Alaska Life

Kachemak Bay

2007-04-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

This was taken with one of those fancy cameras and then the pictures were stitched together. It is from the overlook of Kachemak Bay.

Ditches Revealed

2007-04-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Our snow is melting fast, and telling stories of the winter as it reveals things not seen in many months. This is the ditch in front of a house where a couple of boys live. You can see the progression of their sports through the seasons. A baseball bat and soccer ball lie next to a sled and other toys.

Soccer in the Sand

2007-04-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

How many places can you go and see soccer practice on the beach in a setting like this?

Camera Competition

2007-04-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

Let the camera competition begin! I was told by Grandpa that he now has a better camera than the one his wife has (see yesterday's post). Here's the proof.

The Camera Grows

2007-04-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Remember this? Well, Grandma and her huge camera lens made it on the front page of a newspaper with this photo. I noticed that her camera lens had grown.

Forward-Leaning Snowman

2007-04-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

This is what we found standing on the platform out in the middle of Mud Bay. I believe Rumsfeld would call this a forward-leaning snowman.

Mystery Island

2007-04-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Mud Bay. You can see the huge ice chunks that are still hanging around. Way out there in the middle of the tide zone is a platform and we noticed that there was something red and white on it. Can you see it in this photo? We couldn't figure out what it was so one of us, not me, walked out on the ice to find out. I'll show you tomorrow. Years ago someone had stationed a recliner and a TV out there. It is a humorous spot.

Seafarer's Memorial

2007-04-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

After abandoning our parking spot in the eagle feeding area we decided to park at the Seafarer's Memorial. It is a beautiful memorial to all those who have died at sea from this area. Their names are inscirbed on plaques with dates and sometimes a picture.

Marathon Season Is Here

2007-04-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have begun training for my 11th marathon, which takes place in June. This was my first outdoor run, and it was snot-bubble cold. I started my run at the Spit, which is about 4 miles long. At first I was going to park here, but you can see by the sign that they don't want the eagles disturbed. So I drove past all the people who were walking amongst the eagles and parked up the road a little bit. The eagles didn't seem to mind one way or another.

Who's Thrown a Snowball?

2007-03-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

This is a graph showing that 100% of the students in the K-2 class at my school have thrown a snowball. A class of 2nd graders who call each day for our weather did their own snowball graph, which you can see in the photo. Their poll had a different result. Notice the creative snowman on the right. If we aren't building them outdoors, we are building them inside.

Birth of a Log House

2007-03-31T00:06:00.000-07:00

John has started on a new log building. As someone who can't finish knitting a sweater, I can't imagine finishing a project like this - especially when I think of how much work is in one log. It takes him 1 1/2 to 2 days of hard work for each log.

Snake Note

2007-03-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this note that came with the snake. I didn't open the container, but I did lift it to feel how heavy it was and thus determine how big of a snake was in there. It was VERY heavy, which concerned me. I was happy to learn that the weight was mostly a warming rock. It turned out that the snake was a ball python and was really cute.

Snakes in Offices

2007-03-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at work today I saw this lunch cooler sitting behind my chair. A teacher brought it in and wanted to store it there until she was ready to show it to her class. It was distracting at first as I was concerned that the snake could push the lid off and slither out. But I was brave got lots of work done.

Winter STILL

2007-03-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Even though everything is really pretty and the snow looks so silky-smooth here - It is still really cold. And even though it is officially spring, it isn't anything like spring yet. It was 12 F this morning. We have a ways to go still.

The View

2007-03-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo we took of the owl that the birder was photographing. It allowed us to get quite close.

Birding in Alaska

2007-03-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Birding in Alaska is a big deal. People even come here in below-zero temperatures to see all the eagles congregating on the Spit. This photographer came from far away to find an owl right in our driveway and survived -15F to take the photos.

Granola Snowman

2007-03-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

When I went to pick up one of my kids the other day, I found this snowman at the end of the street. The kids had taken some clods of snow and stacked them to make a snowman, no artifical ingredients. He was about 2 feet high.

Cold Day for a Turkey Shoot

2007-03-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

One of the competitions at the Snow Rondi was the turkey shoot. Second and third places got lesser birds. The prizes sat on the table all afternoon, and even though it was sunny, it was plenty cold to keep them frozen for the duration.

