Moose Nugget

Unplug UPDATE

2010-09-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

For those interested, you can continue to follow The Little Farm on the Tundra adventures at:
littlefarmonthetundra.blogspot.com

:)

If you stop by over there, let me know!
Moose Nugget

Unplug

2010-09-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

Seriously.
I just read some NPR article about some college doing a week-long "ban" on popular social network sites.
I think it's a terrific idea.
The students were totally freaking out. One guy cited that not being able to twit or tweet or whatever you call it made it more difficult to get together with friends at Subway for dinner. he complained that his cellular bill would increase because of excessive text messages.

Are you kidding me???
Does anyone still TALK to people?
Folks, checking Facebook updates does NOT a relationship make. And are people really interested in your virtual farm, fishtank, zoo, etc?
VIRTUAL friends are just that... Virtual. Not real. Not tangible. Not gonna stop by your house on butchering day and help you haphazardly murder your flock and put them in the freezer.

I know, I know. I keep a blog. And I have virtual "friends" with cyber names too. But this is NOT the mainstay of my existence. And my world would not fall apart if websites were blocked. I would dare say that I wouldn't even miss a lunch date at Subway. (Um, providing there was even a Subway within a hundred miles of me. And had a gluten free/ dairy free menu.)

I recently removed myself from a social networking site. I joine because relatives and friends promised meaningful relationships and more conversations if I joined. What I found was that I had to weed through Farmville and other nonsense just to read a personal note. Something meaningful like, "My dog farted and it really stunk." or "Bob Dylan Rocks!"
Although I wholeheartedly agree with the latter (and the former was TMI, dude!) it doesn't fit my description of relationship.

I digress.
I was really struggling with leaving a social network site. Perhaps I was abandoning all my "friends". Was it wrong to ditch distant family thy hasn't called me in DECADES?
This is how those sites make you feel. Obligated to folks that you otherwise would see in a photograph and wonder what ever happened to them.
I felt torn for a while, until I spoke with a real-life friend of mine about my "gut wrenching decision". She listened politely for several
moments before interrupting me and saying, "Um, Nicole? I'm sorry, but what in the world is Facebook?"
And she wasn't kidding.

It's on that note that I am going to say that I am going to permanently "unplug" the blog
The intent of the blog was to keep family and friends posted of our happenings in AK...
I only know of one "real-life" friend still following and none of our family.
If I'm wrong- call or email or something!

To all my cyber-friends, y'all have been a wonderful wonderful audience. And I thank you for reading my Bly and I hope when I publish my crummy memoirs and books that they find their way into your hands. I've always wanted to write and be published and it's nice to know that I have attracted an audience with my writing style or writing material.
I've recently been keeping the blog for YOU- the faithful readers that keep asking for more, but I really need to break the blog addiction and focus more time on real life.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow-
Moose Nuggets

Putting Up and Putting Out

2010-09-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

Another busy week is flying by. I always forget that Friday means a lot to the rest of the universe. With J's weird work schedule and no other agenda besides homesteading, I lose track of the significance of days. Chickens don't care about weekends and no one told the woodpile what day of the week it was either.

You can tell autumn is here. The work is partly frantic (shut of outdoor water! Chop wood! Stack wood!), partly leisurely (poke around in the chicken coop. Till under the garden, take down portable greenhouse).
Between frantic and leisure, the coop was mucked and prepared for winter, lights were put on timers (to keep hens laying), water spigots winterized, wood chopped, wood stacked, more wood hauled in. Sticks and stumps from land clearing were collected, and with burn restrictions lifted, set on fire. In the evening, when the autumn sun and crisp air make work really feel like a chore, the burning berms make for a good bonfire with marshmallows roasting. Summer's busy pace gives way for the opportunity to sit on the porch with a cup of tea with my sweetheart and watch the kids play in what's left of the evening sun.

The chickens are finally putting out in decent numbers! We have been getting between 4 and 6 eggs a day, and plenty more hens are starting to look ready.
Um... They look "ready" when their combs are large and red and, *ahem*, when they start letting the roosters do what they do best.
And they do it best... In the time it took me to feed and water this morning (5 minutes, tops!) Ricky Bobby had mounted three hens, and was chasing after more.
Thank goodness I'm not a hen. That could wear a gal out!

Monday is going to be the official butchering day. We'll be putting up quite a few birds. In preparation for freezer space, I have been busy in the kitchen putting up jam. I had about 30 lbs of fruit in the freezer. That takes up quite a bit of space. I currently have 8 pints of "Handful Jam" (a handful of this and a handful of that), and 10 lbs of blackberries waiting for counter space and sugar for pie filling and jam.

Liz- if J will relinquish some of the moose, I'm gonna try that jerky! And we should be able to try the breakfast casserole this coming week, so I'll let you know!

The house is hot and steamy from canning all morning. The breeze outside and balmy and calling to me as the girls take an afternoon nap. Time for tea and knitting on the porch while the house cools down.

Handful Jam:
whatever fruit you have on hand!
Today's blend in the Moose Nugget house was:
8 lb strawberries
15 plums or pluots. I can't remember what I bought!
4 peaches
1 1/2 apples (for pectin!)
4 cups sugar? Maybe more?

Cook and cook and cook until it starts getting jam-ish. Can In the waterbath canner.
If you want smaller batches, I usually use half the amount of sugar to the amount of fruit I have on hand.
You can HALVE the recipe if you want. Or even quarter it.
:)

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

By Request

2010-09-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

Good Morning from a warm and toasty Moose Nugget Household!
It was 34F this morning. J was kind enough to start a fire before heading out to cut firewood. Beans, Nugget, and I snuggled in the big bed, pulling the blankets up over our heads, and waited for the cabin to warm up.
Sweater Weather is my all-time favorite. The sun is lazy to rise, and this morning I had coffee brewed before the sun peeked above the treeline. I'm not much of a morning person, but Autumn makes it easier.
As the fire heats the log cabin, the scents of coffee, woodsmoke, and coffee cake (gluten free, of course!) mingle.
The roosters crow indignantly at the hens who dare eat breakfast without satisfying their breeding desires. This is the dance of the morning. The cackles of hens and cries of their jilted lovers mingle with the clatter of pots and pans, and little girls arguing over blocks or books or dollies.
I have a few moments yet to savor some sunrise and some espresso roast, then our day must begin in earnest. With the morning temps so close to freezing, the autumn chores can wait no longer.

***
JackDaddy- sounds like you left around the same time we did? (May 08)
I was originally there because of MAFB. My original reason to be there left. I finished up medic school and stayed a few more years. J was a govt civilian at Maxwell and Gunter. In addition to working with Haynes Ambulance for some time, I also worked as a medic on the base (Same company, but under contract). Knew lots of folks from the base because of it, and lots of lab owners too! :)

****
By Request: some recipes
Don't forget, you can sub milks and such with whatever your dietary restrictions are pretty easily! And send feedback! If I ever get past blogging and writing my crappy memoirs, maybe I'll write a cookbook. Or open a gluten free bed and breakfast. Or start marketing my recipes. Or just keep cooking yummy stuff for my kiddos...

Focaccia:
*use a round cake pan or springform pan for best results. Um- square would probably be fine too?*
Prepare pan: spray with nonstick then dust with cornmeal

in large mixing bowl:
1/2 c quinoa flour
1/4 c sorghum flour
1/4 c corn starch
1/4 c tapioca flour
1/4 c arrowroot starch
1-2 Tbl Teff flour (adds texture and nutrition. Can do without if you don't have it)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 ounce yeast (I think it worked out to 2 tsp if you dont have a scale?)
1 Tbl sugar

1 tsp olive oil
3/4 c WARM water (110F ish)

blend until moist, then beat with electric mixer on high for 2 minutes. Spoon into pan and spread dough to edges. Cover and rise 40 minutes or until doubled. Drizzle with olive oil and add any spices you like. (we do plain sea salt)
Preheat oven to 400F
Bake 20-25 minutes. Crust should be golden or beginning to brown and bread should be cooked through.
Has delicious chewy consistency that most glutenfree is missing. (Reminded me of domino's pizza crust, actually! Or bagels. Or a hundred other yummy delicious things we can't eat anymore! Crisp and chewy!)

***
And another recipe I tried yesterday. This was so good that even my pickier eater ate three servings of, and asked me to make again today.
You can use any kind of fruit you want- we used peaches and rhubarb. If you use a particularly wet fruit, adjust your liquids.
If you have leftovers, refrigerate and then reheat in the OVEN, or it will be soggy ickiness instead of yummy deliciousness!
Honestly, it reheats okay but next time I would probably half the recipe.

Fruity Coffee Cake:

3/4 c sorghum flour
1 c brown rice flour
1/8 c cornmeal (adds texture. Can skip if you wanted)
1/4 c tapioca flour
1c sugar (can use 3/4 if using sweeter fruit than I did!)
1Tbl baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c almond milk (can use subs!)
1/2 c oil
2 eggs
1-2 tsp seasonings (I used Ginger in this one. Cinnamon would have been good too!)

2 cups chopped fruit of choice

Preheat oven to 375F
Mix dry and wet ingrediets seperately, then combine, stirring until moistened and no lumps. Add fruit and stir to coat evenly. Spread into 9x13 pan (cooking spray helps!) and sprinkle with "fancy" sugar. (or regular sugar. Or make crumb topping if you can have butter. Or just bake the dang thing!)
Took about 30 minutes, I think? Top with be lightly golden and you should be able to have a toothpick come clean.

In the words of Beans, "I yike it! I even ate a peaches and it wasn't uh-skust-ing"
(NOT a fan of peaches, can you tell?)
she ate three adult sized pieces of it.
Beans mostly smeared it in her hair, along with some bacon grease for good measure. But she ate more than she put in her hair.
J declared it "awesome" and told me I should enter it into te Rhubarb Bake Off contest next year.
Must have been pretty good!

***

Off to start the farm chores and put a nice soup on to simmer. 'Tis the season for soup!

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Ramblin' (Wo)Man

2010-09-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

First, Q&A time:

Hayley: I am pretty informal with curriculum since Beans is still pretty young. We read a LOT of books, I utilize lots of craft books, some preschool aged workbooks, and my mom (a Montessori teacher) has sent me a preschool Montrssori curriculum which we use some parts of. Most of our "school" stuff is arts and crafts supplies. The girls have very few toys, and they participate in all our daily activities. When we split wood, they are outside stacking. When we garden, they are there with their shovels and watering cans. We don't expect perfection, just participation. We answer all the questions (Why? Why? Why?) and when we get stuck for an answer, we look it up together or visit someone who knows the answer.
"Math" is currently explored by counting ("how many eggs did the chickens lay today? How many this week?) and with helping in the kitchen with measuring or recipes, counting plates while setting the table, etc.
I use a PBS series called "Signing Time" for teaching sing language and had to invest in a good ASL dictionary as her signing vocabulary exceeded the scope of the videos.
Hope that helps! :)
girl, I'll chat homeschool with you anytime!

Miss Liz: I have another gluten free/dairy free recipe for a focaccia styled bread. If you (or anyone else reading!) is interested, let me know and I'll post it. My kids LOVED it and ate the entire pan at lunch time. Made GOOD pb&j too!
Also, if you hve a jerky recipe, leave it in the comments. Now I'm craving it and we can't have store bought because most have soy sauce (gluten!).
Also I'm dying to know if you ever baked the muffin recipe and if you liked it. :)

Olive-somebody (I shoul jaw double checked the name, I'm sorry!): when you get to salcha, let me know! We have friends in Salcha we visit often and could probaby help you get connected. Where is your place?

JackDaddy- do I know you in real life? When were you in Montgomery? And Jack woul probably love moose. He should come stay on our farm. :)

Road Kill List Questions: I will ask hubby the full details, but there is some paperwork from the state. Anyone can fill it out, not just established charities. Delta Junction is also considered a subsistence area, so I'm not sure if that affects our eligibility? Hubby would know.
Also- SOME roadkill, not edible. But an animal as big and tall as a moose usually gets hit in the legs. Most of the meat is usually salvageable. As far as an "off" taste, I've never noticed one. The endorphins and such can't be any worse than animals slaughtered in commercial plants. Not to get all "crazy hippie" on you, but do you know that many cattle are only knocked mildly unconscious at butchering, and some don't even get knocked out! They are alive and quite cognizant of their injuries in butchering plants. I would think that gets some
endorphins going!
SOME roadkill is completely not salvageable. Something with internal injuries (especially those that cause leakage from the bladder or bowel into the muscle mass) is not considered "safe". But a moose that the troopers have to shoot because of a leg injury is really no different from a moose that is shot by a hunter (especially if there is a poorly placed first shot!)
I had to giggle about the roadkill questions. They are all the same questions I asked my husband when he went out to retrieve the moose. LOL

If I forgot anyone's question and you want it answered, leave me a comment!
***

in other news: my hens are laying! I am so thrilled. I was beginning to feel like a chicken farmer failure. Ha! I'm not!
Many chickens will meet their fate this week. We are starting to have crowding issues in the coop and the weather is getting chilly. I don't know about y'all, but I would much rather only have to get water for a dozen birds than fifty of them. If it gets about 10 degrees cooler around here, I'm
gonna have to haul water from the house, as we will have to shut off the outdoor water supply soon.

Weather has been cool and rainy. Chilly mornings (38F or so) and cool, rainy, breezy afternoons (not above 60 ish).
My kind of weather.

A pot of caribou chili simmers on the stove. The tea kettle signals that my water is ready for a thoughtful cup of Earl Grey. A young hen cackles as she marches away from the nest, victorious. The girls nap, the sky threatens to rain, and my knitting calls to me.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

What Can Be Done In A Day

2010-09-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Whew! We had one BUSY day here yesterday. It started with WAITING. Waiting for the dozer rental companies to call us back (they did). Waiting to see if the rain was gonna let up (it did). Waiting for the dozer to be delivered (it was, eventually).
Not a single member of our family does "WAIT" really well. Toddlers have an excuse. When you are two, a few minutes seems like the whole day will pass before you are granted your wish. The real difference between grownups waiting impatiently and kids? You can send griwnups to time out for temper tantrums when they aren't getting their way.

The dozer arrived. J rushed out the door to start knocking down the remaining forest. I watched with the girls from the safety of inside. We soon tired of being spectators, all of us except Little Nugget, who screamed in excitement every time the dozer made a pass in from of the screen door. To preserve my sanity, I took the girls upstairs. Nugget screamed in protest, pointing to the door and crying, "My papa! Vroom! Vroom!"

A short while later, the phone rang. A friend of J's. "Hey it's me. Troopers just alled me. There's a moose over here hit by a car. If you help me out, I'll split it with you."
Well.
A million questions ran through my mind at once.
Why are troopers notifying our friends of moose struck by cars?
Is this a work thing? Are there injuries?
What exactly are we splitting?
Does my husband want to hear about this 30 minutes after renting a bulldozer at $500 per day?

Then it dawned on me: if we were splitting a moose, hunting season could be over! Oh for the love of all that is good!
I threw on muck boots and made my way through why used to be forest and tundra, and tried not to get run over.

Well.
It was gonna be a late night, by we were gonna be getting half a moose. J downed a bowl of homemade refried beans and some homemade salsa. Gone in 60 seconds.
Three hours later, J and friend returned victorious. It was a good road kill moose, only the legs broken and the troopers put the poor thing out of it's misery. The rest of the job was exactly like hunting.

For those still wondering (like I was) why troopers were calling our friends, well... I learned about something else I never knew existed: The Roadkill List.
No. I'm not joking.
Apparently there is a state list you can sign up on, and when it's your turn and there is something recently deceased, the state will all you and tell you to come harvest it.
Before you start saying, "Eeeewww!" keep in mind that if the state ever calls offering up skunk or something of that nature, we will decline. But a moose? With minor injuries? Which means my husband doesn't have to spend another week away from home in search of the elusive dinner? Sign me up for The Roadkill List.

That handled, some hot coffee to warm up the "hunters" (it was raining and chilly all day yesterday) and a short visit with our friends, and J decided to skip dinner and head back out to finish the dozer work. Not a small feat, mind you. The plan was about an acre or so of heavily wooded land. I don't know when he called it quits, I just know it was nearly 1 am when he crawled into bed.

Meanwhile, another friend dropped off our caribou sausage from THAT hunting trip. I made room in the freezers, and wondered where we were going to put a moose. I might be trying my hand at canning meat this fall. Or some of the salmon taking up space in the freezer.

The girls and I ate a dinner of popcorn and fruit salad. We wandered to the chicken coop between dozer passes and made an excitig discovery:
An Egg! From one of the young hens! Hooray! Hooray!
* Today there were TWO. Hopefully this means we'll be able to stop rationing around here soon!*
* Also, the first eggs a hen lays are usually smal. They are called pee-weed. Adorable! Tiny! And still edible. We celebrated by baking gluten free flat bread with the egg today.

Us girls continued our day from inside. We felt bad for J, in the dark and the rain, but when that man wants to get something done, well... Best to just leave him to it. I made a cozy fire, snuggled with the girls and read a hundred and one bedtime stories (ok, it might have just been ten or so), tucked the girls in, and fell asleep to the sounds of the dozer.
Poor J had to get up just hours after he went to bed. Off to work for the day. He was kind enough to let the chickens out for me. I made a hit cup of coffee, watched the rain come down, and surveyed the future farmland, animal pens, play yards of Little Farm on The Tundra.
It's gonna be fun.
Once the mud settles.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Guess Who's Not Gonna Be A Dairy Farmer

2010-09-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

So our being able to consume dairy was a false alarm. It took a couple weeks to build back up in Little Nugget's system, and now we are back to managing severe tummy troubles and other issues.
Incidentally, we also had a gluten exposure, so Beans and I are itchy, scratchy, tummy troubled gals.

What I can say is this: after months without dairy, I thought I would really be excited to delve back into a world of cheese, yogurt, and ice cream but you know what? It wasn't really as good as I remember.

So, I don't ever have to worry about milking a cow at 40 below.

***

The chickens were granted a stay in their death sentences. We ended up knocking out a closet in our living room instead. We have discussed knocking out the closet before, but didn't plan on it being any time soon. After a leisurely morning of playing with the kids, we decided (at 5:00 pm) that the closet should go. So it did.
Demolition and clean up only took a couple hours.
This project added about 8 sq ft to the cabin. This is a lot when your cabin is already only 850 sq ft.
Other changes to the living room involves rearranging the furniture, then decking we are completely done with the television.
Um, this decision may have had something to do with an almost three year old shriekig at the top of her lungs, "I WILL SO watch tv whenever I want and you get my movie RIGHT NOW!"
Hmph.
Daddy wasn't having that little number, and within moments, the flat screen was in a box and in the crawl space.
Oh.

