Well, after way too much time and effort. With the help of my agent, Steve. We are about to self publish the first book of my novel. The new title is The Bloodstone Amulet Book One: Threads of Destiny. It should be available within a couple of weeks on Amazon.com. Book Two: Circle of Destiny will follow shortly. Thank you Steve!

Best of Alaska

If you go to Alaska, you should take a coat!

If you go to Alaska you will see some intersting things like the pipeline;

Santa's Workshop at North Pole;

walk around on Matanuska Glacier!;

Is that a crevice or crevasse?

The old railroad trestle on the White Pass Railroad;

The upside down tree planters at the rainforest gardens;

Here's our cruise buddies: Wayne, Larry, and Randy

and their girlfriends: Peggy, Joyce, and Diane

The Japanese Garden at Butchart Gardens;

Canada One Place what a send off!

The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens;

and Glacier Bay and it was awesome. 11 Days in Alaska.

Walkie-talkie hikers at Arches National Park.

Zack finds a bird's nest complete with egg, and lizards, rabbits, and a zillion kinds of ants.

S'more, choclate and marshmallow, it don't get any better than this. Camp Sinbad in between walkie-talkie hikes.

Petrified Wood Canyon hideout.

Camp Sinbad!

Zack takes a break.

A thoughtful moment in Petrified Rock Canyon.

San Rafael River cool down. Even Grandpa got in! Not bad once we got past the wee-wah moment.

Look Ma', we found dino-pooh!

If you look over the edge of

the "Wedge, does that make you

a "wedgie"?

Gardening Info

Soil Prep:  add compost, steer manure, grass clippings, etc in moderate amounts mix in the top six inches or so.

Fertilizing:  Fertilize now with weed and feed type fertilizer.  Don't over do it.  Moderate fertilizing every five or six weeks is better than pouring it on and then burning lawns.  If you can find one with iron in it, buy it.  The salty nature of our soil ties up iron and brings on yellow leaves.  Fertilizers with 16-16-16 are better for yard and garden than 21-0-0.  Be sure that fertilizers are watered into any lawn of off leaves.  If all you need it green grass a 21-0-0 cheap fertilizer is just fine.  For better flowers buy fertilizer with higher middle and end numbers (5-10-10).  If you can fertilize before a rain or snowstorm you won't have to water it in.

Be careful with fertilizers that have weed killer in it, it can damage newly planted petunias,or other annuals.

Adding a lot of organic material to soil can deplete the nitrogen in the soil that's why moderate amounts always are better than over doing it.

Planting:  This time of year, you can plant peas, carrots, beets, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, kohlrabi that's it.  Anything else will be killed by frost.  Hold off on planting anything out until the end of April.  If you want a head start on tomatoes, you have to use the wall of water with the top nearly closed.    Strawberries can go into the ground now.  Also summer bulbs for gladiolas, begonias, etc need to be planted now.  It's too late for spring bulbs like tulips; they go into the ground in the fall.

This is a great time for planting trees and shrubs, raspberries, and other bare root stock.

Digging in wet soggy soil can crate hard brick-like clods that are hard to break down.  Just wait until the soil dries out a couple or threes days.

More later Larry