36.0°

Planting seeds is both practical and satisfying but the real fun comes from trying something new. The staggering selection of seed varieties available today can be overwhelming as we peruse the gardening catalogs but at least a wide range of interesting choices are available. Most of my gardening space is taken up with favorite vegetables, herbs, and the usual marigolds, nasturtiums and zinnias I like to scatter throughout but there are always a few new items I haven't tried before.

I wonder sometimes if am I unique in my expectations that when dinner is on the table, my family will be ready to dine. I don’t think so, yet I can’t help but wonder.

Japanese bombs fell on the Aleutian Islands during World War II, a historical fact most people know. One of the little known events was the balloon bomb attacks on other parts of Alaska and the Pacific Coast.

Between 60 and 70 percent of Alaska's seafood is exported to customers around the globe, and the strength of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar plays a big role in annual sales. Tracking by the Juneau-based McDowell Group for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute shows mid-year ups and downs for Alaska's biggest seafood buyers.

I've recently acquired nicknames such as "Tortuga" (Spanish for tortoise) and "Abuelo" (Spanish for grandfather). My younger cycling companions have given me these names, either because of my patient and careful demeanor, or due to my whacked-out perception of time and duration. I generally prefer the former.