Sunrise 9:43 a.m.      Sunset 3:15 p.m.

The days keep getting shorter and shorter.  This picture- sorry about the quality- was taken at 8:56 A.M.  Yes folks, that's the moon.  The morning moon.  The sun didn't rise for another 45 minutes after this photo was taken.

The temperatures have unseasonably warm for us.  This past week consisted of temps near or above 30 degrees, rain, snow and more rain.  My Volvo has a lovely crystalline sheen and it's nearly impossible to open the trunk.  Even more impossible is closing the trunk.  The graders and plows have been out, which is fairly rare.  They have sanded, grooved the ice coating the highways, and lo and behold, someone actually plowed the road to our house.  Last year we had tons of snow, and no one ever seemed to find us...hmmmmm...

While friends in North Pole and Fairbanks experienced power outages, we had black road reports out on base, which means all non-essential personnel are either sent home, or shop bound.  Brent and I both had early days on Monday.  School was out for Monday afternoon and Tuesday, thought they were back in session for one - I'm almost positive- rowdy day before Thanksgiving weekend.  I worked a record-breaking week of 7 hours.  I can tell you're impressed.

I took time to play in the ice and snow with my furbabies. I read a book, took a nap, made lasagna for dinner, and also managed to fit in some mundane household chores.  The dogs really liked having me around.  Treats, treats and treats...and throwing the dummies.  That's my purpose on earth, as far as Cash and Ches are concerned.

Brent has been busying himself with snares and traps.  I'm not thrilled about this hobby, but it brings him joy, and memories of many childhood winters with his grandpa.  It's proving to be a slow year, which is frustrating him to no end, and making me silently blissful.  I would never admit such things to him, but he knows how I feel.  We have a rule.  He can have as much fun as he wants, be as happy as he wants, but there is no discussing it with me.  Thankfully he can talk to my dad about it until the cows come home... phew!  

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.  And we have much to be thankful for.  Life in the Last Frontier has proved to be challenging, exhilarating, happy and slow...all the things that we were ready for it seems.  Winter is a time of reflection, and the holidays only compound that, so I thought perhaps I'd be thinking more about "home" and my childhood.  I'm not, as much as I thought I'd be.  I'm thinking about our next adventure.  Where it might be.  When it might be.  And hoping it doesn't take us away from Alaska too soon...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.  Hoping you find much to be thankful for this holiday season.  Hoping your hearts and homes (and tummies) are filled to the brim!  

Much Love,

Brent, Karla, Ches and Cash

p.s.  Grammatical and spelling errors corrected- is that better Dad?? ;)

Fueling up

In preparation for our journey we purchased a new video camera. Can't have a video diary without a fancy pants camera to capture it all. So we bit the bullet and bought ourselves a snazzy little handy cam. So far so good, we practiced with it in Grygla this weekend and managed to capture some priceless deer tales.

Today it's 17 degrees in Delta. It was 33 here and I thought I was going to freeze to death. My only solace is that I'll be able to work from home, wrapped in down from head to toe, and not have to go out in it every day.

Brent is a fiend for information. I think he craves it, much like a body craves water for survival. Today he came upon the information that 1000 accidents per winter happen between Delta and Fairbanks. There is a spot near North Pole that claims over 700 of those accidents. This is scary. I don't like ice. Snow I can handle, by the bucket loads, but ice. I freeze. Pun intended.

We're still searching for a home. There were some new listings on the Delta News Web today so I will call tomorrow to find out more information. It's still a bit early. I don't want to have to put out anymore money than necessary, but we've heard that finding a place for Ches may be difficult. Time will tell.

Other than that, nothing new. I'm sitting here in my short sleeves trying to thicken up my skin. I don't think it's working, and I'm going to jump under my electric blanket. Audrae, if I haven't said....THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ELECTRIC BLANKET!!! lol.

Happy Day!