Yikes...Slacker Alert!

Sunrise  5:51 a.m.    Sunset  9:56 p.m.

Holy Moly!  This summer has flown by.  I can't believe it's been such a long, long, long time since my last post.  I won't bore you with gory details or meticulous time lines since there's been such a gap in blogging.  I'll do us all a favor and give you a brief little time line of life.  In the last frontier.  In summer.

As you can tell by the above photo our puppy is now a man child.  He bounces somewhere between precocious and down right annoying.  We went through about a month period of time when we all wanted to give him back, and even though he keeps us hopping, he's ours, for the long run. I love that little big booger.  We'll get back to Cash later.

In true King family dog form, they both LOVE to ride.  As you can also tell by the above photo.  When we "lose" them, it's now common knowledge to check the back of the ATV first.  And since we all love to ride, it's not too much of a hardship to please them.  This year we have been sticking on trails closer to home.  With the wet and many busy, busy friends, we just don't have the explorer notion this year.  We enjoy the trails close to home just as much, so no complaints from any of us.

Please rest assured that despite the fact that they look like they could rip the skin from each other's limbs, both Cash and Early (think deep south hillbilly) LOVE each other.  They are surprisingly gentle and thoroughly enjoy the chase, the hunt, the nipping and the biting.  Just don't expect them to share bones or toys.  That's just asking too much.  And don't bother to ask Ches what she thinks of Early, as she spends all of her time, rounding him up and out of her house.  Early is laid back and oh, so lovable, but our Chessa girl will have none of it.  

Have I told you how much I love my job?  I truly do, though I will admit there may be a day or two, or maybe even a week sprinkled in, that I would tell you that I don't.  But there's a reason I've stuck with the profession for so long.  I do love my job.  Especially here.  It affords me the luxury of getting to know the most fascinating people.  I get to know what brings them here, whether permanent or not.  This is exactly how I met my friend Dennis (in the camo jacket above) and his friend Jared, whom has a very important military title and if I wasn't so deficient in my knowledge of such titles I would be able to impress you all with that information.  

Dennis called the office one day looking for a rental.  In true Lusignan form (thanks Dad) we got to chatting and I shared my blog (yes, this blog) and tried to give him a very true idea of Alaska.  Though I don't really know if that's possible since it's such a personal feeling, personal experience.  Anyway, Dennis and I became friends, and chatted regularly.  Then he came to visit.  And though we didn't get to spend nearly as much time as we'd like, we managed to have some dinner and knock back a couple Coors Light's.  I'm looking forward to getting down Dennis' way and staying in that gorgeous hand-crafted cabin of his.  Thanks for visiting!!! Don't be a stranger.  I'd love to meet your beautiful wife.

As most of you may know it's been a wetter-than-average summer.  This is fine and dandy by me, though a bit more sun, and a little more warmth would have been okay, it has made for a glorious, bountiful berry season.  In June we spent more than a couple days picking, cleaning and freezing these luscious blueberries.  We have already enjoyed them in pie, pancakes and cobbler.  It's going to be a fruity winter, indeed.  Ha!

Our Chessa girl is doing well.  She turned 13 this summer.  And though she's slowed, and her nose isn't quite as good as it used to be, she is our beautiful, beautiful and oh-so-perfect dog.  She loves to hunt voles, even though most of the time it's my foot she's finding.  She's spent boundless time in Clearwater Lake, the pool and guarding the house from stray dogs.  She tolerates Cash, and it will be interesting to see how she does with the next addition to our home.

Now, you didn't really think I'd open that can of worms and leave you hanging, did you?  Nope.  I'm not really a secret keeper.  Brent and I have been having a very exciting summer.  We have started the process of adoption.  We are hoping to add to our family by two (or four) feet in the very near future.  At the moment we are plugging away at our home study, and are blessed to be working with a wonderful caseworker.  It's been said that we could have an approved homestudy as soon as September's end.  

That's when the real waiting will begin.  So please keep us in our thoughts and prayers.  We'll need patience, guidance and understanding on our side.  Also, please keep all birth parents in your thoughts and prayers.  For without them, Brent and I may never have a family.

Since we'd been having such a stressful summer (yeah right!) I decided to whip together a girls' night.  Actually, in truth, I had been meeting so many wonderful new people, without enough time to spend with all of them, so I decided to throw them all into one room (or house or yard but who's counting hairs here) because I knew it would be a blast!  I was NOT disappointed.  I always ask the same thing.  Bring a friend, and a dish to pass.  Glorious!!

Above are my Alabama friends, Hayley and Amy.  I thought I'd throw them together and give them a little taste of home.  They had a lot of common denominators and interests.  Well, duh!

And this is Matt and Courtney.  They look like they're having a good time, right?  What you don't see is the fact that they are torturing me.  Courtney (my friend, boss, nemesis) and Matt, a friend I met by chance, love to plan my career demise.  What they don't know is, that they'd both miss me terribly.  Especially Courtney, since my purses would leave with me...  

In truth, it's in all good fun, and we had a GREAT time.  Such a nice, relaxing evening.

This is my favorite part of every girls' night.  The plethora of food, the smorgasbord of delightfulness.  It's so great to see what everyone comes with.  We had a wonderful Puerto Rican coconut custard treat, fruit and dip, pretzel salad (a personal favorite) kabobs, meat and cheese platter, homemade fudge, spinach dip, a lovely strawberry trifle, and so much more deliciousness.  You'd have thought the place would have been quieter... LOL.  I cannot wait to do it again!

