The Towel

When I woke up this morning my first words to the hubby were, "that's it, I've had it, we're moving"!  To which Brent succinctly replied "No".  That's it.  I got a lot of words in, unfortunately they were after he left the house.  The froze up, waterless house.

There's nothing like stumbling down the steps, blindly wandering through a dark house, tripping over toys and bumping into the table, use the bathroom facilities, flush, and nada.  Nothing.  Trust me, when you're expecting their to be a soft whooshing noise, followed by nothing.  You're suddenly WIDE awake.  WIDE. AWAKE.  Ugh.

After a little bit of a temper tantrum (on my part) and a swift retreat (on his part), I packed up my pity party and thanked God for friends with extra bathrooms, houses, offices, etc.  I found a place to shower, rushed home, went through my normal routine, and headed off to work.

This winter, and now break up season, has been challenging.  I'm thankful for the abundant sun light, rising temps, and even the dirty, melting snow.  I'm hoping, as in past years, that summer will revive my spirit and renew my love for this beautiful, bountiful state.

This morning wasn't the first time the well has frozen.  Our fire damage is nearly fixed.  I'm not really sure if, or when, the contractor's helper plans to come back to finish it up.  I can tell you this, I'm happy it's not my bill, because we'd be duking it out.  And I would not be paying.  The work is fine.  I've seen plenty of construction, and I won't say it's great, but it's fine.  The customer service, terrible.  As I said, it's not my bill, and I'm thrilled about it.

Sunrise  7:28 a.m.   Sunset  8:08 p.m.

The above, is the most perfect thing in the world. :)  I love the long days, the sun coming up high in the sky, light when I leave for work, light long into the evening.  

Yesterday I took my first evening walk, without a coat.  It was heavenly.  With temps nearing 40 degrees, and over night temps ranging between 5 and 20 above zero, we're inching, sneaking, toward break up.  Oh goodness, please let it come soon.

I'm hoping for lots of sun and warmth this weekend.  Perhaps Brent will take a little time off from chopping, splitting and stacking wood to play.  

Ooh, the possibilities are endless. 

Think Spring!

Old Dog, New Tricks

I'd start off by apologizing, again, for being neglectful.  Truth is.  It's been a long winter, and frankly, I don't think you'd want to hear what I have to say.  I can officially say that I'm beginning to think this winter will never end.  I don't know that it came particularly early, but for us, it's stunk.  The cold, the fire, the frozen septic, and chaos.  Our house STILL isn't fixed.  We did start using the stove out of necessity.  With fuel at about $3.60/gallon we would have been broke in no time.  Luckily, knock on wood, we haven't had issues.  

To say I'm frustrated would probably be the understatement of the century.  The fire happened weeks before Christmas.  It's March.  STILL not fixed.  As you might have guessed, customer service in this area is lacking.  I believe some folks would say that most people here have a case of "My Give-a-Damn's Busted".  Simply don't care.

To break up the monotony of February, Brent rented a snowmachine on President's Day weekend.  MWR was having a deal, so he rented a sled and got in a little caribou hunting, moose hunting and play.  It was darn cold that weekend, but he did have fun.  As you can tell, so did Miss Chessa.  She loves to ride.  And she thought she was pretty darn smart.  :)  Cash was scared of the sled, of course, and chose to run behind and bark.  Incessantly. 

A couple weeks ago we got some snow and a lot of wind.  Which made it nearly impossible for me to get my little sedan out of our driveway.  In fact, there were a couple days I had to have my friend, and boss, come and pick me up.  Nice.  

After some more frustrating and expensive encounters with local "business people" we decided to just go buy a plow and be done with it.  In the end it will be far less frustrating, and a lot cheaper.  And provides much more entertainment for the hubby.

In Mid-February I started a new job on post.   I went from working for one friend to working for another.  The transition from jobs has been fine.  The transition from work times has been quite another story.  Luckily with our schedules we're home and working together, and I even get to sneak in lunch dates with the hubster. Occasionally.  The new job is good, I'm enjoying the change, and despising being "the new person".  Hopefully I'll be completely comfortable soon.  Very soon.

