*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Eleven - Alaska

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Ten - Alaska

 

Wow its been raining a lot this summer! And I've had a hard time this week getting Tammy out to enjoy Alaska! But this morning it finally stopped raining just for a little while. Everything was all wet, but we got to do a little bit of sight seeing.

 

Today, Tammy and I decided to visit a few places in the tiny town where I live! It is called Big Lake. 

Big Lake is a big, big lake I believe it is man made, but I am not 100% sure about that. Its very deep, and very very big. In the winter time you can drive across it because it freezes pretty thick! 

I have driven across this lake once. And let me tell you, it is an experience I do not care to have again. It was very nerve racking and I had to pretend like the lake was a paved road and the cracks I could see and hear under neath my car where just pavement. Then I was some what okay to drive across it. 

 

In the winter time there is a major snow machine / snow mobile race. (In Alaska we call Snowmobiles, Snow machines.) People come from all over the world to race in this race. Tod Palin (Sarah Palin's husband)  is a major competitor in this race as well. Though I cannot remember if he raced last year or not. 

Tammy and I also visited Fish Creek in Big Lake. This is the creek that goes up from the ocean into Big Lake and brings all the fish. During the Salmon run you can see hundreds of Salmon running up the creek! Its pretty neat to see. But there where not any Salmon today!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Nine - Alaska

Today Tammy decided to visit the gardens in Palmer! They are so pretty and they have a lot of neat flowers and vegetables! Of course it was really busy when we went and it started to rain so I couldn't get too many pictures! but I got a few!

Tammy got to see a really big cabbage! In Alaska our plants and vegetables grow really big because we have an endless amount of sun! I have seen plants even bigger than that cabbage up in Fairbanks! 

We also got to see a pretty purple flower. 

And we got to see a pretty bit of flowers and with a tree overhead. I was going to take more pictures but it started misting really heavily and we began to get wet! So we had to end our trip a little early. But we still got to see a little bit of the garden! 

Maybe next time we will get to see the Palmer museum and visitor center. I tried to take some pictures there too but it was packed and too busy to get pictures! It is on my list of things to do though!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Eight - Alaska

 

One of the things we absolutely love around here more than anything else is our very precious little kitties! 

We have two of them, and they do not get along at all! we have to keep them in separate rooms due to the this fact. Maybe one day they will!

 

Our first little kitty Tammy finally got to meet is named  Buttons! She is a little gray tabby and we've had her since she was a kitten. She is about eleven years old and is so attached to my sister it is not funny! My sister so much as moves and Buttons will move the same way!  

If Amanda leaves for long periods of times Buttons gets very lonely and sad. Unless she has me around. Then she is okay for the most part. Silly kitty. She also does not like other cats at all. Her tail gets super big and she hisses and growls and puts up such a big fuss! Which is partly why we have to keep our cats separate. 

She also loves to talk to you. She will talk to you about anything and she likes to talk back too which is funny! 

 

Our other little kitty is a rescue kitty. So we do not know much about her. She is a pure white cat that my sister's friends where feeding for six months. Poor kitty was outside that long in Alaska! 

One day it got really cold! -15 and the poor kitty was crying at my sister's friends door. so they brought her inside. But they had four dogs and the dogs kept trying to attack the cat. So my sister decided to bring her home. Her name is Snowball. 

She just the sweetest kitty in the world and loves to play. We think she is about 2 or 3 years old. She purrs all the time has the cutest little meow. She adores my dad the most out of all of us. Which is terribly funny because my Dad was the one who didn't really want another cat in the house and for the most part has never been a pet person. But he also adores her. They sleep together and she sits on his lap for hours. 

So on rainy days like today, we love to snuggle with our kitties!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Seven - Alaska

 

Today was such a pretty day outside that Tammy and I had to take a little road trip! We decided to go up to Hatchers Pass which is one of my all time favorite places to visit in Alaska! The scenery in the mountain pass is just amazing and i love going up there! It also has a neat little history too. 