***

The chickens also avoided sudden death today because J helped some friends move into their new home. By the time he got home and remembered thy he wanted to rent a dozer tomorrow to flatten the property, well... Let's just say he's STILL outside getting the rest of the brush cleared in preparation for that. No time for chicken killing.

***

The rest of the farm work is slowly grinding to a halt. A recent cold snap killed off the remaining pumpkin vines (sans pumpkins), and "Tommy Boy" (one of the turkeys who really does look like a fat man in a little coat) got to the last of my green onions. There are still three rows of potatoes to dig up and process, and a handful of tomatoes in the greenhouse trying to decide if they are goig to ripen or give up the ghost. The chickens continue to eat grain an feed without desire to earn their keep. A light and a timer will go
in the coop this weekend, as our daylight hours will finally fall below 14 hours of light.
Now is the season of "puttering".
The time of year where you wander around on the homestead trying to find work with a purpose. Aside from splitting and stacking wood, or making minor repairs, there's not a LOT of work to do. Or I should say, what's left is little tasks- draining and storing hoses, emptying the flower pots, pick up odds and ends debris, but mostly just take in the crisp fall air and wait for everything that's left to die or get buried in snow. There's still enough outdoor work (and sunshine with nice temps) left that you can't justify hunkering down indoors with winter projects, but not enough work to stay perpetually busy. Back in the south, that's what college ball was for.

I puttered a lot today. Let the girls play in the yard, watched J load brush on the trailer. Poked around in the chicken yard and watched Ricky Bobby try to woo the young hens, most of whom are undecided about chicken sex thus far. Enjoyed the fresh air, took in the scenery. Missed tailgate parties a little bit, then puttered around a bit in what's left of the garden. Was glad to go in and get supper on the table. (Salmon, peas, and potato salad, followed up with gluten free/ dairy free chocolate cake and coffee). Called a friend in the lower 48. Puttered some more.

Sure hope we can get a dozer in here tomorrow. All the puttering is driving me crazy. I'm ready for the next big project.
Meanwhile, it is time to sharpen the hatchet.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Shadows

2010-09-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

Whoo knows what evils lurk?
*snort*

9 pm. After playing 20 questions with a toddler who didn't care that it was bedtime or that her sister was trying to nurse and sleep, everyone is finally tucked in.
Outside, Alaska makes it's presence known. Night is returning. The 9 pm sky was dusky enough to cause the shadows to play tricks on me. Every dark patch is a potential moose, bear, or wolf. Simple things like a chicken squawking because it was locked out of the coop make you jump out of your skin. I hurried through outside evening chores. Didn't pet chickens or talk to the turkeys as usual. Wanted to get back to the house before the shadows ate me. With the chickens locked up in their coop, I scurried up the path to the house, a watchful eye on the treeline, a skittish glance around the corner of the house to make sure the water was turned off.

Only once I was safely on the front porch did I pause to really survey the scenery. The dark of twilight gave sharp contrast to the yellow hues of the birch and cottonwood trees. Details like peeling bark stand out against those same spooky shadows. A glint of light off an owl feather high in the spruce trees makes me glad the chickens are tucked away. "That's MY dinner" I say out loud to the night predator.
Smoke curls from the neighbor's chimney. Wood smoke is carried through the damp chill of the autumn-like night. I take a deep breath of it. Damp, smoke, rotting leaves, wet dirt, and even yucky chicken yard... I love this season.
I survey the 2.65 acre homestead and think about tomorrow's work. Much to do.
Meanwhile, I should head in and build a fire. It was 36F this morning when I let the chickens out. There was ICE in their waterer. No doubt now. Summer days, driftin' away. That's okay by me. I'm ready to settle down for the big chill.

Farm work is calling this week! We'll begin by butchering a few chickens tomorrow. By Tuesday evening, we'll be eating from our own stock. (For farm rookies, "resting" the meat after butchering makes it more tender. I could tell you the science of that but don't want to offend anyone's taste for meat.) It's a bittersweet occassion for me. I tried hard, but I admit that I love all my little birds. Even the surly rooster that really needs to be butchered because he's come after me twice. He has a name, but I can't print it. Poor guy. He's first on the chopping block.
*Ricky Bobby might be spared. He's a good rooster. It's a toss up between him and another really good fellow. *

We'll only be butchering a few birds- mostly roosters and the Cornish Rocks that were selected as meat birds from the start. We'll do the major culling and butchering once we establish a good laying flock. Still waiting for eggs from the freeloading hens.

Once butchering is done, we'll finish clearing off a portion of the land and try to get a bulldozer in here to level it off. Once that is done, we may be able to get the flock to higher ground.

The potatoes will be harvested this week. The rest of the garden was ripped out and will be tilled under, along with a blend of poo to fester under the snow all winter long. Maybe then we'll get a better garden. If I can get them in time, I'll try to put in garlic starts.

Then, the task that will continue until it's too cold to be outside (because it will neve be "done")- splitting and stacking wood. And even when it's too cold to be outside, J will likely continue to split and stack wood, because it will still need to be done. Me? I'll be knitting by the fire, or homeschooling at the kitchen table, or watching reruns of my favorite Little House episodes on DVD.

I should be reviewing butchering instructions in our poultry raising library.
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Wood Rich

2010-09-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Some years ago, a song called "Hood Rich" was a big 'thang'. Not my particular genre, but it was popular during my paramedic days. In Montgomery, AL. So of course, my work partner and I knew all the words.
This song randomly came up in my head today while stacking firewood. That's the only reason I mention it.

Sometimes, when performing an otherwise mundane chore (like stacking firewood), I amuse myself by doing random calculations in my head. I stacked 2 cords of wood today. Going rate for firewood is $250/cord. Between J cutting, hauling, and splitting and me splitting (or splintering) and stacking, we saved ourselves $500. And that's just the first pile of wood we put up.
We are hoping to hav 10-12 cords of wood set up before winter hits.
And we have a head start on next year's wood. All the trees we cut down while clearing land this year has been cut and stacked on the side of the property, creating a wall of wood along the property line.

Other calculations for the day (interpretation: more mundane tasks):
- clean chicken coop: priceless. Seriously.
We built the coop in spring. We covered the roof with plastic until we had time to shingle it. That project fell to the wayside. A recent wind storm (which rivals a few of the tropical storms we experienced in the south) tore the plasic all to bits. We removed the remaining plastic and planned to put up shingles on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the rainy season started on Sunday. Translation: water filled chicken coop.
Anyone who has experince with chickens knows that a chicken coop doesn't smell pretty even at it's very best. Add water, wet hay, wet feathers, mud, and wet manure... Oh my. Disgusting.
We spent the morning tacking up new plastic (in the rain). Then we finally decided we needed to expand the chicken run, because, well, the yard was also flooded. In fact, the yard was essentially mud, straw, and poop. Lots of poop. Chicken yard expanded (in the rain). The chickens are eternally grateful. They ran for higher ground and cackle ridiculously at me until their coop was shoveled and dried out and reparations made. Translation: fresh grain of their choosing and lots of salad greens from the fridge. The roosters also demanded a romp with the hens through the potato patch. Poor potatoes!
I spent the afternoon continuing to muck the coop and find suitable dry bedding. Also fancied up the nest boxes in an attempt to make the hens find it desirable to lay some eggs. Dang freeloading hens. J laughed at me for hanging curtains in the nest boxes. For the record, I have read an heard on good authority that the hens like some privacy for laying. And the darker, cozier environment should keep potential egg eaters out of the nest. J still laughed at the fact that the chickens have curtains and our cabin doesn't. I told him to go be productive. (Or something to that effect.)
J decided to till up the muddy chicken yard. For the record, um, yuck.
The chicken yard is now tilled up mud, straw, and poop. We desperately searched our resources for absorbent materials. We made a haybale walkway surrounding the coop. We dumped sawdust into the soggiest spots. I suggested digging a pond. My suggestion was not well received from the guy cleaning chicken manure and mud off his brand new tiller.
I decided NOT to mention that I had requested a different location for the coop when we built it. I decided NOT to mention that I had pointed out the extremely wet mud pit (the kind that sucks your boot off your foot) right in front of the coop when "they" decided to build it there anyway. I'm not sure the poop covered guy would have been thrilled about a poorly timed "I told you so".
I finished the coop decor and went back to stacking wood.
In the rain.
Priceless. Though I'll be happy to have shingles on the roof as soon as we hit a dry spell.

Land clearing continues. J and the chainsaw are good pals. Rumor has it that he may be ready to rent a 'dozer next week. IF he's not moose hunting instead.

Today is Open Season (moose). Delta Junction is one happening place. Hunters from all over AK are in our woods, trying their luck.

I pulled a 2 gallon pail worth of potatoes out of two rows today. Time to try some
of those recipes.

Jack's Daddy: I liked the 'recipe' you posted, but did you know that McDonald's lists "dairy" and "wheat" (gluten) as INGREDIENTS in their French fries? How weird is that?!? Silly me. I thought French fries were potatoes, oil, and salt.

Oh! Anyone who wants a dog but isn't allowed to have one because your husband doesn't want one (or anyone who just likes
dogs, especially labs) should check out dailydoseofjack.blogspot.com
I confess to shamelessly using Jack as my virtual dog.

Mis Liz: if I could get my hens to lay me eight eggs, your breakfast casserole would be at the top of my list! I might halve the recipe an give it a try, because it sounds so yummy!

Ok. Time's up! Time to tuck babies and birds into their nests for night-night. Then some sleep for this coop muckin', curtain hanging, poop tilling, potato digging, wood stacking TIRED woman!

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, MOOSE!

2010-08-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

That's a recipe for moose stew. Just in case you are having better luck hunting than we are.
I jest.
Actually, that seems to be what is in our garden. I can't recall if I mentioned the humble potato patch. The story goes like this: Never ask you husband to accompany you to the garden store in spring. He might be overwhelmed with all the choices of possible potato crops and decide you need to plant 15 pounds of seed potato.
For non-gardener types, that's a LOT of potatoes. I think I planted 60-70 potato plants. Considering that each potato plant yields 2-6 potatoes, I would say that I would be doing MY part, should we end up in another potato famine. Since that does not seem overwhelmingly likely, I am turning to readers for help.
Please, for the love of all that is good, post potato recipes in the comments. I welcome any and all recipes, though I would prefer not to eat potato soup from now until next year's harvest.
And anyone that knows ways to preserve or store potatoes, speak up. I have so many potatoes that I don't even think I will be able to give them away. (As a side note: family should cautiously open Christmas gifts this year. You all like potatoes, right?? Yup. You can thank me later.)

Meanwhile, a moose has been holding me hostage. It started with J, who decided to cut down a large number of trees on the property. (This decision was in response to several complaints from a wife about not being able to see wildlife lurking in the woods, as well as requests for more farmland. All of my good garden space was taken up by yukons, reds, and bake kings. Ahem.)
I digress.
J proceded to cut down the forest. I can officially see the wildlife lurking about. Um, the wildlife is also wildly attracted to those delectable birch, willow, and cottonwood leaves that were JUST out if reach on those trees. Cutting down the forest essentially the same as opening a Golden Corral in your backyard for the moose, only without the $9 cover charge. A huge cow moose has been grazing for a few days. While this provides lovely photo ops, it also prohibits being able to turn little girls loose to rIde bikes, play in the yard, or even the ability to allow the farmer to let chickens in or out in a timely manner. Apparently, the moose's favorite dining times coincide with exactly when Ricky Bobby likes to be let out, and about the same time as te hens like to be locked back in.
*sigh*
She is a good size moose, and several times a day I lament the fact that we don't live in a hunting area, and that you can't just go shooting a cow moose. (Restrictions apply). It would make hunting season so easy. And so OVER. And it would be a nice addition to the potatoes. Alas, I must relinquish my husband to the woods for yet another week, to try his luck.
This is why it is called "hunting" and not "shooting".

In other news, the chickens are frustrating me. I want eggs. The older hens are going through a molt. I am rationing the precious eggs. I refuse to buy them. I have chickens. It would be insane to buy eggs, right? The young hens seem to be more interested in downing bag upon bag of organic feed, with no thought to how they plan to repay the debt. I am starting to notice decent sized drumsticks on them all.

The rest of the farm is slowing down. Other than harvesting potaotes and allowing Beans and Nugget to raid what's left of the snap pea vines, there is little left growing. Some ailing carrots, some beets and lettuce (all bolting and destined for the chicken coop), a handful more onions, and some ailing pumpkin vines that have flowered but have little interest in forming actual pumpkins (so it seems). The greenhouse holds a few more tomatoes trying to ripen, a cucumber or two, and a handful more carrots, but it is not likely to produce much more.
I've come to terms with a token nod from the garden this year. Fir our first year breaking ground, and managing the garden among toddlers, well...
At least there is the potatoes.
Next year holds better planning, and better soil. I hope.
There is a more permanent chill in the air. The woodstove seems to be in operation at least once a day for a short fire to knock the chill off. The last couple days have not even crept above 60. The next few weeks will be spent dismantling the garden... Harvesting what's left, somehow preserving it, then tilling in all that lovely byproduct of chicken farming.
And stacking wood. Lots and lots of stacking wood.

A cool breeze stirs up outside. I sip an Earl Grey tea and watch the moose taunt Ricky Bobby. I can hear him
clucking his disapproval at her mere precense in the garden. I chuckle and wonder if she would eat some of the potaotes for
me. The wood fire crackles. The house smells like autumn. I decide to pull a chair close to the door so
I can knit as I watch the moose eat what's left of the forest. I hope she moves on before dark, so I can get the birds back
in the coop.

I look forward to potato recipes from y'all! Extra "points" if they are gluten free, but Nugget has recovered from the dairy allergy, so we gladly welcome cheesey, milky deliciousness with our potatoes! And if your recipe contains gluten, don't panic. Post it anyway. I'm good at adapting, at least in the kitchen. Any superb recipes we try will ge reprinted here with appropriate credit and honorable
mention on the blog! That goes for preserving tips as well.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Mending

2010-08-20T21:55:00.001-07:00

I am on the mend. I'm not (much) of a complainer when I'm sick, but this one has been a toughie! Yesterday, J even called out from
work to take care of me and the girls, as I pretty much hit that level of sickness where you just become good for nuthin'.
J did a great job. The girls were happy to have their Pappa home. The chickens didn't starve. I didn't have to make my own hot tea. Other than nursing Nugget, nothing was required of me. Other than being woken up a few times by Beans to find out if I was feeling better, I slept most of the day away.
Oh, that was nice.

Feeling better is nicer, though. And while I'm not 100%, I am better than good for nuthin', so J headed off to work while i begged the girls back to bed. "We are laying in bed like slugs today!" I declared.
They weren't buying it, though they did humor me for a short while. And they were content to have a low-key day today.
The weather helps.

Yup. I'm gonna say that autumn is creeping in on us.
The temps hover in the 60s. The nights dip into the 40s. Dark happens each evening, earlier and earlier each day. The chickens turn in to roost before I even head out to lock them up for the night. They fluff their feathers in a huff at the chilly air I let into the coop in the morning.
As I went about the daily chores, I noticed the leaves turning yellow, and noticed more than a few piles of leaves falling to the ground.

This IS my favorite time of year.

When J called from work today, we found ourselves simultaneously longing for hot apple cider. I'll have to see if I can find some this early in the year. Now if I could just find a pumpkin patch, I would feel complete.
Alas... I've had no luck locating one in Interior Alaska. (Though I am futiley trying to grow them in my garden!)

As the sun sinks in the backyard, I realize it won't be long before I need a lantern to accompany me to the hen house at night. And a coat.

We had a fire in the wood stove last night. A little too warm by the time we were settled, really, but the season is coming.

***
For those who have asked:
No, we haven't gotten Internet at home. The iPhone manages to pick up the 2G network (yes, the TWO G), as long as the wind isn't blowing too hard. (No. I'm not kidding. Or exaggerating.) Hopefully that explains the sudden increase in typos, strange formatting, and occassionally bizarre sentences and words that don't make sense (darn you, auto-spell!) They drive me crazy, too. I am normally WAY too fussy and ahem, retentive, to tolerate poor grammar, incomplete thoughts, or otherwise incongruent writing. Unfortunately, if I try to spell-check, proofread, or edit, strange and bizarre things happen- like my posts get eaten.

Farm News:
the old hens are coming out of their egg strike. Thank goodness. I actually had enough eggs to scramble some
the other day, instead of rationing them out for baking.
The new hens are still not laying.
It shouldn't be long though... The new roosters are desperately trying to court the ladies. This is a sure sign that the roosters think the gals are old enough to start leaving the potential next generation in the nest boxes.
Also, the new roosters have been testing out their vocals. Seems we have four new roosters in our flock. Their pathetic new crows are giving Ricky Bobby the fits. He spends most of each day at the fence that separates him from these new "enemies", crowing out his own place in the barnyard, and puffing himself up to look twice his actual size. Poor fellow. I remind him several times a day that these new boys are stewpot bound. He cares not.
Cock-a-doodle-do.
I hope our neighbors don't hate us by butchering time.

Getting dusky. I am off to tuck the hens into bed before it gets too dark.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Tupped Up

2010-08-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. The girls definitely decided my life would not be complete without their cold. I've been mouth breathing all week and really would just prefer to be in a hot bath or sleeping than anything else.
While moms don't really get sick days (not the laying around in bed all day, luxurious hot bath soak types, anyway), Beans has been bringing me juice boxes and tissues while Nugget pats me on the head and says, "Oh! Baby!"
J has proven himself as the best husband in the world... taking over homestead and farm chores (because chickens don't care if you are sick), doing the "hard" (monotonous) work with the kids, and even cooking a couple meals, and doing it without complaint. I haven't even once heard how he could be out stalking moose right now. That IS a good sick day!

The girls are tucked in early tonight. J even volunteered to wash the dishes and lock up the chickens. The tea kettle is going and I am just the right kind of tired and sick to hunker down under a good momma-made blanket (MY momma, that is! Makes me feel like she's here tucking me in on a sick day) with a hot tea and a new knitting book- until I get sleepy enough to doze off and sleep some of this cold off.

