Well, technically, they are here. My father-in-law and brother-in-law got into town last weekend. We've been busy, and the schedule has been hectic. With the guys gone for a four day fishing trip, I am glad to have a little "break", to get some work done!
Our week started with some Delta Junction tourism. In all fairness, it's not a long "tour". And since both fellas are from larger cities, I am not sure they were impressed by our new small-town digs. That's okay. I still like living here. (grin)
We hit all the local "hot spots", and ended our tour with a stop at the drive-in for lunch. Then we dragged them home for dinner with a local friend of ours.
Tuesday's camping trip was ruined by the forest fire smoke, so we made a trip to Fairbanks instead. I hope the in laws had fun. Me? Not so much. If the smoke is bad in Delta, it's 100 times worse in Fairbanks. The smoke was thick, and while it lifted slightly in the afternoon and evening, it kept our fun indoors. At Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart had a purpose, since the guys needed gear for their upcoming fishing trip. It was also well timed, since my computer got a nasty little virus that burned up the mother board and was rendered completely unrepairable. This means I was able to buy a new computer.
For my readers who get email from me, do not open ANYTHING from my yahoo account, which is how it entered. If you need my new email, leave a comment and I'll email ya. (Jenn in Ohio- if you are reading, the email address I had for you doesn't work anymore! Send a new one!)
ANYWAY... the smoke cleared enough in the afternoon to take the girls to Pioneer Park for a ride on the train. While we were there, we played on the playground and then a round of mini-golf, though I think that was mostly to kill the boredom that was setting in with the family. The guys are not exactly Museum Types. In retrospect, Pioneer Park was probably not the best choices of places to go for them, but the girls and I had fun. To make up for the kiddie tour, we took our guests to dinner at the Alaska Salmon Bake.
Oh, locals, I know. It's on the tourist circuit. And I'll admit that I had never eaten there before. (The fact that's it's $30 a plate contributes that fact.)
But I will say this: It was actually really worth it. The "All-You-Can Eat" prime rib, salmon, halibut and cod, along with the salad and dessert bar was really tasty. And the fact that it was outdoors lent to the ambiance AND made it acceptable for my girls to wander around and scream their heads off during dinner.
Wednesday was another smoky day, but not quite as bad. The men, ever eager to break in their new fishing licenses, gladly headed to Quartz Lake, when we met up with a couple of my father in law's friends who are also vacationing in Alaska. The fish weren't biting, so we loaded up and headed to Twin Lakes here in Delta, and set up a nice camp fire for cooking a meal of hot dogs, lake trout, grayling, and S'Mores. (Because what is camping without S'Mores???)
The fishing wasn't much better at that lake, but the company was great. We dragged my father-in-law's friends with us, and they were happy to set up their RV in the more secluded area for the night. The guys inflated the raft boat, and went trolling for a couple hours, while the rest of us stayed back in camp and cooked, cleaned, and played on the shore.
We left our new friends in camp, and headed home... full of good food, company, and smoky from the camp fire. Pops and J and Other J packed up for their fishing trip, and the girls were bathed and tucked into bed.
Thursday morning was a welcome relief for me. I love when we have visitors, but it IS exhausting being the um, Camp Wench. I say that in the most friendly of terms, especially since I know I have in laws reading this! (grin) But playing host is always tiring, and in a small town with few (and expensive) restaurants, there is a lot of work involved in hosting these days.
So the men are off fishing in Valdez. I am hoping they come home with plenty of halibut and shrimp. They are also suggesting the opportunity to catch rockfish, and while I have no idea what that tastes like, I won't turn down free food for the freezer, ya know?
Providing the men do not get eaten by bears, they should return Sunday evening, in time to enjoy their company for a few more days before they return to "The States".
Meanwhile, Beans, Little Nugget and I are holding down the fort in Delta. (Um, no. I wasn't brave enough to take two kids under the age of two on a fishing trip.)
While the men are busy being hunters (well, fishers), we girls spent the day being gatherers of wild Alaska strawberries, and actually harvested enough of the little buggers to make a pint of jam, adding in handful of fresh currants I needed to find a use for.
We also have a handful of household chore to tackle this weekend, as well as some preparation for the Deltana Fair, which is coming up, at the end of the month. I'll be entering a few of my crochet projects, and maybe some jam, if I can find time and a berry patch to spare.
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Smoke
Ah... nothing like the fresh smell of forest fire in the morning.
Today started off smelling like a small campfire. Now (noon-ish), our skies are thick with smoke. Not sure the cause yet, but I am guessing that someone's 4th of July celebrating went horribly wrong. After spending much of the night waiting for a phone call from J, I received a text at 6:30 this morning saying, "Am OK. Just got off call from 1830hrs last night. Will call after I sleep."
That pretty much confirms that something big is (or was) on fire.
Meanwhile, the girls and I are holed up in the house, windows closed to try to block out some smoke, filters on, and hoping for rain.
While trying to entertain a toddler stuck in the house on an otherwise sunny day is proving challenging, we are putting the time to good use, finally getting some pictures in an online album, coloring, painting, and various other activities to try to distract Beans from the idea that the playground would be a perfect place to be today.
Otherwise, we are trying to stay cool. With the windows closed and no air-conditioning (um, it's ALASKA. We generally don't need air conditioning), and the house getting full sun all day (east and west facing windows), it's getting pretty warm in here.
The Moose Nugget household has officially become an unlimited Popsicle zone.
More updates as we get them.
Until then,
Happy and smoke-free Moose Trails!
Today started off smelling like a small campfire. Now (noon-ish), our skies are thick with smoke. Not sure the cause yet, but I am guessing that someone's 4th of July celebrating went horribly wrong. After spending much of the night waiting for a phone call from J, I received a text at 6:30 this morning saying, "Am OK. Just got off call from 1830hrs last night. Will call after I sleep."
That pretty much confirms that something big is (or was) on fire.
Meanwhile, the girls and I are holed up in the house, windows closed to try to block out some smoke, filters on, and hoping for rain.
While trying to entertain a toddler stuck in the house on an otherwise sunny day is proving challenging, we are putting the time to good use, finally getting some pictures in an online album, coloring, painting, and various other activities to try to distract Beans from the idea that the playground would be a perfect place to be today.
Otherwise, we are trying to stay cool. With the windows closed and no air-conditioning (um, it's ALASKA. We generally don't need air conditioning), and the house getting full sun all day (east and west facing windows), it's getting pretty warm in here.
The Moose Nugget household has officially become an unlimited Popsicle zone.
More updates as we get them.
Until then,
Happy and smoke-free Moose Trails!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Bikers, Hitchhikers, and Campers, Oh My!
What an exciting week for the Moose Nugget household!
Monday started as a typical Monday in our household. J got home from work in the morning and the usual conversation over coffee took place:
J: "What do you wanna do?"
Me: "I dunno. What do you wanna do?"
This conversation continued until Beans, in a bored state, decided to dismantle the house. This is also a regular part of our Monday routine. Meanwhile, Little Nugget really didn't care what we were gonna do for the day, as long as her milk source was nearby.
We decided to be tourists in our own town, and took a short trip to Rika's Roadhouse in Delta. Roadhouses used to be set up all over the Last Frontier, as boarding houses for travellers and miners. And patrons complained about the high Alaska prices back then, where bed, breakfast and a bath could cost you a whopping $2.
We did a meander through the collection of boarding houses, barn, main house, and gift shop. Then, because Beans was wining and pretty much threatening to demolish the rest of the museums if we didn't feed her RIGHT NOW, we wandered to the acclaimed restaurant.
Maybe our timing was bad. The "acclaimed" restaurant was devoid of human life AND food. I ended up bribing Beans with S-O-D-A... and that allowed us to finish our tour, which was worth the bribe.