In addition to all this loveliness I have managed to sprain an ankle, pick delicious high bush cranberries, nurse Cash back from a (likely) encounter with a foxtail.  Which we hope he is on the mend now.  And enjoy the tropical heat wave that hit us last week.  It was such a heat wave that we managed to break a record in Fairbanks.  I believe the new temp record is now in the low 90's.  

However, fall is upon us.  And I will not lie, had we just a smidge more sun, I would be in hog heaven.  Fall is my most favorite time of year.  The smells, the cool nights that are perfect for sleeping, darkness comes back and allows for my head to rest sooner and longer upon the pillow.  We are mostly prepared for winter, and hoping that it doesn't come too soon.  

Happy Summer to you and yours!!  

Keeping in Touch

Most parents call or email their children to catch up, see how things are going, share information about their lives.  Not mine.  My dad calls or emails, or both, to let me know that I haven't updated the blog. Since I write exactly how I talk, it leaves me wondering if reading the blog is the less annoying way to keep current on all things happening in my world.  Hmmm...food for thought, indeed.

Last week was busy with the addition of little Cash.  He's definitely mucked up all of our schedules, but in a good way, of course.  I survive on little sleep anyway, being a night owl my entire life has prepped me for him.  It's my morning schedule that's taken the biggest hit.  He's unpredictable, and has the attention span of an acorn, which makes it difficult to get anything done in a timely manner.  Except eating.  Just put a plate of food in front of that boy, and be sure to keep any apendages away.  If a finger was to fall into the bowl, I can assure you your chances of getting it back will be slim.

I brought both Ches and Cash with me to work a couple days last week.  It's fun to have them here, but it's also chaos.  Ches is a great listener, and an easy dog.  Cash is too, when he's sleeping.  LOL.  I'm not sure how long I'll be able to continue handling his naughtiness at work, so I'm hoping he's growing fast enough that his little bladder can handle his kennel for 5.5 hours a day.  We'll see, I guess.

Friday night we decided to lay low in preparation for the busy weekend ahead.  It seems that we haven't had plans on a weekend for eternity, and then got pounded this weekend.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you, I've always been much more social than Brent is.  He would truly be happy to sit home, by himself all day, night and weekend.  Me, not-so-much.  I guess I'm just a little higher maintenance than he is.  Either that or I'm boring.  Nope, that can't be it.  Definitely not boring. Ha!

Saturday morning Brent and Ches got up bright and early.  As usual.  They headed out to do a little scouting, rabbit sight-seeing.  Since the little guy had been put into bed with me, I rose much earlier than usual as well.  We bundled up when Brent and Ches got home, to go for a drive out to Meadows Road.  I know, you must think how incredibly boring, but I assure you it's changing all the time, and that's precisely why we headed out there.  The snow is nearly gone.  Two weeks ago it was laden in white crystally frost and snow, now, dry parched looking branches peek out of small mounds of dirty snow.  Amazing.

Once we were home I did some laundry, made a dessert for Saturday evening, made some lunch and got ready for the day ahead.  We needed to run a few errands before we headed to a friend's daughters birthday party, so we headed out a bit early. 

When we had browsed to our heart's content, and partied with a room full of 5-10 year old's we headed home for a much needed nap.  I whipped out another load of laundry, gotta make hay while the sun shines, right?  And prepared for the evening ahead.

I was invited by a friend to attend another friend's girl's night with her.  I'm always nervous meeting new people, and I know this is hard to believe, but I'm shy, until I get to know you, just a little bit.  Despite my nervousness, I was very excited.  It turned out to be a great evening.  Have I told you about these Alaskan women?  How they do EVERYTHING?  Yes, and I mean everything.  They really put me to shame.  They cook, bake, sew and build a house, all while nursing a baby.  We had a wonderful assortment of pizzas.  Sausage and sauerkraut (which was suprisingly fantastic), halibut pizza, artichoke pizza, Dad's creation pizza, and then the desserts.  Good heavens.  Fantastic.  And the company and movie (of the hostesses marathon- made by the hostess- see what I'm saying??) was even better.

Sunday morning we rose and packed up to head out ice fishing on Boleo Lake, near Delta.  We rented a fish house for a day, and it was a gorgeous day to be out there.  As we were driving down Meadows Road (yes, again) headed towards the lake, a moose ran in front of Brent's vehicle.  As he passed the hubby noticed his chewed up hind quarter.  Looks like someone was trying to make ceviche out of the poor guy. But he escaped, with just a little bit of tenderizing.

As we were unloading the vehicles and taking our first, tentative steps onto the lake, you could hear the ice popping, groaning and shifting.  I was about half way between shore and the ice house when the ice gave off such a loud and disturbing groan, that I shot back to shore.  Yes, this should be embarassing information, but we have had warmer-than-usual temps, and for the record the dog skeddadled with me.  Thank-you-very-much. 

After a little coaxing, and maybe a threat or two from my hubby, I ventured back out onto the ice.  I deposited all things fishing and ice related and headed back to shore for the little guy.  He's a little tentative yet.   As I was gently calling his name and whistling, coyotes (or perhaps wolves) started to howl on both sides of the lake.  Poor little guy took off for the ice house, and never looked back.  Ches ran for shore, I'm thinking she was thinking they sounded pretty hunky.  Silly, girl.  Hmph.