High Ski

2007-03-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

During Snow Rondi, when we were freezing in the wind chill, we saw this flying contraption overhead with skis attached. Everyone was more impressed that the flyer could survive the cold than with the actual machine itself.

Parade End

2007-03-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

There goes the parade! To the right, beyond that snow bank, is where I found out that cars cannot drive on snow machine trails. My car sank in pretty deep. I was asked this question: When you do something stupid like that, why do it when the entire town is going by for a parade?

Trailer Up

2007-03-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

First we had the four-wheelers, next came the trailer with the snow machines on board. The Snomads is an organization that provides lots of outdoor fun on snow machines for all ages.

The Next Float in the Parade

2007-02-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Following the four-wheeler with tracks was a four-wheeler with streamers and a Dell box on the front. I wouldn't trade our little parades for any big time parades somewhere else.

Float One

2007-02-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

Even though this isn't a float, this was an important part of the parade: a four-wheeler with tracks on it. Is a parade complete that doesn't have one of these?

The Parade Crowd

2007-02-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite events of the year is the Anchor Point Snow Rondi. It is a weekend of many competitions from a pool tournament to snowshoe softball, a dog show and skiing. The weekend was extremely cold and windy. On the morning of the parade it was about zero out with a stiff wind. We had to all stay in our cars until right before the parade came by, but it was a great parade! This is a picture of the crowd waiting for the floats to march by.

Update and Updos

2007-02-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

The photos have been slow this week due to scheduling and a lack of events. To tide you over until I get my act together, I have this photo of three types of updos for anyone who may have been wondering what one is. Click here to see more examples of updos and to find out more about the new governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin.

Hazardous Effects of the Sun

2007-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

160 skiers all in a row...

2007-02-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

This is the scene at the start line of a cross country ski meet. It takes many volunteers to put the whole thing together, including someone to groom and mark the trail, timers, herders, etc. Skiers left the gate in 15 second intervals. And unlike other sports where every nuance of the competition is met with gasps and applause from the spectators, skiers are only cheered the first 30 seconds of their 10 K, and then for the last minute and then they are done. No one is there to encourage them when they crash on a hill or to warn them when they are about to be passed by someone. They are tough competitors.

Where the Ducks Are

2007-02-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

This is the head of Kachemak Bay, where we go duck hunting in the fall. We wait for a good high tide and float in where you see the mud flats at the end of the Bay. Then we are trapped until the next high tide. It is great duck hunting and a beautiful area.

Coal Store

2007-02-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

This area has large chunks of coal that wash up on the beach providing free fuel for homes. After big storms people will drive their trucks down the beaches and throw the coal in the back. This photo is the coal storage bin for the house with the enormous wood stove that the cat likes to sleep under. This coal pile is waist-high and is the area of a twin bed.

She Hates Sopranos

2007-02-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

A local piano/voice teacher has a house that is heated with only a wood stove. She keeps that stove cranked really hot in order to keep the two stories warm. That's why I was so surprised to see her cat snuggled down under the stove with a raging fire inside. She explained that the cat was able to stand it due to the ash drawer under the stove. Sometimes the cat got a little singed, but not too often. According to the voice instructor, the only thing that will drive the cat to flee the warmth of the fire is when a soprano student warms up. The cat hates sopranos.

Nikolaevsk in the Winter

2007-02-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

This is the Russian Old Believer village that I work in. Our temperatures have been in the mid-forties, with sunny skies. It is almost enough to fool us into thinking it springtime.

Pine Siskins

2007-01-30T22:43:00.000-08:00

Our house is now surrounded by hundreds of pine siskins. John filled the bird feeders to draw them in. All these birds, combined with our increasing daylight, makes it feel almost like spring.

Mountains of Snow

2007-01-29T21:42:00.000-08:00

We've had so much snow this winter that it comes to the bottom of our waist-high windows. It allows our dog a better viewpoint from which to see into the house.

Sledders on a Rope

2007-01-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

This is our string of sledders, with kids on the back of the snow machine and then sleds tied together in a string to the back of the machine.

