wife passed away just before I left Nome to return to Nebraska.

Then on my return trip to Nome.

Just after I had left Nebraska.  One of my closest friends died in an accident. 

I was in Nome, AK while his funeral was being held in Nebraska.

Nebraskans are not perfect, but in general, they tend to be friendly.

Sometimes they even paint smiles on the sides of barns.

When someone attempt to take your picture, I hope you will smile and let them.  It may be the last memory they have of you.  Remember to take pictures of those you love, when you see them.  You may not get another chance.  

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Ferris Bueller

Road to Council July edition. (compared to previous months)

We got a vehicle again one Sunday in July.  We decided to take the road to Council.  It is interesting to see the changes between seasons.  Unfortunately the cloudy rainy weather did not change.

The first & second pictures are from April.

the third picture is July (not boarded up)

April

May

                                                                            July

July

July

July

July

July

Train to Nowhere in April

Now in July

April

July

There were a lot of these little white flowers around.

Looking at Council Memorial Day weekend.

Council in July

Upstream from Council Memorial Day weekend

Upstream from Council July

That is a fish weir, across the river.  They use it to stop the salmon temporarily, so they

can count them as they go through.

Next is Skookum Pass Memorial Day weekend.

The rest are views in July

I know the pictures are not exact reenactments.  They would have been if I would have thought about it before I started this post.  I hope you still enjoyed the post. :)