I got Ches settled with Brent and Cash and I headed back home for a hatchet and some wood.  Brent didn't realize that there was a handy wood stove located inside.  We made a quick trip, and were back on the ice in no time. 

This is our humble abode on Boleo Lake.  It was plenty roomy for 4 humans and 3 dogs.  And we stayed plenty warm when we aren't playing on the ice.  It was a perfect day, about 30 degrees, sunny and very little wind.  Glorious day.

Cash obviously enjoyed his first taste of fish. The outside anyway.

This is Charlie (Cash's brother, the whole-reason-we-got-Cash) our friends dog trying out his fishing skills.  They learn early here in Alaska.

When we had our fill of catching some bigger, mostly little fish we packed up and headed home.  The fresh air and sun must have done us all well, as we were all tucked in long before 10 p.m.  That almost never happens at our house!

Have a happy, happy day!

Puppy in Training

Howdy!  Greetings from Camp Puppy.  I thought perhaps I'd have to name this post  Sleepless in Delta, but much to my amazement Cash is doing very well in the sleep department.  He's a good little guy, and having Ches to lead him is fabulous.  She's a model dog, really.  She's perfection in nearly every bit.  Except that she's a bit insecure.  So, we hope to make Cash just like her, but a little more secure.

We are in the process of crate training Cash.  It's going very well, and while he does whine a bit, he settles himself within a matter of minutes, and in most cases seconds.  He's really doing well.  We have been reading book, after book, after book, trying to do it right this time.  The last time we had a pup was 16 years ago, and we did it all wrong.  All. Wrong.  This time I'm happy to have Kyle (my younger brother) to help out.  His dogs Hondo (Belgian Malinois and a K9), and Dax (Yellow Lab) are both happily crated, trained dogs.  So, first hand knowledge is fantastic.

Of course it helps that we are having awesome weather.  We're supposed to reach a high of 35 degrees today, though with the overcast skies I'm not sure we'll be quite that lucky.  The temps have been mild, and the wind is down, for now anyway, so it helps the shy, not-so-fattened-up little guy feel a little more comfortable in the snow.

Last night we had a sprinkling of new snow.  Not enough to create issues, or even play in, but it's always fun to get the powdery snow here.  It's so different from the heavy, water-laden snows in Minnesota.  It looks the same, nearly, but it's not.

In other news, I bought Brent a game cam for Christmas.  We have been putting it out in various spots around trying to catch the lynx, coyotes and other fun things that creep about in our woods.  Unfortunately the camera hasn't liked the dark days and cold temps, so it's been a little tempermental.  However, yesterday morning we hit the jackpot.  We captured (on film only) a marten.  EEK!  They're so pretty.  All cinnamon and black colored.  I'll be sure to post pics this week.

We did, in addition to the marten, capture a german shepherd on film.  This disturbs me for a couple reasons.  1.  It's not safe for dogs to roam.  2.  He's awfully close to my home, and I have two furbabies to protect. 3. The woods are full of traps and snares (not just our woods, not ours) and I would hate for harm to come to him.  Hopefully I'll not capture him on film again and hopefully he'll stay close to home.  Hmmmm...

Last week I registered for my classes to prepare to get my Alaska real estate license.  I am still waiting on the materials, as it's a correspondence class.  I'm excited, and nervous, but mostly excited.  I love what I do.  And it will be nice to have the knowledge, and legal right, to help Courtney out more.  I hate having to say that I can't help someone because I'm not a licensed real estate agent.  So, now I have the remedy.  That is, if I put my nose to the grindstone and pass the darn thing.  Have I mentioned how cute and fun Cash is?  Ha!

Brent has been busy with his new hobby, preparing for spring and summer.  Yesterday a vast assortment of flies arrived for his new fly rod.  And he's been watching videos and getting casting tips.  Ches thinks he's plum crazy to be out in the yard casting away.  She's tempted to chase, but then just assumes that Brent's gone loco for the moment. 

Life continues to go well.  We're looking forward to spring, and the glorious summer (that we hope) follows it.  Last summer was perfection in nearly every way, and I'm certainly hoping that we get a repeat.  Especially with the Pro Pioneer on it's way to us.  Since I'm known for being a bit of a chicken, I'm sure this summer will be a test in faith, trust and courage.  We are looking for a handgun for me, since I need to know how to use one, and protect myself.  And I'd like to do some trap shooting this year.  Don't ask me why, but it looks like so much fun.  The sad truth, however, is that I have no aim.  Well, that's not true, I have bad aim.  Really bad aim.  So, I'm hoping to improve it, with some trap shooting.  Watch out Annie Oakley,  Karla King is here...lol.  Okay, even I think that's hilarious.  I think Annie's safe...

Hope you're having a happy day in your neck of the woods.  Until next time...Happy day!

Chasing moose...auroras...and tail...

This week has been good.  I started it out early in the week, when I was greeted with this lovely sight.  4, count them, 4 long-legged Bullwinkles in my yard.  Twins (last year's calves?) and two full growns.  I'm sure one was their mother, but the other I'm not sure if it was father, aunt, uncle, or just some creepy guy following them around.  LOL.  Anyway, one of the little ones decided to use my car windows as a mirror.  I guess he just wanted to check out his bad self, and then they went merrily on their way, into the woods behind the house.  I love them being there, so this was pretty awesome.

