Ummm is that a Reindeer on a leash????

So today was a pretty exciting day, we decided to head out and run a few errands. After hitting a few spots we decided to go walk in a park downtown for some exercise. Little did we know what we would come across. As we walked something caught our eye, and it was a little bigger than a dog.

Yes, that is a reindeer, and yes it is on a leash! Only in downtown Anchorage, Alaska!

Just out for a nice Sunday walk.... a man and his Reindeer.

This is Star, the most famous reindeer in Alaska. She lives downtown with her family after being orphaned when she was a baby. She loves people more than other deer and loves to walk the park. She lost her antlers a few weeks ago, but still got some pretty strange looks. She has a lot of appearances during the year and is def a Star!

This is where Star lives and this is the downtown view she has, pretty lucky Reindeer!

Ive had some great time off, trying to get outside as much as possible. Usually going to the gym and then for a walk afterwards or going for long walks on the local trials. I decided to take my lunch outside on Thursday and also take a few pictures to show the huge melt going on. On the previous blog I showed some snowy pictures, these are the same pictures taken about 1 1/2 weeks later.

My view for lunch :)

The same tree, with a lot less snow! Spring is officially here!

The lake starting to melt, and an amazing view!

The birds are everywhere, taking advantage of the melting ice!

Loving the clear path and trials, still some ice and snow in a few areas.

We had a great weekend, laid pretty low. Went to a friends for a cook-out and then also went to a movie with the girls. Some gym time and lots of time outside, still have a few days off work to take advantage of the weather. Decided to make a pasta salad from Pintrest (of course) for the cook-out. It was AMAZING and I could eat it all day long. Decided to put the recipe up because good food should be shared!

Greek Pasta Salad

1 1/2 tablespoons salt
12 ounces bite-size pasta, your choice
2 cups medium diced seedless cucumber, lightly sprinkled with salt
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, lightly sprinkled with salt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Ground black pepper
Bring 3 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add salt and pasta to the boiling water. Using back-of-the-box times as a guide, cook pasta until just tender. Drain pasta (do not rinse), pour into a shallow baking pan, and cool to room temperature.
When ready to serve, place pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, olives, onion, and oregano in a large bowl, Add oil; toss to coat. Add vinegar and pepper to taste; toss to coat. Adjust seasonings and serve. Mix before and let stand in the fridge ... EVEN BETTER! Yummmmm