Alaska Fishing Fun!

So, I've been home from Alaska for just about a week now.  I have to tell you, as usual, it was amazingly fun!  No matter what the weather is like, we have a great time.  My brother recorded some video that I will share with you.

We go to Yakutat, Alaska, in mid-August, for salmon fishing.  Our targeted species is the Coho, aka Silver Salmon.  For those who don't know the difference between varieties of salmon, Coho are frequently referred to as Silvers because of their chrome-bright silver color.  They are a beautiful, and quite acrobatic, type of fish.  This year, we caught our limits of Silvers, a few Pink salmon, some Black Rockfish, and 4 Halibut.

On our first day of fishing, we caught 2 Halibut....in 32 feet of water!  Mine weighed in at 72 lbs and was 53 inches from tip to tail.  It was a lot of fun reeling that big thing in!  About 15 minutes after we landed my fish, Jeremy caught one.  It took quite a while to subdue the fish, and when it was weighed  at the dock, it was 155 lbs!!  Some years we catch the halibut, others we get skunked.

We experienced both good and bad weather while there.  It was raining a bit when we arrived and continued to drizzle for most of the evening.  The first day of fishing was WET!  It rained pretty much all day, with breaks in the afternoon.  Rain gear, and good rain gear at that, is an absolute must-have for Alaska.

The 2nd and 3rd days of fishing we absolutely gorgeous.  Hardly a cloud to be had.  At times it was so warm that we were stripping off all the layers and just fishing in shirt-sleeves.  Even if the fish aren't biting, sitting in a boat on Yakutat Bay, in the sunshine, with the beautiful Wrangell - St. Elias Mountain Range to view, is a good way to spend a relaxing day.

On our 3rd day of fishing, we caught 2 more Halibut.  One weighed 65 lbs, the other was 100 lbs.  Needless to say, we had a LOT of fish to bring home at the end of this trip!  The photo and video below show part of what we caught and how we handle the Halibut since we are fishing out of 16 foot aluminum boats.  You have to make sure the Halibut are fairly well subdued before even attempting to bring them in the boat.  Even a small one can do a lot of damage to a boat the size of ours.  As soon as we get them in the boat, they are tied up so they cannot thrash around.

We had an amazing time, in a beautiful area, and can't wait to go back.
Thanks for stopping by and listening to my fish stories :)

Kasey

North To Alaska....

It's FINALLY that time of year....time to head to Alaska and catch some fish!!!  Sunday morning, the 14th, I will be heading north, to Yakutat, Alaska, for a week of salmon and halibut fishing.  This will be my fourth trip since 2007 and I am still as excited as I was for the first trip.

Alaska is a stunningly beautiful state.  I love the days when it isn't raining and we can see the mountains across Yakutat Bay.  They seem to magically rise straight out of the sea.  Occasionally you can look way up in the sky and catch a glimpse of the triangular peak of Mt. St. Elias.  Most days, no matter what the weather, we see multiple cruise ships entering the Bay on their way to view Hubbard Glacier.  I haven't seen the glacier up close, but we do see it from the air as we are arriving/departing.  We also see the HUGE Melaspina Glacier.  When I saw it for the first time, I thought it was just a large landmass.  Nope....all ice, on it's way to the sea.

There are many days that it does nothing but rain.  Alaska rain is different than Washington rain!  Quantity is the difference.  A heavy rain in Washington is "just another day" in Alaska.  But we have had days where we were fishing in t-shirts and jeans.  On those days, the sun was out and the water was as calm as any lake I've been on.  Since we fish at the mouth of Yakutat Bay, where it meets the Gulf of Alaska, we have to be prepared for bad weather to roll in fast.  The plus to that is that the bad weather can roll out just as quickly as it arrived!  Many evenings, the rain will stop and we are able to enjoy a beautiful sunset.  The photo below was taken by me, from the deck of our cabin.  I don't think I will ever get bored of looking at this view.