* In fairness to the park, we did get to the restaurant close to closing time! I am assured that the food is great during the earlier business hours!*
I say it was worth the bribe, because we ended up meeting a really neat fellow, John Slade (check him out at sladeride.com). John is a guy from the UK, bicycling through Alaska. Pretty much, "Just because", as one of the things to do on his list of things before, as he said, he "settles down, whatever that means." He started his journey in Prudhoe Bay, and having made it into Delta, was checking out the Roadhouse scenery for a good place to set up camp for the night. After a short chat in the park, J and I convinced him that he would find better food and amenities a little closer to our own stomping grounds, and sent him in the direction of Green Acres, an RV park in Delta Junction. He mentioned needing a few supplies, including bike tires. J and I headed home for a few things and to hit up a couple of our bicycling friends, then circled back around to the RV park to drop off supplies and kidnap our new friend for dinner at the drive-in. We (literally) put him in the back of our Subaru Wagon, and had a nice dinner with great company. After asking him a million and one questions, we reluctantly loaded him back into the Subaru and gave him a lift to his camp.
Seriously, folks. This is one interesting guy, so check out his blog. He's also making some pretty good time!
John, we are thinking about you and tracking you on your blog, and Beans (the older of the girls) is still asking where her friend, "Bike" is! Be safe out there! I hope you are getting better weather.
***
Meanwhile, the rest of our week proved to be equally adventurous.
After our late evening at the drive-in, we got packed up and ready for our first family camping trip. Tuesday morning started with a bunch of cranky, tired girls (me included), but everyone's attitudes improved after the hour long ride to Birch Lake.
On arrival to the Air Force campground, we were a little less than impressed with our dirty cabin. This was quickly remedied by Tika, the new camp manager, who insisted we take one of the rental boats out while she had the cabin cleaned for us.
Boating with the girls initially seemed a bit intimidating, especially given the mood of Beans. I had visions of tantrums and of her flinging herself overboard, but we decided to give it a go. The ride around the lake was great. Beans' only lack of cooperation was in the initial getting on the boat. Once she realized she was going to be okay, she snuggled close and was content to watch the scenery.
Along the way, we saw a young bull moose grazing in the many water lilies. He was as curious as we were, and when we got a little too close, he really started giving us the old moose evil eye. We backed off and continued our boating tour of the lake. When we ran out of snacks, Beans was ready to head back, so we docked the boat and headed back to the cabin to set up house.
Birch Lake is really family friendly. There is a great playground, and a nice beach for the kids to play on. Little Nugget slept contentedly on shore while Beans and I played. The water was cold but Beans didn't care, and after a couple hours of being soaked and sandy, I had to drag her back to the cabin to dry off and get into warmer clothes.
Friends of ours arrived for a cookout as the day started to cool. We made another trip to the lake shore so Beans and her friend could play in the water (and another change of clothes), then back to the cabin to start a campfire and roast hot dogs, heat some baked beans, and of course, make S'mores.
I should add that it would have been better to bring our own wood to camp. While the staff sells a "bundle" of firewood for $5, the "bundle" is ridiculously small. It cost $10 to cook dinner, and we ran out of fire before we had finished making S'mores.
Our evening ended late, and after we sent our friends on their way, we got tucked into sleeping bags for some sleep.
Um, THAT did not go so great, for the record. The cabin was cold (mental note: next time rent one of the cabins with a wood stove!), Beans was overly excited, Little Nugget was less than thrilled with the sleeping bag idea, and J kept stealing the top sleeping bag, leaving me and Little Nugget in the cold night air. Next time, I am sleeping in my own bag.
We all woke up cranky, and with not nearly enough sleep. Anyone with any experience with a toddler knows that this means our day was quickly going to a hot place in a hand-basket.
We decided to cut the trip short (deciding not to camp another night), but took advantage of the "no refunds" policy by staying late into the day.
We rented a boat for an hour, which was quickly dubbed "The $15 nap", since both girls fell fast asleep. J and I took a leisurely troll around the lake a couple times, and when our hour was up, reluctantly woke the girls to head back to camp.
Our second campfire was more successful. J used some charcoal, then some scavenged wood. Our fire lasted well into the afternoon, allowing us to cook our lake trout and potatoes, and giving us enough fire to pop popcorn, make S'mores, and even enough fire to put my percolator in the embers and make campfire coffee. It was a perfect afternoon, and we nearly reconsidered our decision to head home, but as we were discussing the option of staying, we remembered the lack of sleep we had the night before and decided to clean up camp and go home.
All in all, we loved our stay at Birch Lake. I can say that it would have been a better bargain to rent a camper from the base and stay in a camper site instead. Or even (gasp!) camping in a tent. That also would have made it feel a bit more like camping instead of renting a hotel room that didn't have running water. But for camping with VERY small children, it was a good time, and definitely something we are already planning to do again.
Side Note: My fear of bears was completely ridiculous in this particular place. Even I have never heard of bears that want to be around jet skis, boats, and screaming kids. While I am still not brave enough to camp in a tent with kids, if I were, this would be an easy, most likey bear-free place to do it.
***
It was nice to sleep in our own bed Wednesday night, as well as getting everyone into bed at a decent hour. Thursday, everyone woke with improved moods, and we set to cleaning the house and getting all the camping gear cleaned up and put away.
Our week ended with mosquito bites covered in calamine lotion, a clean house, and looking forward to our coming week.
The weekend plans are pretty tame. I'll be getting the house ready for J's dad and brother to come for a visit. As the day approaches, I am getting excited about showing off Alaska to a couple of tourists. *snicker*
Seriously, I am so glad to finally live somewhere exciting to show off. I'll be spending the week making some campsite reservations and planning a few day trips for us while they are in town. There will also be lots of cleaning and baking, and raiding a friend's garden for some fresh rhubarb so I can bake a few of my father-in-law's favorite treats.
Pops and The Other J, if you are reading, I can't wait to see you guys! Safe travels as you head this way, and don't forget to look out of the windows on the plane. The flight over Canada and the Alaskan Tundra looks like it's right off Discovery Channel!
And bring jackets! While I tell tales of outdoor fun, this ain't Texas or Alabama, y'all! Evenings are still dropping inthe 40s, and a few places we might check out could be even colder than that!
Also, we will soon be meeting new friends, as the new principal comes to town. I've been e-chatting with his wife (another hippie homeschoolin' momma) for a few months now and eagerly awaiting their arrival sometime this coming week!
Hoping to get in here and give y'all some updates, and with my brother-in-law's computer genius, I might actually figure out how to get some pictures on here for you, too. Might be a couple weeks before an update, since between visitors and summer activities, we are bound to be pretty busy.
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!
Monday started as a typical Monday in our household. J got home from work in the morning and the usual conversation over coffee took place:
J: "What do you wanna do?"
Me: "I dunno. What do you wanna do?"
This conversation continued until Beans, in a bored state, decided to dismantle the house. This is also a regular part of our Monday routine. Meanwhile, Little Nugget really didn't care what we were gonna do for the day, as long as her milk source was nearby.
We decided to be tourists in our own town, and took a short trip to Rika's Roadhouse in Delta. Roadhouses used to be set up all over the Last Frontier, as boarding houses for travellers and miners. And patrons complained about the high Alaska prices back then, where bed, breakfast and a bath could cost you a whopping $2.
We did a meander through the collection of boarding houses, barn, main house, and gift shop. Then, because Beans was wining and pretty much threatening to demolish the rest of the museums if we didn't feed her RIGHT NOW, we wandered to the acclaimed restaurant.
Maybe our timing was bad. The "acclaimed" restaurant was devoid of human life AND food. I ended up bribing Beans with S-O-D-A... and that allowed us to finish our tour, which was worth the bribe.
