Backwoods Home Magazine
Monday, July 30, 2007
Rivers Rats On The Tanana River
On The Way Home I had to stop and grab some Pictures of the Tanana River. The Tanana River is a Silt Bottom River and so it always is Muddy.
God Be with You
Jason
Butterflies on The Salcha River
Today We went south to the Salcha Rivers. It is about 30 minutes on the Richardson Highway. I have to say it was a beautiful day on a beautiful river with my River Rats. Also Grandpa Rivers made his appearance on the river as the Butterflies were everywhere.
God be with you
Jason
Thursday, July 26, 2007
A birthday wish
Well,It's a bit belated.( For some reason it thought it was tommorrow)But we wanted to wish Mhari a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! Hope it was fantastic. We love you!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
In all things, excellence has no competition -Randy Jones
John R. Jones John Randolph Jones, 64, joined his Father in heaven on July 10, 2007.
Randy was born in Myrtle Beach, S.C. while his father was in the Army during World War II. Randy lived an amazing life. He was raised in Longview, Wash., and began his restaurant career at age 14.
Upon leaving the Navy in 1965 as a cryptologist, he followed his dream in the Canadian Pacific Hotel chain learning culinary skills long before culinary schools were popular.
Randy later took a chef's position at Port Ludlow Resort in Washington where he met his future and adventurous wife, Colleen Coulter, of Irondale, Wash. Randy invited his girlfriend to Alaska and promptly proposed when she departed the plane in Juneau. They married in Auke Bay in 1976.
Yancey Derringer Restaurant in Juneau was his first restaurant in Alaska and became Alaska's standard in culinary cuisine. He also opened the Great Alaskan Sandwich Co. in Juneau. Mentoring young persons in the culinary skills was Randy's forte. During this time, they had two sons - Brian and Brad. He also owned Jones & Jones, Ltd., a fine china and crystal shop.
In 1985 Randy moved his family to Washington where he opened Pellagrino's Italian Restaurant in Sequim. This restaurant was later moved to Silverdale, Wash., and named CafÉ Milano. "In all things, excellence has no competition," was Randy's motto. When the restaurant closed, Randy became chief steward on some of the largest fish processors in the Bering Sea and at fish processing camps around Alaska.
Because he loved Alaska, the family moved to Fairbanks and in 1999 he opened 2 Geeks Computers.
Having one last dream, Randy created, designed and opened Harley's Diner Motorcycle Cafe in March 2007. Randy's dream for Harley's Diner will remain strong as a family business. His prized meatloaf will forever be remembered and eaten by all.
Randy's hobbies included cooking, riding motorcycles with his wife, Colleen, fishing and being host to his many friends. His storytelling is renowned as being the best in the business.
Truly his family and friends will miss him.
He was preceded in death by his father, Douglas Jones; and sister, Merrie Rieke.
He is survived by his wife, Colleen and sons, Brian and Bradford, as well as Sean from a previous marriage; grandchild, Riley; mother, Betty Jayne Jones of Tucson, Ariz.; brother and sister-in-law, Douglas and Linda Jones of Arizona; sisters and brothers-in-law, Candice and Robert Moe of Virginia and Suzie and Michael Curtis of Japan; and aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews in the Lower 48.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations may be made to a scholarship fund for UAF culinary art students in the name of Randy Jones at Alaska USA Federal Credit Union.
A celebration of life will be held at 4:30 p.m., Monday, July 16, at Friends Community Church, 1485 30th Ave.
Pastor Darryl Carnley of North Pole Worship Center will officiate. A reception will follow. Please bring written memories for the family to collect.
Condolences may be sent to Colleen Jones, 910 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99701.
Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home
Randy was born in Myrtle Beach, S.C. while his father was in the Army during World War II. Randy lived an amazing life. He was raised in Longview, Wash., and began his restaurant career at age 14.
Upon leaving the Navy in 1965 as a cryptologist, he followed his dream in the Canadian Pacific Hotel chain learning culinary skills long before culinary schools were popular.
Randy later took a chef's position at Port Ludlow Resort in Washington where he met his future and adventurous wife, Colleen Coulter, of Irondale, Wash. Randy invited his girlfriend to Alaska and promptly proposed when she departed the plane in Juneau. They married in Auke Bay in 1976.
Yancey Derringer Restaurant in Juneau was his first restaurant in Alaska and became Alaska's standard in culinary cuisine. He also opened the Great Alaskan Sandwich Co. in Juneau. Mentoring young persons in the culinary skills was Randy's forte. During this time, they had two sons - Brian and Brad. He also owned Jones & Jones, Ltd., a fine china and crystal shop.
In 1985 Randy moved his family to Washington where he opened Pellagrino's Italian Restaurant in Sequim. This restaurant was later moved to Silverdale, Wash., and named CafÉ Milano. "In all things, excellence has no competition," was Randy's motto. When the restaurant closed, Randy became chief steward on some of the largest fish processors in the Bering Sea and at fish processing camps around Alaska.