Other than work, our jobs, and working at home, cutting wood, cleaning chimneys and what not, we've been fairly busy.  This past weekend the Delta community came out for the Festival of Lights.  It's put on my the Chamber of Commerce.  They did a great job.  I took part in the Galleria show of vendors.  It was a great show, with a good turn out, and it was certainly fun.  We had a beautiful day.  I did, however, miss the Polar Plunge.  However, there was a lot of excitement generated, and some truly awesome costumes.  I'm looking forward to next year's festivities.

Saturday evening, we had friends over with their new little yellow lab pup.  He is such a good little guy, we truly enjoyed his, and B&R's company.  We relaxed with some Hungarian beer, and some lovely blueberry wine made from native Alaskan berries.  I threw together a trifle and we just kicked back and relaxed. 

Later that night the auroras made their debut.  And although we didn't get to see a lot of them, we did walk out to the field to enjoy the spectacular sky, and the green throbbing glow, just above the tree line.

Sunday we slept in, which is nearly always my favorite thing to do.  We took Ches for a wander through the woods.  We creeped around the game cam, tracked little tracks through the snow, and then came back home to throw the ball for Ches.  It was a good morning for all of us.

For Ches, however, the day went downhill quickly.  We decided since it was Valentine's Day, and we hadn't gotten eachother a gift, that maybe, just perhaps, we should.  And since Charlie was such a good boy, we decided to go see a lady about a dog.

I'd like to introduce you to Cash.  Named after the late, great Johnny Cash.  Though since he's the color of a cashew, it serves a double purpose.  Here he is with Brent, and his new toy.  A sock.  He's rather fond of the sock, and likes to shake it vigorously.

Here's our little nut chasing, and ultimately biting, his own tail.  He is just a baby, please keep that in mind.

And this is little Cash ready for bed.  No, I did NOT give him Grandma's quilt.  He's just snuggling with me on the couch for a bit, before tucking him away in his escape proof bed.

So, today Ches and Cash are at work with me.  They are being good dogs, and they're not fighting much at all.  Cash is a little feisty and has taken to biting everything, and growling and barking at Ches.  But she does a great job of ignoring him.  And I think in the end we'll all escape without injury.

Have a happy day!

Things That Go BUMP In The Night

Last night was an interesting night. Ches usually sleeps harder than I do, but for some reason last night did not lend either of us much peace and comfort. She was plopped on her pillow in the living room, because that's where she chooses to sleep. I went to bed early, at 11:30 p.m., only to be jolted awake by her bark. This is highly unusual. I got up, checked out the windows, shushed her and made my place on the couch until she settled down. Soon I was jolted awake again. This continued for most of the night, and I ended up with about 1 hour of sleep. I have no idea what was out there, or what she thought was out there. At about 1 a.m. we both wandered outside to see what we could see, and nothing. Who knows?

It's been a pretty good week here so far. Brent (as you can see above) has been sneaking in a lot of fishing, but only having minimal luck. Last night he went out with a friend from work, and they caught just enough for a one man supper. So he sent them home with Joe.

Wednesday night I went out with him to his new favorite fishing hole, that you can see above. The view is pretty magnificent and I did a lot of hiking. I ventured up hills and down hills, took in the sights and sounds. Unfortunately we didn't see much wildlife, except for the hares. Hares are EVERYWHERE. Brent keeps promising (er, threatening) to bring one home for rabbit stew. We'll see. I make no promises. And yes, I'm sure it will be hugely mind over matter. But they're so darn cute! lol.

A hare in summer colors- see...they're cute.

Chessa and I wasted some time playing in the water. Ches LOVES the water, and loves to fish. She literally looks into the water, waiting for fish, like the ones that were in our pond last summer. She spent hours and hours out there, and I kind of miss it, for her. I won't miss that nasty skin infection that resulted in her hours in the water though. But we had a little fun and then I ran her on ground to dry her off before heading home. She kept searching for Brent, when she found him she would sit on his foot waiting for him to bring up a fish for her to lick, smell and in one instance, bite. I think we all had a great day!

These are some of the wildflowers that are everywhere up here right now. So I snapped some pics and thought Mom would get a thrill out of seeing them.

Today I'm busy cooking and cleaning, getting ready for the weekend ahead. I think we are doing a picnic by the lake tonight, a little fishing and a little playing with Ches and Willie. I am baking a lemon yogurt cake with fresh blueberry sauce. Marinating chicken as we speak, and I am also making a crunchy Asian noodle salad. Sounds like a good way to start the weekend. We'll throw in some beer, and perhaps a bottle of wine. Awww. Pure relaxation. Hopefully we'll catch some rainbows to throw on the grill too, but if not, chicken will suffice.

Have a happy, happy weekend!

Warm, Sunshiney Day

Hello Folks!

The days grow longer every single day. As I type this at 10:45 p.m. we still have light. Quite a bit of it in fact. I have to admit, that I find myself languishing these nice, long days. I try to enjoy every minute of them.

Despite a record setting temperature of 74 degrees at the Fairbanks International Airport today, we still had frozen water this afternoon. Seriously? 74 degrees! Hopefully that will all end soon. The snow is melting quickly though we still have mounds where the sun fails to hit directly.

Ches and I had a great day today. She finally decided to play nice with the neighbors dog, and so we sat on the porch and enjoyed the evening sun, and giant mosquitoes with our neighbor.