* In fairness to the park, we did get to the restaurant close to closing time! I am assured that the food is great during the earlier business hours!*
I say it was worth the bribe, because we ended up meeting a really neat fellow, John Slade (check him out at sladeride.com). John is a guy from the UK, bicycling through Alaska. Pretty much, "Just because", as one of the things to do on his list of things before, as he said, he "settles down, whatever that means." He started his journey in Prudhoe Bay, and having made it into Delta, was checking out the Roadhouse scenery for a good place to set up camp for the night. After a short chat in the park, J and I convinced him that he would find better food and amenities a little closer to our own stomping grounds, and sent him in the direction of Green Acres, an RV park in Delta Junction. He mentioned needing a few supplies, including bike tires. J and I headed home for a few things and to hit up a couple of our bicycling friends, then circled back around to the RV park to drop off supplies and kidnap our new friend for dinner at the drive-in. We (literally) put him in the back of our Subaru Wagon, and had a nice dinner with great company. After asking him a million and one questions, we reluctantly loaded him back into the Subaru and gave him a lift to his camp.
Seriously, folks. This is one interesting guy, so check out his blog. He's also making some pretty good time!
John, we are thinking about you and tracking you on your blog, and Beans (the older of the girls) is still asking where her friend, "Bike" is! Be safe out there! I hope you are getting better weather.
***
Meanwhile, the rest of our week proved to be equally adventurous.
After our late evening at the drive-in, we got packed up and ready for our first family camping trip. Tuesday morning started with a bunch of cranky, tired girls (me included), but everyone's attitudes improved after the hour long ride to Birch Lake.
On arrival to the Air Force campground, we were a little less than impressed with our dirty cabin. This was quickly remedied by Tika, the new camp manager, who insisted we take one of the rental boats out while she had the cabin cleaned for us.
Boating with the girls initially seemed a bit intimidating, especially given the mood of Beans. I had visions of tantrums and of her flinging herself overboard, but we decided to give it a go. The ride around the lake was great. Beans' only lack of cooperation was in the initial getting on the boat. Once she realized she was going to be okay, she snuggled close and was content to watch the scenery.
Along the way, we saw a young bull moose grazing in the many water lilies. He was as curious as we were, and when we got a little too close, he really started giving us the old moose evil eye. We backed off and continued our boating tour of the lake. When we ran out of snacks, Beans was ready to head back, so we docked the boat and headed back to the cabin to set up house.
Birch Lake is really family friendly. There is a great playground, and a nice beach for the kids to play on. Little Nugget slept contentedly on shore while Beans and I played. The water was cold but Beans didn't care, and after a couple hours of being soaked and sandy, I had to drag her back to the cabin to dry off and get into warmer clothes.
Friends of ours arrived for a cookout as the day started to cool. We made another trip to the lake shore so Beans and her friend could play in the water (and another change of clothes), then back to the cabin to start a campfire and roast hot dogs, heat some baked beans, and of course, make S'mores.
I should add that it would have been better to bring our own wood to camp. While the staff sells a "bundle" of firewood for $5, the "bundle" is ridiculously small. It cost $10 to cook dinner, and we ran out of fire before we had finished making S'mores.
Our evening ended late, and after we sent our friends on their way, we got tucked into sleeping bags for some sleep.
Um, THAT did not go so great, for the record. The cabin was cold (mental note: next time rent one of the cabins with a wood stove!), Beans was overly excited, Little Nugget was less than thrilled with the sleeping bag idea, and J kept stealing the top sleeping bag, leaving me and Little Nugget in the cold night air. Next time, I am sleeping in my own bag.
We all woke up cranky, and with not nearly enough sleep. Anyone with any experience with a toddler knows that this means our day was quickly going to a hot place in a hand-basket.
We decided to cut the trip short (deciding not to camp another night), but took advantage of the "no refunds" policy by staying late into the day.
We rented a boat for an hour, which was quickly dubbed "The $15 nap", since both girls fell fast asleep. J and I took a leisurely troll around the lake a couple times, and when our hour was up, reluctantly woke the girls to head back to camp.
Our second campfire was more successful. J used some charcoal, then some scavenged wood. Our fire lasted well into the afternoon, allowing us to cook our lake trout and potatoes, and giving us enough fire to pop popcorn, make S'mores, and even enough fire to put my percolator in the embers and make campfire coffee. It was a perfect afternoon, and we nearly reconsidered our decision to head home, but as we were discussing the option of staying, we remembered the lack of sleep we had the night before and decided to clean up camp and go home.
All in all, we loved our stay at Birch Lake. I can say that it would have been a better bargain to rent a camper from the base and stay in a camper site instead. Or even (gasp!) camping in a tent. That also would have made it feel a bit more like camping instead of renting a hotel room that didn't have running water. But for camping with VERY small children, it was a good time, and definitely something we are already planning to do again.
Side Note: My fear of bears was completely ridiculous in this particular place. Even I have never heard of bears that want to be around jet skis, boats, and screaming kids. While I am still not brave enough to camp in a tent with kids, if I were, this would be an easy, most likey bear-free place to do it.
***
It was nice to sleep in our own bed Wednesday night, as well as getting everyone into bed at a decent hour. Thursday, everyone woke with improved moods, and we set to cleaning the house and getting all the camping gear cleaned up and put away.
Our week ended with mosquito bites covered in calamine lotion, a clean house, and looking forward to our coming week.
The weekend plans are pretty tame. I'll be getting the house ready for J's dad and brother to come for a visit. As the day approaches, I am getting excited about showing off Alaska to a couple of tourists. *snicker*
Seriously, I am so glad to finally live somewhere exciting to show off. I'll be spending the week making some campsite reservations and planning a few day trips for us while they are in town. There will also be lots of cleaning and baking, and raiding a friend's garden for some fresh rhubarb so I can bake a few of my father-in-law's favorite treats.
Pops and The Other J, if you are reading, I can't wait to see you guys! Safe travels as you head this way, and don't forget to look out of the windows on the plane. The flight over Canada and the Alaskan Tundra looks like it's right off Discovery Channel!
And bring jackets! While I tell tales of outdoor fun, this ain't Texas or Alabama, y'all! Evenings are still dropping inthe 40s, and a few places we might check out could be even colder than that!
Also, we will soon be meeting new friends, as the new principal comes to town. I've been e-chatting with his wife (another hippie homeschoolin' momma) for a few months now and eagerly awaiting their arrival sometime this coming week!
Hoping to get in here and give y'all some updates, and with my brother-in-law's computer genius, I might actually figure out how to get some pictures on here for you, too. Might be a couple weeks before an update, since between visitors and summer activities, we are bound to be pretty busy.
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Rainy Season
Yes, Alaska DOES have a "rainy" season, and we are in it. We've had rain all week, and the forecast for the weekend and next week is... you guessed it, rain.
It's okay by me though. I actually really like the rainy season here. Maybe I still have the old Alabama weather programed into me? Rainy season in Alabama meant hotter, more humid days. And wind with our rainy season generally meant hurricanes (and tornadoes). Thanks, but no thanks!
Alaska rainy season generally means overcast days, a gentle pitter-patter of raindrops (perfect for curling up with a knitting project and a cup of coffee while Disney does the babysitting), and a cool breeze.
This week's adventures have been fun for everyone. And I'm not even being sarcastic about that.
J took off earlier in the week to Fielding Lake for some fishing. He and a buddy brought home a 26 inch lake trout and three grayling, all of which are sitting in my freezer, until next week.
J reported that Fielding Lake is beautiful, and a good place for wildlife viewing. And by "wildlife" I mean that he reported lots of moose, caribou, and bear tracks. And, he reports, there is still SNOW up there! So strange, but in all the pictures of him fishing, he is actually wearing his winter coat AND thermals.
Meanwhile, Beans, The Little Nugget, and I spent the week doing our usual assortment of play dates, bread baking (including a mean sourdough), laundry, knitting, and container garden tending. The tomato plants have flowers, the kohl rabi is starting to sprout, and the lettuce is starting to look serious. Meanwhile, I should have listened to the advice of more experienced Alaskan gardeners concerning my pepper plant. Seems that we dipped below freezing (or close to it) a couple nights ago, and the poor pepper is struggling to hang on. It also looks like the high Delta winds might have gotten the best of my basil plant, and appears that something might have taken a taste of a couple plants on the back deck, but overall, things are growing and (sort of) surviving.