As you can tell, everyone enjoys the new plow.  And since plowing is very hard work he takes his gaggle of girls (and Cash) with him where ever he goes.  Maggie (the neighbor's dog- front seat) is agile and frisky.  She likes to play games of leap frog in and out of the moving ATV.  Luckily Brent is adept at making sure that she doesn't get hurt.  By him anyway.

The sun is finally warming, and giving me hope that spring, or break up, will happen soon.  There's still entirely too much snow on the ground, and the temps aren't nearly as warm as I'd like them to be, but we're getting there.  Slowly, but surely.  The moose are lightening, which I'm assuming is a nutrition thing, and I'm hoping lots of them are cooking moose bambinos in there.

Soon we'll have to start watching for bear sign.  Hopefully even sooner than that we'll here the drip, drip, drip of melting white.  In the meantime we're embracing the last parts of winter and praying for a lovely summer.

Happy Nearly Spring!!

A little bit of this..a little bit of that...

I know it's been a while.  I've been lazy.  There, I said it.  Well, I don't know if lazy is really the right word, but I've been procrastinating this one, which always makes it worse.  I've had a couple things on my mind, we'll talk about those later.

This is Brent and the dogs on Christmas Eve.  We ventured out to take a drive, relax, enjoy our beautiful frosty surroundings and see what we could see.  As usual it was a beautiful drive, despite Cash's never-ending attempts to climb into the front seat, and when reprimanded the constant sighing and squeaky yawn he does to let us know that he's irritated.  Ches is a wonderful traveler, and I'm hoping (praying and begging God) that Cash will grow to be a better traveler.  Since the day was particularly frigid I stayed in while the Three Amigos decided to hunt up some rabbit, or something.

This is Chris-moose!  I (originally) wanted to do a post with just this picture.  Our Christmas Moose! Ha!  Such a pretty girl she is, all snuggled into the white wonderland.  I wonder what Santa brought this Mama and her baby??

Christmas Day we hosted 8 friends at our table.  It was a nice, relaxing day with so much food I thought I'd explode.  Our cabin in the woods was cozy and warm.  Great conversations, awesome food, some presents, and brimming with lots of laughs.  My only regret is that we didn't have a slightly larger, more comfortable area so we could have sat longer, chatted longer, and had more friends to join us.

For dessert (I don't love baking) Brent talked me into baking this gorgeous pecan chocolate torte.  Too bad it didn't taste as good as it looks!  It was okay, but sadly not the best thing I've ever made.  I think Brent was dreaming of a moist devils food, and this was NOT it.  I'll be trying something next time.

New Year's Eve we decided to take in some ice fishing.  What a gorgeous day!! It was 38 degrees out on the ice.  As usual I avoided the bulk of the fishing, and played with the pooches.  Sitting still, looking at an icy hole, waiting for a random fishy to swim by and happen to bite my teeny tiny hook isn't the most fun I can think of.  But being on the ice on a warm and windy day, playing with fish (see above) and having a grand ole time is right up my alley.

Poor little fishy. Mutilated by Cash as he tossed and chased and barked and tossed some more.  Before hauling the poor little trout off to be buried in a bank of snow. 

This is Brent and Whitey.  Taking a picture of the fish they caught. Yep.  Both of them.  It goes a little bit like this.  Early in the day Whitey was feeling relaxed and lucky, he laid is pole on a chair while he chatted and jeered the other inhabitants.  Much to Whitey's dismay, the pole lurched from the chair to slide down the hole, Whitey attempted to reach the pole, sticking his arm shoulder-deep in ice cold water.  Unfortunately his crappie flop only earned him a very chilly arm.  The (rented) pole was lost, and he spent a good amount of time belly-aching about having to replace the pole.

