Dani’s arrival: mandatory virus screening for all arriving at the airport in Fairbanks

Birthday boy requested a hobbit hole birthday cake (for the uninitiated – of which the cake maker is one – it’s a Lord of the Rings thing)

Candy clay creativity

More candy clay creations by the crew

Kiddos’ candy clay creations to grace hobbit hole cake. Timothy did the carrots!

Crafters: Christa – door, veggies, stump/ax, mailbox; Jared – bench, potted plants; Dani – birdhouse; Rachel – cobbled wall; Timothy – carrots, potted plant

This thing had structure! And yes, we started eating from the backside first! 😀

Who’s that peeking?

Road trip!

Well, well…birth order now has nothing to do with height order…

Nenana River overlook, Denali Park

Entrance to 2.5-long Anton Anderson tunnel. Train track and car road share the same space. Between Portage and Whittier, connecting the road between the Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound.

Road shared with train track inside the 2.5-mile long Anton Anderson tunnel connecting Portage and Whittier

Emerald Cove Trail, Whittier

Whittier underground tunnel, connecting marina and “downtown”

Yay! Our first time to see the views from Hatcher Pass!

Hatcher Pass – the cloud from which we emerged is moving to overtake us

The Mountain was out! Denali south view.

Back home again:  Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here!

Celebrating health progress: Dani’s first s’more in 3 years!

And a new addition to the household, dubbed Sir Percival Blakeney.

Aaaand…work around the homeplace: Trenching to bury electrical wire from the solar panel to the batteries

Adding drainage to the north window well

Jared is Dad’s right-hand man

Partly-completed drain from the north side of the house

So much growing up…attending the wedding of a long-time friend with other childhood friends

Next road trip after getting Dani back to Denver. We headed to Glennallen/Copper River for some fellowship. Another chance to enjoy views of God’s amazing creation!

Monkshood

Copper River, Chitina. Before heading home, we figured we’d try a little dip netting, though fishing has been fairly poor this summer. James testing the waters at one of the few spots where it’s possible to wade in.

The fam takes fishing positions. This is our first time with James at Chitina (and “safer” than the way he usually fishes)

Raising replacement fishermen

Family fishing spot, bridge over Copper River at Chitina

The net disappears just a couple inches below the surface, showing the high level of silt concentration in the water, part of what makes Copper River so deadly

Gulkana Glacier, view from Richardson Hwy (photo credit: Jared)

Beauty at every angle
(photo credit: Jared)

Rainbow Ridge
(photo credit: Jared)

Rainbow Ridge
(photo credit: Jared)

Couldn’t get enough of the perfectly at-peak fireweed!

And then, a true rainbow
(photo credit: Jared)

Count ’em! A bit north of Rainbow Ridge, Richardson Hwy
(photo credit: Jared)

One of the most fun sights to cap off a beautiful travel day

And another birthday: It’s a big one!

What an inferno!