Meanwhile, the woodstove is crackling. It never made it out of the 60s today, and the evening air is around 46F.
The sky is overcast and rainy. The perfect day for sleeping off feeling crummy.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

What A Tease

2010-08-15T21:11:00.001-07:00

Oh, Autumn!
Such a tease.
I was folding lovely, cozy, warm long sleeves today... In 80 degree heat.
Ok, so I feel a little sheepish compaining about a "measley" 80 degrees when most people are sweating in 100+, but for us... Well, it's uncomfortably warm. And after such wonderful football weather, too!
That is the nature of early Autumn, though... Especially in Alaska.
The sky still holds promise, though. The sun hangs a little lower in the sky these days, and the willows and aspens have started to change color. I wonder what the drive to Fairbanks is going to look like this week? Seems like the drive through Salcha and up to Fairbanks always shows a little more progress through the changing seasons.

The weekend passed uneventfully.
Well... Mostly.
The girls woke this morning and each of them let out a series of sneezes, complete with boogers hanging to the chin.
A virus.
Just what I wanted.
On the other hand, it explains why no amount of consolation, story reading, or Popsicles made anyone happy last night, and why I was up a half dozen times tucking everyone back into bed well after everyone should have been dreaming.
Ah, well.
Sick girls are also sleepy girls, which usually means a very S-L-O-W pace here. When the girls are sick, I throw all rules and routines out the door. We eat Popsicles for breakfast. And maybe lunch. And dinner. We watch movies all day. We drink unlimited quantity of juice (at least until a couple hours before bedtime, because otherwise I am guaranteed to be up several times in the night for the potty). I offer healthy food and stories and such, but other than nap time and bed time, I force nothing on sick days.

With the girls content to drain juice boxes and watch "The Bee Movie" for the zillionth time in a row today (Beans' favorite), I attempted to ignore my own throat tickling and begged my own case of the sniffles to be on account of dust or something.
Moms don't really get sick days, ya know.
I grabbed a pitchfork and headed to the chicken coop. It needed cleaning. Bad. The scent of ammonia was enough to clear my sinuses, and I shoveled manure out of the coop. I also fussed a bit, trying to make the nest boxes look like very attractive places to lay eggs. I do hope the hens start laying soon. A $25 bag of organic feed and a $8 bag of barley once a week starts to add up. Time for some of these gals to earn their keep!
While most of the birds scrambled off in a panic when I entered the coop, a couple poked their heads back in through to door to check on my progress. They are content to listen to me talk to myself out there. I tried asking them when they would start laying eggs. They only clucked dejectedly in reply. I hope that means, "tomorrow" in chickenese.
Meanwhile, "Tommy Boy", the largest of our two turkeys, has taken to following me around like a lovestruck teenager. He comes to the fence and coos at me. If I'm in the yard, he fans his tail feathers and struts around like he's the king of the hill. When I tell him he's not my type and shoo him off, he sulks, and then chases the hens around the yard. Then he comes back and coos at me, as if to say, "See how big and tough I am? Give me some sugar, baby."
Yes. I know I personify my Thanksgiving dinner too much.

I collected a few meager offerings from the garden, including our first ripe tomato fro
the greenhouse. Beans and I aet half of it, and added the other half to our dinner. Beans wants me to be sure to say we had steak soup for dinner. "Because I'm do not like beef stew, ok Momma?"
For the record, the ingredients in "steak soup" are the same as "beef soup" but if calling it "steak soup" means she eats something besides Popsicles today, well then, steak soup it was.
Nugget decided the only thing worth eating today was momma milk. So it was.

The house is quiet. The ceiling fans have a steady rythym as they move warm air around the house. Both girls have a little nasaly, wheezy snore as they doze in their beds. The sun sinks a little lower than this time yesterday.
I sip on hot tea. Alas, I can no longer pretend that I don't have the girls' cold.
Time to tuck the birds in for the night, and then do the same for myself.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Rattle, Rattle, Plink!

2010-08-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

I love the sound of canning!
If the house is quiet enough (ours usually is), there is the steady hum of water boiling, a gentle rattle of the canning pot lid as the water heats to a rolling boil. A steady drone of play from the girls comes from the "toy room", interrupted only by minor skirmishes or even more dreadful prolonged silences.
For the record, today's prolonged silence was courtesy of Nugget, who found a lone apricot slice on the floor and decided the toy room walls needed sprucing up. Beans was also quiet, as she was licking apricot off the walls.
With the last batch of fruit in the canner, I tucked babies in for naps. As I turned the stove off, the rattle faded away, the last of the steam hissed to a stop. As I sat with a cup of coffee on the couch, surveying the overall state of chaos (canning supplies fill the sink, toys scattered on the floor, apricot clinging to the wall), I am at once exhausted, knowing the cleaning up waits for me, and comforted by the intermittent "PLINK! PLINK!" of each jar of apricots, peaches, and cranberries sealing themselves. Nothing lives in a vacuum... Except for some sweet treats for this winter lining my kitchen counter.

Today has a definite sense of "football season". When we lived in Alabama, we were serious spectators of SEC college football. (I could care less about professional football... But college boys on a football field running into eachother? THAT makes for a great Saturday afternoon!)
when the weather begins to cool, and the air gets a little crisp, the wave of "homesickness" always surprises me. I suddenly long for fall afternoon football games followed by friendly skirmishes in the backyard, or picking pecans with our old neighbors, or spending allday with a Boston butt on the grill, or my "famous" buffalo wing dip in the crockpot and a house full of friends.
Fall makes me miss our old friends.

Buffalo Wing Dip:
in a crockpot, combine:
2 large cans of chicken, drained
2 packages cream cheese
1/2 bottle ranch dressing
1/2 bottle (or more) Franks Hot Sauce

Let it simmer a few hours before game time. Serve with tortilla chips. That recipe will get you invited back year after year. In the word of one of my old redneck friends, "HooWee! 'Ats some good stuff right there, buddy!"
That recipe can even make you tolerable to folks when they don't like your team choice,
though I don't recommend being the ONLY Auburn fan at an Alabama vs. Auburn game, even with that dip. You might want to bring along some brownies AND that dip to that kind of party. Especially if Auburn is winning.

I digress.
Seeing as how it isn't Saturday, we don't have TV service here (nope, not even antenna service), and we can't eat wing dip on account of dairy anymore, I had to find something else to do with our perfect fall weather.
Our day started early. By 8:00 am, I was already done with our usual morning routine. Kids were pinging off the walls. Well, Beans was pinging. Little Nugget was rubbing her eyes and regretting her decision to get everyone out of bed at 5:00 am. She was soon content to "nursey and night-night". Beans and I wasted no time donning long sleeves and light jackets, and getting outdoors. By 10:00, we had all the farm chores (plus a few extra projects) done. By 11:00, we had worked together to stack a 4 ft high wall of wood between several trees on the property. This is next year's burning wood, wood from trees we cut down from clearing more of the property for next year's farming. It was pleasing to see it not going to waste.
With little of the morning shade left, Beans and I sat on the bench in the garden, Beans eating snap peas from the vines, me listening to the sound of chickens clucking.
I never tire of that noise. I grin every time I hear the content noises of our flock talking amongst themselves.

A small cry interrupted our repose. Nugget was inside shouting, "Wake! Wake! Hiya!"
Beans grabs my hand and practices hopping like a frog all the way to the house.
"Mama, can I have eggs an' bacon for lunch? With avocado and chips? And a grapefruit?"
"Sure thing, little one." my little farm girl always manages to capture my heart when she's doing litle independent things like hoppin all the way to the house.
A few minutes later, bacon is sizzling and my farm girl is helping me crack eggs into a bowl. She identifies which eggs are from which chickens. I love that. She pushes her head against the screen door and yells outside, "Thanks Big Momma! Thanks Little Red! Thank you for my yummy lunch!"

I'm not sure it gets much better than this.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Gluten Free Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'll post farm news later, but thought I would put this up before I forget.
You can successfully make any substitutions you need to, just add you liquids last so you get good consistency.

Total of 2 cups gluten free flour.
I used:
3/4 C quinoa flour
3/4 C brown rice flour
1/4 C corn meal
1/4 C tapioca flour (if you sub this, make it something that helps bond ingredients, like arrowroot flour or potato flour)

2/3 C sugar
1 TBL baking powder (not a typo!)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp xanthan gum (do not substitute! This Does the job of gluten without the severe stomach pain for those who can't have it!)
1/4 tsp salt
nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

3/4 C almond milk (don't panic! You can sub in any safe "milk". The almond milk was my own sub for regular milk!)
1/2 C canola oil (or other, if you are fresh out of canola)
2 eggs (don't panic! Any egg replacer will work. Also, you can soak flax seed in water overnight, then use about 1/4-1/2 cup of that gooey mix to replace the egg. You'll also have the benefit
of adding serious nutrition to your muffins)

1 tsp vanilla extract
Blueberries. Fresh, frozen, canned (drain if you go
this route), wild, domesticated, whatever. As many as you like in your muffins.
***
preheat oven to 375•

Important: DO use separate bowls to mix wet and dry. I know, I hate the extra dish to wash too, but with gluten free flours that don't absorb as well as wheat, you'll need to mix at the last moment or it will be clumpy lumpy. Who wants that?

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients separately, then add the wet to the dry. It's going to be thick! If it seems too thick, add more milk substitute. I added liquid until
it was a bit thicker than cake batter, but not as thick
as cookie dough. (hope that's not too confusing!)

Add berries, stir to coat evenly. Spoon into muffin tray. I DO use liners! (Because who wants to wash out a muffin tin? Not me!)

Bake 18-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes
out clean.

Brew a pot of percolated coffee. Have a muffin and contemplate your day. Try not to eat the whole pan in one sitting. You should save some for lunch.
These muffins are best enjoyed with a toddler who says, "Momma, deez muppins are da awesome-est ever!"
awww... I think I wanna make more muffins now!

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

And Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

2010-08-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...
So it took me a few hours, but I got over yesterday's post.
Many thanks to the Lind and supportive commentary from those of y'all that offered it.
And many thanks to my oldest son. I called him this morning to give him a heads-up. He reads his mom's blog with about the same consistency that most teenagers complete their homework, but I didn't want him blindsighted, either.
For the record, he is MAD. He found it unbelievable that someone would dare make assumptions about his family or his feelings.
In his words, "Yeah, I'm totally cool with what you wrote though, mom." Then he gave me a stern lecture about really needing to know how the Internet works, and how some people ON PURPOSE find blogs to disagree with and start cyber-fights.
"Seriously?" I asked him.
"Um, yeah, mom. Some people just don't have anything better to do with their time."
I suddenly felt a little better about having kids that "waste time" playing video games. At least they aren't picking cyber fights.

So ANYHOO....
Back to farming.
I meant what I said last night.
Farming doesn't hurt as bad.
I was feeling a bit deflated last night as I tucked the girls in and sent the chickens to the coop. And lonely. J is off hunting again. (No luck on last week's moose hunt, and this week was the subsistence caribou opener.) I generally don't mind the hunting trips (can't complain about free, organic, free range food, really). But feeling small and lonely stinks.
I'll admit, I stuck around in the chicken coop looking for a little company. At least until the fumes got to me.
I watched an Alaskan late summer version of a sunset. By sunset, I mean I watched the sky look a little like rain was coming. I scanned the garden for signs of life or food. I looked at the temperate gauge and realized that the chill in the air wasn't just hurt feelings- fall is in the air.
I took a deep breath of crisp, cool air. I saw the sun poking through the tree line in that way that confuses you for a moment as to wether it's sunrise or sunset. I zipped my jacket and headed back to the house, kicking loose rocks down the driveway as I went.
The warmth of the house hit me as I walked in. I'd been canning all day and the house still had a good steam built up. 7 pints of blueberry syrup, one pint canned blueberries, 2 pints of raspberry-rhubarb jam, and a half-pint of fresh blueberries sparkled like jewels on the kitchen table. I set the fresh berries in the fridge, contemplated a cup of coffee and some knitting, then accepted defeat and headed to be instead.

***

Morning found me in better spirits. Apologies at once to those of you suffering from heat waves in the lower 48, but I woke in a chilly house at 6 am to girls bouncing on the bed demanding breakfast. A quick check of the thermometer outside confirmed it. It was only 48 degrees outside.
I grinned in spite of myself. I always get a kick out of Autumn. Anything that even remotely feels like Autumn gets me feeling pretty zippy. I handed the kids bananas and prayed they wouldn't kill eachother as I threw on some day-old jeans (the best kind!) and a sweatshirt before ducking out into the morning air.
Oh! Fall! It felt like it. It smelled like it. The air even tasted like it. I grinned at the sun peeking through the tree line in that way that confuses you as to whether it's sunrise or sunset. I dialed my son's number as I fed and watered birds.
I made gluten-free, dairy-free blueberry muffins that didn't suck. (anyone interested in the recipe, post in the comments. It's easy and hot skippy! They were good!)
The aroma of hot coffee and blueberry muffins mingled in the air. I surveyed the day's work and after downing a few muffins, got to business.
A mid-morning break and I called my mom to chat. We aren't "every dayers" or even "once a weekers", but it sure was nice to hear a voice from home.
I wondered how hunting was going.
I read stories to the girls.
At nap time, I lingered in the chicken coop, trying to see if any of our new hens are acting like they might want to lay. This is the time of chicken season where you want to start seeing results. It coincides with the time they start eating about 40 lbs of organic feed a week.
The chickens are now 17 weeks old. We should be getting eggs any day now.
The rest of the day passes uneventfully.
I am relieved.
The girls get tucked into bed.
I wander outside to the homemade bench we have by the chicken coop to watch what J calls, "The Chick Channel" (haha).
I watch birds establishing peck order. I watch then do the same things they do every night- peck ground and preen feathers. I watch another late summer Alaskan sunset, and linger for a few minutes even as it starts to rain.
Tonight, I no longer accept defeat.
I brew a cup of coffee.
I listen to rain hit the metal roof.
I knit.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Truth Be Told

2010-08-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

So... Anyone who reads the comments on this blog is probably wondering a lot of things. So let me just publicly reply to my latest critic, "Karen", who I can honestly say I have no f-ing clue who she is, but has decided to throw down the gauntlet.
Well...
To answer some questions:
I am "Ms" (Mrs, actually) Nicole.
And to answer your questions and assumed accusations about my other children (two sons):
- you are absolutely right. I had zero moral character twelve YEARS ago when their dad and I divorced. I was an alcoholic, borderline drug addict, selfish, self-serving horrible excuse of a mother and human being. My self-serving attitudes coupled with addictions led meticulous a place in life of absolute debasement and worthless life decisions one after another.
Go ahead.
Judge.
-Yes. I LEFT my boys. I willingly left them with their father and loving, doting grandparents who have spent the last 12 years providing them a stable, NORMAL life, even a tad induldged, by my standards. A life I certainly would not have been able to provide for them for quite some time after the divorce from their dad.
Go ahead.
Judge.
I still stand by that decision. My boys have had a life full of love and normalcy that a mother who really needed to get her act together could not have provided.
- No. I have not seen my boys since I moved to Alaska. This seems to be by mutual
agreement. My younger son has informed me that he considers me his "birth mom" and his stepmom his "real
mom". My older son seems to have the same sentiment, though he is less outspoken about things like that. Regardless of how he feels about that, we maintain contact and keep in touch.
Go ahead.
Judge.
All the family members involved seem to be on the same page. All of these decisions have been discussed among all the parents involved.
We all knew a long time ago there would be aftermath in everyone's lives.
All of us (boys included) think that it would be more difficult and more detrimental to everyone's sense of normal and comfort fo me to barge back into their lives and assume the role of "mom", regardless of how well I've cleaned up over the last twelve years.
Many times I have been judged as being unfeeling or uncaring about what I left behind.
I am not unfeeling or uncaring.
I just know I did a lot of damage in the past.
Sometimes, the best way to "make ammends" is to apologize and then keep the hell away. Especially if that is what those that were hurt want you to do.

I don't even begin to pretend or think that I am a perfect mom these days. It took me nearly a decade to feel like I was worthy enough to pursue a happy marriage or any more children. I am
more keenly aware than anyone how I don't DESERVE a bit of my current life or happiness, but truly for the Grace of God, and accepting that Jesus died for really shitty moms and addicts- GOD has redeemed me and seen fit to give me such a wonderful life.
That's really good, because before I accepted that forgiveness, I almost nearly ended my own life because of the guilt that I was carrying around. It's a horrible feeling, being disgusted with yourself.

When I talk about my current life, express my opinions, or otherwise share on this blog, it IS from my new life.
"If any man (or woman) be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new."
Thank God.
Thank God.
I do like the "new creature" I am better than the old thing I passed myself off for before.

So, Karen- if you are still reading my blog (in spite of your threat to leave) I hope that clarifies a bit. I hope throwing down the gauntlet achieved what you wanted. Think what you want to. Stop reading if you want to. Don't buy my crummy memoirs when I get around to writing them. I don't give a shit.

Family and friends- sorry this exposes so much personal stuff. Boys, you especially- I hope that the judgent other people pass on our family dynamics don't stick in your spirits. I've said "I'm sorry" a million times to both of you. I love you in that "birth mom" kind of way, and I am so glad that in spite of my decisions, you still let me peek in on your lives from time to time, and that you still treat me with more respect than I deserve from you. I am so grateful to your "real" mom and dad and grandparents for doing what I couldn't.
I only hope to do better by your sisters.

So.. All readers, sorry to mind vomit on this. Many of you have asked questions over the years. I hope you can see why I never really brought it up.
Also sorry for the swearing. I hate to hear yucky words, but in this instance, I just couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say.
If you are a local reader, please respect my privacy and my personal heartache that I have carried for years- don't ask me about it. My past, this post, this chapter in my life.

Now if y'all don't mind, I'd like to get back to just blogging about the much simpler life I am currently carving out for myself. Farming sure as fuck doesn't hurt as bad.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Now if y'all don't

I don't like to get preachy, but you know what? Thank GOD for forgiveness. Mine. An anyone else who calls on Him
and asks for it. It is His free gift for the taking.

Favorite Part

2010-08-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Ah. I DO love my little life carved out here...

I almost named today's post, "Off With Their Heads!" but out of respect for a sweet, almost eight year old friend, I resisted.
Beans, Nugget, and I got an impromptu invitation to observe a chicken butchering at a friend's house today. Considering that we will be butchering our own birds in a matter of weeks and we are novices at this, I decided this was a good opportunity to learn something.
It was homeschool for grown-ups.
With Nugget in the baby backpack and Beans in my arms, we gave the two ill-fated birds their final petting. Our friends showed us a few tricks to get the birds to be calm, a hachet delivered a swift blow, and without a squawk, the hardest part was over. The birds were hung To bleed out while preparations to dress the birds were made. The kids found that gross fascination with parts like the decapitated heads and removed wings and feet that all curious youngsters have. Homeschooled kids (in my personal opinion) have an even deeper fascination. Mere moments passed before all the kids (except Nugget) were asking great questions about why the body continued to move, or what chicken brains looked like. (Nugget continued happily clucking at the chicken remains.) Even Beans had some good questions, for a two year old. "Why did we do that?" and "Does the chicken feel better without his head?"
In attendance were three adults, one teenager, and youngsters aged 1, 2, 6, and 8.
Yes. I let my kids observe.
Nugget cared not. In fact, she merely squawked happily at the other chickens roaming the yard. Beans was curious but not disturbed. We have talked many times since buying our own chicks about how chickens provide meat and eggs. Once the excitement was over, she toddled off to play with more exciting things. Her interest peaked again after the "Women's work" (cleaning the chickens and preparing them for freezing and cooking) was done; when the birds looked more like dinner than livestock. Then she decided she was hungry.