After a visit from a very nice conservation officer from Ft. Wainwright, Brent used the auger to make himself a hole outside of the shanty.  As he was waiting and waiting he felt a faint tug on his line.  He reeled it up to discover that he had caught someone else's line, presumably from inside the shanty.  Whitey happened to be walking by at just that moment, right before Brent tossed the line back in.  Whitey pulled the line, fish, and his lost rod out of the frigid water.  And that, folks, is the story of how Whitey and Brent caught the same fish.  Well, technically Whitey caught the fish and Brent caught the pole! Ha!

I'm pretty sure this photo strikes fear and loathing in my father.  I'm positive he was happy he wasn't visiting on this particular slobber-filled day in our lives.  My father tolerates my dogs, only because I leave him no other option, but he doesn't love them.  They're fine as long as they don't kiss, touch, jump or come within 50 feet of him.  Ha!  Good luck, Dad!! 

Brent and I decided that it would be nice for Charlie (dog #2 from left) and Cash (dog #4 from left) to have a play date for their birthday.  They turned 1 on December 26th!!! YAY!  While Charlie was visiting, Maggie (dog #1) decided to come and play, leaving us with a menagerie of mongrels.  They are so much fun.  Outside.  Outside Only.  Holy Cat!  4 dogs in the house is insane.  Crazy even. 

Alaska holds the most beautiful skies I've ever seen.  They are expressive beyond anything I've laid my eyes upon, and change constantly.  New Year's Day they presented us (and that's exactly what it was, a gift) with the most vibrant cobalt blue skies.  They ranged from navy (nearly black) to the faintest aqua and you stood and circled your body. 

The camera really does them no justice.  They were fantastic.  I just stood, in wonder, and watched them shift over head.  Saturated color, you could almost taste it.  Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  And with that sentence, I'm pretty sure my oldest brother just broke into a fit of hysterics.  But you should have seen it.  Fantastic!

Another shot of blueberry skies....

The periwinkle hue over the roof top was my favorite.  I'm so blessed.  Alaska is beautiful, harsh, rugged and glorious.  I'm happy to have seen it, grateful to have lived in it.  It's like nothing I've ever seen before.  Leaves me wanting for more...

This is the usual scene at our house these days.  Brent and Maggie snuggled on the couch, Cash pestering Maggie to play, play, play, and Chessa begging me with her eyes to "please send Maggie home".  Ha!

In other news I have accepted a new position.  I am experiencing bittersweet feelings.  I will leave a job that I love, and a very, very good friend.  I will miss seeing her, and her family, on a daily basis, but it's not like I'm leaving the country.  I am taking a job on post, with another friend, so I'm lucky to have the best of both worlds.  I don't know when I'll start yet, but 2011 is bound to be a great year!

Happy New Year!!!

 



Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!  May you enjoy your time spent with family and friends, and take time to enjoy the season!  We'll be missing you all!!

Winter Solstice

Sunrise 10:45 a.m.         Sunset  2:35 p.m.

The solstice came yesterday.  Which means the longest of winter days are behind us.  Phew.  Unfortunately the additional light is slow to come for a few weeks yet.  We'll pick it up quicker as time goes on.  Did you all catch that lunar eclipse last night?  Spectacular.  I didn't get to see it go red, but I parts of it from the bedroom window.  Spectacular.

The past few days have been quiet.  I've been baking, attending Christmas plays and trying to get the house put back to semi-rights after all the crap that's happened.  I'm ready for some peace.  And I'm really hoping I didn't just jinx myself.

Friday afternoon Brent picked me up.  I dashed from the truck to capture the moon.  At 4:17 p.m.  It was so pretty and bright.  It casts eerie shadows across the driveway, making me more hesitant to spend anytime outdoors.  Without dogs and guns.  Luckily I have plenty supply of both.  Phew!