Because he loved Alaska, the family moved to Fairbanks and in 1999 he opened 2 Geeks Computers.
Having one last dream, Randy created, designed and opened Harley's Diner Motorcycle Cafe in March 2007. Randy's dream for Harley's Diner will remain strong as a family business. His prized meatloaf will forever be remembered and eaten by all.
Randy's hobbies included cooking, riding motorcycles with his wife, Colleen, fishing and being host to his many friends. His storytelling is renowned as being the best in the business.
Truly his family and friends will miss him.
He was preceded in death by his father, Douglas Jones; and sister, Merrie Rieke.
He is survived by his wife, Colleen and sons, Brian and Bradford, as well as Sean from a previous marriage; grandchild, Riley; mother, Betty Jayne Jones of Tucson, Ariz.; brother and sister-in-law, Douglas and Linda Jones of Arizona; sisters and brothers-in-law, Candice and Robert Moe of Virginia and Suzie and Michael Curtis of Japan; and aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews in the Lower 48.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations may be made to a scholarship fund for UAF culinary art students in the name of Randy Jones at Alaska USA Federal Credit Union.
A celebration of life will be held at 4:30 p.m., Monday, July 16, at Friends Community Church, 1485 30th Ave.
Pastor Darryl Carnley of North Pole Worship Center will officiate. A reception will follow. Please bring written memories for the family to collect.
Condolences may be sent to Colleen Jones, 910 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99701.
Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home
Thursday, July 12, 2007
We miss you Randy
This was published in the newspaper this morning. If only the internet version had the pictures that went with it.
Crash claims life of Randy Jones, popular N. Pole businessman
By Eric Lidji
elidji@newsminer.com
Published July 12, 2007
Randy Jones — devoted family man, expertly trained chef, man of the people and avid motorcycle enthusiast — died Tuesday night after a motorcycle accident at the intersection of University Avenue and the Johansen Expressway.
He was 64.
Jones became known around the Interior for two successful business ventures. In January 2000, he founded the Fairbanks computer store Two Geeks, now known as Geek City Electronics, and this spring he opened the distinctive Harley’s Diner MC in North Pole.
Jones died after a collision with his wife, Colleen, who had been riding on a motorcycle along side him. Colleen Jones is receiving treatment at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
The two were returning from dinner with friends.
Food and friends both played an important role in Jones’ life, his youngest son, Brad, said.
“He loved cooking anything and everything, as long as there were people to eat it,” Brad Jones said.
Born in Virginia and raised in Washington state, Randy Jones traveled around the country in his youth by nature of his military upbringing. He began a cooking career at 14, and over the following four decades became one of the last of a breed of students to complete a vigorous training and apprenticeship program that had him working under head chefs at four and five star hotels.
Randy came to Alaska in the 1970s to begin restaurant consulting work in Juneau and eventually opened Yancey Derringer’s, a popular restaurant along the wharf.
Randy and Colleen Jones married in December 1976 and had two boys, Brian, 28, and Brad, 25. The Joneses left the state in the mid-1980s, but returned to Alaska a decade later when Jones continued his restaurant consulting career in the Denali area.
Doctor’s orders to stay off his feet and a personal fascination with computers lead Jones in 2000 to start Two Geeks, named in anticipation of running the shop with Brad, who graduated from high school that year. Randy took classes at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to learn more about the computer world and envisioned the store as a locally owned business with a huge retail capacity.
“He wanted to show people that a computer store could be more than a little hole in the wall. That it could be a big venture,” Brad Jones said. “He always thought big.”
Jones grew up in a church family, but returned to the faith more fervently in adulthood, according to Darryl Carnley, pastor of the North Pole Worship Center where Jones attended services.
Jones would often call Carnley during the week to contemplate or discuss elements of the weekly sermon. Jones saw church as another avenue toward building community, Carnley said.
“Community to him meant that no matter what stage of life you’re in … you felt you were needed,” Carnley said. “Everyone had equal access.”
That attitude is what fueled Jones’ love of motorcycles, according to Thomas McGhee, who owns Cherokee Riders and taught Jones how to ride.
“Motorcycling is an uncommon world of camaraderie. Motorcycling brings people together on the street, in the world,” McGhee said. “That’s what Randy stood for; he stood for that brotherhood.”
Jones helped Enola Bowers and her husband, Robert, start the local chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, the Arctic Servants No. 886, and frequently went on rides around the state wearing a black leather vest with a yellow cross patched over his heart.
“Randy was a lot of different personalities rolled into one big ball of human vitality,” Enola Bowers said. “He was the most successful entrepreneurial businessperson I ever met, and he was the brother who would give you the shirt off of his back.”
The Bowers spent part of the day on Wednesday designing a special patch to help fellow riders memorialize Jones.