We took a break from the "same old, same old" to take a drive to Birch Lake this week. In addition to being a beautiful lake with great fishing, the Air Force has a nice campground tucked away back there. We drove through the forest to the campground to check it out.
J and I immediately got Camping Fever, which is a sudden desire to purchase a ton of camping gear, pack up your kids and fishing poles, and head out into the woods. Our drive ultimately ended in Fairbanks, with a trip through the camping gear aisle, and we officially have reservations for next week at the Birch Lake campground.
That said, we aren't exactly going to be "roughing it". The campground at Birch Lake makes the pretty comfy summer camp my parents sent me to when I was a kid look "rough". The cabins are equipped with a stove (like, a real one) and a fridge. The roughest it's going to get is that we won't have running water in the cabin we rented.
But ya gotta start somewhere. I suppose if we survive cabin camping, we'll move up a step to renting a camper.
The drive home was full of excited talk about campfires, fishing, and s'mores. I have my shopping list ready to go, and by my next update, there should be stories of lake trout roasting on an open fire.
But the highlight of the drive home was a black fox, trotting down the highway with his dinner in his mouth. As usual, I was left wondering why I never bring my camera...
Another drive this week took us further into bear country, as we headed south on Richardson Highway. We drove down to see the Greely Campground and scope it out for a future camping trip. Definitely more on the lines of "roughing it", but beautiful, and overlooks the river.
Along the way, I spotted several hares, and as I was commenting to J about how we would have had dinner if we had brought the .22 along, a flash of gray leaping through the trees revealed that a LYNX had beaten us to hunting.
WOW!!! That was pretty awesome to see.
In addition to the lynx, there was the usual assortment of moose sightings, and LOTS of hares. The moose are starting to make appearances with new little babies, and I've sighted several new mommas with twins this year. The baby moose are adorable. They are still the size of small horses, but a beautiful fawn color, and behave like little nervous wrecks, refusing to get far from their mommies.
We ended that drive with a stop off at a rock quarry that we initially thought was a small lake. No fishing, but beautiful scenery, and would make a nice kayaking stop one afternoon. Beans and I skipped rocks for a bit, picked a few wild flowers to take home and identify, and as soon as J pointed out HUGE moose tracks and some kind of large mammal scat, we headed on our way. Good thing, we learned later. As we retold our tale of the "awesome lake" we found to a friend of ours, he informed us that the field we were about to go trekking on was where someone has a trap line set, and the trapper has been pretty successful with everything from fox, coyote, wolf, and bear.
We spent the rest of our week catching some outdoor time between rain showers, and then finally donning rain boots and jackets for some fun at the park today. Enjoying the great outdoors has a rule: If you can't beat the weather, at least dress for it.
We are quickly acquiring wardrobes for every type of weather.
*As a side note: I can't believe how hard it is to find a rain coat in a 2T! It's ridiculous! Apparently, if you are smaller than 3T, you just have to suck it up and get wet. Period. Luckily, Beans doesn't mind, and actually really enjoys the opportunity to get soaking wet. *
That pretty much sums up our week. My weekend is sure to be full of baking, cooking, and shopping for our upcoming camping trip.
Meanwhile, I'm off to enjoy a slice of homemade blueberry cheesecake and a cup of coffee, and watch the next band of showers come through.
Next week promises stories of camping and camp fires.
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!
It's okay by me though. I actually really like the rainy season here. Maybe I still have the old Alabama weather programed into me? Rainy season in Alabama meant hotter, more humid days. And wind with our rainy season generally meant hurricanes (and tornadoes). Thanks, but no thanks!
Alaska rainy season generally means overcast days, a gentle pitter-patter of raindrops (perfect for curling up with a knitting project and a cup of coffee while Disney does the babysitting), and a cool breeze.
This week's adventures have been fun for everyone. And I'm not even being sarcastic about that.
J took off earlier in the week to Fielding Lake for some fishing. He and a buddy brought home a 26 inch lake trout and three grayling, all of which are sitting in my freezer, until next week.
J reported that Fielding Lake is beautiful, and a good place for wildlife viewing. And by "wildlife" I mean that he reported lots of moose, caribou, and bear tracks. And, he reports, there is still SNOW up there! So strange, but in all the pictures of him fishing, he is actually wearing his winter coat AND thermals.
Meanwhile, Beans, The Little Nugget, and I spent the week doing our usual assortment of play dates, bread baking (including a mean sourdough), laundry, knitting, and container garden tending. The tomato plants have flowers, the kohl rabi is starting to sprout, and the lettuce is starting to look serious. Meanwhile, I should have listened to the advice of more experienced Alaskan gardeners concerning my pepper plant. Seems that we dipped below freezing (or close to it) a couple nights ago, and the poor pepper is struggling to hang on. It also looks like the high Delta winds might have gotten the best of my basil plant, and appears that something might have taken a taste of a couple plants on the back deck, but overall, things are growing and (sort of) surviving.
We took a break from the "same old, same old" to take a drive to Birch Lake this week. In addition to being a beautiful lake with great fishing, the Air Force has a nice campground tucked away back there. We drove through the forest to the campground to check it out.
J and I immediately got Camping Fever, which is a sudden desire to purchase a ton of camping gear, pack up your kids and fishing poles, and head out into the woods. Our drive ultimately ended in Fairbanks, with a trip through the camping gear aisle, and we officially have reservations for next week at the Birch Lake campground.
That said, we aren't exactly going to be "roughing it". The campground at Birch Lake makes the pretty comfy summer camp my parents sent me to when I was a kid look "rough". The cabins are equipped with a stove (like, a real one) and a fridge. The roughest it's going to get is that we won't have running water in the cabin we rented.
But ya gotta start somewhere. I suppose if we survive cabin camping, we'll move up a step to renting a camper.
The drive home was full of excited talk about campfires, fishing, and s'mores. I have my shopping list ready to go, and by my next update, there should be stories of lake trout roasting on an open fire.
But the highlight of the drive home was a black fox, trotting down the highway with his dinner in his mouth. As usual, I was left wondering why I never bring my camera...
Another drive this week took us further into bear country, as we headed south on Richardson Highway. We drove down to see the Greely Campground and scope it out for a future camping trip. Definitely more on the lines of "roughing it", but beautiful, and overlooks the river.
Along the way, I spotted several hares, and as I was commenting to J about how we would have had dinner if we had brought the .22 along, a flash of gray leaping through the trees revealed that a LYNX had beaten us to hunting.
WOW!!! That was pretty awesome to see.
In addition to the lynx, there was the usual assortment of moose sightings, and LOTS of hares. The moose are starting to make appearances with new little babies, and I've sighted several new mommas with twins this year. The baby moose are adorable. They are still the size of small horses, but a beautiful fawn color, and behave like little nervous wrecks, refusing to get far from their mommies.
We ended that drive with a stop off at a rock quarry that we initially thought was a small lake. No fishing, but beautiful scenery, and would make a nice kayaking stop one afternoon. Beans and I skipped rocks for a bit, picked a few wild flowers to take home and identify, and as soon as J pointed out HUGE moose tracks and some kind of large mammal scat, we headed on our way. Good thing, we learned later. As we retold our tale of the "awesome lake" we found to a friend of ours, he informed us that the field we were about to go trekking on was where someone has a trap line set, and the trapper has been pretty successful with everything from fox, coyote, wolf, and bear.
We spent the rest of our week catching some outdoor time between rain showers, and then finally donning rain boots and jackets for some fun at the park today. Enjoying the great outdoors has a rule: If you can't beat the weather, at least dress for it.
We are quickly acquiring wardrobes for every type of weather.