Lately I find Cash in this position a lot.  He's waiting for Maggie.  His buddy.  From a neighboring farm.  She comes to play every day.  Yes, every.single.day.  Some days twice a day.  Last Thursday I was off from work due to extremely cold temps.  -50 and below. So, this is Cash waiting at about -35 below.  He has thicker skin than I do.  No thanks.  Brrrr.  That also turned out to be the day we got our plumbing back.  Amen.  Hallelujah.  Praise God.  This is as rustic as I get.  I can't do outdoor "plumbing".  There are some miraculously strong people out there.  No thanks.  

Saturday we made a trip to Fairbanks.  We braved the crowds and craptacular roads.   Got our necessary items, that I absolutely could not find here in Delta.  Stopped at Pagoda for a quick and yummy lunch in North Pole.  Tried to visit the Santa Claus house to pick up Savannah and RJ's letters from Santa.  But alas, the lines were too long, and the parking lot was out of empty spaces.  We kept driving.  

Sunday Brent made us breakfast, I cleaned, baked and cooked.  Brent put a moose roast in the oven, and we just enjoyed the holiday season.  Sunday evening we attended the Christmas program at First Baptist Church here in Delta.  What a production!  There are some talented kids in this community.  The program consisted of 45 children, varying ages, and a team of dedicated parents.  It was uplifting, fun, joyful, and fun!  You could tell the kids were thoroughly enjoying themselves up there, and they all did a great job!

Later that evening I packed up some cookies and headed to a friends house for games and friend time.  It was the perfect end to a relaxing weekend.  I have no complaints.  None.  At all. 

Thursday I'll have off to prepare for Christmas dinner at our house on Saturday.  Friday we're off to do some ice fishing.  Finally.  It's our first trip and I'm looking forward to it.  Which means I can't procrastinate on Thursday!!  There will be 9 of us for dinner, and I'm going to have to get mighty creative to get us all in here.  But we'll work it out.  For sure. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!! Stay warm!

Baby It's Cold Outside

It's cold.  Not just cold, really, really cold.  How cold?  Cold enough that I left my car running for a good portion of the day.  Because I'm missing an important piece of equipment.  A block heater.  Kind of dumb for any Alaskan to live without one. Especially one without a garage.  But it is what it is.  So, run it did.  Thank goodness my lovely little Volvo is good on gas. Phew!

It's cold.  Cold enough to freeze a septic system.  Yep. You read that right.  And since we live in the land of self-sufficiency my dear hubby has been trying to thaw it.  He's done a lot of research.  Learned the tricks that do and don't work here in the tundra.  Until finally.  He called a septic guy.  This guy's words of wisdom.  "Good Luck".  Yep, that's it.  He wasn't going to bother to come out in -40 degree temps.  Nice.  It's obvious he's not the one peeing in the frigid temperatures.  No outhouse either.  I think I might have to build one this summer.  You know.  Just in case.

3 days I have lived without plumbing.  Plumbing, electricity and an internet connection were my only requirements for moving to Alaska.  Well, two out of three ain't bad!  Ha!  Honestly, I'm taking it in stride.  It's livable, though not ideal, but we'll survive.  The rumor is that Septic Guy #2 will make an appearance some time tomorrow.  Brent's not-so-secretly wants his last ditch effort to work.  I'm optimistic, but realistic.  I'm not canceling Septic Guy #2 just yet.

So, as of now we have no toilet or shower, and no wood stove.  I am very thankful for back up heat.  The rumor around town is that -40 is warmish compared to what we may get.  It was -48 degrees at the Clearwater Lodge tonight.  Where we ate dinner.  While the car idled outside.

We're snuggled in.  Waiting for normalcy to return.  Praying that it's soon.  And just trying to find the positive in all the discord that's found us.  Someone did tell me that Mercury was in retrograde.  I hope it's out soon...

Stay Warm!!

Keepin' The Home Fires Burnin'

**Before I start this post I want to say that we are all fine, unharmed, healthy and warm.  Enjoy the read.

Thursday evening I came home, as usual.  Stoked the fire, as usual.  Let out the dogs, as usual.  I took care of the dinner dishes that I had been too lazy to tackle the evening before, which is unusual.  I was doing dishes, laundry, and watching something on the computer.