Most times we have caught full limits of the Coho salmon that we are after.  Silvers are a delight to catch.  When they hit the bait, you know they are there!  They are a species of fish that will put up a fight, with lots of out-of-the-water acrobatics.  One year I even had a Coho that managed to get himself in the boat...no net needed.  With all the leaping it was doing, it just launched itself into the air, landing IN the boat.  We are also able to catch some halibut in the area, without going out to open ocean, deep water.  We have caught numerous halibut in 50 feet of water or less.  The photo below is of a typical days catch.

The first year we went, we caught a full limit of really nice fish on our first day.  The lodge manager at the time was impressed by our catch and took the photo below, which is still shown on the lodge's website.  Not bad for our first day out!  That day had US hooked and we intend to return as often as possible.

So, I guess I need to go finish organizing my stuff.  I have lots of things to do tomorrow since our plane leaves at 5:00 am Sunday.  I will miss my kiddo and animals while I am gone.  There is no cell phone service in Yakutat, so any calls home have to be made from the single pay-phone at the lodge.  That isn't a bad thing really....it is nice to leave "real life" behind for a few days.  If there was an emergency at home, we could always be reached via the lodge's business phone.

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll have stories and pictures to share when I get back home on the 20th/21st.

Sigma Brushes

Lately, a lot of the beauty gurus on YouTube have been talking about Sigma makeup brushes.  Some use nothing but Sigma brushes, and have actually sold their MAC ones.  So, I decided to give the line a try.  I purchased several, for both the face and eyes.  I have ended up with mixed results, so won't be getting rid of my other brushes anytime soon.  Here is a brush-by-brush run-down with my thoughts and experiences.

1.  F80 - Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki.  

This brush is my absolute favorite for liquid foundation application.  Fav-or-ite!  Since it has synthetic bristles, which are smooth and non-porous, it does not absorb a bunch of foundation during the application process.  This results in less wasted makeup.  The flat top and really dense bristles allow you to buff the makeup into the skin, which gives an even-looking finish.  I will definitely keep one of these in my kit.  And at $16, it is a GREAT buy!

2.  F30 - Large Powder Brush.

I just bought my F30, and am already disappointed by it.  It sheds....ALOT!  I really like the size of it.  You can powder your whole face fairly quickly and it applies just the right amount of product.  But it also leaves a ton of bristles/bristle pieces all over my face.  I'm hoping that I just got a bad one, and will be contacting Sigma about the problem.  If not for the extreme shedding issue, this would also be a must-have for me.  Based on the one F30 I have, I would not buy another one.  I will definitely let you know if this changes though!

3.  F05 - Small Contour Brush

This is a great brush!  It has a fairly dense bristle, with a slightly rounded dome.  I use this for perfect application and blending of blush, bronzer, and highlighter.  It IS a smaller brush, so it is best for layering the products.  This isn't a brush where you can apply one large swipe of color and not blend.  I prefer to apply cheek products lightly, blending well, and apply more layers to intensify the color.  I love this brush and take it everywhere with me.  

4.  F35 - Tapered Highlighter Brush.

This is another brush with a smaller sized head.  It is perfect for lightly applying highlighter to the tops of the cheeks.  With the tapered tip, you can get precise product placement.  Excellent for highlighting and contouring.  I don't use mine every day, but frequently enough that I will always have one in my kit.  I know that Sigma makes a larger version of this as well, the F25.

5.  E35 - Tapered Blending Brush.

This eye shadow brush has a nice fluffy head that makes for easy application in the crease.  Great for blending  too.  I will definitely purchase more of these!  These brushes are better than most I have found in drugstores, and as good as some of the high-end brushes I have.  And at $9, they are a very good buy.  