*As a side note: I can't believe how hard it is to find a rain coat in a 2T! It's ridiculous! Apparently, if you are smaller than 3T, you just have to suck it up and get wet. Period. Luckily, Beans doesn't mind, and actually really enjoys the opportunity to get soaking wet. *
That pretty much sums up our week. My weekend is sure to be full of baking, cooking, and shopping for our upcoming camping trip.
Meanwhile, I'm off to enjoy a slice of homemade blueberry cheesecake and a cup of coffee, and watch the next band of showers come through.
Next week promises stories of camping and camp fires.
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Longest Day of the Year
And in sarcastic humor that I can only attribute to years of living with my dad, I would like to point out that the day is not actually longer. It is still 24 hours. (And my dad would be quick to point out that 24 hours is an estimate, not exact, which is why we have a "leap year", an extra day to cover the extra minutes in each day).
And speaking of dads, I hope all of you remembered that it is Father's Day today. I just BARELY remembered, and with the time difference, almost didn't get the phone call in to my dad. Luckily, I managed a quick hello and short chat. (And also fessed up to nearly forgetting.)
I also managed a VERY brief hello to my father-in-law, but just as we got past the hellos, the girls started proving that they can scream louder than I can talk. I'm pretty sure my father-in-law was laughing as I got off the phone to tend to the girls, but that's okay. Next month, he and my brother-in-law will get to hear the screaming up close and personal, since they are coming for a visit.
In my humble defense for forgetting it was Father's Day, J and I rarely celebrate such holidays. His work schedule hardly even allows us decent time to celebrate major holidays like Christmas and Easter. We even forgot all about our anniversary this year. I know. We're weird. But, hey. I do know he's the father of my children. And he must still be my husband, because he keeps coming home for dinner, and keeps sending his paycheck.
***
So, the summer solstice is here! Most loyal readers know how I feel about the long days here. For those just tuning in, um... not my favorite thing about Alaska. Maybe I was a vampire in a past life, or something crazy, but I really do long for NIGHT in my days.
That said, I'll admit that this year has been better than last year. It's been a gradual shift to full daylight. It's only been in the last week or so that J has had to listen to me grumble about how midnight and 4 am look the same to me. And it's only been in the last couple weeks that the full daylight has kept me awake and confused me in my night waking.
I find that I wake several times a night now (and not always just because of a new baby in the house!) and find myself seriously confused as to why everyone is sleeping when it's broad daylight outside. Until I look at the clock and discover that it's actually 4 am, and I'M the sucker that should be back in bed.
I am also finding that the long daylight hours make me feel a bit frenzied. When I wake (accidentally) at 4 am, I find that the daylight makes me feel like I should be awake and being productive. I have sudden urges to go to the kitchen and start baking bread or making coffee. The frenzy continues through the evening, when 10 pm sneaks up and me and I find that I still have so many things I want to do while it's daylight. Then the reality kicks in. Um, it's going to be daylight for close to 24 hours. And if I actually haul myself out of bed at 4 and start baking, or keeping myself up until the dark comes back, I'm going to be awfully tired when the girls finally wake at 8:00, and I am ready to take a nap.
I generally force myself back into bed, content to snuggle with the New Little Nugget, who is confused NOT by daylight, but as to why I would even consider removing her milk supply from the bed.
Like I said, this year IS a bit better than last. I no longer find myself gazing out the windows at midnight, marvelling at the light. I no longer find myself a complete insomniac, hoping without hope that the sky will suddenly darken.
No. These days, I simply grumble about how room darkening shades only do so much, and pray for rain, since the cloud cover makes things dark enough to justify turning on a light from time to time.
Besides, now that the solstice is here, we are on a "losing" streak. "Losing" about 6 minutes of daylight each day.
Or as I see it, gaining 6 minutes of night... glorious night.
***
We missed all the Fairbanks activities for the solstice this year. I had every intention of doing The Midnight Sun Run and various other things in the 24 hours of light. Then, I got a reality check and realized that I would much rather get my girls to bed at a decent hour, and avoid the whole "I missed my nap and now you are gonna pay, momma" drama.
Yeah... Maybe next year.
Meanwhile, the Moose Nugget Household has had a chaotic weekend. Both girls have colds. Little Nugget is on a growth spurt, which means the milk factory (AKA "mom") is working overtime. Beans is on a sudden streak of independence (like, even more than usual), and today, this independence has resulted in one tired, frustrated momma.
If anyone out there understands the following interaction, by all means, post comments:
Beans is trying to do something on her own. Suddenly, she calls for "help". I attempt to help, which results in her screaming, "NO! I'm do it!" Okay, fine. I say, "All right. You do it." This results in her screaming, "HELP!" I attempt to help, which results in... you guessed it. Full blow tantrum.
I'm at a loss, dude. Seriously. I found myself in an Einstein moment.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results."
Another Beans moment today...
The never ending request for juice.
I just want to say that we NEVER have juice in our house. Aside from the fact that it's empty calories and mostly sugar, it gives Beans a horrible upset tummy.
For some strange reason, she has started demanding juice.
I have pointed out that we don't have juice.
I have taken her to the fridge to have her show me what she THINKS might be juice. (That results in standing in the open refrigerator screaming "JUICE!" at the top of her lungs, by the way.)
I have offered water instead of juice.
I have even attempted to bribe her with C-A-N-D-Y or popsicles, since we have no juice. Every response is met with screaming and tantrum. Over juice that doesn't even exist.
What is THAT about?
It's not all bad, though. Her independence is working up to trying to use the potty (hooray!), and even (dare I say...) weaning. The "I'm do it!" phase also means more time for me to sit back and play with the New Little Nugget, who has been flashing a sweet little smile, cooing, and even trying to giggle from time to time. And in spite of the challenges, it is amazing to watch the strong and determined personality of my "little" Beans come out.
* As I type this, however, she is finger painting with spit bubbles on my dining room table. Awesome. *
Things I thought I would never say in my life:
"Please stop spitting on the table. It's rude." (Not to mention, totally gross, dude!)
And the highlight of my day:
"We do NOT lick the potty!" (Um, she actually looked at me and asked, "Why?")
And that, my readers, is what brings me to (almost) the end of the longest day of the year. The sun is bright and shining, with no sign of the moon for the next, oh, several months. I'm headed to seal the cracks in the room darkening shades and convince my toddler that there is no juice in this whole house, and that she should just take a bath and go to bed.
After that, I'll be scrubbing the dining room table, and goggling ways to make the potty safe for human consumption.
The good news is, tomorrow will be 6 minutes darker than today. *grin*
Meanwhile,
Happy Moose Trails!
And speaking of dads, I hope all of you remembered that it is Father's Day today. I just BARELY remembered, and with the time difference, almost didn't get the phone call in to my dad. Luckily, I managed a quick hello and short chat. (And also fessed up to nearly forgetting.)
I also managed a VERY brief hello to my father-in-law, but just as we got past the hellos, the girls started proving that they can scream louder than I can talk. I'm pretty sure my father-in-law was laughing as I got off the phone to tend to the girls, but that's okay. Next month, he and my brother-in-law will get to hear the screaming up close and personal, since they are coming for a visit.
In my humble defense for forgetting it was Father's Day, J and I rarely celebrate such holidays. His work schedule hardly even allows us decent time to celebrate major holidays like Christmas and Easter. We even forgot all about our anniversary this year. I know. We're weird. But, hey. I do know he's the father of my children. And he must still be my husband, because he keeps coming home for dinner, and keeps sending his paycheck.
***
So, the summer solstice is here! Most loyal readers know how I feel about the long days here. For those just tuning in, um... not my favorite thing about Alaska. Maybe I was a vampire in a past life, or something crazy, but I really do long for NIGHT in my days.
That said, I'll admit that this year has been better than last year. It's been a gradual shift to full daylight. It's only been in the last week or so that J has had to listen to me grumble about how midnight and 4 am look the same to me. And it's only been in the last couple weeks that the full daylight has kept me awake and confused me in my night waking.