I got some good experience and anatomy/dissection lessons. I don't feel nearly as intimidated about our upcoming butchering day as I did before. And I even think I could infidently handle the dispatching of birds... a job I had definitely ensured my husband would handle before we started the chicken venture.
The job was easy and fun as we visited with our friends. I love the interplay of homeschool families working on a task together. It makes me sad that formal education takes all the FUN out of learning. I gleaned as much information from my friends' children as I did from my friends. When the older kids tired of the lesson, they joyfully (and without being asked!) took Little Nugget to play so I could enjoy the rest of my learning experience.
It was a modern day "Little House on the Prairie" day. I loved it.

And my kids? (Before someone gets their knickers in a knot about me exposing my kids to the facts of food production)
I'm thinking they survived the exposure. When I tucked Beans into bed, I had our usual conversation:

Me: "Did you have a good day? What was your favorite part?"
Beans: "Um, yeah. Mine favorite part was getting that chicken
and chopping off his brains and then maybe we are gonna eat him right up!"

I think I definitely have a farm girl in the family.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

When Life (or your husband) Felts Your Wool Hat...

2010-08-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

You should quit complaining about it and make yourself a really cute little purse.

J washed (and dried) a wool hat I made for him. Personally, I am suspicious that it may have been on purpous, but we'll let it stand as "an accident". No problem. I made him another hat (didn't think I would let him off THAT easy, did ya?) and after sulking over the ruined hat for a while, decided I could so do something cute with it. Someone in my family is getting an adorable little bag for the holidays. Stay on the "nice" list- it's really a cute bag!

Anyhoo... The moral lesson is really this: stop whining. NOTHING is "The End of the World" except for, well... The End of the World.
Alaska, farming, and toddlers are teaching me that.

The garden is looking pathetic. A lack of nutrients and a lack of water are the primary culprits. (The goats did not help.) as the days get cooler and begin to show signs of being shorter, I find myself excited for and wistfully longing for fall. I am ready to harvest what precious few things my lack of skill and dilligence in the garden will yield to me, and till it under. Better luck next year (and maybe a little more perseverence by me).
The chickens are also on borrowed time. Oh, don't mistake my statement for frustration! I am, afterall, the "Crazy Cat Lady" of chickens. I adore those critters and will miss some of their clucks when harvest time comes. But...

As Alaska summers wind down into Autumn, a funny thing happens. Residents can sense winter coming. Spring and early summer are exciting, playful times. Fishing trips abound and we add our campers to the parks and roads just like the tourists we complain about. We forget the summer is (so) temporary- for just a little while.
Late summer hits, hunting season draws near, the salmon begin to run, and suddenly every Alaskan Resident has a serious case of "The End Is Near"-itis. The panic sets in. There are leaky windows to repair, firewood to gather, outdoor projects to finish (or, ahem, start). And the thought of spending a precious weekend repairing windows just does not compare to spending a weekend on Fielding Lake, roasting marshmallows and eating fresh caught lake trout.
J and I find ourselves in the midst of prioritizing projects. What HAS to be done vs. what SHOULD be done vs. what's gonna get done because I'm totally going camping.

The days are visibly shorter now. The house is actually dark at night. Morning still comes early, but you can tell that there was an official sunset the night before and a sunrise in the morning. I'll bet we still have more daytime than most places for now, but not for much longer.
In the evenings when I lock the chickens up for the night, I catch myself gazing at the sky and wondering when I'll get a glimpse of the moon again. I also know that the best time for Northern Lights is coming soon (usually September-ish), and I find myself wishing the night sky was dark enough for them to make a noticeable August appearance.
I am aware that this is where I digress from the main population here- but goodness! I do love the winter.

Meanwhile, the chickens could stand to get a little heavier before heading to the freezer. I'll be getting aggressive about fattening them up over the next few weeks, though no chicken will be sentenced to the choppig block until our pullets start laying AND my sweetheart has gotten his hunting done.

***
other thoughts:
- I am halfway done with a pair of hand knitted socks. J has alreay laid claim to this pair. They are nice enough that I contemplated "accidentally" making them too small... Like maybe my size. Lucky for J I lost track of rows and they definitely fit him now.

- Have had lots on my mind including a good book called "Created to be His Help Meet". Seriously, gals should read this book.

-Upcoming year's homeschool "plan" in the works. Beans has been asking for her school stuff every day for the last week. Little Nugget has been chiming in- "School! School! School!"
Ahhh- I LOVE homeschooling! While everyone else's kids are crying about only having so many days left of summer break, my girls are begging me to leave the great outdoors and come up with some school projects.

- "Met" (Internet) a new friend (I think she's gonna be, anyway) this week. I love stumbling upon kindred spirits- it helps me feel way less weird than I really am! (snort!)

Enough banter for one evening. Babies are dozing off. That means it's time to lock up some birds and indulge myself in a cup of tea, some dairy free chocolate (I agree- real chocolate is WAY better but I really have no choice until I cease being a dairy cow for Nugget), and work on the other half of my pair of socks.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Hometown Fair

2010-07-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

The day started with sunlight pouring through the room darkening shades this morning. This is a welcome change from the seemingly constant rain we have received this summer, and immediately motivated me to do something today. Well, that and the fact that two kids bounded into my room with cries of, "Wake up, Mama!" Ignoring those requests for very long usually means sweeping gluten free cereal off every surface of the main floor, or cleaning up an entire roll of toilet paper or something of that nature.

The Fair is going on this weekend. In truth, I almost skipped it this year. Other than my auction items, I didn't submit anything this year, and with our recent hectic schedule, cranky girls, and a myriad of other lame excuses, I almost allowed myself to think it wouldn't be worth the "hassle". I'm glad I got my head out of my you-know-what. The Delta Fair is always worth it.

Small town fairs are just beautiful things. Straight out of books like "Charlotte's Web" or shows like "Andy Griffith". The parade is fun- and being a townie means recognizing almost everyone on each float, tractor, or fire truck. Standing in line to buy tickets and watching young men helping little old ladies manage their walkers, running into friends you only see a few times a year because they live "way out" or "over the river", and being surrounded by a good collection of cowboy hats just makes a wanna-be-country-girl sigh with contentment.

Last year was fun, but this year was different. Last year we were still really new in town, the odd faces in the crowd. This year, it took twice as long to make our way through the fair, as every ten feet or so we were greeting by the friends we've accumulated over the last year in Delta.
These are REAL relationships, folks. When I lived in the city, I "knew" people, but I really didn't "KNOW" them. There is a distancing our society has learned to keep- everyone at arm's length. We stay polite, but frankly don't tend to give a you-know-what about the people in our own homes, much less our neighborhood.
Where I live now is so different from that old me. A few years ago, I would have been annoyed by all the "interruptions" on my way to the 4H barn (who am I kidding? I wouldn't have gone near a barn back then!). Today, it was a relaxing pace, running into folks and remembering to congratulate them on their Fair Exhibit ribbons, or ask how their grandkids did in their latest ventures, or find out their latest farm, family, or work news.
We did finally make our way to the 4H barn, which is where I got my first dose of envy for the day. I wanted Johnny's alpacas and Lois' chickens. I met a very young man (maybe 10 years old) who actually convinced me that a drawf Nubian goat would be the answer to my desire for a goat that did not behave like the devil. I saw a turkey auctioned off for $190, and a pig that weighed 1000 pounds. If J wouldn't have killed me, I would have bought that pig. I fell in love with every chicken, turkey, and duck in that barn, and I left wondering why on earth I didn't bother to enter a couple of our own birds. We might have had a winner in there.
Next year. I just have to.

For all my old Southern friends who remember me as a city girl, I've got news for you: I went to my first Mud Bog, and LIKED it. I even suggested that J should take his beat up suburban and race it next year. Something REALLY country might have even come out of my mouth. Something like, "I dunno baby. I think the 'burban could do it. Plus, you'd look darn sexy doin' it!"
(I know, I know. I'm beginning to think the old me was abducted by aliens.)

We talked to another twenty or so people we knew on the way back to the main fairgrounds. I'm so happy to be a "local". I really do just love our community and friends. We personally know folks running for office here. One of them even grows the hay our animals sleep on. Our whole community is connected. I stopped at the Rifle Association booth to talk to my knitting friend. She's working on socks, doing a fund raiser for the rifle club, and sharing news about her grandson. She and her husband are the same folks who raise the bees that make my annual supply of honey. A dress she knitted for my baby girls is hanging in the exhibit hall with a blue ribbon on it. She made it when Little Nugget was sick. I can hardly contain my grin. I love this place. I love these people.

The exhibit hall struck my envy bone again. Why, oh why did I let myself be "too busy" to enter stuff? I recognize more than half the names on exhibits this year. As I gaze at Grand Champion ribbons, I also marvel at a dear friend's modesty. I recently asked this friend if she knew how to sew. She said, "A little, but nothing spectacular." she has most of the purple (Grand Champion) ribbons in the hall.
I meander through the fruits and vegetables on display. I wonder how to make my own garden produce stuff like that. I kick myself again. I could have entered my herbs.
Next year.

I chat my way through another sea of friendly faces on the way to the truck. The girls are tired, full of kettle corn and cotton candy, but happy to be riding in the wagon I've been pulling along. I load up the truck and think about how far I've come in the last year. I've lived in a lot of places in my thirty-something years. I have more friends, more fun, more REAL relationships in my life than I ever have before. My girls wave goodbye to the fair and ask if we can go tomorrow. I am noncommittal- still grinning at the way things change in life- and head for home. The girls are glad to see the house and to get out of the sun. I throw together a quick but nutritious dinner, settle the girls, and see my garden, livestock, and knitting projects in a new light. I can cultivate some winners here.

Each night, I ask the girls if they had a good day. "What was your favorite part?" This is a nightly question. They fall asleep telling me about mud bogs and giant pigs.
I love this life.

I watch the sun sink a little lower on the horizon tonight. Autumn is coming. You can feel it in the way that the nights require a sweatshirt, and you can tell by the fact that it actually gets slightly dark very very late in the evening.
I lock the birds into their coop. I close up the greenhouse. I take in one more sip of a summer night sky. I think about the neighbors. I am glad I know most of their names.
I'm glad I went to the Fair.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Cold Wind Blowing

2010-07-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but the air is changing already around here. The last few nights have been chilly, dipping in the low 50s again. A reminder that we are overdue to haul in the winter's wood.
Homestead life has been busy. The chickens and turkeys are growing. We tried a couple week stint with goats. What's left of the garden (post goats) is doing well. After spending two weeks wreaking havoc on our homestead, the goats have found a new home until they are butchered. I should have blogged about those beasts when the stories were still fresh, but suffice it to say that many an artist has depicted the devil as a goat for good reason. Goat herding can be summed up in two words: Never Again.
Removing the goats brought instant peace and sanity back to the farm. Or at least made our usual chaos seem rather mild.

Meanwhile, we have been busy turning our plot into a regular little homestead. J has been working on his hunting and fishing skills and the freezer is stocked with bear hams, salmon, and a variety of fish. Subsitence hunting opens next week for moose and shortly after that, caribou. While he's tromping through the boreal forest for dinner, I'll be tending garden and babies, and fattening up chickens between trips to our berry picking spots. Raspberry jam and canned blueberries have already begun scenting our cabin and gracing pantry shelves. Homemade salsa joins the jams and berries on the shelves, and as the farmers market, garden, and God's country begin to do what they do, I do what I do... Preserve as much fresh bounty as we can (ha ha!) for the months where we forget that our ice land produces amazing fruits and vegetables.

This coming weekend is the Delta Junction Fair. If you are in town you should come on out. Be sure to stop
in the quilt hall and bid on the hand-knit items being auctioned to benefit Relay For Life. The two adorable pinch hats (if I may say so myself) are made by someone ya know. ;) Everything is beautiful and I am the newest knitter in the bunch... There is some good stuff out there for a great cause, so pony up. Then enjoy the heck out of the fair because it won't be back 'till next year. The 4H barn is always wonderful, and this year I have some little friends showing off their livestock. Hoping the best of ribbons for a few hopefuls!

With that, there are girls to tuck in and animals to pen up for the night.
Until Next Time,

Happy Moose Trails!

A Changing

2010-06-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

When you see something every day, it's easy to miss the subtle changes that vastly change the greater picture. It is true of many things.
I've been pondering this thought lately... I thought of it the other day while taking a walk with a friend. Early in spring (truthfully, when we still had snow in the forecast) we walked the woods and trails and noticed each miraculous plant and flower emerging from winter sleep. We were springtime detectives, noticing any bit of new growth.As we walked the same trails yesterday, we both giggled over how enamoured with spring (OK, desperate for it!) we were a couple short months ago. And while we still love foraging and our nature hikes, it is only the truly amazing or spectacularly large plants that catch our attention these days. As the spring rain, warmer temps, and (literally) a full day's sun lights on our Great North, the world has started growing so quickly that you can hardly even imagine the icy winter or the need for the wood stove.

I had a similar reminder of how much a thing can change this week. I'm not usually a big fan of things like Facebook. Aside from the fact that without Internet at the cabin which makes it tough to post often (a necessity, apparently), I am usually not prone to the otherwise ridiculous banter of things like that. "My dog farted and it was gross", and various other amazing things that people feel the need to share. (In all fairness though, I do occasionally post such ridiculousness, if only to fit in with my peers.) Otherwise, it's (supposedly) a tool to keep in touch.

Anyhoo...I found a handful of old friends from my paramedic days. Most of them are still hauling patients out of ditches and living the night life of sirens and coffee. I love my old friends. I really do. And I loved my old life.
I didn't realize how much a PERSON could change until I began catching a few of my old friends up on the Life and Times of Moose Nuggets. I have two more kids than most of them remember me having. I worked a full time job (for pay!) back then. Most of them can tell you that they couldn't ever even imagine me having the temperament to parent, much less be a farmer in the North.
One of them sent me a wonderful, heartfelt email. I had almost forgotten old nicknames I had on the ambulance (I'll spare you and my dignity of those!). This friend even told me they just couldn't imagine me in the life I describe here on my blog. I found that odd for a moment (what ELSE would I be doing???) and then it dawned on me,
I have changed. A Lot.

I am wrapping my mind around being so different. It happened like Alaska spring... a slow, nearly imperceptible thaw, an emergence of new growth, and suddenly, I am in the middle of an overgrown summer.
To go from trendy VW Bug driving, makeup wearing, espresso drinking, weekly manicure/pedicures, fine dining in trendy restaurants, and having ATTITUDE at ANYTHING "country" or "farmer-ish". Do you know that once upon a time, I dared to routinely utter the words, "I'm bored!" (Oh! I really did!)
I caught myself slowly driving through the mountain passes in my old Suburban. My hair hasn't seen a trim in month. A cup of percolated coffee was held in my dirt stained hands (what's the point of a manicure if you are shovelling chicken poop after breakfast?). I'm sure we probably had moose, caribou, or some kind of fish thawing in the fridge for dinner as I headed home to my farm. My exciting night life these days includes getting the kids and chickens to bed early enough to have energy to knit, or enough time to finish a book.

When did this happen?

A LONG time ago (maybe two years now)I mentioned how Alaska seemed to harbor some kind of vastness or hidden "power" to make you give up things that just aren't important. Two years ago, I was referring to old mind-haunts, things that I had trouble letting go of in my life, wrongs I received or doled out, those things in our minds that generally haunt us to our graves. Being in the vastness of Alaska made me realize they weren't worth holding onto anymore. Ditching those old haunts left me trying to figure out who I was without that anger, espresso, and enough loud city noise to drown out any calling I might have felt to lead me to a quiet place.

My dear friend was thrilled with my new life, even if they can't imagine me being the one living it. The difference between the old me and the current me has been rolling around in my head, and I find myself grinning like a pig in you-know-what as I do the quiet and unimaginable, like wash dishes, hang laundry, feed chickens, and muck out chicken coops.

***

In Alaska news, we are a day away from Summer solstice. The sun isn't as bothersome this year for me. I haven't even traded out our regular curtains for room darkening ones this year. This is our third spring, and the first one that feels like it's moving all too quickly. Maybe it's the homeownership (and realizing that any repairs and improvements have to be made in the next couple months before ice and snow return), maybe it's the busy-ness of farming, or finally being able to take the little kids exploring and adventuring. This spring flew by, and I have a feeling the summer is going to go just as quickly.
Oh, I won't lament winter time arriving. I still love Alaska in all it's extremes (plus, I'm itching to have time for all my winter hobbies again).

J returned from hunting with a 7'3" black bear. It's off being processed into a rug and sausage. (Also some bear jerky.) He'll be off in a week or so to get salmon, and I'll be busy filleting, wrapping, freezing, and possibly canning to replenish our cache. Our plan to grow, hunt, fish,forage, or raise most of our food is going well. I can't wait until the garden gets productive.

We've had rain and cool temps. I forget that the rest of the counry is sweating and begging for their air conditioning to work. I actually had to light a small fire in the woodstove this morning. The rain falling on a metal roof with a fire crackling in the wood stove and chickens cackling outside the door are just enough to make me giggle... Nope, Toto... we sure aren't where or who we used to be.
I'm okay with that.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

A Rose By Any Other Name

2010-06-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

Would be trail mix.

Beans and I have been studying plants and learning about safe foraging. (important things to learn about when you are two and something called "bane berry" looks inviting.) Alaska has an incredible number of wild and edible plants. Every day we learn or identify something new, I am amazed at how God provides for humans... Even in places labelled "barren".
Our own yard (not including our thriving garden) is full of so many amazing plants that are edible, medicinal, and just amazing.
We are quickly becoming foragers, and even putting some of our "mountain medicine" to good use. Combined with our garden, we have concocted some tasty teas with added benefits of curbing headaches, tummy aches, and even helping mosquito bites to stop itching. Here's one of our recent tasty teas:

Moose Nugget Forager Tea:
mint (from the garden. We used peppermint this is 50% of your tea)
wild rose petals (edible! Good trail snack!)
wild bluebells (also good trail snack)
wild raspbery leaves
strawberry leaves

dry all ingredients in a warm oven (170F ish) until dried. Cool and store. When you are ready for tea, lightly crush enough for your tea. Steep 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!
This is a great "reviving" tea when two small children have completely worn you out by nap time!