The Weight of Snow

2007-01-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

The last time we drove to Anchorage, so much snow had fallen that all the trees through the pass were bent over with the weight of the snow. I took this picture while we were driving as we didn't want to stop, thus it is a little blurry, but you get the idea.

A Hunt Most Don't See

2007-01-24T17:07:00.000-08:00

Recently I was the wife stuck in the sporting goods store. Not the store with cute hats and cool camping gear. It was the kind of store that had tackle and supplies for reloading. I entertained myself by checking out the wall where all the hunting trophy pictures are displayed. You've seen those bulletin boards. I thought it was interesting to find this picture of a successful seal hunt. I bet not many trophy boards include one of these.

Ice Wall

2007-01-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

The highway along Turnagain Arm.

Mount Spur

2007-01-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

In the foreground of this picture is the icy water of Turnagain Arm near Anchorage. If you look closely at the middle of the horizon you can see a volcano named Mount Spur. It erupted a few years ago, coating Anchorage in ash.

Spidey Returns

2007-01-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

I figured that Spider Man had long ago slid off the roof with the several feet of snow that have sluffed onto the ground this winter. We were shocked to notice him this morning stuck in ice, hanging off the edge of the roof. This picture was the last time we had seen him until today. Go Spidey!

Big Hill

2007-01-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

We returned to the big hill and found it was just as much fun as last spring. Look how long that hill is! John did have his trusty shovel along, though, to take out a small ramp at the bottom that was causing too much air time.

More Maintenance

2007-01-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

Everything in Alaska requires more work , it seems: running water, warm houses, getting the dogs to relieve themselves more than 3 steps from the front door. We can't even have a snowman without it creating more work. Remember this guy? Every time it snowed since we made him we were brushing the snow off of him to keep him pretty. Then we got a big dump of snow and this is what happened. And those skis we had sticking out from under him? That wasn't a good idea! Now they are frozen in place and they interfere with shoveling. Well, off to rescue the snowman!

Four Minutes a Day

2007-01-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

We are now gaining four minutes and ten seconds a day! The sun is rising at 9:56 and setting at 4:23. Even though this looks like sunrise or sunset, it is actually the middle of the day. So even though we are gaining in daylight, it still isn't overly bright.

Contra Dancing

2007-01-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

This New Year's we went to a contra dance party that was open to anyone who wanted to come. It was the most enchanting evening! Contra dancing is like square dancing, only couples move throughout the room instead of staying in their separate squares. It took place in a boat workshop. The owner had the old, wooden shop cleared out with carpeted benches lining the walls along with his personal tools. The room filled quickly with people bearing food. The ceiling was decorated with paper lanterns and painted soundboards and the in the corner sat a live band. We ran into many men who we knew but didn't know danced, and some of them even owned their own dancing shoes. And the best part was that John, who builds log houses and uses flamethrowers to garden, danced every dance while we were there- including a polka.

Making Belts

2007-01-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

The Russian Old Believer men wear belts at all times. Recently some community members came to the school to teach the children how to make these belts. They tied yarn to stool legs and went to work. I believe the belts are called "Paisoks". You can see how a completed one would be worn here.

Cache

2007-01-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

We saw this cache at the end of someone's property the other day. Looks like it was made for a Hobbit.

A Mom's Work Is Never Done

2007-01-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

I saw this poster exposed at an airport recently. The door to an employee section was left open. I'm sure the manager would be proud to know everyone checking in could read this. I'll tell you what it says since I'm sure you can't make it out: If their moms didn't make them into nice people in 20 years...what chance do you have in a few minutes? How very true!

I went ahead and included the blurry photo because a visual aide is required and it was either this or a photo of someone who's mother's work wasn't quite done yet. That would have been tricky.

A Dignified Dog's Indignity

2007-01-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

Did I ever mention that our boxer has only three legs? She loves her family and is loyal to protecting us always. When we go to our sledding hill we have to snow machine a couple of miles out to a remote area. There is no way she would be able to keep up with us on her three legs for the trip out there, and she wouldn't think of being left behind. So while our lab lopes alongside the snow machine, kicking up snow with glee, our boxer is forced to suffer the humiliation of riding in John's lap. I think she thinks sledding is dangerous for us because, when we are about to launch down the hill, she will stand in front of the sled and bark. She tries to block our descent. So she suffers the indignity of riding the snow machine just so she can try to stop us flying down a fast hill. And what do we do in return? We shove her to the side and scream all the way down the luge run.