I needed to soak one of my pans, the reason for my lazy delay in the first place.  I sat in the chair, computer on my lap, Ches at my feet.  Cash and Maggie (the neighbor dog) playing in the yard.  As I was watching I heard a dripping, or maybe a sizzle.  I glanced at the faucet.  Nothing.  I glanced at the fire place.  Fire!  In the wrong place.  Panic.  I let out an expletive.  And went into action.

I first replaced my pajama pants with real pants.  Jeans.  Slipped on my Uggs, shooed Ches outside, which confused her, dialed Brent.  No answer.  Panic.  Dialed 9-1-1.  All I have to say, is thank God for 9-1-1 dispatchers.  She kept me calm, kept me even, soothed my frazzled nerves.  I got out the dogs, put them in the car, and proceeded to back away from the house to give the fire truck room, if needed.  Said a prayer that it wouldn't be needed.  Was obviously frazzled, got the car stuck.  Left it there, running, with dogs inside.  Sent Maggie home, and she miraculously listened.  Did another silent Hallelujah.

When the operator was satisfied that I wasn't going to stay in the house, and that the fire personnel were on their way, I hung up.  Dialed Brent.  Got Steve (his co-worker and friend), and once I heard his voice, LOST MY MARBLES.  After I shouted that the house was on fire, about 3 times, I hung up.  At this point I was nearing a panic attack, and needed someone to calm me down.  I was alone.  I called my Mom.  Which in hindsight, only made her panic.  But she managed to calm me down.  The stove pipe was neon orange and glowing.  I had managed to save the dogs, the computer, the camera and the guns.  To be honest, I couldn't think of anything else that was that important.  We weren't inside.

I grabbed a coat for myself.  And some gloves.  It was -10 and I'd been outside for about 10 minutes in a thin t-shirt before I noticed that I didn't have a coat.  Once I'd grabbed a coat, and still on with my mom, I decided to head down the driveway with a flashlight, to signal the people coming to help.  I started out, forgot a gun, and headed back for a gun.  All the while my mom is trying to convince me that I can't go, I'll be eaten, or something.  That I should drive.  I had to cop to the fact that I got the car stuck.  Luckily I didn't have the where-with-all to be embarrassed.

I hung up and headed down the driveway, in the dark, sobbing, with a pistol and a phone.  By the time I reached the end of the drive way I got the giggles.  It may have been hysteria, but giggle I did.  As I stood there, calmer, pointing my strobing flashlight in every direction, seeking for glowing eyes in the dark.  Phew.  Relief.  Soon I saw headlights.  More headlights and FINALLY, heard the sirens, horns.  Utter relief.

Delta Junction has a volunteer fire department.  Let me tell you, they reacted quickly.  I saw the first, second, and third set of headlights.  Volunteers coming from their homes, to help me at mine.  I walked back to the house, and two firemen were already inside.  I just stood outside and watched.  Soon the big truck with lights flashing was there, and I could breathe.

I stood there, talking to my husband, whom I begged to drive carefully and assured that the whole house wasn't in flames.  Tried reaching our landlord.  And couldn't.  And waited.  Thankfully the men were much calmer than I was, and kind.  Considerate.  Conscientious.  Turns out that while the fire was very hot and very real, they managed to put it out quickly, all while being contained in the stove pipe.  Phew.

In the end we lost some drywall, and some insulation.  We'll need to replace the pipe all the way up through the roof.  But we are lucky.  Fortunate.  Blessed.  It could have been so much worse.    I have attached some photos of the damage.

This is the discoloration of the pipe and ash on top of the stove.  

The stove is fine.  In perfect condition, just coated in a fine ash.

This photo is the top of the pipe, where they cut  out the wall to access the insulation.

This is two pieces of charred foam insulation and the rope that goes around the top of the pipe.  

You can see the black charring on all of the pieces.

Our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks goes out to the volunteer firefighters with the Delta Fire Department.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!