6.  E25 - Blending Brush.

This brush has an oval head with lightly chiseled sides that make for easy eye shadow blending.  They can be used for both powder and cream shadows.  You can also use them to apply shadow primer.  They are soft and fluffy enough for easy blending, yet dense enough to pack on cream products or pigment/glitter.  I have several MAC 217 brushes, which look almost identical to the E25.  I see almost no difference in performance between the 217 and E25.  And at $9, you can buy a couple of these for the price of one MAC 217.  Definitely will keep these in my kit!  When I recently made a Sigma purchase, I received a free travel size E25.  It has a shorter silver handle, which is perfect for putting in a purse or small travel bag.  I love both the full size and travel size E25's!

Other than the shedding issue with the F30, Large Powder Brush, I really like my Sigma brushes.  I think they are a great buy.  Good brush, good performance, good pricing.  I am going to send Sigma an email about the F30, and will post a follow-up with their response!  Overall, I would definitely recommend people give Sigma a try.  

Thanks for stopping by!!

Make-up, Malamutes, and More!!

I'm thinking I may have to change the name of this blog to Make-up, Malamutes, and More.  As this new chapter of my life (getting divorced) leads me into strange territory (being single after 16+ years), I am finding new things that are making me happy!

Yes, I love, love, love my crazy dogs!  They are still making me laugh on a daily basis.  I am sure I can find some more pictures, and maybe a video or two, of the craziness that is my home with the critters :)  Make-up is still a fun avenue of expression for me as well.  I still love playing with the colors and textures.

As for the "more" part.....my son, Taylor, and I have started ice skating this year.  Before February 11th of this year, I had never, ever been on ice skates.  That night, Taylor and I started a Learn To Skate class at a local ice rink.  I was clinging to the rink boards for a lot of that first class.  Soon, I was able to skate around the rink without holding on to something, or someone.  I have never been so sore in my life though!  Ice skating takes full body effort to remain balanced and up-right.  While the pro's on TV make it look effortless, it is one of the hardest workouts I have ever done.

After taking skating lessons, both as part of a group and individually, we have progressed to playing hockey.  Taylor and I found some people that play as part of a "beginners group" organized by the rink.  It is supposed to be a forum for newbies to come, get ice time, and learn the game from people who have played for a while.  We have had so much fun with this group.  The more experienced people are incredibly willing to share their knowledge of the game.  We play for an hour, once a week, so can put the skills we learn in lessons to use in an actual game/scrimmage setting.

Taylor and I are also taking hockey lessons one night a week.  This lesson is a group lesson, for all ages.  For this session, I am the only adult there.  The kids that are 9 or 10 on up, can skate circles around me!  They can beat me up and down the ice big time.....but at least I know how to stop!!  Several of them can skate like crazy, but they have no brakes.  It's a fun time to learn stick and puck handling skills in a controlled environment.  Well, as controlled as it can get with a dozen kids under the age of 7 on the ice!!

This time I am getting to spend with my son is amazing.  I lost a lot of time with him when I was so sick with Depression.  While I can never get that time back, I am so enjoying this opportunity that I am getting, to show Taylor that I CAN be a fun, happy person.  We spend so much time together now, and that is something that really hasn't happened over the past few years.

My parents have also started a flock of chickens.  My dad will be retiring at the end of this year, and he wanted to have a small "farm" to keep himself busy.  He has built a beautiful hen house with an attached chicken yard for the feathered gang.  Taylor and I love to go over and help with the peeps.  They are a riot to turn loose in the garden for free-range time.  Of course they all tromple through dads raised flower and veggie beds.  We are all looking forward to the time when they start laying eggs.  I think we still have a couple of months to go until that happens though.