All Work When We Play

2007-01-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

When we go sledding there is a lot of work involved. We can't just sled down a hill; we have to shovel banks of snow to steer the sled on an S curve. And we can't walk up the same slope we sled down because that would slow down the track, so John brings along a shovel to dig stairs into the hill for easy climbing. We left this hill in anticipation of our return. We had the hill set up like an Olympic luge track, ready to harden over the week and be even faster next time.

Sledding!

2007-01-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this picture make you want to grab a sled and hit the hills?

Good Grooming

2007-01-05T16:43:00.000-08:00

I forgot the very last ingredient to being able to skate ski - a well-groomed trail! This dedicated person was out keeping the Sunset Loop in good shape when we were out. He was pulling the groomer behind his snow machine.

Wax On, Wax Off

2007-01-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Until this year I had waxless skis. Oh, the simplicity of them! I had heard of people waxing their skis, and thought this was performed similarly to the way we put on deodorant. No. First you have to buy wax that I hear is very expensive. I haven't had to purchase any yet because so far we've been able to benefit off of others who were set up for this (I think this is called mooching). Then you take an iron that is hopefully dedicated to only this job, and you melt the wax onto the length of your skis in a wavy dribble.

The next step, which seemed unimaginable to me when I first saw it, is that you take that iron and you apply it to your $300 skis directly in order to evenly distribute the wax into the pores of your ski.

Now that you have the wax applied nicely upon your skis, you scrape it all off! After that, you use a steel pad and smooth it all down. Now you have to protect the waxed side so no one messes up your 1/2 hour of work by touching or scuffing. And I always just threw my waxless skis in the car to jostle around. All this work does pay off. The skis are fast and fun!

Skiing on a Sunny Day

2007-01-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

During the break, we did a good amount of skiing. With all the snow we could hardly wait to get out there. This picture was taken at 2 p.m. You can see how low the sun is. It set a little over an hour afterwards. We have always skied a style called classic, but we recently started learning how to skate ski. I was shocked at all the work that goes into prepping to skate ski. I'll show you over the next few days what is involved. In this picture our daughter was slogging through the deep snow and was off course from skating.

Happy Snowman!

2007-01-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

Who better to welcome you into the new year than our 7-foot tall snowman? Seeing our rotund snowman should tell you that we got a lot of snow over the hiatus! One of us had the good idea to stick ski poles on his hands and skis under his, um, feet. Now the skis are frozen in place and can't be removed. This is proving tricky for the snow blower and shoveling. But it looks cool!

Holiday Hiatus

2006-12-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

This blog will now take after "Lost" and go on hiatus until January 2nd. I am obviously not much good at keeping up during the Christmas season. Plus, it is so dark out when I go to work and back, it is hard to get a photo opportunity.

But I'll be back, full of many pictures taken during our Christmas break to entertain through the remaining dark months. There is much sledding, skiing, falling on the ice, trapping, and cabin building going on that must be recorded.

See you next year!

Haste Makes Waste

2006-12-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not having posted much this week. Three kids at three different schools makes for three evenings at concerts and much to do. I will pay penance for it by telling what must be the most embarrassing story anyone could tell.

One of the big hassles during winter in Alaska is filling the gas tank. Especially that of a Suburban, which takes half an hour to fill. I usually bring a crossword along while I wait on it. Filling up is a cold business that involves hands on frozen metal and scurrying in the wind and snow to the office to pay. Once, years ago, I had a friend who filled up at the local gas station, ran inside to pay, and then quickly got back into her car to get warm and drove away without removing the nozzle from her tank. The nozzle ripped off and the hose snaked all around while spilling gas all over the ground. I think she had to pay for $15 or so in gas.