***

The rain stuck around for a few days. Now that we have a lull in the grey skies, Beans, Little Nugget and I ventured out to inspect the gardens and give the baby chicks some time in the sun. The baby chicks can hardly be called "babies" any more. They have their adolescent feathers, their combs are growing, and a definite pecking order is being established. We have a variety of breeds: Americaunas (they will lay green and blue eggs! Really!), Orpingtons, Brahmas, Red Sex Links, Black Sex Links, Silver Wyandottes, Columbian Wyandottes, Australorps, White Cornish, Black Cornish, Polish Chooks, Silkies, and one Bantam. We affectionately call our three older hens and our rooster "chicken mutts", as they descend from a line of various hens and *ahem* zealous roosters.
The six turkeys are Bronze (a breed, not just a color). What a clucky peepy little entourage they are. They are as eager for wild Alaska greenery as we humans are, and they make weeding the garden a pleasure. Beans and Nugget like to poke dandelions through the chicken fencing and watch the birds gobble them up. Ricky Bobby is a sucker for fireweed, and Baby Girl will get downright pecky over lamb's quarters.

Speaking of the garden, I suppose I could let y'all in on what's been planted.
We've got rows and rows of potatoes. J came wih me to the greenhouse and got a little excited about all the varieties of potatoes available. What I'll say about that is there are twothings I'd better not hear this winter. One is "I'm sick if potatoes". The other is "we are out of potatoes". Wih five rows planted (each row about 30 feet long), we'd better not run out of potatoes.
Onions make another 60 feet of garden space.
Strawberries and rhubarb grow together, next to rows of cauliflower and broccoli. Kholrabi, four varieties of lettuce, carrots, andradish make up about half of the remaining garden space. We have two pea tepees where green arrow peas and sugar snap peas are starting to grow. Celery, turnips, beets, zuchinni plants, green onions, and yellow squash fill the othe half, and an experimental bed of pumpkins round out the outdoor garden. The greenhouse is filled with tomato plants, cucumber, and several varieties of peppers.
A short walk to the house finds the porch surrounded with container gardens of herbs. Beans' "tea garden" consists of peppermint, lemon balm, spearmint, lavender, anise hyssop, and lavender bergamot. My kitchen herbs consist of rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, cinnamon basil, and chives.
It sounds full and crowded, but I must make room for more. A dear friend gifte me with a chocolate mint plant, and I couldn't resist a couple of Roman chamomile plants in the nursery. I have several more starts coming from Washington State next week, and will start planting fruiting trees and bushes as well. I have two choke cherry trees waiting for holes to be dug when it dries out a little but more, as well as some edible flowers from seed and starts to be planted.

Phew! That makes it sound like a lot, but I am already looking forward to expanding the garden space next yer! There is so much more I WANT to grow!

Well, nap time is about over, and it looks like I'd better get the laundry off the line before the next set of storms rolls in. After that, a cup of Forager Tea and snuggle time with my sweet girls. Several of our butterflies have been emerging from their cocoons... A perfect segway to story time and craft time while we observe our new additions.

THIS is what I love about homeschooling:
from some measly caterpillars comes science, reading, arts and crafts, biology, and even religion... If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new!

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Rainy Day Women

2010-06-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, another Bob Dylan reference.

It's been a rainy week. I'm not complaining. I love Alaska in all it's facets. Summer rain is amazing. It's the only time the sky gets "dark" this time of year. Plus, it means that I don't have to water the garden.
Lots of people go out in the rain here. J is one of them. He's off in Cordova, bear hunting.
Me? The rain rolling in makes me feel cozy. It's cooled off a bit (50s today) and even justified a small fire last night in the wood stove to knock the chill off. I've spent the rainy days catching up on mending and sewing... 3 aprons, a skirt, a dress for Beans, lots of mending and taking in some things. (The good thing about food allergies? I've dropped two sizes since we had to ditch gluten and dairy!)
I got ambitious with the sewing and seriously decreased my stash of stuff.
This is a good thing.
Earlier in the year, a friend of mine and I started a challenge to use up or finish all the projects and materials we already had in our stash. No new purchases at the fabric and yarn stores except notions. Well, I'm not sure where she is on her stash, but I officially only have two more projects in my sewing bin. (um, don't ask about the knitting stuff. Or needle work. I'm sure I have plenty of projects to finish before I can make a trip to the store for anything new!)

Anyhoo...
The rain on the green metal roof of the cabin has established a meditative patter. The girls have been busy with reading and playing. The chickens (Ricky Bobby in particular) are chattering angrily at the rain, and they apparently lackthe common sense to get in the coop instead of getting wet.
I am wondering how the bear hunt is going... WonderIng what bear meat is going to taste like (I'm told it tastes exactly like ham), and wondering which of our cabin walls is going to be sporting a dead animal.
For the record, I never ever once in my whole life ever thought there would be dead animals on my wall. Ever. But it seems that it's going to happen, so I'd better get used to the idea. And choose a good spot. I certainly don't want a snarling bear staring at me while I'm eating my breakfast or (gasp!) trying to sleep.
On the other hand, it's better than having a LIVE bear watching me do those things.

So the women folk are tending the farm and catching up on sewing, reading, and eating popcorn for dinner. The Mighty Hunter returns soon and will want an audience for bear tales and other excitement.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Some Answers

2010-06-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

So the doctors have come up with some new test results. The recent diagnosis is that Little Nugget has a grown hormone deficiency. Her levels are so low it indicates that she's not even really producing growth hormone yet. We are headed to Anchorage in August to see endocrinology for the next step.
I am relieve to have some answers and really ticked at the same time. A simple blood test could have given us this answer months ago, sparing Little Nugget and the rest of us a heap of agony. The last time I posted, I could hardly talk about it because the doctor we were seeing was so convinced of her (wrong) diagnosis that she actually told us we had a month to find another opinion OR replace her feeding tube, or she would call the state on us! OF COURSE we got a second opinion (from a doctor that wasn't still in highschool when I had my two oldest children) who ran some additional tests (including the growth factor), and VOILA! The answer we had been wondering about for over half of Little Nugget's life now.

Anyway... Back at The Farm:
Life is going along as it always does... Too fast and full of daily grind adventures. The weather is finally turning gorgeous (50 degree mornings and 80 degree days), and there is 24 hours of daylight, though we still had official sunrise and sunset times.
I was thinking this morning as I hung clothes on the line, living in Alaska is like being on a perpetual camping trip.
Summer has a smoky haze ("summer" and "forest fire season" are synonymous here). The morning air is crisp, with the faint hint of campfire (ok, forest fire!). There is a peacefulness while hanging clothes. I LOVE air dried clothes, particularly with the faint hint of campfire to it. Animals scurry about, adding their own habits and noise to the rythym of our day.
I never had been a morning person prior to getting chickens, but I must say that nowadays, sleeping past 7:00 makes me feel lazy.
Farming in Alaska makes me feel ALIVE.
I learned the hard way this week to always (always!) scan the tree line before heading to the chicken coop. I surprised a moose as much as she surprised me, and it was o ly my proximity to the front door that saved my hide from becoming a hit target.

I watered the garden with the smell of forest fire creeping in a little thicker. I hope it's not going to be too dry a year for us.

J headed out on a bear hunt this week. Why men feel the need to hunt things that could eat them is beyond me. I hope he gets his bear hide and then gets his own hide home safely.

Off to lock the animals up for the night.
The official farm count on Little Farm on the Tundra:
48 chicks
3 laying hens
1 rooster
6 turkey poults
and Bub, the goldfish that won't die. Two years old now.
Oh! Also residing in the cabin: 10 caterpillars in cocoons. The latest homeschool project is butterfly hatching. Beans has become obsessed with bugs and hatching butterflies was a compromise, since she was begging to study spiders. Ever try to choke down your own squeamishness about something to allow your kids unadulterated learning? Yeah... I don't really like spiders, but she loves all kinds of bugs at the moment, so, I'm trying. Caterpillars are just about my limit though.

Alright. If there is one truth about farming, it's that the animals won't wait. I'd better get everyone tucked in for the night, then tuck myself in. Daylight and campfire start early these days.

Until next time,
Happy Moose Trails!

The Return of Moose Nuggets

2010-05-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Hello? Anyone out there still?
If so, I'll be returning soon. I am going to have a "Mother's Helper" through the summer for the sole purpose of being able to get into the library to do Internet stuff again.
Life has been busy in the Moose Nugget household. We are officially Chicken Farmers, with a flock of 51 chickens. The garden is in, and as long as we get a fence up before the moose discover the broccoli (and everything else), we are looking good for growing a fair amount of our veggies this year. A mishap with the freezer getting unplugged fir a few days has us looking forward to hunting season and the next big fishing trip, and we are working on putting up buildings and clearing land to be able to raise a few more food animals next year.
It amazes me that all the hard work of the last few months fits into a small paragraph of nondescript words... We sure have been busy!

Beans is getting smarter by the minute. Every day, I am glad we decided to home school.

Little Nugget is still, well, little. And the doctors still don't know what's wrong with her. It's an ongoing saga that hardly deserves mention at the moment, not because it lacks importance, but because the whole situation just makes me mad. At this point, doctors are WAY overstepping their boundaries, and as test free test comes back negative and Little Nugget continues to do everything except get fat (healthy in every other way), we (me, J, and every other human being with an ounce of common sense) would like to be left in peace with our SMALL but otherwise HEALTHY daughter. Those that lack sense (aka- The Doctors) have gone nuts with their requests for tests and various other baloney.
More on that another day. If I get on that soapbox today, there's gonna be trouble in Moose Nugget Land.

The Little Farm on the Tundra is my peace and tranquility these days. The land has thawed and even gotten "hot" by our standards (80 something degrees today!) The return of summer has chickens clucking in the yard, chicks peeping in the hen house, laundry fluttering on the line, and that summery scent of plants growing in dirt, mingling with the smell of bug spray (natural and non toxic, of course!) and sunscreen.
This year, the full daylight isn't bothering me as much as it had the last couple summers. I must be adjusting. I haven't even pulled out the room darkening shades yet!

Will have to try to post some pics of the farm. The garden is big, quaint, and useful. The greenhouse is full. The chickens are a sight and "Farm TV" is all we watch now. My favorite episode is where "Ricky Bobby" (our rooster) chases Big Momma, Baby Girl, and Little Red (the hens) around the yard, calling them over when he finds a cache of beetles or a tasty treat in the yard. The bees, mosquitoes, and flies are the supporting actors in this episode, pollinating, buzzing, and searching for food. The backdrop is a front porch cluttered with planter boxes of "Herbs d'Italiano", mint, and various tea herbs, while the girls test their skills riding trikes or playing in the dirt. Our days are sweaty and dirty and so much fun.
It's gonna be a good summer.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Is That Moose Nuggets Wandering Out of the Trees?

2010-04-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hey there, y'all. Yup. Moose Nuggets is still lurking about. Actually, I just liberated a little time away from the kiddos to sneak to my local library and do some internet work that was really too difficult to attempt from the iphone. (No internet at the cabin, but we pick up the 2G network. Go figure.)

Anyhoo... I figured since I was "in town", I'd poke my head in for a minute here.

Spring is in the air in Delta. Alaska spring is much different from Lower 48 spring. There are no daffodils or crocus peeking their heads through the snow. But it's over 30 degrees here, and that means spring. It's a little early to call it "break up) (where the ice breaks and the snow melts), but that is exactly what's been happening around here. The drive and our property (and the roads!) are in a constant thaw-freeze pattern. The days have been in the 40s (absolutely glorious!) and the nights are back in the 20s.

Our spring is already busy. J had a guy come push snow off my future gardening site a couple weeks ago. It was a funny sight, watching Beans realize that there was DIRT under all that snow. She self-proclaimed, "I'm a Farm Girl" (that's my girl!) and took off to dig in the dirt. Little Nugget clung hesitantly to my pant leg, tasted the earth, and was not nearly as impressed. She toddled off to find a pile of snow to eat.
On seeing dirt, Spring Fever grabbed J by the manhood and he began building my chicken coop. Looks like we should be able to have a few layers hanging around in a couple weeks. We will also be adding meat chickens and turkeys, and possibly a couple hogs. (Yes. We are going to eat these animals. No, they are not pets.)
In addition to dissuading J from rushing out to buy the closest tractor, I have thrown on mud boots and begun tromping around to find ANYTHING that might be sprouting.
My urge to homestead and "live off the land" could wait no longer. With wildlife books in one hand and walking stick in the other, I took to our acreage to discover what's growing under all the snow.
Um... for the record, there's still a lot of snow out there.

But I did not come home empty-handed. A friend of mine taught me a recipe for some Mountain Medicine. If you live somewhere that cottonwoods grow, pay attention:

Balm of Gilead:
pick a few tablespoons of the sticky, resinous leaf buds from the trees before they start to open. Cover in olive oil and warm on the woodstove. (An electric range is fine too, if you have a woodstove shortage). Steep for "awhile". You'll know it's done when all the leaf buds are opened up. Melt in some beeswax and put it in a jar.
Balm of Gilead is good for what ails ya. Use on (small) cuts, scrapes, bruises, sore muscles, or a fantastic rub when you have a headache.

So I know I sound like a crazy mountain woman now, but it's true! And NATURAL. And better for you than Icy Hot and various other chemical things you rub on yourself to feel better. Also has some natural antiseptic properties. Just be cautious if you are aspirin sensitive. Cottonwoods have salicylic acid in them (naturally occurring!).

Next to try is cottonwood tea. I am told it's good for coughs and colds and headaches and various other things. Might even taste interesting.

Gotta Run. My time away from the homestead is up and there are woods to explore with curious kids.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

So Long? Farewell?

2010-03-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm not officially signing off or ending Moose Nuggets yet.
But I will say that it has been increasingly difficult to find time for blogging.
In addition to caring for a sick baby (doing better and making some progress, by the way!), our days have been filling up quickly with things to do that take precedence over driving 15 miles to the library and trying to blog while my kids run rampant in the library. (Sorry Miss Joyce and Miss Nancy-and thank you for tolerating them!)
As much as I would love to promise the get back to blogging at one point or another, I only see our days getting even more and more busy and beautiful Delta Junction begins its spring thaw. There are chicken coops to build, land to clear and break into for farming, and switching out winter gear for summer gear.
In our house, that means the ice fishing gear (for J) and the knitting needles (for me) get traded out for regular fishing gear, camping gear, and farming gear.

If you are local, I hope you are out stomping around in the slush like we are!

Sorry I haven't been able to be more consistent in blogging. Those of you who know how to contact me are still welcome to do so! Haley- still looking forward to meeting you when you get here, so stay in touch!

So this blog is going to take the path of the moose...
Funny thing about moose- those buggers can be elusive, and sometimes you can't even see them, even though they are very close by in the trees. Then, out of no where, they like to pop up on the highway.

Until the next time I can pop up for air,
Happy Moose Trails!

A quiet life

2010-02-20T19:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my absence. Life has been busy with Little Nugget. Still no answers from the medical community.
Meanwhile, we have been busy trying to create a new "normal".
Hoping to return with a decent post sometime this week, if I can get to the library.
Thanks to everyone for your loyalty and support!

-Moose Nuggets

Is It Just Me, Or Is It Brighter These Days?

2010-01-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Salutations!
Life has been busy in the Moose Nugget House, trying to establish a new "normal".
Little Nugget Update: Her echo cardiogram came back OK, so it's not her heart. THAT is good news. The down-side, we still have no idea what's wrong with her. More good news though: she has gained 9 ounces. So hopefully this means she might start growing again. We are (literally) weighing in twice a week now. She's still got the feeding tube, but her appetite is getting better and she is back to her usual antics which include... taking her first two steps!

Meanwhile, Alaska is moving in it's cyclical way with no notice of the Moose Nugget Household. A couple days ago, I had a rare opportunity to "sleep in" (thank you, J, for getting up with the kids!). I startled when I woke. The grey dawn was already pouring into the room. Panicked, I thought SURELY I did not sleep until 10 am?!? As I rushed down the loft steps to check on my babies, the clock told me to relax, it was only 8:30. It was a relaxed morning (for a change in our recent hectic pace), so I poured a cup of coffee and snuggled with my girls as J and I chatted the sunrise away. My day threw me for another loop in the evening time. I have become accustomed to the dark signaling when nap time is over, or when it might be time to think about dinner. I am already suffering from what I call "Summer Syndrome"... where the daylight tricks you into thinking it is earlier than it really is. We've had several late dinners this week because I am still letting the darkness dictate when I prepare the evening meal. And not that I care about eating a late dinner, but anyone can surely understand that a late dinner means a late bedtime for your kids. And not that the KIDS mind a late bedtime, but it sure puts a dent in my "Mommy Needs Personal Space" plans.

I can hear my friend Susan cheering in my head... the return of light means a lot to her, and other Alaska residents.
But for me... well, the end of dark winter always makes me a little sad. It means that the "busy season" is approaching. The snow will (eventually) melt. The ice will break. Break-up will be upon us. Then the summer, full of gardening, outdoor fun, berry picking, hiking, visiting family (they only come in summer, ya know) and (hopefully) livestock.
Don't get me wrong! I'm not lazy or afraid of work. Nor am I part vampire or a hater of summer fun. I actually love Alaska for it's extremes. But in our neck of Alaska, it seems like the dark JUST arrives, then it goes away again. As the daylight returns, I know my knitting needles will return to the shelf for a few months. Cozy semi-lazy days by the wood stove will come to an end, and all the books I promised myself I was absolutely positively going to read this winter will go back on the bookshelf. Goodbye, old friends! *SNIFF* See ya after then next snowfall!

Meanwhile, it's time to break out the room darkening shades. If I have another opportunity to sleep past 8 am, I am going to make sure I'm in the dark to do it. And even though there is still enough light outside to see the tree line, I'd better start putting some thought to dinner, so I can actually have my family fed before 8pm today.

