Windy's Family

Welcome to my family page....see what we have been up to for the last 30 years...

Mike and I 1968

This was taken about 2 weeks after we married...We met in June of 1968 about 2 days after I arrived from Okinawa.  Mike was a frequent visitor at an old friends house and she introduced us....Thank you again.......April...................grin.

Us shortly before we met

 To make a short story into a fairy tale..LOL...we went out the next night to a drive-inn theater,  I had worked all day outside doing yard work for my new employer and I fell asleep about 20 minutes into the first movie.  Mike woke me up to take me home after "Georgie Girl " was over and  I figured I would never see him again.   LOL.....I am a hot date huh......grin.  We had exchanged addresses and I left town the next morning for my employers ranch.
 
 

Ten-Mar Sheep Ranch is about 250 miles from Anchorage, near Soldotna, Alaska.  Mike and I exchanged a few letters.  He was and is such a sweetie,  surprised the heck outa me when I got the first one.......after the first date I didnt figure there  would ever be a second one.   I must snore really pretty cause he said he wanted to see me again.....grin.

One day while I was working in the cook-house I heard a car come down the road, I looked up and about fainted......there he was out of the blue.   He and his roommate had driven 250 miles and searched half of the Kenai Penninsula to find me.  The ranch is not easy to find and the poor boys had just about given up when they finally found the right road.  I couldn't believe it.   All that way just to see me!!  The short version is that we went out driving around that night after work.  I arranged to get the next day off  and we went to Anchor Point.

On the way back he kept asking me to marry him and I finally told him that if he was really sure that I would marry him...........I sometimes think both of us were nuts....but 30 years later I guess nuts is good........grin. We were married on 26 Sept 1968, there are no wedding pictures cause no one had money enough for film.  We got the rings on layaway, his was $9.00 and mine was $7.00 .....LOL...and my little bouquet of flowers was $5.00 and we got that on credit.  We paid the preacher on the following payday.....grin...What a way to start out.

                                           The next 30 years in Pictures.........LOL...hope you enjoy it.

      Start with 1 husky and then get another and pretty soon........well.  The old saying goes "one dog is great, two are faster and ............"

They all raced and I handled for all of them and made harnesses and generally did the gopher work...Mike, was President of the Alaska Dog Mushers Association.  He was  Race Marshall for the North American Championship Race held on the streets of Fairbanks for several years.  Both kids competed in the Jr. North American Races for several years.  Mike also raced in the freight races where you had to carry 50# in your sled for every dog in your team........All in all it was a lot of fun.........grin.

 REACT : Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Team.....For several years we served with the Midnight Sun React.  Both as officers and members.  This team of volunteers worked as search and rescue, patroled the highways in severe weather aiding stranded motorists, searched for missing children, overdue hunters and monitored and answered emergency channel 9.  We worked closely with the Alaska State Troopers and other search and rescue agencies.  We would respond to highway accidents whatever the weather or time of day or night.

                                                        Salcha 4H

Mike and I spent several years with the local kids raising livestock which they took to the fair each year.   They raised market livestock.  Sheep, cattle, and pigs.  For a week each year we set up a camper and lived at the fairgrounds......what fun.............grin.

We took the harness shop items to the local fair every year too.  Harnesses, collars, wood carriers, and the like....real down home country fair time...............and a good time was had by all.