I find that I wake several times a night now (and not always just because of a new baby in the house!) and find myself seriously confused as to why everyone is sleeping when it's broad daylight outside. Until I look at the clock and discover that it's actually 4 am, and I'M the sucker that should be back in bed.
I am also finding that the long daylight hours make me feel a bit frenzied. When I wake (accidentally) at 4 am, I find that the daylight makes me feel like I should be awake and being productive. I have sudden urges to go to the kitchen and start baking bread or making coffee. The frenzy continues through the evening, when 10 pm sneaks up and me and I find that I still have so many things I want to do while it's daylight. Then the reality kicks in. Um, it's going to be daylight for close to 24 hours. And if I actually haul myself out of bed at 4 and start baking, or keeping myself up until the dark comes back, I'm going to be awfully tired when the girls finally wake at 8:00, and I am ready to take a nap.
I generally force myself back into bed, content to snuggle with the New Little Nugget, who is confused NOT by daylight, but as to why I would even consider removing her milk supply from the bed.
Like I said, this year IS a bit better than last. I no longer find myself gazing out the windows at midnight, marvelling at the light. I no longer find myself a complete insomniac, hoping without hope that the sky will suddenly darken.
No. These days, I simply grumble about how room darkening shades only do so much, and pray for rain, since the cloud cover makes things dark enough to justify turning on a light from time to time.
Besides, now that the solstice is here, we are on a "losing" streak. "Losing" about 6 minutes of daylight each day.
Or as I see it, gaining 6 minutes of night... glorious night.
***
We missed all the Fairbanks activities for the solstice this year. I had every intention of doing The Midnight Sun Run and various other things in the 24 hours of light. Then, I got a reality check and realized that I would much rather get my girls to bed at a decent hour, and avoid the whole "I missed my nap and now you are gonna pay, momma" drama.
Yeah... Maybe next year.
Meanwhile, the Moose Nugget Household has had a chaotic weekend. Both girls have colds. Little Nugget is on a growth spurt, which means the milk factory (AKA "mom") is working overtime. Beans is on a sudden streak of independence (like, even more than usual), and today, this independence has resulted in one tired, frustrated momma.
If anyone out there understands the following interaction, by all means, post comments:
Beans is trying to do something on her own. Suddenly, she calls for "help". I attempt to help, which results in her screaming, "NO! I'm do it!" Okay, fine. I say, "All right. You do it." This results in her screaming, "HELP!" I attempt to help, which results in... you guessed it. Full blow tantrum.
I'm at a loss, dude. Seriously. I found myself in an Einstein moment.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results."
Another Beans moment today...
The never ending request for juice.
I just want to say that we NEVER have juice in our house. Aside from the fact that it's empty calories and mostly sugar, it gives Beans a horrible upset tummy.
For some strange reason, she has started demanding juice.
I have pointed out that we don't have juice.
I have taken her to the fridge to have her show me what she THINKS might be juice. (That results in standing in the open refrigerator screaming "JUICE!" at the top of her lungs, by the way.)
I have offered water instead of juice.
I have even attempted to bribe her with C-A-N-D-Y or popsicles, since we have no juice. Every response is met with screaming and tantrum. Over juice that doesn't even exist.
What is THAT about?
It's not all bad, though. Her independence is working up to trying to use the potty (hooray!), and even (dare I say...) weaning. The "I'm do it!" phase also means more time for me to sit back and play with the New Little Nugget, who has been flashing a sweet little smile, cooing, and even trying to giggle from time to time. And in spite of the challenges, it is amazing to watch the strong and determined personality of my "little" Beans come out.
* As I type this, however, she is finger painting with spit bubbles on my dining room table. Awesome. *
Things I thought I would never say in my life:
"Please stop spitting on the table. It's rude." (Not to mention, totally gross, dude!)
And the highlight of my day:
"We do NOT lick the potty!" (Um, she actually looked at me and asked, "Why?")
And that, my readers, is what brings me to (almost) the end of the longest day of the year. The sun is bright and shining, with no sign of the moon for the next, oh, several months. I'm headed to seal the cracks in the room darkening shades and convince my toddler that there is no juice in this whole house, and that she should just take a bath and go to bed.
After that, I'll be scrubbing the dining room table, and goggling ways to make the potty safe for human consumption.
The good news is, tomorrow will be 6 minutes darker than today. *grin*
Meanwhile,
Happy Moose Trails!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Urban Alaskan Pioneering
Like that even makes sense, eh? But there is such a thing. I know, because I made it up.
Here's the unofficial definition: Being a renter on base (urban-ish) means that I do not have the liberty of plowing up "my" yard. The base generally frowns on such things. Plus, there are rumors of crazy things being buried here. I don't particularly care for nuclear waste and alien ooze in my veggie garden, ya know?
Additionally, there is the Alaskan element to add to my gardening. The general idea is that it's a "cold climate" (especially when compared to Alabama, where we came from). This means that certain precautions (like never planting tomatoes in the ground) must be taken to be even somewhat successful in gardening around here.
And by "pioneering", I mean all kinds of homesteading activities. And my recent weeks have been full of such activities.
So with the Interior's official gardening season beginning (June 1), I jumped into as much gardening as a handful of containers and my 15 square feet of "yard" would allow. I am a huge risk taker with my tomatoes and peppers, leaving them outside in their pots through our cool nights. I know, I know. I am inviting lectures from Alaskan gardeners all over the place. Yes, I'll probably lose them. But for now, they are growing tall, overfilling their pots, and even getting some little yellow flowers. I'm not trying to be a risk taker, really. It's just that after a day of lugging around two small children, I'm not really motivated to haul in half a dozen potted plants that Beans will likely try to ingest or dump on the carpet before I can return them to the great outdoors each morning.
In addition to my pepper and tomatoes, there is a hanging basket of strawberries, several pots of herbs, a few pots of lettuce, salad greens, and radishes, and a plastic tote that is acting as a "raised bed" for my kohl rabi experiment. Not a bad start for someone with limited gardening space and babies to tend to.
Meanwhile, back at the urban pioneering site...
My wheat mill arrived! And with it, I purchased 45 lbs of soft white wheat to grind. The mill (Nutrimill, for those interested) is AWESOME, and quick. After a few minutes reading the manual, I was able to dump a few cups of grain in the mill and end up with enough fresh milled flour to bake two loaves of bread. I "cheated", and let my Kitchenaid do the hard work of kneading, but a couple hours later, the house was scented with the aroma of fresh coffee and hot bread, and all was well with the world.
Not to sound too hokey, but I curled up in my rocking chair with a slice of hot bread, a fresh cup of percolated coffee, and my knitting project, and was completely content.
Speaking of knitting...
I FINALLY made it to the knitting group at the library! I had so much fun and learned a lot. A whole lot, actually. See, I'm a hooker. RELAX, folks! Not a street girl, but a crocheter. (You crochet with hooks. Hooker, get it? HA HA HA!)
ANYHOO... I've never knit before. My grandmother used to make all of us grand kids (and there were a lot of us) a sweater every year for Christmas or birthdays. I'll shamefully admit that I did not appreciate the gifts as much as I should have as a kid. But now that she is gone, I miss those sweaters, and I hope that I'll soon be able to turn out gifts that my own kids will not appreciate. *grin*
Turns out I REALLY should have appreciated those sweaters. Knitting is enjoyable, but it is also a lot of work! To turn out a sweater (and some years, matching hats and mittens with them) for a dozen or so grand kids is no small task.
The gals at the knitting group were incredibly helpful, and before I left, even with a fussy baby in tow, I had learned to cast on and (roughly) how to knit. With a good instruction book in my hooker bag, I managed to teach myself the rest of the basics, and have a lovely-ish sort of scarf making it's way on the needles.
