Uncle Ian & Aunty Claire, thank you for the pressies. The poncho is brilliant and will be just the right size when it gets colder here. Also very trendy! Mom thinks it's very funny they're back in fashion as there are pictures of her wearing one when she was a toddler! My virus has almost gone and I'm not so spotty now, phew. There's a long email waiting for you with the rest of the Hene news and some recent photos. love Cara x

please read your personal email as soon as you can

sarah

Hi
Last message from Alaska, we fly out tonight via LA to Honolulu for 3 days of sun worshipping and a holiday before the hard task of travelling round Fiji for a month.
We're in LA for 12 hours so if we venture out and find a photo place and internet cafe we may update our site and write our journal.
Great news about Martin, Sarah send them our congrats!
Love to little Hene
Take care
Claire & Ian
x

Wow, sounds like a wildlife heavon out there. So.. glad you are back safe and we didn't have to call out the rescue services for you. I'm off to London tomorrow to see your adorable little niece (uncle Ian and Claire) and Tina of course! No plans yet for London as it is p...ing down today and it will probably carry on all week. I wish we were back in the south of France with some proper summer weather. take care, mom xxx

Hello
We've just got back from the wilderness, wow! our own few hundred acres of grizzly country
11 bears, 4 caribou, 3 golden eagles, a wolf and lots of mountain sheep
This place shuts in 2 mins so got to go
Thanks for messages
sis(westby), in anchorage tomorrow so trying to buy a phone card, think they'll have one there.
Take care
Claire & Ian
xxxx

sounds great. Animals sound lovely. Just come back from seeing doug and jane and sue. Was lovely, quite emotional as you can imagine. Bit mad seeing annie 12 years old and really tall ! You will love going to see doug and jane they are as fit as eveR and are putting plans togetjher for you. I have deceide to buy uncjohn a cat for xmas i think he secretly wants one.

Im okay. Tired tired and worn out. Too hot and muggy to do much. Everyone is okay, no major gossip or news, oh there is but im not syure whether it is a secret so I will whisper ( martin has got engaged). Also Dave's cat which he thought was a boy has given birth to 4 tiny kittens, ahhh. He is a proud grandfather. Steve is now using the bike although he is concerned about his street cred as it is pinky purple. Him and paul go cycling and falling down banks at graves park.

Sheffield is okayu. there has been a bus strike for 3 weeks which is very irritating. They are doinga summer thing in towen with a fake beach and donkey rides which sounds good fun.

Mum and dad are coming over at end of august so will have tyo appoint them lots of tasks. Anyway better go as this is now a novel rather than a message. lots of love sns and gerri.

Sounds brilliant! Max wants to drive an RV truck! Jen wants to see a moose and a big fierce bear. We've had a fabulous time with Doug and Jane and Sue. they wouldn't stop working, Jane grated the horseradish from the garden and Doug NB at 80 years old ! mowed all the lawns, front and back non-stop, in 27 degrees! they are now zooming in Eurostar towards London and they are all looking forward to seeing you two. Max is going to send you some photos.

Hello you two. Every time I have asked for your mail address I have had no luck. I have been up at Sarah's eating solidly for the last 4 hours and she was telling me about your message board...so now I know how to contact you. We left Woody down stairs watching CSI and we think it is pants. You are not missing too much here. It has been warm and muggy for days and today it poured with rain!!! Never mind. Just seem to be working and not fitting in much play time sadly. We are off to USA on 2nd sept for 2 weeks which should be great and will be very skint when we get back. No chance of looking for a house this year..ohh well. So there you go. Off to london at the weekend for my nephews 3rd b day party which will be fun no doubt. L O L to both of you and put me on your mail list so I can play too. Take care, Harry xxxx

Howdy folks!

This place is crazy, we're in a little cyber cafe RV truck stop thing
Been doing the wilderness thing properly, camping in bear country, unfortunately(sort of-black bears are a bit aggressive) not seen any yet but we saw a moose and watched huge salmon jumping up the river and loads of chipmunks. This place is beautiful, everywhere you look its a picture postcard, we saw a fabulous glacier. We've been moving around to different campsites and trails, rigging up elaborate tarpaulins because of the thankfully now less frequent rain. Its glorious now.

The RV's are hilarious, 35foot with their pick-up trucks being towed behind!

The mosquitos are HUGE!!

Off to try and rent a canoe, then we're heading up to Denali for a week, the weather is now lovely.

Sorry no phonecall Sarah, its a bit backward, no idea how to try and find a phonecard but will endeavor xx

Take care everyone, thanks for the emails

ps WestbyMum, dont worry about ians diving card, cheers for fred.

Have fun on the open road - it all looks amazing so far. Sorry haven't been in touch for a while, nothing exciting to report! Hope you've both recovered from knee probs, our little adventure up the country has been cancelled - for good this time - Jim has got his knee prob back, its basically aggravated by cycling! He's gutted but we'll come up with a good way to spend 2 weeks off work in August I'm sure. Lounge is done virtually, sooo much better. Know anyone who wants 10 pink frilly light shades???? Really impressed with your adventures and the reports, they must take hours! Take care, love C & J

It's so funny to see you with Mark and it all sounds great. Carol and Dave send their best wishes and say why not drop in to Italy! have a brilliant drive and see loadsa moose and stuff
Luv Westbymumandad

With the best of intentions we've succumbed to hiring a car....... for a week or two to go south, if you dont hear from us for a while it may be because the idea of internet cafes is new to Anchorage let alone the backcountry.

We are heading to the Kenai peninsular for some hiking and camping and hopefully to see some bears(we've been told what to do just in case) moose and glaciers. Apparently you just have to walk off the trail and you can pitch a tent. After that we may go straight up North to denali national Park for a week before setting off for honolulu.

See y'all