A few months later I sat in my Suburban with my mother and, while we waited for the tank to fill, I told her the story of the broken nozzle. It was such a funny story. Then I ran inside to pay, and ran out quickly to jump in my car and try to get warm. And then, not 3 minutes after telling the story, I drove away with the nozzle still in my gas tank. I heard a loud pop and stopped, completely mystified about what the sound was. Luckily, after my friend's incident, the gas station had replaced the old nozzles with a special kind that could pop off without the gas spilling out everywhere. That's it. My horrific display of idiocy.

Horse Shoes

2006-12-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

Blessing is really settling into her new home with the Ogles, the chickens, the lab who runs around her legs and the three legged boxer who barks at Blessing whenever she runs. Our daughter is able to take Blessing on nice outings without fearing falling so much because we now have special snow shoes on her. The horse shoes have little cleats to help her get a grip. My mother is bringing the same to wear for herself when she visits this winter, because, besides the more obvious reasons, when a human falls down the lab likes to run over and lick that person's face.

Winter Sunrise

2006-12-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

It snowed that slow, clumpy kind of snow last night. This was the scene this morning. The sun is now rising at 10 a.m. and setting at 3:40 p.m. We just need to hang in there for a couple of more weeks and we'll start to gain our daylight again slowly. Right now we are losing two minutes and forty seconds a day of daylight.

Snow on Moose

2006-12-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of our rental cabins in the fresh snow the other day. We named it the Moose Cabin because it is built along a moose trail. We put on our skis and head out almost directly in front of this cabin when we want to cross country ski. The moose are on to something here.

Trap Removed

2006-12-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

The trap produced one mink. We've pulled the trap for now as the weather is making it difficult to check. The mink and trap are both in hand in this picture.

Ice with Extra Water

2006-12-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

Time to check the mink trap again. Only this time it is more difficult as the river overflowed on top of the ice.

Morning Ski

2006-12-03T23:06:00.000-08:00

We finally have enough snow for the high school ski team to get on some skis. It looks like it is early morning, but it was 10:40 when I took this picture. They were only able to start practicing on skis in the last week because of lack of snow. They've been swimming, running, circuit training, and doing yoga in the mean time.

How to Build a Log Home

2006-12-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

The very first logs on the house are flat on one side. These are the only logs that will be shaped like this as John will hand carve each following logs to fit the round-topped shape of the log under it. He uses his saw mill to make this flat cut.

The Log Wizard

2006-11-30T17:50:00.000-08:00

I have always considered John to be a log wizard. The log homes he builds are works of art. Then he sent me to the store the other day to pick up an item for his project. It was a new Log Wizard and it cost $300. The box said, The Amazing Log Wizard. It turns out that it is VERY amazing. This is what John has used for years to peel the logs. He only built one cabin with the old, un-amazing draw knife method of peeling logs. The wizard attaches onto his chainsaw and then the bark is peeled away like magic!

Boat Tent In Action

2006-11-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

This is what our boat looked like on the duck hunting trip. John uses plywood across the seats to make beds. You can see through the door on the bow where he has the custom-made tent installed for the night. Notice the pipe going out the top of the tent. That's a wood stove that can be set up at night and broken down flat during the day. Now picture 7 people sleeping in this situation like we do during the summers! No space taken up then for a wood stove, but it is still very crowded. The dog has only been along on one of the 7-person trips. After that she was uninvited.

Ducks by the Neck

2006-11-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

John recently had a successful duck hunting trip. We have dined on a couple of these already and they were quite tasty even though we knew how they were fixed. A few years ago we went on a tour of an old plantation. There was a contraption hanging from the ceiling in the old kitchen that looked like a wagon wheel. The guide told us the story of this cook that used to work at the plantation who would hang the ducks, whole, not gutted, from the wheel by their necks and let them stay there until they rotted and fell. This was a story meant to gross everyone out and it did. Then the guide explained how it made the meat taste really good and this cook was an expert at preparing duck. When we left John told us that he had been hanging our ducks like that for years. We were grossed out all over again. We've gotten over that since. It sounds weird, but he's right. That's the way to eat duck.

Tsunami Ready?

2006-11-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

This isn't something you see as you enter just any town. It is a real concern here, however. What I want to know is how are we ready for a tsunami? The little man on the sign is running for the hills. He doesn't look ready. Actually, I believe we have a warning system set up in case an earthquake triggerings a tsunami so we can get our Keds on and start running. One more thing to worry about!