The knitting gals were a hoot, and I had a lot of fun. It was NOT the group of old lady grandmas I had mentally prepared myself to knit with, but a fun group of ladies of all ages. It was an evening of learning, needle clicking, gabbing, and getting to see another side of folks I had previously known as "just" the town mayor, the librarian, or the ladies I see at the store from time to time. Turns out that I will be back to knit again, and soon. Not only did I have a great time, I was informed that now that I had finally made it, I HAD to come back. And to seal the deal, I agreed to show up at the next meeting with a scarf for an auction at the town fair.
I just hope they don't expect that scarf to be too pretty, ya know. Anyone bidding at the fair, you'll know MY scarf. It will be the one that looks like it was knitted by a new mom (and new knitter!) with lots of help from a toddler who likes to watch stitches unravel.
Part of pioneering is also providing your own food, right? J and I have been trying to fulfill this pioneering obligation with making sure we take advantage of some local lakes. As if fishing isn't hard enough, it's a real challenge with babies in tow, but we've been having fun. I've enjoyed the sun (though it would be nice to see an actual sunset again), and fishing has been fun. Catching would be better, but J seems to have better luck when he heads out on his own. Could it be that a splashing toddler has something to do with it? Hmm.
Our spring has been full of these activities, campfires with friends, late (very late!) dinners and play dates that last into the evening hours. I AM enjoying this spring much more than last year, now that I know what to expect, and have forged some friendships that make the long days much more interesting. The world is beautiful and green again, and the only complaint is the bird-sized mosquitoes which can be found gnawing on any exposed flesh you offer them.
Hard to believe that we are already approaching the summer solstice! The solstice has taken on new meaning for me, and is quickly becoming one of my favorite days, as it means the night time will begin making its way back to our days. I know, I'm crazy. But I LIKE the night, and it's just weird, living without it. Getting used to it doesn't make it any less weird.
For friends and family: the girls are doing great. Little Nugget is growing, and started smiling a couple weeks ago. She's still a good sleeper and a great little baby. Beans is a hoot, and has been having lots of fun making new friends and *sniff* turning into a little girl, instead of my baby. Our days are full of discovering all the things she can do "by myself", and watching her develop the confidence and skills.
Coming up: dinner with friends in Fairbanks (after doctor's appointments), maybe a trip to Pioneer Park, and maybe even getting J to nail down a date for that family camping trip. More play dates, more gardening, and a couple road trips. And soon, meeting a new friend, as an online friend prepares to move to the Last Frontier.
Sorry to be so inconsistent about my blogging, but finding a few spare moments in my week is getting harder as the days get (literally) longer. I promise, more blogging tales as the daylight decreases, but for now, our family is out and about and enjoying local Alaska.
In the meantime,
Happy Moose Trails!
Here's the unofficial definition: Being a renter on base (urban-ish) means that I do not have the liberty of plowing up "my" yard. The base generally frowns on such things. Plus, there are rumors of crazy things being buried here. I don't particularly care for nuclear waste and alien ooze in my veggie garden, ya know?
Additionally, there is the Alaskan element to add to my gardening. The general idea is that it's a "cold climate" (especially when compared to Alabama, where we came from). This means that certain precautions (like never planting tomatoes in the ground) must be taken to be even somewhat successful in gardening around here.
And by "pioneering", I mean all kinds of homesteading activities. And my recent weeks have been full of such activities.
So with the Interior's official gardening season beginning (June 1), I jumped into as much gardening as a handful of containers and my 15 square feet of "yard" would allow. I am a huge risk taker with my tomatoes and peppers, leaving them outside in their pots through our cool nights. I know, I know. I am inviting lectures from Alaskan gardeners all over the place. Yes, I'll probably lose them. But for now, they are growing tall, overfilling their pots, and even getting some little yellow flowers. I'm not trying to be a risk taker, really. It's just that after a day of lugging around two small children, I'm not really motivated to haul in half a dozen potted plants that Beans will likely try to ingest or dump on the carpet before I can return them to the great outdoors each morning.
In addition to my pepper and tomatoes, there is a hanging basket of strawberries, several pots of herbs, a few pots of lettuce, salad greens, and radishes, and a plastic tote that is acting as a "raised bed" for my kohl rabi experiment. Not a bad start for someone with limited gardening space and babies to tend to.
Meanwhile, back at the urban pioneering site...
My wheat mill arrived! And with it, I purchased 45 lbs of soft white wheat to grind. The mill (Nutrimill, for those interested) is AWESOME, and quick. After a few minutes reading the manual, I was able to dump a few cups of grain in the mill and end up with enough fresh milled flour to bake two loaves of bread. I "cheated", and let my Kitchenaid do the hard work of kneading, but a couple hours later, the house was scented with the aroma of fresh coffee and hot bread, and all was well with the world.
Not to sound too hokey, but I curled up in my rocking chair with a slice of hot bread, a fresh cup of percolated coffee, and my knitting project, and was completely content.
Speaking of knitting...
I FINALLY made it to the knitting group at the library! I had so much fun and learned a lot. A whole lot, actually. See, I'm a hooker. RELAX, folks! Not a street girl, but a crocheter. (You crochet with hooks. Hooker, get it? HA HA HA!)
ANYHOO... I've never knit before. My grandmother used to make all of us grand kids (and there were a lot of us) a sweater every year for Christmas or birthdays. I'll shamefully admit that I did not appreciate the gifts as much as I should have as a kid. But now that she is gone, I miss those sweaters, and I hope that I'll soon be able to turn out gifts that my own kids will not appreciate. *grin*
Turns out I REALLY should have appreciated those sweaters. Knitting is enjoyable, but it is also a lot of work! To turn out a sweater (and some years, matching hats and mittens with them) for a dozen or so grand kids is no small task.
The gals at the knitting group were incredibly helpful, and before I left, even with a fussy baby in tow, I had learned to cast on and (roughly) how to knit. With a good instruction book in my hooker bag, I managed to teach myself the rest of the basics, and have a lovely-ish sort of scarf making it's way on the needles.
The knitting gals were a hoot, and I had a lot of fun. It was NOT the group of old lady grandmas I had mentally prepared myself to knit with, but a fun group of ladies of all ages. It was an evening of learning, needle clicking, gabbing, and getting to see another side of folks I had previously known as "just" the town mayor, the librarian, or the ladies I see at the store from time to time. Turns out that I will be back to knit again, and soon. Not only did I have a great time, I was informed that now that I had finally made it, I HAD to come back. And to seal the deal, I agreed to show up at the next meeting with a scarf for an auction at the town fair.
I just hope they don't expect that scarf to be too pretty, ya know. Anyone bidding at the fair, you'll know MY scarf. It will be the one that looks like it was knitted by a new mom (and new knitter!) with lots of help from a toddler who likes to watch stitches unravel.
Part of pioneering is also providing your own food, right? J and I have been trying to fulfill this pioneering obligation with making sure we take advantage of some local lakes. As if fishing isn't hard enough, it's a real challenge with babies in tow, but we've been having fun. I've enjoyed the sun (though it would be nice to see an actual sunset again), and fishing has been fun. Catching would be better, but J seems to have better luck when he heads out on his own. Could it be that a splashing toddler has something to do with it? Hmm.
Our spring has been full of these activities, campfires with friends, late (very late!) dinners and play dates that last into the evening hours. I AM enjoying this spring much more than last year, now that I know what to expect, and have forged some friendships that make the long days much more interesting. The world is beautiful and green again, and the only complaint is the bird-sized mosquitoes which can be found gnawing on any exposed flesh you offer them.
Hard to believe that we are already approaching the summer solstice! The solstice has taken on new meaning for me, and is quickly becoming one of my favorite days, as it means the night time will begin making its way back to our days. I know, I'm crazy. But I LIKE the night, and it's just weird, living without it. Getting used to it doesn't make it any less weird.
For friends and family: the girls are doing great. Little Nugget is growing, and started smiling a couple weeks ago. She's still a good sleeper and a great little baby. Beans is a hoot, and has been having lots of fun making new friends and *sniff* turning into a little girl, instead of my baby. Our days are full of discovering all the things she can do "by myself", and watching her develop the confidence and skills.