In other news: we've had a yard visitor. And this guy likes to get in close. Dog-like prints, too big to be a fox and too small to be a wolf. I'm hoping (OH GOSH AM I HOPING!) that it's just a domesticated dog that has taken interest in our yard. I'm erring on the side of caution and thinking it could be a coyote. I haven't seen him in full form, but we did make eye contact in the dark, as he was trotting up the driveway while I was Northern Lights gazing the other evening. It scared me in that, "I think my stomach just fell into my shorts" kind of way and I dashed inside just about the time the startled canine starting growling in my general direction. He's been back a couple times, leaving fresh prints in our yard, dangerously close to the house and cars. (Please, for the love of goodness, just be one of the neighbor's dogs!)
If any of my neighbors are reading, I apologize, but the next time this critter gets that close to me, it's gonna be a hunting trophy on my cabin wall. Unless it can prove itself friendly and harmless. Domestic or not... a canine-like animal brave enough to growl at me in my own yard is going to get a reminder of who's name is on the deed.

So that I don't have to end on such a macabre note... I'd like to add that one exciting thing the daylight DOES signal... it's almost time for the Ice Park! (End of February, if I remember correctly?) And Beans is old enough to REALLY have fun with it this year. AND since I'm not a lumbering eight month pregnant woman this year (thank goodness), I'll be able to join the fun with her. We've had an unusually warm winter (for those of you snickering, "only" 10 below really IS pretty warm for us this time of year!). If the weather holds out, the park should be really enjoyable this year, because we'll be able to stay longer than an hour before freezing our toes.

Light snow is falling, and the grey sky has once again lulled me into believing that I have more time in my day than I really do...

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

January Tundra

2010-01-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

It was a relief to return home. It was dark when we landed (10 pm, though it would have been dark any time after 4 pm anyway), so no chances of watching the tundra appear. The flight was uneventful, and I had to grin when the pilot announced the local temp as 32 below zero. I know most people don't understand finding joy in that, but after such a long week in Seattle, I was ready for anything that resembled home.
J and Beans collected us at baggage claim. J collected luggage (commenting that we were certainly returning with more than we left with- I waited to tell him that the extra weight was mostly yarn *snort*). Beans and Little Nugget and I had a reunion of sorts, which mostly involved lots of hugs and kisses, and visiting the stuffed grizzly bear in the baggage claim area.

We exited the airport into the cold dark air. My first few gulps of air left me coughing- a common occurrence when you forget how to breath in 30 below temps.
For those of you chuckling (or for dad, who always figured I would forget how to breathe), this is not a joke. In subzero temps, gulps of air are downright painful. The cold air mixes with the humidity from your breath and freezes on it's way down. Nose hairs prickle and freeze rapidly, leaving frozen boogers in it's wake. The body's reflexes (coughing) try to kick out this cold air. In spite of the pain of breathing in this cold air (it really does feel like you might suffocate), I had to grin and try sucking in another deep breath.
The rest of the night was uneventful. With doctor appointments in Fairbanks lined up for the following day, we retired to a hotel room.
The next morning, I amused myself by peeking out at the dark morning sky. Funny how a week away from home can make you a tourist in your own town again. I peeked out the window of the hotel until after 10 am, when the sun began to come up in earnest. I stared in amazement and wonder at the hoar frost and the ice fog, a combination of awe and homey comfort washing over me. As we started south toward home as the 3 pm sun began to set, it was then I realized that I had been quite homesick for Alaska, and was happy to be back on the Tundra.

*Little Nugget Update: We didn't get very good news. She's still not gaining weight. More tests to be lined up and I'm sure, a long road ahead of us. That's all the detail I care to get into today, so just keep us in your prayers and good thoughts.*

The drive home was more beautiful than I remembered. Sometimes when you get to love something every day, you forget to see how beautiful it always is. The cold was colder. The vastness more vast.
The cabin was as perfect as ever. Snow covered roof, fox foot-printed yard, smoke rising from the stovepipe, and a warm handmade quilt from my mom to snuggle under, where I finally stopped being Alaska Tough, and gave myself permission to be a worried mom.

It's good to be home.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

100 Degree Difference

2010-01-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Hey Y'all.
What a week. Honestly.

Here's the long and short (mostly long, sorry) of the hospital news:
Little Nugget has had biopsies, various tests, and enough procedures done to make her burst into tears the moment she sees someone in scrubs or white jackets. And after all this, we are leaving Seattle with the same information we came with... essentially that our baby is not growing and is severely constipated. She hasn't gained any weight in over 9 weeks now. The poor Little Nugget had to receive THREE enemas and almost 2 gallons of something they call "Go Lightly" (which should be renamed Go Constantly), before she finally cleaned out her little bowels. When they put her back on the scale, it turns out that she lost close to an entire pound of poop. Talk about being "full of it".
They added a feeding tube to her list of things to go home with. The good news is that her tests did not show any of the very serious and or deadly diseases she could have had. The bad news is that the doctors still don't know what the heck is wrong with her, and they are "HOPING" that with emptied bowels and the feeding tube, that she will be able to absorb nutrients and calories and start gaining weight.
The science in that: the intestines are where your body absorbs nutrients and converts calories into the stuff it takes to grow. If that part of the body is full, there is nowhere to absorb those calories. By emptying the system and keeping stuff moving through, that means the body SHOULD be able to do it's job. The doctor sounded hopeful that the feeding tube would be a fairly temporary thing, and if his Empty Intestine Theory is correct, we should start seeing Little Nugget pack on the weight fairly quickly. Who knew pooping was so incredibly important?

Meanwhile, I'll be nursing constantly, pumping milk for supplementary feedings in between nursing, and trying to keep her from removing the feeding tube. She's not crazy about it. We couldn't leave the hospital until I proved that I could replace a dislodged tube (not too challenging, I should add). It brings a whole new meaning to "up your nose with a rubber hose".

Thanks to everyone that was praying for us and sending good wishes and good karma. Hopefully this works, because if she doesn't start growing, we will probably have to endure more testing and intervention.
Poor Peanut.

Living in the hospital for a week certainly lent some perspective though. We met lots of great kids and families in the hospital, there for all kinds of reasons. At one point, in the thick of our visit, I had a volunteer come sit with Little Nugget so I could take a much needed mental health break. (Your mind starts going a little nutty when you are tired, your baby is being poked and prodded, and you still don't have a WHY your baby is sick). I headed to the coffee shop in the hospital and was just starting to feel sorry enough for Little Nugget and myself to start crying. Another mom with an almost bald little toddler sat next to me and offered a hug (which I gladly accepted). "First trip?" she asked. "Yep," I replied, as I sniffed and wiped my eyes. The toddler was eyeballing me with curiosity. We exchanged stories, and I got a dose of perspective. She was there with her little guy who was undergoing chemotherapy. And just when I felt like an idiot for crying over my generally healthy but not pooping or growing baby, she said she really felt for ME. She thought having no answer was worse than having a diagnosis, even a really bad one. She sat with me for the rest of my break, our conversation about sick kids came to an end when she noticed my knitting bag, and we spent the rest of the time talking about normal stuff... how to knit in the round, fun places to see in Seattle, and what the rest of our respective family members were like. Being normal was what I really needed. When we parted ways, we both went back to our individual stresses, but a little more "normal" for our coffee break.
Watching a little guy bravely holding his mommy's hand on the way to chemo definitely gives you a little perspective about your own worries. Watching his mommy treat him like a normal toddler when he wanted to push every button on the elevator made it a little easier to return to Little Nugget's room without being afraid of her feeding tube and other equipment.

SO...
We are leaving Seattle with the same thing we got here with. A baby who won't grow and won't poop. I think we finally have the pooping part a little more under control. Little Nugget is slowly growing used to the feeding tube, and my new mission is to knit up some really adorable and fashionable mitten-like hand covers for her so she doesn't have to wear an ugly sock on her hand. (The sock keeps her from being able to get her nimble little fingers on the feeding tube, reducing the ability to pull it out.) I happened upon another fancy-pants knitting store today where I indulged in some adorable and fancy yarns just for this project (and maybe a few others). J was feeling sorry enough for Little Nugget and his tired wife who endured the hospital trip alone that he didn't question my (expensive) yarn purchases... simply saying that it was good for me to find something fun and enjoyable while I was here. (When he sees the receipt, he may not feel quite so generous. Ahem.)

We head back to Fairbanks tomorrow. I can't wait to see Beans and J again, and head back to my cozy Little Farm on the Tundra... back to the quiet life, the crunching snow, and the wood-smoked coziness of Alaska.

J sent a text this morning... 48 below zero at the little house. As I sit and watch a light rain mist over Seattle, I am aware of the nearly 100 degree temperature difference. (It's around 50 degrees here in Seattle today.)
He says the wood stove has been burning wood at a steady rate today. There was three inches of frost on the dryer vent that he had to knock off before he could dry the laundry. He reported that the house dropped 5 degrees in a matter of minutes when he opened the door to retrieve more firewood, and we both speculated about how the weather would affect his ability to safely retrieve Little Nugget and me from the airport. (Cars can have lots of trouble when it gets that cold. Not really very safe to embark on a 100 mile journey.)
I know it sounds crazy to WANT to be there, but I can't think of a happier place than to be settled at the kitchen table next to that wood stove, listening to clicking knitting needles and busy babies. I'm hoping it warms up enough for a safe trip back to Delta Junction, where the wood stove and the cabin are waiting for me.

I promise more exciting stories about Alaska living the next time around. For my loyal readers and those looking for more Alaska-ish banter, thanks for letting me babble on a much more personal note about our current troubles. Life will be returning to some kind of "normal" for us soon. I hope.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Knitting Keeps Me Sane

2010-01-06T22:38:00.011-08:00

Ah... my sanity has been tested today. We had the first of our appointments at Children's Hospital. Being surrounded by so many babies made me realize that Little Nugget is, well... REALLY little. Apparently the doctor agreed because he wants more tests than previously planned AND... he's going to give her a feeding tube for supplementary feeding. Sentences like, "It's imperative that she gain a few pounds" and various other phrases have been running my mind into knots. We were informed that we would need to check out of the hotel in the morning and plan on staying overnight in the hospital tomorrow. With new and extra tests scheduled for Friday (the day we were supposed to be going home), everything is in the air. Depending on the outcome of the tests, we might return home Friday, and we might not.
My sanity disappeared when the realization that my daughter was coming home with medical equipment in tow hit me. And for those of you who know my type-A, preplanning, organized personality, you KNOW that not being sure of when EXACTLY I'll be heading for the airport is enough to maybe send me to the ward where you wear white coats that button in the back.

So I'm doing what any sanity tested parent would do. I made a few tearful phone calls to J and a friend back home. I called our regular pediatrician to be SURE that she absolutely 100% trusted the Seattle doctor's advice. I texted my mom (Not daring to call because explaining to your baby's Nana what is going on without crying is close to impossible).
Then I boarded the bus and wandered around the aquarium.
Stress is best handled by completely numbing the brain so it is impossible to think too much about it. Since I gave up mind altering substances about 15 years ago, I've found the best way to numb a brain is by overloading it with activity and useless information. Did you know there are over 600 species of fish in the Puget Sound? Do you know that a fair number of those species are residing in my freezer? (grin)
With my brain somewhat numb and my feet somewhat tired, I headed back to the hotel in time to give Little Nugget a quick diaper change and a nursing break, then headed out again to the knitting store.
Aside from the cab ride (where I was SURE I was going to die in an auto accident before having to take Little Nugget back to the hospital), it was the highlight of my day.
I want to say that nothing could replace my great group of knit-sters back in Delta Junction, BUT... the gals at Hilltop Yarn were a hoot! I was taught a few new skills by a lady younger than me who can knit without even looking at her work. We talked about everything from yarn to turkey sex (don't ask. But if you must know, mainstream turkeys are incapable of breeding the old fashioned way.It's been bred out of them to reduce agressive behavior in turkey farms. Modern turkeys are artificially inseminated). We had a blast doing it, and I did find myself wishing that these girls and that yarn shop were part of my local gang.
The yarn! OH, the YARN! I had no idea what I was missing! This was some high-end fancy pants stuff. I was spoiled the moment I starting running some of that stuff through my hands. I won't lie...a good part of my "fun money" was spent in that store!
But don't worry, Delta gals... I missed you this week, and I sure can't want to see that Blooming Tea and let you all touch my new yarns! And Lucy (our resident knitting pro!), I hope you are ready to do some teaching! Some of this yarn is worthy of a more daring project than a stockinette stitch hat!

The trip to the yarn store was just what I needed. Sitting and gabbing with a handful of gals and counting stitches actually WAS enough for me to forget my troubles. I almost nearly forgot until I was packing up and heading out, and all the ladies wished Little Nugget and I luck and prayers.
It's a good thing when you really CAN forget about life for awhile. As addictions go, knitting is a good one to have, I suppose.

So we have a big day tomorrow. I will probably not post again until we get home and get comfortable with whatever equipment we have to bring home. I should have more definite news by then of what's going on with Little Nugget, and tales of what it's like to come home, back to the cabin, which I miss more than I thought I would. Seattle is nice, but I DO miss the snow covered tundra and the woodsmoke curling from the stovepipe.
Hopefully I'll also be sporting a new hat made of super crazy soft woolly goodness! I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of knitting tomorrow, while waiting for answers.

Keep us in prayers, good thoughts, or whatever you believe brings good luck and good karma...

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Knitting keeps me sane

2010-01-06T22:38:00.009-08:00

Knitting keeps me sane

2010-01-06T22:38:00.007-08:00

Knitting keeps me sane

2010-01-06T22:38:00.005-08:00

Knitting keeps me sane

2010-01-06T22:38:00.003-08:00

Knitting keeps me sane

2010-01-06T22:38:00.001-08:00

You Know You've Lived in Alaska for a While IF...

2010-01-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

*DISCLAIMERS:
-There might be some child-inappropriate language in this post. I am only repeating what I've heard from folks, NOT using a potty mouth on purpose. But if you don't want your kids to ask, "Mom, what's an 'f-bomb'?" then this is a good time for your youngsters to stop reading.
-I KNOW I haven't been in Alaska long enough to be "Alaskan". So don't think I've gotten too big for my Outsider Underpants. I know I'm still mostly chechacko.

Now that I have the disclaimers out of the way, let me tell you how I know I've lived in Alaska (especially rural Alaska) for a while now...

-If you wonder what the heck people are talking about when they ask where your child's jacket it. (For Pete's sake, it's 50 degrees, people! I wore a long sleeve tshirt and was SWEATING all day!)

-If you go to Pike Market and begin to laugh out loud at the prices in the fish market, you have probably lived in Alaska long enough to go fishing.
My loyal readers know I have been known to be a little catty about J's fishing trips. Never again. I had no idea that we probably have over $1,000 worth of fish in our freezer. Maybe even $2000. I almost snorted coffee out of my nose when I saw the Alaskan Prawns" (fancy name for enormously sized shrimp) labeled "ONLY" $17.99/lb. I have about 15 pounds of these in the freezer from J's week long "Man Trip" he took to Valdez. Not to mention the halibut ($20 a lb in Seattle, folks!), china rock, monk fish, and various other creatures of the deep that J and his brother dragged into my perfectly clean house this summer.
You couldn't tell by looking at me, but I am apparently a fish millionaire. WOW.

Continuing... you know you've lived in Alaska for awhile when you find yourself being a bit of a Salmon Snob.
This is not the first snobbery I have committed in my life. Having worked for several different coffee places in my life (including opening one with some friends), I am a certified Coffee Snob. I have been known to not even mask my disgust and surprise when my dad offered me a Folger's Single (coffee in a tea bag? Are you serious? Just tell me how to get to Starbucks.)
The coffee snobbery has mellowed a bit. Living in rural Alaska does that to you. I can still get Fancy-Pants coffee where I live, BUT... it's ridiculously expensive and when you make it in a percolator, it all tastes the same. (That said, I still will not stoop to tea-bag style coffee unless I'm desperate.)
But today...ah. I discovered a new kind of snobbery. Fish Snobbery. Previously Frozen Chinook Salmon? No thanks. Not when my hunter-fisher husband can drive to THE Copper River and bring home dinner.
Goodness. I never thought I would think there was a type of Salmon not good enough to spend money on.
And when the guy at the fish market (dressed like one of the guys on the Deadliest Catch, I should add) really did his best to convince me that I should try the halibut, I almost wet myself from laughing so hard.
See... I have a confession. NOT a big fan of halibut. Don't get me wrong! It tastes good and is a very versatile ingredient. But good grief. If you have ever caught one, you know they are REALLY big fish. If you are lucky enough to catch several of them in a fishing trip (or have family that can't take their catch home), you end up with a freezer full of the stuff. You'll spend the rest of the year inventing ways to cook it because you'll start to get very tired of it. As winter moves along and the summer harvest in the freezer dwindles away, you'll realize that you have more moose, salmon, and halibut than you really want to eat. You'll have to convince your kids that the halibut fish sticks they SAW you make are really store-bought. Or see if you can make them believe that it's chicken. You'll find yourself telling your family that tonight's dinner is "Gourmet Fish Tacos". Not the same halibut you've been trying to make them eat for months now.

Ah.... I am cracking myself up just thinking about the poor guy in the rain gear at the Fish Market. He probably thought I was crazy, standing there taking pictures to send to my husband and laughing to myself.

Of course, I would have fit in.
Here's another reason I know I have lived in Rural Alaska for awhile...
I have started to smile and say "hi" to everyone. This is good if you live in a small town, and downright rude if you don't do it.
In a big city, it is dangerous.
As I stepped off the hotel shuttle into Seattle's busy street, I did just such a thing, smiling and saying "hi" to a seemingly sweet little old lady. I was a bit surprised when she replied with, "Bah! I am so sick of you and your F-ing kid!"
Oh.
I was hoping she was the only crazy person I was going to meet. Nope. Within my first ten minutes of being at the market I met people raising money for homeless cats (though I'm still wondering why all the cats smelt like weed), people who want to sell you some kind of religious propaganda, people who want to ask for your money, and even people who will follow you through the market asking you insane questions. I jumped out of my skin as my phone rang and found myself retelling this story to a friend from Salcha, AK. The concern in her voice grew more apparent as I realized I was laughing hysterically to keep myself from simultaneously crying and freaking out in public.
I eventually pulled myself together, reminding myself that I DID grow up just outside of Washington, DC. SURELY I could handle an afternoon in Seattle.
I turned tourist long enough to spend more money than necessary and consume more coffee than I should have. I should be able to stay awake until next week. After one more near nervous breakdown (resolved by a phone call to J who told me I hadn't been gone long enough to miss and that if I was that freaked out, I should call the shuttle and return to the hotel. Hmph.)... I finally ducked into a wonderfully quiet Greek sandwich shop for a wonderful lunch and a generous slice of real, fresh baklava. After THAT, I took J's advice and headed back up the BIG, BIG hill to the shuttle pick-up spot.