Being from Minnesota I'm no stranger to skeeters. However, I have NEVER seen mosquitoes this large. They are huge! Ginormous. Honestly, if I can capture (um, kill) one I will take a reference shot just to show you. Apparently we're in for it when the smaller ones come, and I have a feeling we'll be investing in some face netting. Sounds like a lot of fun!

In an effort to keep myself sane I have been job hunting. My goal is to get on base, but we'll see if that comes to fruition or not. For now I am enjoying my late morning snoozes and wandering in the woods with Ches. I have a feeling she really likes my stay-at-home status as it usually involves a lot of outside time, and many, many treats.

Hopefully I'll be back with some photos tomorrow. Ches and I are planning to take a nice long walk to see if we can capture anything fun. Oh, and the grass is beginning to green up! Woohoo. Spring has sprung!

Have a happy day!

Little Willie Went Home

Little Willie went home, and this is what I'm left with. Well, this and the strip of paint missing from my bedroom wall. Silly boy. I have to admit, I was relieved when he vacated the premises, but I miss the little booger.

Ches has been relishing all of her toys and attention. She even took advantage of the peace today and snuck in a nap on the bed. I can tell she's slightly misses him, but I'm thinking she's more relieved than anyone that Wee Willie is gone.

In his absence I had a laundry list of items planned to accomplish today. And then I woke with a migraine. Instead of trying to fight it I just flopped on the couch, and eventually stumbled back to bed to fight the good fight. Once the nausea left, and the stabbing pain dulled ever-so-slightly I got my behind out of bed and did minimal work.

I started by soaking beans for homemade ham and bean soup. I have to say it turned out to be pretty tasty. Then I hacked up the rest of the ham and froze it, and that soup bone for another batch of something. Then I went outside and got rid of the rest of Willie's remnants. Picked up some litter from the driveway left by the previous tenant.

Tomorrow we are forecasted temperatures in the 50's and I'm planning to make the best of it. I think we'll celebrate the spring weather with a nice walk, and perhaps some fetch in the yard. Right now we have about 18 hours of sunlight. It's getting light about 5 a.m. and staying light until about 11 p.m.

Last week I ordered some lined drapes for the rest of the house. The sheers just weren't helping with the sleep factor. So they have arrived, and I plan to get the rest of them up tomorrow as well. Sounds like I'll have a very busy day! Have a happy day!

Fun-filled Weekend

Saturday morning started out not-so-great. Nothing major, my patience with the pups was just wearing thin. And, I was tired of being stuck in the house. When Brent got home we decided to flee this popsicle stand and get out of town to do a little hiking/exploring. Since Willie is not-so-keen on traveling via vehicle quite yet, Ches got to sit in the passenger seat, and she thought she was super special. Which she is.

This is Donnelly Dome. Brent plans to reach the top of this mountain some time this summer. It's larger than it looks, I promise. Much larger. Since there is still snow, we decided to just visit some of the foot paths at the bottom of the Dome.

We decided to check out Donnelly Creek Recreation area to see how much snow had melted, and how deep the creek was. It was nice walking but there wasn't a lot of challenge, or much to see. We did see this cute little cabin. It is just big enough for a stove and a full-size bed. I think we might put one out back for a guest house. Wanna come visit? :)

This is part of Donnelly Creek. It still has some ice, but the water was flowing pretty good in the area closest to the road. Ooh, not long now...

This is the area where we were actually walking. It was pretty easy going, except for the snow. It's patchy, but the areas that have snow are still deep in some spots. It was a nice hike, we saw a hare, lots of moose nuggets on which Willie made himself a snack, and at the end as we were leaving we spotted a very fresh dropping of bear scat. Good thing we were heading out. It was a beautiful day, the temp hovered around 46 degrees and as you can see the sun was magnificent. Ooh, spring in Alaska is nice...so far.

As we were heading back to Delta we came upon this herd of caribou. They have the goofiest run, you really have to see it to appreciate it, but it's hilarious. There were about a dozen, but these are the only animals that stuck out in the open, the rest headed for the trees. So I snapped a few pics of them. They are very pretty animals.

As you can see here Willie was beat! That was a lot of hiking for that little guy. He crashed on the floor behind the drivers seat and slept the whole way home. A very peaceful ride home.

Sunday morning we woke to another nice day. The temps were slightly lower in the low 40's. We had planned to drive to a lake outside of Delta towards Tok but since Willie kept us up most of the night, and isn't the world's best traveler we decided to head out to the same area we were on Saturday and check out a couple other paths.

We hit our first path which led to a lake that Brent was determined to see. We came upon a couple of drop offs early on and I was ready to throw in the towel, but Brent was not. So we stumbled around until we found a walkable path downward.

Just as we hit a field near the lake Brent stopped short and told me to back up slowly. I followed his orders which staring straight into the face of a big ole moose watching from a stand of trees about 65 yards from us. I backed up slowly, as Brent tried to reign in the pooches as we continued to back up the path. Finally the moose retreated and continued to watch us from a safe distance until we looked up and he was gone. Thank goodness.

With that over we decided to forego our trip to the lake, as that was the direction that Mr. Moose had headed off in. So we decided to wander around the field. As we were crossing a large patch of snow we noticed some very large, very fresh bear prints. And we high tailed it back to the car.

On our new way up the hill we let the kids root around in a couple of caribou carcasses, which Willie thought was the best thing ever. Ches was rather uninterested, and just continued to sniff the ground in hopes of a hare to chase.