Jones’ various passions united this spring with the opening of Harley’s Diner MC along the Richardson Highway.
The restaurant combines his love of food, friends and motorcycles, and showcases Jones’ meticulous attention to detail.
In addition to the shiny chrome exterior and checkered black and white floors, Jones spent six months combing through catalogues to find all of the accouterments that decorate the walls inside. Over the months spent planning the restaurant and its menu, Jones invited friends over for dinner parties where he presented test batches of meat loaf, beans and biscuits.
Jones’ friends and family said that in the few months the diner has been open, Jones could always be found sitting with customers, talking with friends and even inviting his competition over for a meal.
Crash claims life of Randy Jones, popular N. Pole businessman
By Eric Lidji
elidji@newsminer.com
Published July 12, 2007
Randy Jones — devoted family man, expertly trained chef, man of the people and avid motorcycle enthusiast — died Tuesday night after a motorcycle accident at the intersection of University Avenue and the Johansen Expressway.
He was 64.
Jones became known around the Interior for two successful business ventures. In January 2000, he founded the Fairbanks computer store Two Geeks, now known as Geek City Electronics, and this spring he opened the distinctive Harley’s Diner MC in North Pole.
Jones died after a collision with his wife, Colleen, who had been riding on a motorcycle along side him. Colleen Jones is receiving treatment at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
The two were returning from dinner with friends.
Food and friends both played an important role in Jones’ life, his youngest son, Brad, said.
“He loved cooking anything and everything, as long as there were people to eat it,” Brad Jones said.
Born in Virginia and raised in Washington state, Randy Jones traveled around the country in his youth by nature of his military upbringing. He began a cooking career at 14, and over the following four decades became one of the last of a breed of students to complete a vigorous training and apprenticeship program that had him working under head chefs at four and five star hotels.
Randy came to Alaska in the 1970s to begin restaurant consulting work in Juneau and eventually opened Yancey Derringer’s, a popular restaurant along the wharf.
Randy and Colleen Jones married in December 1976 and had two boys, Brian, 28, and Brad, 25. The Joneses left the state in the mid-1980s, but returned to Alaska a decade later when Jones continued his restaurant consulting career in the Denali area.
Doctor’s orders to stay off his feet and a personal fascination with computers lead Jones in 2000 to start Two Geeks, named in anticipation of running the shop with Brad, who graduated from high school that year. Randy took classes at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to learn more about the computer world and envisioned the store as a locally owned business with a huge retail capacity.
“He wanted to show people that a computer store could be more than a little hole in the wall. That it could be a big venture,” Brad Jones said. “He always thought big.”
Jones grew up in a church family, but returned to the faith more fervently in adulthood, according to Darryl Carnley, pastor of the North Pole Worship Center where Jones attended services.
Jones would often call Carnley during the week to contemplate or discuss elements of the weekly sermon. Jones saw church as another avenue toward building community, Carnley said.
“Community to him meant that no matter what stage of life you’re in … you felt you were needed,” Carnley said. “Everyone had equal access.”
That attitude is what fueled Jones’ love of motorcycles, according to Thomas McGhee, who owns Cherokee Riders and taught Jones how to ride.
“Motorcycling is an uncommon world of camaraderie. Motorcycling brings people together on the street, in the world,” McGhee said. “That’s what Randy stood for; he stood for that brotherhood.”
Jones helped Enola Bowers and her husband, Robert, start the local chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, the Arctic Servants No. 886, and frequently went on rides around the state wearing a black leather vest with a yellow cross patched over his heart.
“Randy was a lot of different personalities rolled into one big ball of human vitality,” Enola Bowers said. “He was the most successful entrepreneurial businessperson I ever met, and he was the brother who would give you the shirt off of his back.”
The Bowers spent part of the day on Wednesday designing a special patch to help fellow riders memorialize Jones.
Jones’ various passions united this spring with the opening of Harley’s Diner MC along the Richardson Highway.
The restaurant combines his love of food, friends and motorcycles, and showcases Jones’ meticulous attention to detail.
In addition to the shiny chrome exterior and checkered black and white floors, Jones spent six months combing through catalogues to find all of the accouterments that decorate the walls inside. Over the months spent planning the restaurant and its menu, Jones invited friends over for dinner parties where he presented test batches of meat loaf, beans and biscuits.
Jones’ friends and family said that in the few months the diner has been open, Jones could always be found sitting with customers, talking with friends and even inviting his competition over for a meal.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
In Memorium For Randy
Tonight Jess Called Me From work to tell me that our owner Randy Jones was in a Fatal Motorcycle Accident. I did not know Randy For long, But in that time he was a mentor and Most of all a friend. Sean The chef said that the diner will continue on. It is a Memorial to Randy's Legacy. My words cannot express the greif I feel. For when a connection is made with a person well. You Just Know.
Jason
Jason
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