We arrived safely in Alaska at Raymond and Teresita’s apartment. It finished out great! Somehow, they have created ambiance that is both comfortable and genteel. The snowshoes, bonker and photos of black bear show a touch of Alaska. The ice left their lake last week and the trees started to leaf out.

Teresita gave me the most wonderful meal for my birthday! I requested salmon so she fixed baked salmon as the entree. There was fresh asparagus and a medley of vegetables. Even the multigrain bread was homemade. Pictured is the wonderful chocolate cake that she made from scratch. (No one but my mother has made a cake from scratch for my birthday.)

Terry bought me that dozen roses and gave me the gold nugget and a pair of earrings from Jade City. Raymond and Teresita gave me a traveling bag and a live flowering plant.

Teresita is an avid gardener. She has planted flowers in window boxes and made a mini flower garden on her deck that overlooks the lake. Her vegetable garden is enclosed in railroad ties. If her cabbages grow as large as those in nearby Palmer, she won’t have room in her garden space for them.