 

Ever since the Gold rush back in the 1890s Hatchers Pass has been a well known mining area and there are still working claims in the pass today! Supposedly you can find gold in the river panning. Or if you go way up in the mountains on foot you can find old Miners cabins still filled with their items dating back to the Victorian Era! Tammy and I were not able to do that today. But we did get to take a picture of Independence Mine. While this mine itself is not working there is a working Gold Mine in the pass. 

One of these days I am going to visit the mine! 

Though I am very much afraid of heights, my absolute favorite part of going up into Hatchers Pass is looking down into the Mat Su Valley! 

On a nice day the view is just magical! 

 

 

Tammy and I had so much fun in Hatchers Pass! I cant wait to go back up there again and to show you Tammy's next adventure!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Six - Alaska

 Today Joanna took me to see the Iditarod Trail Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska!

The Iditarod is one of the most famous sled dog races in the whole world and people come from all over to the Headquarters to sign up for the race! 

The trail itself has been used for hundreds of years by native people and more recently by miners coming to Alaska. Perhaps the most famous of all races was the 1925 Serum run to Nome! This is the race that involved the Diptheria outbreak and Balto! 

Joanna then was sitting me next to the statue of Balto and a nice gentleman offered to take a picture of the two of us! I was super excited to get to sit next to the statue! 

After that Joanna took me to see Andy! He was a sled dog that won a race in the 1970s! I was super excited to get to see him too!

And finally I got to sit in a real sled that was used for the races! How cool was that!

I cannot wait to show everyone my next adventure in Hatchers Pass Alaska!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Five - Alaska

Today Tammy came home from Erin's house! And she was such a good girl for Erin that I decided to take her to see Despicable Me 3! That and it's been raining like cats and dogs for the past several days now! Which is not really good for doll pictures! 

Tammy and I had a lot of fun at the movie theater watching the movie! Our favorite part was--- Okay I wont give the movie away for those who haven't seen it. But there is a certain song they play in the movie called I am the very model of a modern major General! its a song by Gilbert and Sullivan and is actually written for their Pirates of ​Penzance opera which I highly recommend watching! It is on youtube for those of you who do not know what it is! 

Gilbert and Sullivan wrote major operas in the Victorian time period and many of them are still being played in theaters around the world today! Queen Victoria herself is said to have loved their operas! 

 

When we got home it was raining like I said, so there wasn't a whole lot to do. 

 

 

Tammy decided she wanted to color. And I decided to find her a big box of crayons. and a coloring sheet from the movie! She lots of fun coloring it! 

Then after that she decided to play with a little minion toy I have. You throw bananas through the hoop! She had lots of fun with that too.

 

 Even though it was raining, Tammy and I had lots of fun today! What do you do when it rains? 

I cant wait for what our next adventure brings us!

*TAMMYS TRAVELS* Day Four - Alaska

Z got to show Tammy from LADL around a little bit of Alaska. We visited our national park Denali National Park. Read some good tips on how to steer clear from moose and bears. 

It was very cloudy but beautiful scenery and this year marks the centennial for National Parks! 100 years!

@snowpurls

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Three - Alaska

During the summer time where I live, in Alaska it normally does not get very warm. It stays pretty mild and to us, a warm day is any where from 70 degrees and up! people complain its too hot! Which has always been kinda funny to me coming from Michigan myself! And the weird thing is, after living in Alaska, for six years I have started to feel that 70 degrees is too hot too! Here is how Tammy and my dolls dealt with our Summer heat! 

Tammy: Do, do do. Mina, isn't it a nice day outside? 

Mina: Arff!!! 

Lottie: Oh my gosh its so hot outside and only 7am! What are we gonna do about this???

Tammy: This is hot? Its only 65 degrees!

Lottie: Its muggy and hot! Its never humid in Alaska!

Tammy: You're so funny! 

Lottie: Seriously, what are we going to do about this? 

Annalise: I brought the ice cream girls!

Tammy: ooh I am up for ice cream!

Lottie: Goodie!!!

Usually on hot days in Alaska, I break down and go to the store and get ice cream sandwiches for everyone! Its a good day then! 

Stay tuned for more of Tammy's Adventures in Alaska!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day Two - Alaska

After her long trip to Alaska, Tammy decided to sleep in on Tuesday morning! Once she got up, she decided to have a donuts for breakfast and a soda.