We have 15 chickens currently.  One rooster had to go as he was too aggressive towards the other birds.  We still have 2 more roosters, and they will probably have to find new homes as well.  Dad just doesn't want the noise of a crowing rooster, nor does he desire to have any chicks hatching.  The chick that I picked out is a Black Cochin Bantam.  We named her Charli, since with her feathered legs, she appears to waddle like Charlie Chaplin.  She is a cute little thing, but can make a BIG noise!  When she gets a treat, she almost sounds like a goose honking.  All of the birds enjoy treat time.  They are big fans of grapes, blueberries, cherries, watermelon, and hard-boiled eggs.  Yes, they like eggs.  Isn't that like feeding bacon to a pig???  Taylor likes to feed the chickens straight out of his hand, so they are becoming pretty easy to catch and handle.  He is becoming as big an animal freak as I am!!!

Well, those are a few of the things that are keeping me happy and busy now!  I'm loving life and am so thankful for my friends and family.  Thanks for stopping by!!

Have a great day.

Project 10 Pan - Completed!!!

It took a while, but I finally completed my Project 10 Pan!  I finished up the 10th item on June 22nd, but have been busy since my son is now on Summer Vacation....so am just now getting to posting what I used.  I will post what I finished, and a brief synopsis on what I thought of each product.

1.  Bliss Oil Control Lotion.  This lotion smells good, like most Bliss products!  My personal view is that it didn't control the oil extremely well.  But I do have to state that my face is quite oily. It is a good product, it just didn't do enough for me.

2.  OPI Hand Lotion.  For normal day-to-day use, this lotion is ok.  I kept this by my kitchen sink, so I could have something to rub on quickly after doing dishes, washing hands, etc.  I don't find it to be moisturizing enough for drier skin or chapped areas.  I don't think I would buy it again as I have used plenty of less expensive brands, that did the exact same thing.  Smelled amazing though!

3.  Loreal Ever Straight Shampoo.  I purchased this because I needed a sulfate-free shampoo after having a straightening process done on my hair.  The salon alternatives were 4 times as expensive...or more!  I really liked this shampoo.  My chemical processes lasted very well, and my hair felt great.  I believe this is now called EverSleek.  If it is, I have not tried the new/re-labeled product.  This is definitely a shampoo I would keep in my shower!!

4.  Loreal Ever Straight Conditioner.  As with the shampoo, I tried this as a cheaper alternative to the salon products that are sulfate-free.  I was very happy with this conditioner.  I have very thick, wavy/curly hair that is colored and highlighted.  This product did great.  It, along with the shampoo, smelled amazing and definitely performed as well as some of the salon products I have used over the years.

5.  ROC Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer.  No, I do not have deep wrinkles.  One of the benefits of having oily skin!  I used this every day since it has retinols in it which help me keep the upper layers of my skin from looking dull.  I have fought cystic acne in the past, and my dermatologist advised I use creams/lotions that would assist the shedding of the cells that block the pores.  This worked extremely well.  Having tried more expensive brands and prescription products, this was a fantastic (and affordable) option.  An added bonus is that is has an SPF of 30!!

6.  Lolita Lempicka Midnight.  Simply put, this is a staple in my scent collection.  Light enough for day use, but sexy enough to wear out at night.

7.  Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15.   This was a great mineral powder foundation for me.  Used over an oil absorbing primer or lotion, it lasted all day.  It even lasted through light to medium exercise!  Plus it has quite good coverage.  I'd say you could make it from light to medium coverage with no problems.  Has a beautiful glowy finish to it as well. This will be another staple item in my cosmetic collection.  I use "Rich Vanilla" during the summer, when I have more color, and "Real Sand" the rest of the year.  Excellent product.

8.  Murad Skin Perfecting Primer - Matte Finish.  This was a good primer.  It is tinted, although I didn't notice the color on my skin....at all.  This would be good for anyone but those with very oily skin.  I liked it, didn't love it.....just not enough shine control for my skin type.

9.  Murad Oil Control Mattifier.  This is actually a moisturizer/oil control product.  I really, really like it.  This is a must-have for me.  If you have quite oily skin, give this a try.  I smooth this on to clean skin, wait a few minutes, and then apply my make-up, and am set for most of the day.  Great oil control.  The down side is that it has a medicinal scent which some may find unappealing.  It also is very thick....kind of like Elmer's glue. But it smooths on very well and absorbs quickly.  This will always have a place in my make-up kit.

