Summer is virtually over and those of us with school age children cannot believe that it's gone and the school year has begun. I trust that all of you have enjoyed a wonderful summer.

For me, the year starts to speed up after Labor Day. Before you know it, it will be December 24th and I will still have a to-do list the length of Central Expressway! But for this week in August I'm still enjoying our family summer vacation and as usual I have dragged everybody half way around the world on a new discovery - this time - Alaska!

Picking Alaska for my next exploration was easy - I was able to find super cheap airline tickets way back in the spring and the idea of wearing thick sweaters and coats in August was VERY appealing!

Alaska has definitely always been for me the land of whales, bald eagles and glaciers. And tremendous seafood! My love affair with wild Alaskan king salmon & halibut cheeks is a love match made in heaven. The sheer majesty of this land has left me humbled and exceeded all expectations I might have had.