JULY 2022

July 31, 2022 

Holy moly what a marvelous week!!!  Unbelievably memorable.

1) Cam & Kim were HERE!!!  And took the nice weather with them when they flew home the 30th.
2) We fished out of Seward and on the Kinuk River (watched a black bear on the bank for 2 minutes).
3) Fed a moose at the Reindeer Farm.
4) Glaciers!!!  Drove 4x4’s four hours to glaciers, walked on Matanuska Glacier, took a Glacier Cruise out of Whittier into Prince William Sound for glacier calving. 
5) Flew over Denali!!!
6) Kayaked on Falks Lake…but I call it Brian’s Lake.
7) Compared before and after photos at the Anchorage Temple.
(FYI we found church mtgs today…the first since June 19th)
8) Ziplined.
9) Began our drive north to Prudhoe Bay…stopping in Fairbanks.
10) Our campground is right next to the Tanana Valley State Fair!

This is my 4th trip to Alaska, Lane’s 6th.  But these are some firsts:
~ Driving to Alaska
~ camping without the need of flashlights
~ duct taping our grill and bumper back onto our car
~ adding 6 additional pieces of duct tape Saturday
~ eating a progressive dinner of carnival foods
(Garlic butter artichoke, cob of corn, BBQ turkey leg, huckleberry ice cream dipped in chocolate and rolled in toffee almonds.)

This week:
5th - Slater will be eleven!
5th - Charlie is turning two!
6th - Savannah is celebrating her 4th birthday!

Write when you can.  We miss you all!  It was fabulous to see photos from the wedding of Mer & Mike.  We were able to share our own form of geo-caching with them in Skagway.

We love you forever!
Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)

July 24, 2022 

Still here.  In Alaska.  

1)  Last week we took the ferry from Skagway to Haines.
2)  We camped 2 nights near the port of Haines waiting to fish.
3)  Both days our fishing charters were cancelled for weather delays.
4)  We explored “Dalton City”, the movie set for White Fang (1991).
5)  We survived our worst night of camping - WIND is a four-letter word &$!#%
6)  We hightailed it to Anchorage to meet Cam & Kim at the airport.
7)  Along the way we spotted the Alaskan Pipeline. 
8)  We are staying with Brian Hansen’s parents in Palmer, AK 
9)  They are Mark & Dixie…and just as impressive as Brian.
10)  The four of us headed to The Alaska Zoo before driving to Seward…
…to be continued…

Items of note:
Today was Pioneer Day AND Luke’s birthday.
25th ~ Maggie becomes a teenager!
26th ~ Mer & Mike wed in a simply beautiful and beautifully simple ceremony.  SO SORRY to miss this!!!
27th ~ Our 73-day trip is 1/2 way complete.
30th ~ Cam & Kim fly home to Albany and we start our drive North towards the Dalton Highway.
31st ~ Chloe celebrates turning ‘double digits!

We love you forever!
Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)

July 17, 2022

Our 10-week Alaska trip continues with border crossings into BC & Yukon Territory, Canada and Skagway, AK.  Tips: be patient and get the ArriveCAN app!

1) we planned 8 days for our slow drive to Skagway, AK but completed in 6

2) the BC scenery was stunning

3) campgrounds were plentiful 

4) Four bear sightings along the highway

(Photo is from a book)

5) one unfortunate black bear smashed into our car

6) it’s miraculous that our car stayed on the road and is drivable

7) first time in Yukon Territory!!! (First Nation artwork, Klondike, suspension bridge)

8) we’ve camped 8 out of 9 nights since leaving WA - in mosquito swarms🦟, in bear country🐻, in rain🌧, in tremendous wind 💨

9) yet we are having a blast!

10)  took the ferry from Skagway to Haines. Fishing trip cancelled today😩

Family events:

July 18 - Jerel marks his 52 year here

July 21 - Jerry tries hard not to celebrate being 41

July 23 - Taggart turns into a favorable 14 yo
July 24 - Luke will be one year shy of driving!

Please send us texts, emails or Marco’s. We’ll check whenever we have WiFi.  Keep us updated. 

We love you forever!

Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)

 July 10, 2022

The 4th of July🇺🇸!  A great day to remember where I was born and raised, why I love being an American and what happened to create this country* (continued below signature line)

(Pics in random order)

1) mini-golf tournament with the Adams family

2) a patriotic picnic combined Eugene Adams and Albany Howells

3) Kaelyn & I tackled a tough puzzle…with help.

4) Brennan’s current favorite instrument is the piano and he’s terrific!

5) sidewalk view of fireworks 💥 (Albany)

6) nothing sweeter than fresh shell peas

(Grown by Kim & Cam)

7) San Juan Island camping with Hansens

8) hiking, picnics, paddle boarding, hobo pies, sand creations, ferries. 

9) I learned I fear😱caterpillars. And I don’t taking caterpillar 🐛 teasing well🤬. 

10)  painting rocks, Saran-wrap unwrapping, talent night and SING 2. 

Gosh, that week flew by. We hugged and waved and drove north to Alaska. But first, Canada 🇨🇦 (British Colombia and Yukon Territory).  More about that next week.  

Family happenings:

July 4th - we saw evidence of a wonderful Howell BBQ gathering!

July 12th - Greg is 1/2 century!!!! 

July - Bullock’s complete an Alaskan Cruise

July 9th to 16th - We drive from Lake Stevens, WA to Skagway, AK

July 16th - Britni undergoes an emergency appendectomy 

July - the Gerbers prepare to move to Montana

July - Mer & Mike’s house nears completion. 

Please include us in your happenings. You make our world go round.  We are cheering for your success! And…

We love you forever!

Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)

* continued commentary from above…

Several hundred years ago people broke free from a developed nation and started over as frontiersmen in a new and primitive land. One of the most radical, courageous, far-fetched startups EVER in the history of startups. Setbacks. Sure. Blunders. Certainly. Catastrophes. You bet. But the idea of freedom from an overreaching monarchy had taken root. These pilgrims, pioneers, patriots, protagonists did not quit. Outnumbered, outgunned, uncertainty.  It took guts, grit, blood, and perseverance to gain the freedom we still have today. Am I grateful for it? Do I deserve it? 

Their victory in 1776 meant implementing these radical ideas. People had to rethink everything they had known. Change was constant. It took grit to push through with plans to govern a new continent. Some advancements took decades, some centuries. Still we are developing. 

I appreciate what Caden shared in his letter last week about this great country.  God’s hand was evident. 

"And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose" 

So, Monday I sat amongst family, garnishing my brat, piling my plate high with baked beans, salad, a cob of corn, munching on melons and sipping soda - all the while just grateful to be me, living here, amazed.  I’d say I successfully captured Freedom on a plate that day 🇺🇸🌭🥗🌽🍉💥❤️

 July 3, 2022

These are the best of times…if I just stay off social media. And away from the news. Head in the sand.  Honestly, the best of times are ALWAYS with our outstanding family!!!

(Photos are scrambled)
1) we left Craters of the Moon after climbing this steep slope up the “Inferno Cone”.  ❤️‍🔥Hot stuff!
2)  over hill and dale we made our way to McCall, ID to hug Reta, Lane’s sister, and play the horses 🐎 (it’s a card game the senior ladies play😉).
3)  traversing the Columbia River gorge we parked in Albany for a few days finding good things to eat with Kim & Cam…and ELVIS 🎥 🍿😎. Thx for the shell peas!!!
4)  proceeding south a bit we hovered around Eugene until the 4th,
5) our days with Jerry’s family were filled with
6) unwrapping a ball of Saran Wrap
7) hiking 
8) touring the Natural History Museum (where Erin now is employed)
9) Kaelyn beat us in the long jump
(so did Jerry but he refused the medal🏅)
10) and fresh🍓🍋-aide & amazing meals

Happening soon:
4th ~ 🇺🇸We love AMERICA!!!❤️🤍💙
5th ~ road trippin’ continues as we drive to Anecortes, WA and join the Hansens for 2 nights of camping in the beautiful San Juan Islands, specifically Lopez. 
10th ~ this day (maybe) we begin our drive to Alaska, full speed ahead…at 250 miles per day😆

Good people are everywhere…if you can’t find one, be one!

We love you forever!
Momma C & Dad Lane (G&G Howell)