10.  Powder F/X Mineral Foundation.  This is a mineral powder foundation by Cover F/X.  I would be more inclined to use this product as a setting powder over foundation, not as the foundation itself.  I didn't find it to have anything but a sheer coverage.  Worked fine as a setting powder, but at $35, it costs more than many in that category.  Wouldn't purchase again.

So, those are the items that I actually completely finished.  I kept a sheet of paper on the back of the bathroom door, and added an item to the list only when the container was empty and thrown away.  It has been a fun way to make me dig through all the stuff that may have been shoved to the back of a drawer or bin, and use colors that I might normally ignore.  I plan on keeping this Project X Pan going.  I want to keep using the items I have, instead of cluttering up my rooms with more stuff!  This has been a rewarding experience in that I am gaining space in my bins, drawers, and cabinets!!!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day :)

This Weeks Lip Gloss Favorites.

As I have been digging through the bins to find all the cosmetics that get stashed away when I find a new favorite, I have been rediscovering some old favorites!  This week I have been using two in particular.

The first is one that I received as part of a purchase from a blog sale.  I got an entire set of Avon's Glazewear Lip Gloss.  The one that I am using a lot this week is the color Crimson.  I love this lip gloss as it is not very sticky, yet manages to stay for a long time.  Crimson is misleading in it's name in that it is not a red.  It's more of a deep plum.  But a gorgeous plum it is!  And at just $6.00 per .15 oz tube, they are very affordable.  I looked at Avon's website this evening and the Glazewear Glosses were on sale for $2.99 per tube!

The other gloss that I am using a lot this week is the Jemma Kidd Air Kiss Shine Lip Gloss in Strip.  This item is available at Target stores in the US.  Strip is a pale peach gloss with a light gold shimmer in it.  This gloss goes on very light and not very sticky.  I can apply it any time of the day, even right after eating, and it still looks natural.  It just adds a pretty shimmer and sheen to my lips without a lot of color or goop.  The Target website says these lip glosses are $16.00.  I can't read the size on the tube, but they seem to be about the same size as an average lip gloss.  Even the Jemma Kidd website doesn't mention the size.  Hmmmm.

I think I probably got my gloss on sale, as I don't think I would have tried something new at full price when it's that high.  Would I spend $16.00 on a Jemma Kidd lip gloss now?  I might.  I really like the texture and consistency.  I know that MAC's Lipglass are $14.50 for .17oz.  And I prefer the Jemma Kidd much more than the stickier MAC Lipglass.

I am not a cosmetics snob.  I do enjoy splurging on some high end goodies, but I also love to find a good bargain.  Expensive doesn't always mean better!  In these two lip glosses, I think I have found reasonable alternatives to the department store offerings.  Avon's prices are always good, and Target frequently has sales....so you can find good items at good prices!

Thanks for stopping by!

Malamute Monster!

Tonight I got home from a quick trip to the hockey store in town.  When I let Kuma and Bella inside, Kuma obviously felt it was his duty to remind me that I should have taken them with me, if for no other reason than they like to ride in the car. Below is a video of a similar situation, where Kuma thought that everyone needed to hear what he thought about something.  

Tonight he was louder/more obnoxious than this, but I didn't have my camera with me.  If anyone he knows comes in the house, he holds a conversation with them.  Woo-wooing and shaking his head.  He loves to tell a story!  

The temps in our area have been in the low teens and single digits during the day, dropping to sub-zero at night.  Bella and Kuma are SO happy about this!  I looked out the kitchen window this morning and caught Bella chasing her tail in big circles in the snow.  When she finally stopped, she had a huge Malamute smile!!

Life with these goofy dogs is never dull!  I don't know what I would do without them. How can you be sad when Kuma is telling you a story?!?!  Thanks for stopping by and listening to us ;)