I'll admit it. I'm homesick. I am also VERY surprised at the impact that living in Alaska has had on me. In such a short amount of time, I have truly turned from city girl to wilderness woman.
Have you ever had the kind of Zen-ish out of body experience where you see something happening outside of yourself? I spent much of my tourist time today watching from outside myself. I've asked myself, did I really used to be the person I was? Where did she go?
A friend of mine recently commented that I had changed "a lot" since moving to Alaska. I was aware of some of the changes, but not to the extreme. I can't even conjure up the woman that would have confidently walked through a busy downtown with a destination in mind, or the gal that would have ordered some crazy-made expensive coffee drink without missing a beat.
I had a chance to conjure up that gal today, but when I got to the counter at The First Starbucks In the World, I found myself like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" when he finally reached Santa Claus. Instead of telling the gal what I really wanted in my coffee cup, I squeaked out that I would like a "MEDIUM COFFEE". Me! Coffee Snob! Good grief! I used to work at Starbucks, for Pete's Sake! I used to BE the girl (ahem, "barista")rolling my eyes at the obvious non-Starbucks customers and sarcastically saying, "You want a GRANDE coffee?" (Don't forget the condescending note on the word "coffee". This is used when you don't order a drink that requires any actual skill to make.)
And just like poor Ralphie, I stopped myself from spiraling down the slide just in time to ask for two pounds of froo-froo coffee to take home with me. (Never mind that it's going to taste the same as my $6, 2 lb can of Yuban coffee when I make it in the percolator.)

I think I amused the shuttle driver with my answer to his just-being-polite question of "Did you enjoy your time at the Market?" I think he's hoping that I don't dare go back into town. At least not on his shift.

I was relieved to return to the hotel. I know we HAVE to be here for Little Nugget's tests, but I am looking forward to returning back to my little town, population 900-ish, and my little cabin.
I missed knitting group for this.
Something good has come out of my day, however. I found a kindred spirit among the crowds (and it wasn't the lady who told me she was sick of me and my f-ing kids). I saw an ad in one of the hotel magazines for a fancy-pants yarn shop and called to see if they have a knitting group meeting this week. Turns out, they do, and the kind lady on the other side of the phone said she agreed that a couple hours of gabbing and knitting with some other yarn-sisters would do me some good. I've got an official date for knitting tomorrow. I know, I know. SUCH an exciting night-life while visiting the big city. But it's perfect for me.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

P.S.- Little Nugget is completely undaunted by the change in surroundings. Her motto: Have Momma Milk, Will Travel. She could care less. She's currently entertaining herself by licking the baby in the mirror on the bathroom door. (Fabulously funny, I might add.)
Beans is surviving her week with dad, so far.
J is, well... he hasn't called crying for mercy yet. Yet.

Back in the "Lower"

2010-01-04T23:57:00.001-08:00

Greetings from... Seattle, y'all!
Sorry it's been so long since the last Moose Nugget entry, but we've been a bit preoccupied in the Moose Nugget Household. Hold yer horses, I'm fixin' to explain...

We had some busy holidays. We decided on a whim to host a Christmas party at the Little Farm on the Tundra. Amazingly enough, our 860 sq ft of home-ownership COMFORTABLY housed close to 30 people during our revelry. Kids upstairs, big kids in the TV room, grownups in the dining/kitchen area, and a handful of guests around the burn barrel outside (if you keep the beer out there, the men tend to congregate around it, regardless of the temps outside). The party was fun and J and I plan on making it an annual event. J's goal for next year is to replicate a scene from a Chevy Chase film with Christmas lights (Goodness, help me!). My goal is to set up sled rides for the kids, if the weather will cooperate.

The holidays in themselves were, um.... a little crazy.
I woke the night before Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve Eve?) to a lonely bed. My sweetheart had snuck out of bed and I could hear him rustling around in the den. "Hmmm," I thought to myself. "I must be getting something REALLY good for Christmas if he's sneaking around downstairs!"
This is what I thought until I heard the unmistakable sound of vomit hitting porcelain. J landed himself a case of food poisoning just in time for the holidays.
*SIGH*
Christmas Eve was spent simultaneously nursing J back to health while fussing at him to get the rest of the Christmas stuff accomplished. I won't lie, and I won't sugar coat. I was grumpy and mean about J being sick for Christmas. Top that off with the fact that no matter how sick moms are, WE don't get sick days, I wasn't going to humor J with a day of rest. Nope. I think sometime around noon I *MIGHT* have said something like, "Aw, put your big boy undies on and quit whining like you have female anatomy. We have stuff to do and I am NOT doing it by myself."
Yeah. I know. It was pretty mean. Especially since he really was pretty sick.
Don't worry. Karma found me. Turns out it wasn't food poisoning, but the flu. And I got it Christmas Day. And I didn't get to stay in bed because there was Christmas Dinner to prepare. And just when I thought that I had paid the Karmic gods, J left for work and BOTH girls got the flu the day he went back to work. I think J is still snickering something about "paybacks"...
*SIGH*

Well, we survived, anyhow. The holidays were also a little hectic because of a phone call we got Christmas Day. Little Nugget hasn't been feeling so great the last few months and was having a few health issues. The doctor called us Christmas Day with the news that her lab work came back and that we needed to take her to Children's Hospital in Seattle for some tests that can not be done in the entire state of Alaska.
Should know what's going on within the week, so keep watching for a post.

So thus, our New Year begins. It was with a heavy heart that Little Nugget and I gave Beans and J kisses and got on the next flight to Seattle.
I just want to say that leaving a toddler waving goodbye in the airport can really break a gal's heart. Calling her to say "good night" from a hotel room and hear her little heart break when she realizes that mommy's not going to be there to "snuggle you to bed" or read stories is just enough to make you want to hug a hotel pillow tight and cry your eyes out.

The day was not lost... Turns out that Little Nugget is a much better traveller than her sister. A little nursing on take-off, and the sweet pea slept through the entire flight. She woke and cooed at the other passengers when we deplaned, and giggled at the driver that picked us up at the airport.
My hotel room is lovely (if not entirely too quiet!), the hotel has a nice view, and we have a free day before all our appointments at the hospital start. I've never been to Seattle and always wanted to go... so tomorrow, Little Nugget and I will be bonafide tourists. Nervousness over the hospital trip aside, how bad can it be to be in a town where I can find a coffee shop on every street corner (and then some)?
Will I conquer my fear of heights enough to visit the Space Needle? Probably not. But I may run out of money before I make my way through Pike Place Market.

I wish I had fun and witty things to say today. The only commentary I have worth noting is that I caught myself giggling at people in the Seattle airport that were complaining about how "cold" it was (um, 51 F), and explaining to people that no, I really didn't think my daughter needed a COAT. And I should mention that after spending almost two years in a town with a population of less that 1000 people, I felt a bit like Jed Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies, when he first arrived in Cal-EE-Forn-EE-Ya. Star-Struck and Mooney-Eyed...

Y'all don't worry too much about Little Nugget. If you are praying types, pray, or meditate or do whatever you think brings good news. I'll post when we know something definite.
Until then, I am going to be basking in the 50 degree heaven with a cup o' joe at my beck and call.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Sermon

2009-12-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

Wow. I just realized I haven't been in here for a couple weeks.
Well, as usual, things have been busy in the Moose Nuggets Household. Not anything too exciting, just the usual stack of chores and various projects in process. With the Christmas holidays around the corner, the reality of my procrastination has sunk in and forced me into my knitting, crocheting, and crafting stash in a mad rush to finish up Christmas gifts.
Those of you who read regularly know... I'm not into the commercialism of Christmas.
And in recent years, this one especially, I have really started a lifestyle of reducing stuff in my life.
Oh, there's a lot of talk about "reduce, reuse, recycle", and a lot about reducing your carbon footprints. And I'll agree...every little bit counts. But I DO find it amusing that the pop-culture of "greenism" has us spending MORE, buying MORE. You can buy (more) green products. You can buy green bags. You can buy an Eco-Ego and feel good "saving the earth".
Hmph.
Wouldn't it be better to REALLY save the earth, instead of buying the illusion that we are going green?
This has taken space in my mind recently. We've been asked (over and over and over again) why we chose such a small house, such a small mortgage when our budget "clearly allows" for something much bigger and fancier. These questions are usually from the same people who have asked us in the past WHY on earth we would want to raise our own food, bake our own bread, cloth diaper our babies, or (gasp! the horror!) breastfeed past a first birthday. Most of the time, I allow people to think we are just crazy hippies, minus the dirt and dreadlocks. But the truth is... The REALITY of "saving the earth" (and ourselves along with it) is not going to be done by buying green products while we continue to be wasteful.
If I've learned one thing in life, it's that you don't waste what you work really hard to achieve.

For those that have asked... the small house is because I have discovered the secret to saving the planet. You ready?
If you REALLY want to reduce your carbon footprint... (drum roll please)
LIVE SMALLER.
Seriously. I'm a rocket scientist. Really.

Here's more "genius":
I have discovered that you waste a lot less food when you work hard to prepare it. Suddenly the last few slices of stale bread look like a good french toast instead of trash. And if you raise chickens (for eggs or meat), not only will you know where your food comes from, they are built in garbage disposals. They LOVE people food. So do pigs, if you want to raise your own pork. (I know, I know. Just a crazy hippie, minus the dirt and dreadlocks.)

Also on the genius scale:
You can't waste what you don't own. Meaning.... if you don't buy a lot of junk, you don't have to throw a lot of junk away. Or have to find room to store it.

A secret of the universe: Your kids will not die if they don't have their own separate rooms. (Our house rule: if you want your own room, get a job and an apartment. Until then, stay off your sister's bed.) They also will not die if they don't watch television. YOU will not die if you don't know who won the Super Bowl or if you don't find out what happened after Jon and Kate's divorce.

Yes, I am full of this kind of genius. I should write a book and go on Oprah, or something.

ANYHOO...
I'm gonna babble about some other stuff now.

Thanksgiving:
I hope everyone had a good one. I will say that I found myself quite "homesick" this year for family. I come from a decent sized family (most holiday gatherings include over 20 people, and that's when only the local family shows up). We had turned down an invitation to share the holiday with some friends because we wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving in our new house. With just the four of us, it was pretty small and kind of lonely. Lesson learned: Next year, invite people or accept an invitation. Or maybe fly home for the holidays.
(Although last year's trip with ONE toddler is still fresh in my mind and I am not anxious to do 20 hours of travelling with two small kids. Thanks.)

I would also like to add that it was an extremely bad idea to watch Food,Inc the night before Thanksgiving. It was incredibly informative (more on that in a moment) but good grief, J and I both had a hard time choking down the Butterball Turkey that was raised in a CAFO and most likely dipped in a chlorine bath. (For the record, all poultry commercially produced goes through that treatment. Or so says the video.)
In conjunction with Food,Inc I had also been busy reading a couple books. "Farm City" (can't remember the author's name), and "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. Both are incredibly informative about eating locally produced food. The Kingsolver book really went the extra mile. Food, Inc was the icing on the genetically modified, bleached flour cake. I spent Thanksgiving Day reading labels on the very few processed foods we buy these days, and amusing J with tirades about the cost of transporting foods and the disgusting icky-ness of how that food reaches our table.
Lesson: Read these books and watch the movie, but NOT the night before a great feast. And keep reading, because next year, I'll be harvesting my own turkey. No more CAFO meats for our family.

The real lesson that came out of these books and movie: Raise your own food when you can, buy locally as much as possible. What is in commercially grown food is disgusting, for the record.

The Christmas holidays are coming up. The cabin has a small tree in the den and a handful of decorations. Beans has been busy inspecting the stockings (hung by the chimney with care, of course!) and trying her best to wait patiently for "Tenty-Claws". You know, the fat guy in the red suit. This year is FUN. Toddlers are so full of wonder and find all the new details amazing. I have had every Christmas tree in town pointed out with a breathless, "Wow! Amazing! Miss-a-miss tree, momma!" from the back seat. Little Nugget has been systematically un-decorating the Christmas tree...at least the ornaments she can reach.

The cabin has a definite "Little House" feel to it these days. We are settling into a lovely rhythm around the house of chores and family fun. The weather has been nice the last couple weeks, allowing some outdoor time in what little daylight we have these days. I've been willing to skip nap time, if it means Beans can tromp through the snow and work out some of her toddler energy. Most outings end with an exhausted Beans, who likes to lay flat, face up on the sled and demand I pull her home for "Hot Shocolate and Mush-Mellows" when she has finally had enough. The cabin is warm and cheery when everyone is awake. My favorite time of day is evening, when the outside is dark, the inside is glowing with dim lights and wood fire, and I can sit at my kitchen table with some knitting, getting the fire ready to be dampened down for the night. I really DO feel like Caroline Ingalls in the evening time.

The winter looks promising... lots of time for projects, and as soon as I catch up on all my holiday gift making, I'll be able to turn my attention to chicken coop plans and seed catalogs.
*SIGH*
This time of year is so LOVELY.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Negative

2009-11-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

As in, the temperature. Yup, we have dipped below zero in the last week or so. When I arrived at my knitting group last week, we chattered, with teeth chattering, about the temps around town. An interesting thing about the Delta area, the temps can be drastically different within a few miles. It was 12 below when I left my home. There was a 9 degree warm up between my house and the library.
There was a much bigger difference between our cabin and the temps in Fairbanks, as we discovered this past Monday when we rode to the Big City to get a few things. I noticed my feet were feeling a little chilly in my boots, but didn't think much of it until we passed the college, where the digital sign proved that it was -20F.
*sigh*
Let the winter begin.

Meanwhile, back at the Cabin, we have been carrying on, life as usual. And by "usual", I mean as unusual as we always live.
J returned, the triumphant hunter, carrying six dead snowshoe hares. While I DO like to eat the spoils, I am not very fond of the dead animals being washed in my sink. Or listening to their tiny little rabbit bones crunching under the kitchen knives. But J was doing his best to make what tastes like chicken LOOK more like chicken, so he wouldn't have anyone crying over the little dead bunnies. Namely, me. Followed by Beans who only recently saw Bambi and has suddenly come to understand that the meat on her plate used to be a cute fluffy thing.
ANYHOO... once the rabbits looked a little less like rabbits, I cooked one down for a LONG time (hares are not as tender as cottontails), then made J pull the meat from the carcass before mixing it together with a bunch of yummy things into a pot pie.

Here's a recipe:
One dead rabbit. Boil rabbit for 15 minutes, then discard that water and rinse the rabbit well. Return rabbit to pot with enough water to cover.
Add chicken bouillon (2 packets of Herb-Ox is what I used) and boil until it comes off the bone (about an hour, depending on how tough your rabbit is).
After you get the meat off the bones, return it to your stock with 6 cloves of garlic (I keep it whole. When you come across one in your dish, you can mash it up on a biscuit and it makes the best bite of garlic bread ever).
Add some seasoning you like. I use Italian herbs in almost everything I cook.
Add one onion, some carrots, celery, and other vegetables you like in your pot pie.
Cook it down until the veggies are almost soft.
THEN...
Thicken the broth into a gravy by adding flour to your pot.
Put a pie crust in a deep pie dish. Add your rabbit stew to it. Add another pie crust. Vent your pie crust. It helps if you make your vents into the shape of a little heart, so the poor bunny feels loved.
Bake it at 425F for 30-40 minutes or until the pie crust browns and the gravy starts to bubble through.
Serve in generous slices and talk loudly at the table about everyone's day, so everyone is too engaged to realize that Thumper has been served.
After dinner, realize that eating a rabbit was not so bad, and actually pretty tasty.

***

In other news, I also learned a new skill. You can add Woodsman to my "Jill-of-All-Trades" title.
The story is hilarious, so be sure you don't snort coffee all over your laptops, folks.

I woke yesterday in a particularly bad mood. Don't ask why. I have no clue myself. I found myself snarling and hissing at everyone in the house. Even Little Nugget. Around lunch time, J had enough of my bad attitude and decided we should bundle the girls up and go outside to do some work. After some snarling and hissing, I agreed. I stood glumly outside, Little Nugget strapped to me in the baby carrier, Beans bundled up like a character in "A Christmas Story", and I pouted at the winter sky. After a few minutes of standing around pouting and realizing that J was not paying me one bit of attention, I decided to get to work. Also, when it's 5 below zero, standing around is really not very fun anyway. I began stacking wood. And filled the wood crib in the house. And stacked more wood. J was busy, whistling to himself and digging snow away from the spot that the next wood pile needed to be stacked.
Well, in 5 below, girls get cold and tired long before the work wears out. I was just starting to work into a good rhythm of stacking when the girls needed to go in to warm up. I'll admit, this part of mommy-hood always disgruntles me a bit. I LIKE to work hard. I LIKE to challenge my body. I can be girly, but I honestly get a kick out of testing myself to see if I can do a "man's work". (My mother, one of the original girl-power hippies, would say there's no such thing as "man's work"- only work.) Good grief, that's why I was a paramedic in a state where the average human weighs about 300 lbs. (And no, they do not send "lifting assistance" to us girls out there!)
ANYHOO... my job was in the house with the kids. I made some hot cocoa and tended fires and babies. When J came in wanting to know what was for lunch, my Girl Power kicked into high gear and I demanded that HE tend food, fires, and babies. I threw on some gloves (not very good ones, in hindsight) and a light jacket (also not a good choice), and went out to the wood pile.
It didn't take long of me abusing the poor axe and maul before J came outside to "help".
In his defense, the poor guy only wanted to show me the proper way to split firewood. The way that doesn't destroy an axe and maul, and the way that doesn't injure his wife. And also, the way to actually split the wood instead of just splintering it all to heck.
This is where I should mention that I DON'T LIKE HELP. Especially if I am already in a pretty surly mood. The more J "helped", the more I noticed that I had inherited my mother's involuntary lip twitch... the dreaded lip twitch that always said, "Wow, kid. You really pushed too far this time." When my mom was madder than a wet hornet, her upper lip would twitch. And that's when I knew it was time to cease and desist. And get my hind quarters ready.
J finally stopped trying to help. I'm not sure if it was the enraged lip twitch that clued him in, or the fact that I was no longer facing the woodpile but the axe, but staring directly at him.
I stayed out at the woodpile hacking our precious firewood into bits until my hands-in the not very good gloves-started to hurt. I went in, defeated, and hands burning from the searing cold. J innocently asked how many logs I split.
Darn that lip twitch. I didn't have to say a word.
He simply said, "Oh. Well, cut yourself some slack. You've never split wood before. I'll teach you another time."
Oh. Poor guy. That was the wrong thing to say to a Girl-Power Chick who was just defeated by a "man-job".
As soon as I could feel my fingers, I dug out some better gloves. I laced up my heavy duty winter boots, and I donned a much more efficient jacket. Little Nugget stared at me with curiosity and giggled. Beans asked, "Mommy? Play snow? Yeah?"
"No baby. Mommy's not playing in the snow right now. You stay here with daddy."
I ignored J's questions... "Where are you going? Are you taking the car? When will you be back?"
As I shut the door, I hollered back (and excuse my language here folks...), "I'm NOT going to let some stupid piece of wood kick my ass."
I went outside, took a deep breath of very cold air (that hurts, by the way!), and gave that woodpile everything I had. Every ounce of my bad mood, every drop of surliness I could muster up, and every lip twitch I had. There was a little cussing at that wood pile. I'm pretty sure I told several pieces of wood that one way or another, I was going to split it, even if it was splintered into kindling before I landed a "good one" on it.
It took a few tries. And eventually, I did get the hang of it. Especially after I sheepishly looked around to be sure J didn't see me taking his advice on how to hold and swing the maul, and tried it his way. (Um, he was right. The first one I hit with his method split into two perfect pieces.)
After about an hour in the cold, and thinking about things, I suddenly realized I wasn't mad anymore. And while I wasn't frozen to the bone, I was getting a little chilly. And as my anger was whittled away in the woodpile, I started to notice the blister on my leg where my hastily tucked pant leg had been chaffing between my boot. I took a look around and noticed that I had hacked up about 1/4 cord, and thought..."That'll do, Moose Nugget, That'll do."
Panting, I leaned against the house. On the one hand, I was wishing I had the energy to finish the rest of the woodpile (another 1/4 cord, maybe a tad more), just so I could go in the house with a "See, Girlz Rock" attitude. Then, I realized that I just didn't have enough energy left in me to go back in saying "Nyah, Nyah, Nah, Nyah, Nyah". Nope. I had left getting up on the wrong side of the bed out in the stack of wood. It sure was gonna feel good to throw one of MY pieces of split wood into to the stove to warm up by.
By the time I stopped panting, but before the dull ache in my hands and back that every new woodman feels could set in, I tromped in the house, glasses fogging up as the warm air hit them and said, "Hey you! Man! Go look at the wood pile!"
I was pretty proud. And I can say that I would definitely chop wood again. If I had to.
For the record, my hands still ache. But gosh, that fire sure was cozy last night.