Four-wheelin' Doggy

2006-11-25T21:41:00.000-08:00

This is something you don't see every day.

The Trap

2006-11-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is the trap John set and caught nothing in. It is a conibear trap, which kills right away. He was hoping for a mink.

Hairy Ice

2006-11-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

This ice looks like it froze right as the water was spraying from the bank. The picture was taken along the Anchor River.

Wolf Track

2006-11-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

This is a wolf track, which is larger than coyote tracks. This one is about four inches across and five inches long.

Coyote Revealed

2006-11-20T22:38:00.000-08:00

John went to check one of his traps the other day and found these strange pillars of snow on the river ice. When he looked at them closer he saw they were coyote tracks. The print had compacted the snow enough that when the wind blew it took away all the snow except for where the tracks had been laid.

Volcano in the Evening

2006-11-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

A Car That Goes

2006-11-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

This picture is for the second graders in Mississippi. It is cold enough here that we plug our car in at night so it will be warm and start the next day. The temperature when I went to bed was 15 F! Way warmer than when you called this morning. I'm hopeful for 20 F tomorrow!

Hot Tub Haven

2006-11-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

A friend of ours who has a hot tub on the bluff overlooking Cook Inlet said yes to our using her hot tub when we invited ourselves. We saw the sun set over Augustine Volcano and then stayed until all the stars came out. When it is super cold outside you can sit in the hot tub long enough to do that. When we sat low in the water we were able to keep the ice from forming on our hair. This picture is the view at sunset over the water.

Salt Lick

2006-11-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Today I was searching through old pictures and found this. Twin moose were orphaned when a truck hit their mama on the highway right by our exciting curve. They hung around our property, to the delight of our cabin clients, all summer. One of their favorite activities was to lick the side of our boat. At the end of summer they left us. We like to think that they had a happy winter in the Caribou Hills.

It's Snowtime!

2006-11-12T23:15:00.000-08:00

And the first thing you have to do when it snows is run around in it!

Ducks that Cluck

2006-11-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

Remember these guys, our chickweed chuggers who chugged more than just chickweed and were thus fired from their gardening job? They got moved into the chicken coop and now they think they ARE chickens. They don't show duck pride by standing slightly aloof and above the chicken behavior. They get right in there with the chickens and scratch for worms. I'm waiting for the male to crow in the mornings.

Knot Head

2006-11-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

This piece of wood was sitting on top of a stump, where John is saving it for a creative project. He doesn't know what he will do with it yet, but he thinks it is cool. Doesn't it look just like a pig's head?

Dude!

2006-11-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

It was 20 F out, almost dark, and snowing when I saw a black dot of something in the surf. Seal? Otter? No....surfer! This dedicated surfer dude apparently had on a dry suit to keep him warm enough to wait on the next big wave. Dark picture, I know. Get used to it; our daylight is fading fast and I work during daylight hours!

The One You Want

2006-11-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Under the blue tarps are the sonotubes for the new log house John is building. In Alaska, all things begin and end with a blue tarp. The sonotubes are cement piers that John covered to keep warmish so they could set up. I asked John what I should post today and he said, "Everyone just wants to know what I'M doing." So, now that gardening is over, this is John's next big project.

Moon Over Brown Ground

2006-11-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

You can see by this picture that the mountains have snow on them, but our ground is still bare. Practice for the ski team has started; they are doing lots of running and looking forward to snow. We are supposed to be snow-free for the next week so they'll have to keep running.

Horse Sense

2006-11-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

"We need to talk about those chickens."

Unique Treating

2006-11-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween this year was the most perfect weather we've seen for trick or treating. Cold, but not so cold we have to take breaks in the car to warm up. No ice. No wind. We could actually see costumes that weren't covered in snow pants and parkas.

Halloween in Homer is so completely different than any ther place I've ever been to because of the way our population is arranged. There are about 5,000 people who live in Homer, but very few neighborhoods. The few neighborhoods that exist are hit heavily by trick-or-treaters each year. A house in one of these neighborhoods gets hundreds of children knocking on its door. The atmosphere in the streets is carnivale. Cars bog the roads down as little angels and pirates line up at the doors for their treats. Some residents turn off their lights and avoid it all together, but most embrace it as inevitable and go all-in with decorations and costumes. The burden is so heavy on the neighborhoods that I've heard of people donating candy to the residents before the big day.