After we left the first path we headed up to a nice, leisurely trail which had a lot of snow. We walked up and down the rolling hills, and the pups loved it. LOVED it. All in all a nice day. On our way home we stopped to fill on gas and pick up fixings for dinner at the IGA.

The rest of the day was spent catching up on ESPN, reading The Shell Seekers, and periodically napping. A very good day indeed.

Have a happy day!

Spring Cleaning

I got mail! I just love getting mail. Especially packages. Mom sent us the nicest Easter package. It arrived on Monday, but seeing as Brent works past post office hours I wasn't able to pick it up until yesterday. As I sat in the post office parking lot trying to get the package open despite the 785 layers of tape, Ches licked the box in anticipation, and the lady in the vehicle next to us got a good laugh at the sight of us. There was something for each of us. And we were all thrilled!

This guy was my favorite. He squawks! And he comes complete with fruity eggs shoved in his bum. :) Ches loves him, Willie is terrified of him, and it was a fun treat, amongst the chocolate and pretty stuff. Thanks Mom & Dad!!

Brent was in Fairbanks Saturday morning for continuing education class so the kids and I just chilled around the house. Here Willie is looking on because I'm pretty sure Ches stole his rawhide chew. Life is so unfair when you're little. Ha!

Saturday morning was beautiful so I started out doing a little spring cleaning. Later in the afternoon we took a trip South of town to do some hiking, and I'll tell you about that in the next post. All in all, a good start to a great weekend!

Dead Puppies Aren't Much Fun...

Before I start I want to say that everyone here is fine. No dead puppies. But that might only be because they're not much fun...

My brothers, uncle, cousins and I attended bible at Camp Indianhead. We had a camp counselor who introduced us to the awful, morbid, hilarious song about dead puppies. Yes, at bible camp. Ha. It is one of my favorite memories, and I wish I could remember the words. It was hilarious.

My day started out in usual fashion. We had trips to the woods for the dogs to do their duty. Then feeding time at the zoo with the normal chasing, shooing, growling and gulping of food. After all of that hoopla, the frozen water, and getting Brent off to work, I managed to sneak back to bed for a couple more winks of sleep. And man, someone is glad that I did.

I started the day thinking that it was a beautiful day in the low-mid 40's. In the late morning the sun came out and it was glorious. I tied Willie out in the front yard, and had Ches in the yard taking advantage of the quiet farm, and the sunny day. I decided since Willie had gotten stuck under the porch I would bring them in for a little break.

Willie comes in and was rambunctious. He loves to run around the couch. Around one end and under the round table on the other end. The table with the floor length cloth that he always gets stuck in. As he makes the corner for the second time I see him pull the cloth, causing the table to wobble, spilling my Diet Coke all over. Soda goes every where. Ev. Ery. Where. Insane.

I strip the cloth off, grab a few more items and head to the laundry room. In the process I let Ches out to run in the yard, sniffing and exploring. When I come in I decide to let Willie out to play again. I head to make the bed and hear a vehicle outside. As the van pulls up I step out onto the porch to see what they need. The driver steps out asking my name, getting Ches's attention as she bounds toward him barking like a raving lunatic, he lunges for the truck, and I try to wrangle her back inside. Once Ches was securely inside, he brings me my package, I sign in someone else's scribble, and we hear the most desperate yelping and yipping from under the porch. Willie is stuck. Again. 10 minutes later red-faced we're all inside and ready for a nap.

A little later in the afternoon I decide to let them out again. I go about my business, opening windows, letting in the fresh air and I realize that I cannot see Ches. So I go outside, notice Willie all tangled up, bring him in and he dashes for the back bedroom. I think to myself, "hmmm, that's odd." I go back out to get Ches and as she comes toward me there is the most horrid smell. POOP. Good heavens, she is covered. As I head in to grab paper towels to hook her to the tie out it hits me that somewhere hiding in my house is a mini-me also covered in poop. Oh. My. Heavens.

After much yelling, some gagging, crying (done by me) and a lot of shampoo they are clean and go into hiding. It was possibly the quietest afternoon I have had. I washed everything. Three times. And it still stinks like poop. I am done with poop. Seriously.

When Brent got home I told him the story and he laughed himself silly. Nice Honey. Next time I think I'll save bath time for him... lol.

This is Ches in hiding. I was drying her off and told her to go lay down. She did. And she didn't move for hours. At least she listens...

This is Willie thinking I can't see him. Even he was smart enough to hide in the corner, far away from me. (See that mark on the wall above him, that's where he gnawed the paint off the wall.)

On another note, this is a lovely spring sunset. There is water, orangy-red water, everywhere. I'm assuming it's the minerals (?) but the water runs red in these ditches. Since the ground is still frozen it all sits on top causing much mud and chaos. We will likely need our four-wheel drive to get in to the driveway by the end of the weekend.

Hope you are enjoying spring!

Have a happy day!

GEESE!

It has been beautiful here in the land of the (upcoming) Midnight Sun! It has bobbled around the 40 degree mark for nearly a whole week, and we are losing snow like crazy! This of course makes the parking lots super slickery with the added melt, but it's worth it. I should really dig out Brent's extra pair of Yak Trax for walking the Poop Troop. But I don't know where they are, and frankly the effort doesn't seem necessary.