Coming up: dinner with friends in Fairbanks (after doctor's appointments), maybe a trip to Pioneer Park, and maybe even getting J to nail down a date for that family camping trip. More play dates, more gardening, and a couple road trips. And soon, meeting a new friend, as an online friend prepares to move to the Last Frontier.
Sorry to be so inconsistent about my blogging, but finding a few spare moments in my week is getting harder as the days get (literally) longer. I promise, more blogging tales as the daylight decreases, but for now, our family is out and about and enjoying local Alaska.
In the meantime,
Happy Moose Trails!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Campfire Songs
So, I didn't actually sing any campfire songs. But I did get together with a group of moms (and a handful of dads) for a day at Quartz Lake.
I am just going to be honest and say I was in dire need of an attitude adjustment that day. With Beans getting over yet another accidental allergen contact (read: more poop and vomit than you can possibly handle), New Little Nugget deciding that she would rather be held than anything else in the world, and J working overtime, I wasn't exactly in the most tolerant of moods.
I'll admit, I wasn't winning any "Nicest Mommy in The World Awards" by the time I got our three gal crew out the door.
A word of advice for new moms and other Super Woman type A personalities like myself: It's probably best to not get too ambitious when you have young ones.
I promised to bring S'mores supplies. I got ambitious and added a spiffy new camping toy... a ball that you fill with the ingredients for ice cream, and after thirty minutes of play, the advertising on the box promises home-churned ice cream.
Um, Truth-In-Advertising should have included a note that says "Your crew of kids will get bored and no longer care about the reward of ice cream after about 5 minutes, and you, the parent, will churn your own ice cream while simultaneously attempting to console crying babies, toddlers, grill hot dogs, and keep your kids from drowning in the lake at the same time." And after that, your kids will all whine for ice cream and complain that you didn't let them play with the ice cream ball.
ANYWAY... I have a feeling that all the kids present would have been perfectly happy with just S'mores. And next time, that is what I'll bring, instead of trying to be the coolest (and most frazzled) mom ever.
That said, the lake was beautiful. The kids all stripped down within moments of arriving, and waded out as far (and farther) than all the parents would allow. We are getting plenty of spring birds showing up, and there were a handful of ducks, quacking noisily as the kids chased them and threatened their nests. Across the lake, snow capped mountains tower over the scenery, and with a slight breeze and the sun beating down on us, I caught a glimpse of summer days to come.
For out Lower 48 friends... it was only about 70 degrees. And I'm sure the water was cold enough that Child Protective Services wouldn't exactly approve of us allowing the kids to wade, but gosh, we sure had fun.
And for all the trouble that ice cream churning ball was, the ice cream sure was good. I came home, snuggled tired kids, and took in the scent of sunscreen and lake water, and was glad I went.
Funny, campfire trips are a lot like child labor. The reward is great enough that almost immediately after returning home, you are planning on doing it again. A call to J, and there are now promises of getting the old Suburban ready (AKA "The Junk Truck"), and getting it hooked up to a rent-a-camper and heading out for the first family overnighter.
Before the die-hard campers give us any grief, I just want to say that I am NOT brave enough to take two kids under the age of two out in sleeping bags and tents in bear country. Maybe next year. The main goal is to get the kids used to the IDEA of camping, then go from there. Baby Moose Steps, y'all, baby moose steps.
The rest of our days have been busy, as usual. And more busy days ahead (of course)!
Today, if you happen to be in Delta Junction, check out Friendly Frontier Days, which is where Momma Moose Nugget is taking her brood today. And don't forget to stop in to the Farmer's Market, which is officially open. Just be sure to save a dozen farm fresh eggs for me!
As a side note, I have to giggle at myself. For those of you who suffered through my constant "fear of bears" posts through the last year... thank you. Last year, I was so fearful of anything off the main road. As things have thawed and we have begun exploring, we pass places every day where I flat out refused to get out of the car, fearing that a bear would dash out of the woods and gobble me up. Turns out that those "scary bear spots" are just a few yards from the road, and not even likely spots for squirrels, much less bears. (Not that it couldn't happen, but not as likely as I once thought!)
Yep. The Moose Nugget Family is heading outdoors this summer. With a greater sense of adventure and plenty of sunscreen and bug spray. Stay tuned for more of our adventures!
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!
I am just going to be honest and say I was in dire need of an attitude adjustment that day. With Beans getting over yet another accidental allergen contact (read: more poop and vomit than you can possibly handle), New Little Nugget deciding that she would rather be held than anything else in the world, and J working overtime, I wasn't exactly in the most tolerant of moods.
I'll admit, I wasn't winning any "Nicest Mommy in The World Awards" by the time I got our three gal crew out the door.
A word of advice for new moms and other Super Woman type A personalities like myself: It's probably best to not get too ambitious when you have young ones.
I promised to bring S'mores supplies. I got ambitious and added a spiffy new camping toy... a ball that you fill with the ingredients for ice cream, and after thirty minutes of play, the advertising on the box promises home-churned ice cream.
Um, Truth-In-Advertising should have included a note that says "Your crew of kids will get bored and no longer care about the reward of ice cream after about 5 minutes, and you, the parent, will churn your own ice cream while simultaneously attempting to console crying babies, toddlers, grill hot dogs, and keep your kids from drowning in the lake at the same time." And after that, your kids will all whine for ice cream and complain that you didn't let them play with the ice cream ball.
ANYWAY... I have a feeling that all the kids present would have been perfectly happy with just S'mores. And next time, that is what I'll bring, instead of trying to be the coolest (and most frazzled) mom ever.
That said, the lake was beautiful. The kids all stripped down within moments of arriving, and waded out as far (and farther) than all the parents would allow. We are getting plenty of spring birds showing up, and there were a handful of ducks, quacking noisily as the kids chased them and threatened their nests. Across the lake, snow capped mountains tower over the scenery, and with a slight breeze and the sun beating down on us, I caught a glimpse of summer days to come.
For out Lower 48 friends... it was only about 70 degrees. And I'm sure the water was cold enough that Child Protective Services wouldn't exactly approve of us allowing the kids to wade, but gosh, we sure had fun.
And for all the trouble that ice cream churning ball was, the ice cream sure was good. I came home, snuggled tired kids, and took in the scent of sunscreen and lake water, and was glad I went.
Funny, campfire trips are a lot like child labor. The reward is great enough that almost immediately after returning home, you are planning on doing it again. A call to J, and there are now promises of getting the old Suburban ready (AKA "The Junk Truck"), and getting it hooked up to a rent-a-camper and heading out for the first family overnighter.
Before the die-hard campers give us any grief, I just want to say that I am NOT brave enough to take two kids under the age of two out in sleeping bags and tents in bear country. Maybe next year. The main goal is to get the kids used to the IDEA of camping, then go from there. Baby Moose Steps, y'all, baby moose steps.
The rest of our days have been busy, as usual. And more busy days ahead (of course)!
Today, if you happen to be in Delta Junction, check out Friendly Frontier Days, which is where Momma Moose Nugget is taking her brood today. And don't forget to stop in to the Farmer's Market, which is officially open. Just be sure to save a dozen farm fresh eggs for me!
As a side note, I have to giggle at myself. For those of you who suffered through my constant "fear of bears" posts through the last year... thank you. Last year, I was so fearful of anything off the main road. As things have thawed and we have begun exploring, we pass places every day where I flat out refused to get out of the car, fearing that a bear would dash out of the woods and gobble me up. Turns out that those "scary bear spots" are just a few yards from the road, and not even likely spots for squirrels, much less bears. (Not that it couldn't happen, but not as likely as I once thought!)
Yep. The Moose Nugget Family is heading outdoors this summer. With a greater sense of adventure and plenty of sunscreen and bug spray. Stay tuned for more of our adventures!
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!
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