This is a picture of a typical trick-or-treat. There were about 16 people outside this one house - and they weren't all together. It was a good haul.

Snowman Bones

2006-10-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

He didn't make it.

Stubborn One

2006-10-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

We had light snow for a couple of days, followed by a melt. I found this little wilting snowman at a friend's house. He was bravely hanging in there, waiting for the next snow.

Moose Appeal

2006-10-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Even in NYC the appeal of moose marketing for food can't be resisted.

Some Say Fig

2006-10-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

I found some yummy-looking fig cake and was surprised to see listed in the ingredients "pigs" - plural. Does that mean 2 or 3 pigs?

No Standing

2006-10-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from New York City - thus the reason why I haven't posted in several days. Here's something that you won't see anywhere in Alaska: a sign along the sidewalk that says, "No standing anytime." Keep it moving!

Why Not?

2006-10-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

I saw this building decorated in Christmas lights already. I took this on my way to work. Remember those pretty sunrises I posted a couple of weeks ago from my drives to work? Replaced by darkness.

Chickens Next Door

2006-10-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

This is the where the horse is going to live. After much debate over the best location for the horse pen, John decided that it should live right next to the chickens. Her stall is actually attached to the coop. It is almost finished. They can all keep each other company during the dark winter days.

"Huh? There's going to be a what living next door?!?"

Drive Through Eye to Eye

2006-10-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

I was surprised the first time I went through the drive through in our new tiny car. In our Suburban I had to open the door and lean way down to reach the air tube. In this car I just roll, roll, roll my windows down manually and there it is right at my level. The poor lady in the big truck pictured here wasn't so lucky.

Cold, But No Snow

2006-10-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

It was nice and cold, but the day passed without any snow flakes. Fishing today required coats and gloves. It'll be here soon enough!

Spidey - cold

2006-10-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Spiderman check. We had a hard frost last night. Our son was born on the 15th and that year we had our first snow on his birthday. For the next 5 years the first snow was also on that same day. Is the frost today a sign of snow tomorrow? Will the tradition continue?

Most of the guesses about yesterday's picture were by email and not posted. Hmm. I think it was because no one was confident of their guess. Carl gets to move ahead 2 spaces for being the only person to publicly guess something. The picture is of our well. The tarp and rope wrapped around that are to keep out debris, of course, but they are also to keep out daddy long and short legs. We have the yummiest water - spider free, of course.

Quiz Time

2006-10-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

B surges ahead on the last post with the correct guess that it is a Volvo! Now, anyone know what this is a picture of? First to guess right gets to move ahead one space. B, you are not allowed to guess since you know what it is first hand.

Light Wipers?

2006-10-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

This is the opposite end of the spectrum from the door handle. I had heard of headlight wipers in fairy tales, but hadn't seen one myself. My friend just got a new car with this feature. Good thing, because the rain keeps on coming. Homeland Security has been helping communities in the area because of the deluge.

Elephant Rock

2006-10-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

We fished near this rock the other day. The picture isn't completely focused, but you can tell it is the spittin' image of an elephant, can't you?

Fish Schooled

2006-10-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

I saw this board in our son's classroom. I hadn't heard of the word redd before (I'll let you look it up in the dictionary like I had to). The kids in the class knew what it meant. In a few days the class will go to the river and collect some salmon eggs (with special permission) that will grow and hatch in a tank in their classroom.

Not News to Me

2006-10-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately we know this all too well. Actually, I think the approach of the darkness runs just like the stages of grieving.
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining (we skip this one usually and move straight on to number four
4. Depression
and finally....
5. Acceptance
The article said that we lost 41 minutes of daylight last week. Oops, back to number 4!

Spanky Paine

2006-10-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

I love the old boats like this in the harbor. But what is most interesting to me is checking out the names on the boats. I wonder about some of them. What do they mean? I wonder about this one.

A Good Friend

2006-10-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

I must not be a very good friend because I haven't been checking on what kind of fish my friends are eating.