We have been taking the kids out back and running them senseless in an effort to get a full night's sleep. This worked on Wednesday night, but not last night. I am convinced that Willie must have been too excited about his gross (and disgusting) find in the woods. He was thrilled so we let him drag it around. In his defense it is just a grouping of feathers, but I still can't make myself look at it. He, is awfully proud, as you can tell here.

My friend Susan told me that she had heard that there were geese in our area, and that it was the first sign of Spring. Since this is my first Alaskan spring, I will take her good information. And this morning, guess what I saw? As I stepped out to let the kids out, we all stopped at the tell tale calls of the geese. Ches got super excited and took off bounding across the hay field, I think she thought I was going to shoot one, and Willie was flabbergasted, but the sight was great!


Today I had my friend Mary Lou over for lunch. I made some soup, salad and sandwiches. It was simple but good, and the company was excellent. While I was preparing for her visit I decided to run the vacuum quick. I normally vacuum while Brent takes the kids out to play, but since I was alone I had to vacuum while they were inside. Ches cowered on the couch hoping that I wouldn't suck her up, and Willie hid under the bed. When it came time to vacuum the bedroom I ran up the first side and heard him scrambling to the other side, pretty soon his little ebony head popped up and he whimpered. I turned the machine off, lifted him onto the bed, and started on my way. The poor little thing was huddled between the pillows shaking like a leaf during a hurricane. Poor baby. So of course I had to cuddle him a little bit, and then he bit my nose. Ingrate!

After dinner this evening Brent, Ches and I took a drive down Main Street U.S.A. to check out the scenery. Willie stayed home as he isn't a huge fan of riding in cars, so we left him home. When we returned we played and played and tried to avoid his piranha-like teeth. Eventually he pooped out and found a nice, comfy spot on Brent's lap to snuggle.

Happy Spring from the Kings!

New Things

One thing nice about moving to a new state, and experiencing a new season, is seeing new birds, plants and animals. This is a gray jay. They are quite large, and while I didn't photograph this one, we have one that was checking out our garbage can and an old piece of pizza.

I took out the garbage yesterday a.m. with Rambunctious Willie and Timid Ches to discover after slipping, tripping and swearing that I had forgotten the lighter in the house. When I returned with the lighter I saw Jay sitting on the edge of my can munching on pizza. So I left the garbage for a little bit so he could enjoy the buffet and I could get a picture. But I didn't manage to procure one.

In other news it has been 7 days since Willie's arrival. We're having a lot of fun with him, but he is a lot more work than Ches. A lot more. He and Ches play quite a bit, when she isn't tired of his nipping, and it's fun to watch him mimic Ches. He's gotten smart to the treat jar and now everytime he comes in he thinks he needs treats. Little booger.

This morning we woke at 4:30 a.m. to no water. Again. I called the neighbors to thaw it at 5:30
so that the neighbors might have water, but they didn't arrive until after 7 a.m. It's frustrating. It's on the list of things that need to be discussed shortly.

Other than that we've been enjoying the warmer weather. It's been about 40 degrees and we are definitely losing snow. However, our driveway has become a skating rink and it's kind of funny to watch Willie launch himself off the deck and slide for a few feet when he has to go out.

With the warmer weather we are definitely noticing more songbirds and finches. Hopefully they'll come closer in coming weeks so we can snap some pics of them. There certainly seem to be a lot of varieties. When I googled birds of Alaska I noticed that they have the red wing black bird here. I really liked them growing up so I'm anxious to see if they are this far North.

We are also having about 16 hours of light now. When I peaked out the window at 10:14 last night I could see the trees across the field. So that is wonderful. The moon lately has been nearly full, and a bright orange ball in the sky.

Hope you are all warm and enjoying Spring! Have a happy day!

Introducing Willie

Meet Willie. Or, Naughty Willie. He's cute, but he's naughty. Brent calls him the Tazmanian Devil. He runs around with his mouth open waiting to slit you with his razor sharp teeth. He's sweet...when he's sleeping, and I'm definitely not used to having a baby in the house. Now that we're on Day 5 of Willie's stay in our home we're settling in, and I think we've all adjusted. Maybe.

This is a picture of Tanya and I. It was taken by Alyssa, and since it was a half way decent picture of me I decided to plop it on here. Tanya planned a scavenger hunt for their family that brought them from their home in North Pole to Delta Junction to visit us. They scoped out our home, visited the chickens and other farmyard animals, and then we helped them complete the rest of their hunt and dined with them at the Buffalo Center Diner in town. It was a great day full of noise, chaos and fun! The dogs both loved all of the attention and we all slept well last night.

Willie's visit started out rocky, but if you look closely you can see that Willie is snuggled right up to her. The little white spot on her abdomen is Willie, upside down and sleeping soundly.

Today we decided to take advantage of the glorious Alaska sunshine. It was 30 degrees in Delta today, but the sun was high and warm!! I actually took off my jacket for the last portion of our hike. Our only goal for the day was to wear little Willie out! I think we've succeeded, perhaps? The little guy in the picture above is (I believe) a pine squirrel. He was giving us heck for interrupting his peaceful day. Perched high in the tree of course.

The photos above and below are of the Clearwater River. The water was beautiful, and cold. Ches and Willie had fun sampling some of this sparkling Alaska water. And the scenery's not bad either.

Tomorrow begins another week. Brent is off so I think we'll head to Fairbanks sometime mid-morning. Hoping you are all warm and toasty!! Enjoy your spring!

