March 2017 - Florida to Alaska

photo of our new whale artwork on the water on the planned seawalk.......

Flight from Tampa to Seattle on 7 March then ferry to Juneau on 17 March.

31 March 2017 Friday - Juneau Alaska
Heavy rain and wind for my walk to the gym.....March is out like a lion, and I understand that it was also in like a lion! Another big avalanche recorded on someone's mobile phone!

30 March 2017 Thursday - Juneau Alaska
Have connected online with someone in the village of Alfta Sweden where my great grandfather was born and raised....maybe I will go visit?

29 March 2017 Wednesday - Juneau Alaska
Taxes are done!

28 March 2017 Tuesday - Juneau Alaska
Spending time going through old photos and trying to organize them

27 March 2017 Monday - Juneau Alaska
Happy Sewards Day!

26 March 2017 Sunday - Juneau Alaska
A sunny day!

25 March 2017 Saturday - Juneau Alaska
Genealogy meeting at the LDS church.

23 March 2017 Thursday - Juneau Alaska
A snowy day!

22 March 2017 Wednesday - Juneau Alaska
A sunny day so drove to Freddie's for groceries and to my storage unit where everything is still there!

21 March 2017 Tuesday - Juneau Alaska
A walkabout downtown and a visit to doctor for tetanus shot, it has been ten years since I had one in the Peace Corps.

20 March 2017 Monday - Juneau Alaska
Arrived on the ferry Malaspina at 415am but took a bit of time to offload because several vehicles had no drivers onboard but finally off at 445am then drive to town in the dark and slush.....thank goodness no ice and no snow......just rain!

19 March 2017 Sunday - Ketchikan to Petersburg via Wrangell Alaska
Arrived 630am into Ketchikan where it is cold and foggy and icy but not raining or snowing....I had to move my vehicle off the ferry but I do not want to drive anywhere on these roads....put on my grippers and walked the mile to Safeway at the mall and also internet at the Best Western.....departure at 10am.....then 4pm Wrangell then 745pm Petersburg.

18 March 2017 Saturday - all day at sea on the Malaspina ferry

17 March 2017 Friday - Bellingham WA departure on ferry
Arrived early at the Fairhaven ferry terminal to get my ticket for the journey on the Malaspina to Juneau Alaska. Walked the downtown of Fairhaven while it was still dry and then the rains arrived so into the van to await gate open at 11 and boarding at 3 although even though I was first in line, I boarded at 5pm for our 6pm departure.

14 March 2017 Tuesday - Bellingham WA
I prefer to wash my van but opted for local truck wash and for only $20! Juneau just had 16" of new snow yesterday so trying to decide what to do....stopped at Autozone to get some tire socks.

13 March 2017 Monday - Bellingham WA
Early morning two hour rainy drive to Langley/Freeland to attend meeting of the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island and to visit the gravesite of my gg grandfather and view the new gravestone that I purchased in December....it looks great!

12 March 2017 Sunday - Bellingham WA
Stocking up at Trader Joes and WalMart for my journey to Juneau.

11 March 2017 Saturday - Bellingham WA
A day to just catch up and go nowhere....and to reload the van with all my stuff!

10 March 2017 Friday - Bellingham WA
Spent all morning at the Washington State Archives finding land and probate records for my great great grandfather Frank and his son Henry who lived in Langley WA in early 1900's. All original records are not stored at the county offices like many states but have been consolidated at the regional archives....then visit to REI and Whole Foods.

9 March 2017 Thursday - Bellingham WA
Spent most of morning at RV shop. I was happy to hear that the freezeup of my water lines last December only required a new water pump and valve for hot water heater which was probably needed anyway on this very old home on wheels. They also checked the electrical system.
I had found a new distant cousin on AncestryDNA and he has a business just down the street from the RV shop so we met and tried to determine our connection....I only know that it is somewhere on my mother's side of family.

8 March 2017 Wednesday - Bellingham WA
Arrived at hotel 3am for coffee and banana and waited for RV storage gates to open at 6am to fetch my van....hooked up the battery and it started.....yeah!!! Returned to the hotel to unload everything from the van into my room to prepare for RV work tomorrow. Washed sheets and duvet cover and clothes!

7 March 2017 Tuesday - Largo Florida to Seattle Washington
Morning breakfast with mum and her friend Honey at Widow Browns then late day flight from Tampa to Seattle. Arrived Seattle 1030pm then 1130pm Bellair Shuttle bus to Bellingham (I was originally going to wait and take 6am bus but decided to avoid early morning traffic of Seattle). Rang hotel from airport and they provide free taxi afterhours when their shuttle is not running.

2 March 2017 Thursday - Largo Florida
Afternoon Swedish interest group sponsored by the Pinellas Genealogy Group at the Largo library. In the past year I have discovered so much about my mother's father's parents who arrived in the USA from Sweden during the 1880's. Anders Fredrik Reinhold Andersson was born in Alfta and Johanna Nilsson/Nilsdotter was born in Horja. I initially found them in Omaha Nebraska as Fred Anderson and Hannah Nelson so it was a challenge to find them via their birth names. I think that they arrived separately and married in the USA.....still looking!

1 March 2017 Wednesday - Largo Florida
Hot day at the pool!