BACK TO ALASKA...XMAS 2015...SEAPLANE AIRPORT.  CK OUT THIS TRUCK....LOOKS GOOFY.  I COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT, HOW COULD THIS TRUCK RUN ON TWO WHEELS?  THE TRUCK HAS A RIG ATTACHED TO THE FRONT (WHICH U CAN'T SEE) BUT IT IS USED TO PULL SEAPLANES OUT OF THE WATER.  IT'S HEAVY ENOUGH TO BALANCE THE TRUCK AND RIG.

WALK AROUND A LAKE ONE DAY: ROGER, GORDON, KATRINA, ME, MARGIE AND RUSSELL WITH THE LITTLE ONES.

MOOSE PIC BY JOYCE

HUNDREDS OF SEAPLANES

THIS SEAPLANE HAS A "JACKET " ON THE MOTOR

RUSSELL, LILY, AND KATRINA HELMINEN

SIGN  AT THE LAKE

ACCORDING TO ROGER, THERE IS GAS OR ? IN THE BUBBLES ON THE ICE.  HE CHOPPED A HOLE ON A BUBBLE AND THREW A MATCH THERE WHICH MADE A BRIEF FLAME

NEW YEAR'S EVE, WE STROLLED AROUND ANCHORAGE TOWN SQUARE TO SEE THE LIGHTS.  LORETTA (ROGER) HELMINEN AND I

MARGIE AND I

MY TRAVEL  SKETCHBOOK PAINTING OF THE SEAPLANE AIRPORT
(don't know if i posted this already, too lazy to go bk)

GRACIE ANN LARSON (DEREK AND LINDSEY PARENTS)

BRIDESMAIDS AT ILEANA AND TRENT RAJALA'S WEDDING LAST SUMMER
JANE PENNALA, VICTORIA VAHAKANGAS, ANNELI JOHNSON, LAURETTA KANGAS

JACK AND NANCY LARSON, PARENTS OF ILEANA

GRANDPARENTS, LUCY AND WILLIE RAJALA

GRANDPARENTS OF TRENT, BOB AND JOANNE HELTUNEN

PARENTS OF TRENT, LISA AND MARTY RAJALA

ILEANA AND TRENT RAJALA....(IM LATE ON PICS; USUALLY IM SHORT ON PICTURES, BUT I SEEM TO HAVE A TON TO POST)

BECKY KANGAS WEDDING, WITH HER GIRL FRIENDS

JOYCE CAPTURED THIS "DOUBLE PICTURE" OF TOMAS AND DARLENE
CLICK TO ENLARGE 

"SOMETHING BORROWED"..AUNT HELVIE GAVE ME HER PEARLS, AND DARLENE WORE THEM AT HER WEDDING

THE 2016 GREAT BEAR CHASE AT SWEDETOWN, CALUMET

ALEA JUNTTI FROM NEGAUNEE FINISHING

ANTTI HALONEN

BOB HELTUNEN JUST FINISHED

A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY FOR THE RACE;  OVER 600 SKIERS CAME FROM MANY STATES

LISA HALONEN

BRIAN HELMINEN....ALL SKIERS CAME IN SOAKING WET!!!

THIS SKIER WAS DRESSED AS A BRIDE, VIEL AND ALL...GETTING MARRIED SOON.

VERY COLORFUL WITH ALL THE SKI OUTFITS AGAINST THE WHITE SNOW

THIS SKIER FELL DOWN WITH TIREDNESS, AND HIS DOGS CRAWLED ON HIM WITH TAILS WAGGING

REFRESHING DRINK FOR THE SKIERS

SEVERAL YOUNG KIDS DID THE 10K, WHICH WAS NEAT TO SEE

AS THE SKIERS CAME IN, COW BELLS WERE RINGING LIKE THE OLYMPICS

PAUL HALONEN, BETTY AND RAY HALONEN

HOLA, THEY SAID....

KEN LARSON AND BRIAN HELLMINEN

HOWS THIS FOR AN OUTFIT...HAMBURGERS ON TOP AND CANDY ON THE PANTS

STEVE, COACH PARKS

ME, MARGIE AND VERNA, THE WATCHERS

TOMAS AND HIS BROTHERS, TONY AND AXEL

JOYCE, BRIAN, EVELYN AND LOREN WENT FISHING ONE MORNING.
EV GOT THE ONLY FISH....IT WAS SO HOT, BRIAN JUMPED IN THE OCEAN FOR A DUNK.  BUT THEY HAD FUN DESPITE THE HEAT.

PLAYING TWISTER...WHILE TOMAS READ THE INSTRUCTIONS IN ENGLISH!  JOYCE, LOURDES AND AXEL

HAROLD (MAN IN WHITE SHIRT) OFFERED HIS HOUSE OVERNIGHT, TWICE IN MANAGUA
WE APPRECIATED HIS HOSPITALITY

LEAVING HAROLD'S TO GO TO CHINANDEGA, WHERE TOMAS FAMILY LIVES
ALL BUT ONE JAMMED INTO THE VAN.....BUT WE DID IT!

LOURDES SHOWING ME HER "TABLET"..

LUCIANA AND HER HUSBAND...THEY WERE DARLENE'S HOSTS LAST YEAR

ALL THE LUGGAGE HAD TO BE ON THE ROOF, FASTENED DOWN WITH BUNGEE CHORDS....NO ROOM INSIDE WITH OUR GANG.

OUR MOTEL AND POOL IN CHINENDEGA....STAYED HERE LAST YEAR.

ALL GEARED UP TO GO ZIPLINING

BUS BRINGING US TO THE START OF ZIPLINING
TOMAS, LOREN, ANDREA AND BRIAN

MARGIE, JOYCE, ME  AND DARLENE

MARGIE TAKING OFF....THE ROUTE WAS TWO MILES LONG, WITH A FEW STATIONS IN BETWEEN, WHERE WE WOULD GET OFF AND START THE NEXT LEG.  WE HAD THICK LEATHER GLOVES ON TO HELP SLOW DOWN IF WE WERE GOING TOO FAST BEFORE THE NEXT STATION.  WE PULLED DOWN ON THE CABLE TO SLOW DOWN.  WE HEARD LOTS OF "YEEHAWING!" NO DANGER OF FALLING, AS WE WERE BUCKLED IN SECURELY.

TOMAS TAKING OFF, GUIDE GIVING HIM A PUSH....WE CHUCKLED AT THIS STATION.....IT WAS A HUGE TRACTOR TIRE WITH ROCKS IN THE MIDDLE.....DARLENE AND JOYCE HERE ALSO