On another note I wanted to wish Jana a very Happy 21st Birthday!! She celebrated her big day yesterday with her family and friends!! Hope your day was super special!

Wee Willie

I would love to post pics of little Willie. But have you ever tried taking pictures of a very exuberant black puppy?? Despite my numerous attempts, I have failed, and failed, and failed. You'll just have to trust me on this one. He is REALLY cute. And really naughty.

Last night was difficult. However, over time, and a rescue call from my younger brother Kyle, we have been having much success with each passing hour. I have taken my cues from Ches and let her put over-excited Willie in his place a time or two. And now he is much calmer, and doesn't jump in her face as much anymore.

We took three lengthy walks today to try to tire him out, and keep Ches happy. The first walk was a disaster. Willie weaving in between my legs and Chessa's. Ice. Passing cars. And Karla flat on her face on the pavement. I nearly punctured a hole in the bear spray which being safely tucked away in my hoodie pocket with me holding on to two uncooperative dogs would have led to all three of us being eaten by a bear. But I had it. I have a skinned up elbow and a bruised ego to show for it. But hey, at least I didn't break an arm. Again.

The water froze again today. I. Give. Up. It's getting really frustrating, and while I'm trying to be patient, I'm finding it increasingly difficult. But we're all alive. We have had no more potty issues in the house, and I am listening to Wee Willie sigh in his sleep. Have I mentioned how cute he is? And how much work he is? I had forgotten. There are many nice things about adopting an older dog. But I think we got really lucky with out sweet Chessa girl.

Have a happy day!

Blow Baby Blow

Hoooweee. It was windy today. And that wind was cold. Brrrr. The actual temperature was nice in the 20's but that wind cuts right through you. I'm also assuming it's the wind that has left me feeling oh-so-chilly indoors as well. I generally wear a tee and sweats around the house. No socks. But I've been wrapping my tootsies up because it chilly. Apparently according to the long-timers that Brent works with this is one of the nicest winters they've experienced. I personally think they're full of bologna! Ha!

Ches and I took a couple of walks today. We wandered down the snowmachine path next to the road and Ches had the scent of something she liked and pulled me right over into the snow. Splat! Before I even knew what hit me. Unfortunately for me there was someone driving by, and I'm sure they got a very good chuckle out of it. I got up, brushed myself off, and huffed my way home. With Ches in tow. Oh, she knew she was in trouble.

When Brent got home from work tonight we ate dinner and headed out for a drive. We were barely down Tanana Loop Ext. and what did we see? A nice, big, fat moose. No camera, of course, but at least I got to see her. You almost don't recognize them because they are huge. Unbelievably huge. She was pretty in that awkward preteen with knobby knees way, and I can't wait to see more of her. From a distance. lol.

It was a nice night. The sky was cloud filled, but not covered. The sunset was beautiful with peaks of pink and orange. I guess you'll just have to come and visit in order to see it... lol.

Happy day!

Driving Miss Chessie

Happy Sunday! Today was a clear, sun-filled, chilly day of 12 degrees here in Delta. Brent surprised me this morning by making me breakfast. While I love to cook it's always nice when he cooks a little breakfast.

While I cleaned up the kitchen we watched Horton Hears A Who, which is a delightful little film. So cute. I really enjoyed it. It has a great message, and I'm thinking I may need to buy this one and add it to my collection.

After I had cleaned the kitchen I decided it was time to dirty it again. I put a roast, green bell pepper, onions, and pepperoncini peppers in the crockpot for Italian Beef sandwiches for dinner. Then I roasted a batch of old bread for homemade bread crumbs, and then boiled up a chicken carcass and veggies for some homemade chicken stock.

Since it was so lovely we decided to take a drive, just the three of us, and see what we could find to capture for you. Here it goes...

Welcome to Delta Junction!!

We decided to start out South of town since this is the area that we have spent the least amount of time exploring. It was a beautiful drive and the Wrangell Mountains were especially pretty today. I managed to catch a few different shots in the pictures both above and below, but I don't want to bore you to tears, so I only posted a couple.

After leaving the Wrangells we headed back out to the Clearwater Lodge area. The above photo is taken of the Clearwater River in Clearwater State Recreation Area. This is actually a boat launching area. The water was open and clear, Ches really wanted to go for a swim, but we kept her out. I have a feeling we'll be visiting here in the summer.

Ches and I on the banks of the Clearwater River.

Brent and Ches went off to explore the woods beyond where my boots would take me. I made the unfortunate mistake of only wearing a vest and Uggs, I should have had my snow boots and coat on. Next time I'll be better prepared.

As we left Clearwater State Recreation Area I was complaining about not seeing any moose, again. And was pleasantly surprised when we came upon this herd of caribou. They were quite far out in the field but I managed to zoom in to get a pretty good view. I have photos of about half the herd. The other half were grazing behind a clump of trees. It was nice to see them, as this is the first herd we've seen since the long drive to get here.

After dinner we decided to take advantage of the quickly fading light and took a drive down Tanana Loop. The mountains were beautiful and though we didn't see any moose, or other wildlife, it is beautiful and breathtaking just to be out there. The above photo is of the Alaska Range at dusk. The sun was sinking quickly behind them and they stood like ghosts on the horizon. I couldn't resist snapping a pic.

We hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Ours was great and relaxing! Have a happy day!