Mary Yonkers

Dave Yonkers (CAPT USN, Ret)

Astoria, Oregon

"You can take the sailor off the seas, but you can't get the sea out of his blood." Dave, a twenty-seven year navy veteran, is still passionate about the water even though he has been retired from the navy for a number of years. Hence, most of our vacations are cruises or locations along the east or west coast.

Waterfront: San Francisco

Sea Captain Collection

Luxury cruise liners, military vessels or US'N TWO, Dave is happiest on or near the water.

US'N TWO: Captain Yonkers

Just a little humor added by Dave's sister a few years ago . . .Quiet, Captain's sleeping

Our family room has many 'sea treasures' from Dave's career and now our 'water-oriented' vacations, most recently Alaska.

Fall Fun

Erie has so many fall activities that sometimes it is hard to choose my favorite. In recent years I have attended ZOO BOO, Millcreek Mall Trail of Treats, spent Halloween night passing out candy at my daughter's house, but now Tracy School's annual Halloween Parade will be at the top of my list.

Parents, younger siblings and grandparents gathered to wait for the parade to begin.

Some of the teachers & volunteers were dressed in costume, too. The leaders of the parade were a father dressed in his volunteer fireman's uniform holding his kindergarten son's hand. Both father & son looked very proud and happy to be together.

Notice the "Worker Bees" in the above photo. They were volunteer moms. Around the corner came the bigger kids including Hunter, my grandson. Hunter's expression as we made eye contact was>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Priceless

Yes, there will be other events that I will attend with Hunter throughout the years, but for now this one is my favorite.

Have fun with your family.

What a great day to make applesauce!

Fall means changing colors, mums, time change and orchards ripe with grapes and apples. As kids this meant picking the apples at a local orchard on a Saturday afternoon. Today it is just so much easier to stop on at one of the many fruit stands along Lake Erie. We usually buy 'seconds' that average half the price of 'picture perfect' apples.

Assembly line process: Wash, quarter, trim.

******Do not peel or core.

Add approx one cup water to large pot.

Cook until soft, strain, cool, freeze

Some apples do not need a sweetner (sugar or Splenda) so I taste test first.

I reuse plastic yogurt containers as they fit nicely on the door of freezer.

Enjoy all winter.

Alaskan wildlife

After spending hours viewing the glacier many passengers had just gone below for lunch or an afternoon nap. Just as the ship was leaving Tracy Arm Fiord the Cruise Director invited us to come back up on the deck as the lookouts had spotted a brown bear, polar bear and a rather large eagle. Later many of us had our pictures taken with the "wildlife celebs."

OOPS: The ship's secret actors

Just a little rain in Skagway, but it didn't keep the bears away

Our five dollar raincoats

Two eagles near Ketchikan

Other Alaska posts:

Alaska: A Trip of A Lifetime (Part I)

Let's Meet in San Francisco

Virtual Friends Meet (Mary & Heather Chavez)

Vacation: Stuck in Recovery Mode

While in sunny CA after the cruise we decided that the the next vacation destination will be . . .

And we are off to Alaska, a trip of a lifetime and years in the planning.

Starting with the approach to the Seattle runway, four things stand out in my memory about the three weeks Dave & I spent on the west coast.

• Awesome views: Mountains, streams, ocean, waterways
• Vivid green color & flowers
• Friendly people everywhere: in port & on the ship
• The weather: sun, clouds, rain or clouds, rain & sun, followed by sunshine & warmth in sunny CA

The pictures tell the story: Enjoy & plan your own trip to Alaska

Leaving Vancouver

Views: Mountains, water

Waterfalls

Blue ice/green water

Famous saloons

Red Onion Saloon/Red Dog Saloon

Tracy Arm/Endicott Glacier & Fiord

Blue ice (ice acts as a prism when the light passes through it)

Ship turns southward, the skies clear and the temperature rises

Heading south to Seattle

***********Other Alaska/vacation posts*********************

Alaska Wildlife: A Trip of a Lifetime (Part II)

Virtual Friends Meet (Mary & Heather Chavez)

Let's Meet in San Francisco (High School Friends--after 43 yrs)

Vacation: Stuck in Recovery Mode

The Captain Meets the Captain (Dave Yonkers, Capt, Ret USN)