I know this is a very unhealthy breakfast! But usually on Tuesday mornings, I wake up very early and by the time I get into Palmer, Alaska, I am hungry, so I need a snack. Donuts and soda are usually it! So of course, Tammy had to have donuts before we left.

Next, Tammy and I had to get ready to go! Annalise wanted to make sure Tammy had a bag and a camera for her adventure today! Tammy was very grateful for Annalise's little bag and camera! The bag was filled with lots of goodies to keep her busy while I worked! 

Then, it was finally time to go! Yay! Tammy was all set in the back seat of my car. We were worried I might get pulled over because I dont have a car seat for Tammy! But I don't think the police even noticed I had a doll without a car seat! So we didn't have to worry! 

On Tuesdays, before I go to work, I love stopping at the Matanuska River! It flows down from the matanuska glacier way up on the mountains! This glacier is actually one of the few in Alaska that you can walk too and it is so neat to see! Unfortunately, Tammy and I didn't visit it today. Maybe later this month we can! 

Tammy and I did bring some bear spray, just in case! The bears have been behaving very weirdly lately. attacking hikers and even crashing through a boys bedroom in Anchorage! We made lots of noise by singing a song on the trail so they would know we where near by! You never can be too careful! 

 Once, I got Tammy to the end of the trail, the scenery was just magical as always! My pictures really do not do it justice!

 
After that it was time for me to go to work! But Tammy and I had lots of fun before we went! She had lots of fun going to thrift stores with me that day too! I cant wait to show everyone more of our adventures!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Day One - Alaska

Tammy's first day or rather night in Alaska! 

Yipee! Tammy was waiting for me today when I got home from work at the post office! The mail lady was very nice when she brought me the box and gently carried it to me. She knows my love for dolls and what the boxes look like when I get a new one! 

Lottie couldn't wait to see Tammy and she sat right on top the box before I could even get it open! 

Lottie: Come on Joanna hurry up!

Joanna: I gotta get the scissors you know!

Much to Lottie's dismay it took me a little while to open the box! But I finally did get it open and guess what!! Tammy was in there!

 

Lottie: Oh boy! Look Joanna Tammy is finally here!

Joanna: Yup she gets to visit us for a whole month!

Lottie: Oh boy I bet we'll become good friends with her!

Joanna: Yes I think you will! 

Tammy finally came out of the package and came in her own pretty box! Lottie was very impressed! 

Lottie: Wew! Tammy you sure have a pretty box! I wonder if Joanna has mine still? 

Joanna: I might! 

Lottie and I finally got Tammy out of the box and she is so cute with her adorable little journal! We cant wait to show her around Alaska! 

Lottie: Tammy I hope you had a wonderful journey here!

Tammy: I did but it sure was long! I'm awfully tired! Can I borrow a bed and some jammies please? 

Lottie: Sure thing! Let's get you right to bed! You have a big day tomorrow! 

Annalise: Lottie, who is this? 

Lottie: It's Tammy! She will be visiting us for a whole week! 

Annalise: Oooh we get to show her around Alaska!

Lottie: Yes we do! 

Annalise: We better let her sleep now uh?

Lottie: Yes! 

Stay tune for further adventures from Tammy's Travels in Alaska!

*TAMMY'S TRAVELS* Goodbye from the Netherlands

Tammy as a Dutch girl.  Her plan is to dress in period costume for her Social Studies Fair project at school next year.

 

 

Tammy is happy to be back in WV after a long flight.  She takes a relaxing bubble bath and then goes to bed in the guest bedroom at Grammy's Dollhouse.

 Tammy is feeling rested the next morning.  Marcie and Mika make breakfast for her.  Eggs, bacon, toast, OJ and tea should get her off to a good start.  Then she relaxes in the living room with Josey and Cathleen sharing stories about her trip. 

 Time to go home. Tammy thanks her hosts for their gracious hospitality.  A bath, bed and breakfast helps to stave off jet lag. Tammy wears her Netherlands flag pin for her trip to TX.  She is ready to go home and tell her Mom about her European adventure.  "I'll be home soon, Mom!"

-Fawn