Plenty on the to-do list this week. The holidays are coming up, and those of you who have been reading for a while know that Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. This week will be full of preparations... there's cranberries to boil into sauce, there's pumpkins to cook down for pies. There's potatoes to mash, Green Stuff to make, and lots of other goodies. There's also the guest list to attend to. It's a Moose Nugget tradition to invite folks that would otherwise be spending the holiday alone. I just can't bring myself to ignore someone who would otherwise have to spend Thanksgiving eating Chow Hall Turkey.
If you are a reader, give some consideration to your own guest list. Whether you are hosting or you are a guest in someone else's traditions, see if there might be room for one more chair at your table, and invite someone who needs to feel like they are a part of a family for the day.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Learning Curve

2009-11-05T19:47:00.000-08:00

There is a learning curve to a wood stove. Just like each person is unique, so is each wood stove. I seriously think they all have their own little personalities, and they interact with the house and each operator on an individual basis.
We've been on a bit of a learning curve with our stove. The previous owner/builder was incredibly proud of his "airtight" design. And "airtight" is great, if you happen to be a Ziploc bag. If you happen to be a wood stove, or a family trying to operate one, a little air-tight would be nice.
There's a lot of science behind a wood stove. Kind of makes me wish I had payed attention to the boring droning of Mr. Wooten instead of making goo-goo eyes at Aaron Whats-His-Name in high school. But seriously, I never thought I would REALLY need to know things like "combustion" and "draft", or REALLY need to know what happens when you create a vacuum.
For the record, when you create a vacuum, bad things happen. And when you live air-tight, you create vacuums every time you turn on a "mechanical draft" (another term I should have payed attention to in school).
Mechanical draft happens when you turn on things like your clothes dryer. Or an electric fan. Or a vent fan in the bathroom. And when you create a vacuum with this mechanical draft, FIRE (and smoke) tend to follow the path of oxygen, which, unfortunately, is NOT up the chimney. Nope, it's right in the direction of that mechanical draft, which happens to be IN our house.

Not to worry. We haven't burnt to the ground. A frantic call to the wood stove dealer -and a few chuckles from his end of the phone as he listened to me tell poor little Beans, "NOT NOW BEANS! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY AND YOU MUST GO PLAY WITH BARBIES IN THE OTHER ROOM UNTIL I'M DONE!"- solved the issue temporarily. Turns out that you can counter a mechanical draft by simply opening a window near the wood stove. Another detail I should have payed attention to in science class.
*ahem*
The long term solution is to have a guy come put some holes in our house. Specifically, some kind of venting system that allows outside air in the house. He's coming Tuesday.

Meanwhile... we have been busy learning other lessons in fire. Like how to build up a good coal bed, or just how far to damper down the stove so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to build another one.
Or, how to communicate with your spouse about the plans for the day so that he doesn't stoke up a hot, hot fire right before he leaves for work when you were planning on canning some applesauce and baking bread this morning.
Phew! That was one HOT, HOT house. A thermometer in the house claims it was 84F. I made applesauce and pear compote and cranberry sauce as fast as I could, got it canned, and decided that the bread would have to wait one more day. I'll let that coal bed burn down a bit, and get my bread started in the morning, and let the oven knock the chill off a bit.

Speaking of chill... today was warmer than the last few, but we've already dipped below zero here! The days have been hovering in the teens, though today, we did see 30F again.

Otherwise, the news is uneventful. We have a few finishing touches on the inside of the cabin to make it homey and maximize some storage space. Since much of that requires a trip to Fairbanks (which is on the books for next week anyway), and the cabin takes little time to clean, my week was free to pursue home school projects with abandon and begin working on J's grandmother's crazy quilt. I've almost finished up the patch work from where she left off. Hoping to be able to get to the handwork next week, then all that will be left is to quilt it up.

The cabin has a lovely peacefulness to it. I thought I would certainly have TV withdrawal, but I haven't. My evening was spent doing some journalling. I could hear Beans quietly playing with legos under the dining room table (a favorite hiding spot these days). Little Nugget fell asleep at the breast, and as I looked up from my journal to stretch my neck, I noticed that the only other sound was the quiet hiss of the tea pot on the wood stove, promising me a nice cup of something hot after I tuck the kids into bed.

We've had visitors in the yard! Hare trails are all over the property. Another set of fox tracks have followed one of the bunny trails into the trees. Beans and I suited up on one of the warmer days last week and followed the bunny trails around the property, wondering where they disappear to. Grouse and other birds chatter in the woods all day long. I wonder where they are and if I'd be a decent shot with an air rifle. (Hey, grouse and rabbit make good dinner!)
This is my new TV sitcom... Animal Track TV and Wood Stove TV. I could watch those two channels all day.

Well, little feet are pitter-pattering the back of my seat, signalling that my time in the library parking lot using the wi-fi is over. Time to get my brood back to cabin and get the chores done. Dishes to wash, wood to bring in for the night, and laundry to fold... not to mention bathing and sending two little ones off to bed so I can have that cup of tea.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Post Card Perfect

2009-10-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

The move is nearly finished. J has been making frequent trips to the old rental to bring home the "little things", as we see what will fit in our cabin and what won't. It's amazing what you decide you can live without when there really is no room for extra junk.

Already, the skeptics have offered their opinions. As we continue to downsize, we have gotten several well meaning comments and questions about "HOW" we are going to live in our new space.
Truth is, we love it.
We love the downsizing. We love realizing that we THOUGHT we "couldn't live without" something, and discovering that life is easier and more pleasant without that thing.
Example: We had to leave the microwave behind. There really is NO room for it. And it took me a full week to even notice it was gone. And when our leftover biscuits were warmed up in the already-warm oven that I cooked dinner in, J and I both wondered why we had ever used the microwave to do this task. The biscuits weren't soggy or chewy, the way a microwave can make them. They tasted like I had just baked them. Spread with some homemade apple butter (not mine, a gift from a neighbor), they were perfect.
Another Example: With limited closets, we had to downsize wardrobes. It's amazing what you can find in your closet when you look. We donated enough clothing to dress another family! And I promise, we still have "too much".
When we looked at what we own vs. what we use, it was nearly shameful. Even being more conscientious than most consumers, we are still so sadly wasteful. We gave away, sold, or donated nearly almost an entire household worth of stuff. Several friends are amazed and pleased with their new treasures, and I'm glad we found useful homes for our things that had to go, but it was with a heavy heart... NOT because I miss those things, but because at one point in life, J and I must have thought, "Our lives will not be complete or operate smoothly without that thing".
What an enormous amount of waste.
And amazing that we still have plenty of luxuries left over. I still have some of my fancy pants kitchen stuff. J still has some fancy pants tools and personal items. The girls still have more toys than they need.
*sigh*

So we are nearly finished with our move. The finishing touches and unpacking are in full swing. The experience has me seriously rethinking the necessities in life.
I took these thoughts outdoors with me this morning to stand in the fresh air and look at my new surroundings. Snow began falling some time in the night, and the cabin had a light dusting of snow. There was about an inch of the white stuff on the ground. I noticed a moose wandered through the yard and left some tracks shortly after the snow began falling. The trees were beginning to hold some snow, and it truly was postcard perfect.

The downsizing and organizing continues.
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Moving Day

2009-10-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

A short break among some very busy work...

We finally got the keys to the house, and Little Farm on the Tundra is slowly setting up shop. I would much rather skip to the fun stuff (chicken coops and greenhouses) than the current task (trying to figure out how to fit 1500 sq ft of belongings into 860 sq ft of space), but the reality is we need to get our stuff in the house, and soon. The skies are threatening to snow, and a light dusting of the white stuff has already made the roads a little slick.

The first day in the new homestead was a lot of sitting around and waiting. We were lucky enough to find someone willing to install our new Princess Ultra Blaze King wood stove the same day (and didn't overcharge us, either). And while it went quickly for stove installations, it did take some time. It was worth it though. After a little bit of playing around with the controls, we managed to get a good burn and were able to damper things down to keep the house at a comfy 70-ish degrees. The fire lasted through the night. No one froze or even woke up too hot or too cold. There were still even a few coals in the bottom this morning, and a few pieces of wood this morning started the heat cycle again.

The first night was pure bliss. Even in a place as small as Fort Greely, you can forget what QUIET sounds like. After babies were snoozing, I ducked out to take a peek at our surroundings. With no porch lights and trees between us and all our neighbors, it was dark enough to not even be able to see J's truck, which wasn't parked but 10 feet from me. The QUIET startled me at first. It took a moment to realize that the rustling I heard was my own two feet, and the exhalations weren't from animals lurking in the dark, but my own steady breathing. An nearby dog barked once or twice, and the occasional bunny in the brush caused a stir, but the only other sound I could hear was my own gentle noise. For a mom with two babies, it felt like I had died and gone to heaven.
I headed in after a short break (let's face it, it was getting pretty chilly and spooky out there in the dark). The house was a warm-your-face kind of warm from the wood stove. The air in the cabin was dry, and smelled like warm logs. I tucked into some comfy jammies and headed to our loft bedroom. Beans was gently snoring in the next room, Little Nugget hunkered down next to the warmth of mommy milk, and I fell asleep to the sound of J stoking the fire and heading up the stairs to snuggle in next to Nugget and me. It WAS Homestead Heaven.

Back to reality this morning. It's time to load up the trucks and get the rest of our belongings over to the new house. I'll admit, it looks a little like a bad episode of The Beverly Hillbillies right now, but the cabin should start coming together in a day or so. Meanwhile, I'm gonna keep heading outside for sips of snowy air and QUIET, and keep daydreaming about those chickens.
Pictures coming soon, y'all. I promise. It's just gonna take a while to find all our belongings, including the USB cable for the camera.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Little Farm on The Tundra

2009-10-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

It's nearly official! Little Farm on The Tundra is about to be reality, folks.
J, Beans, Little Nugget, and I met in the real estate agents office today and closed on our Arctic Homestead.
I say it's "nearly official" because the paperwork still has to go to the title company to be recorded. Apparently, when you live in such a remote location, these things do not happen as instantly as they do in big cities. While this normally only takes an additional two business day, Monday happens to be "Alaska Day" (whatever that is?), and the recording office will be closed. Our homestead ownership will be official on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the former owner will have packed his bags (and boxes) and give us the keys Sunday, and we will waste no time getting moved in.

So, the details...
It's a SMALL homestead. The appraisal officially marked it as 864 sq ft. (Told ya. It's small!) It's a new (2007) construction log home that reminds me a lot of Lincoln Log structures I built as a child on my mom's living room rugs.
For those of you familiar with the TV version of "Little House on The Prairie", it looks much like the Ingalls' home on the inside. The door opens into the kitchen and dining space, with a cozy wood stove tucked in the corner.
J has promised to switched out the barrel stove for my dream wood stove, a fancy little number from the Vermont Wood Stove Company that has a separate baking oven in the bottom and a cook top on top, surrounded in warmth maintaining and radiating soapstone. The cost of that little stove (and the shipping) will likely count for my next five years worth of Christmas presents, but I won't mind when the smell of wood stove baked bread wafts through the house, or when I don't have to pay the power company to set a pot roast on for dinner.
The tour continues with a single bathroom (with full sized washer and dryer tucked in), and a downstairs bedroom that we plan on converting into our family room/den. A small built in desk sits strategically under the loft stairs. The stairs climb to a loft that we plan on converting to the grown-up bedroom, and the adjoining master bedroom will become the toddler haven and sleeping quarters. That's it for the inside. (Pictures will come, eventually, so y'all can see the homestead.)
The fun part is outdoors. A separate well house will double as some storage space, and two attached carports (one on either side of the house) are set to house vehicles and a freezer. The house is nestled on a cozy 2.5 acres which is begging for a roost of chickens, a garden, a greenhouse, a handful of meat rabbits, and maybe even a milk goat and yarn sheep (eventually). J would also say that the place is begging for an oversize two stall garage, but I'm getting my chicken coop first. (Fair enough, since the coop will cost about 25 times less to build!) The girls will have their own little area cleared for the playground of their wildest dreams (not hard when all they really want is a swing and a slide), and there is already a good half acre cleared that just needs tilling and planting for next year's harvest.
The acreage is covered in wild high and lowbush cranberries, and plenty of other wild plants to identify and explore. We've seen moose prints, lynx prints, and the previous owner claims to have discovered bear scat on occasion. I'll believe the lynx and the moose. I'd better not ever see a bear. On one of my many drive-by stalkings of my new house, I crossed paths with a handful of ruffed grouse, and there are more bunny tracks than you can count. We might not be able to completely live off our little parcel of land, but we wouldn't have many excuses for starving to death either.
The wooded lot is speckled with birch, spruce, cottonwood, and aspens, and these trees do a good job of hiding the house from plain view. The ones we clear will do a fine job of proving heat in our upcoming winters (after they dry out, of course), and the ones that remain will keep our homestead sheltered from the Delta winds.

I'm excited to know that this winter, instead of dreaming, I will actually be sitting in a rocker by my wood fire stove, knitting and crocheting to heart's content, and spending the darkest days of winter poring over seed catalogs that I will actually order from, instead of living vicariously through my lucky friends who are already hobby farming.

That's the news for today, my friends! We are off to have a very busy week ending and week beginning... packing up the old house, seriously downsizing, and moving into our Little Farm on the Tundra. The next news y'all hear from Moose Nuggets, we'll officially be homesteaders.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Here Comes the Dark

2009-10-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

The last few mornings have caused some mild confusion around the Moose Nugget Household. I mean, more than usual. *AHEM*
I thought it was my imagination at first. Then, I thought the girls were waking earlier, continuing their quest to make sure I never sleep again. The truth is, the Dark is coming.
I am sharing my morning coffee with moonlight this morning. 7:30 am, and not a smidge of dawn in the sky.

I have a few friends that are dreading this time of year. But I find it invigorating. And while I had lots of fun this summer in the midnight sun, I have missed sunrise and sunset the way you would miss a dear friend. I've been homesick for the Dark.

The weather has also taken a definite turn. It's not cold by Alaska standards, but what's going on outside is winter in the South. I was chuckling to myself the other day, when I realized that a couple winters ago, I was standing in 40 degree evenings in Alabama and complaining to my coworkers about how cold it was outside. Imagining a day back down south, I realized that I also would have pulled my gloves and winter coat out in this kind of weather, and would be wearing a cozy sweatshirt under that. Now, if I had a wood stove, I don't even think I would light a fire, except for at night, when we are dipping into the 20s here. That does make for a chilly morning.

Speaking of wood stoves... the wood stove was the winner of the "Which is better?" poll. Which means I was able to bring bragging rights to the dinner table when J brought up the pellet stove again. (Thank you to my dear friends who stuffed the ballot box as well!)

So... "Why all this talk about pellet stoves and wood stoves anyway?" You may be asking.
The dream is close folks. REALLY close. It's a matter of paperwork, and then, The Little Farm on the Tundra will be a reality. More details when it comes to fruition because, as you know, if you talk about the dream, you lose it... BUT...
The agent assures us that "probably next week" we should be signing some papers and looking for a moving van. Then, I'll be looking for some chickens and spending my winter planning the garden while J clears land for my new hobby.

So, while I'm not going to divulge much this week, I give you little clues about the dream because it is going to drastically change Moose Nuggets Updates. In fact, it's going to drastically change lots of things. While TECHNICALLY Internet service is available there, our choices are dial-up or satellite. I didn't even think dial-up existed anymore, and the start-up cost for satellite is pretty expensive. We can afford it, but when the Wi-Fi at the library is free, I don't see why we should pay a couple thousand bucks to get Internet or cable.
THE PLAN is to go to the library once a week to do all my Internet stuff. That includes Ye Old Blog, so Moose Nuggets will continue to exist. And truthfully, as frequently as I update, most readers are not likely to see much of a difference. And to make a few readers happier (for those of you who remember Mr Anonymous who complained about my boring life and reading my tortuous blog)... there should be a few more interesting things happening in the Moose Nugget Household, as we finally start living out my Little House on the Prairie dreams...um, Arctic style.

A few little notes:
-I finally bought my new coat. Yes, I am retiring the Hot Pink Easy-For-Search-And-Rescue-to-Spot Jacket. I also finally found a hat I like, and replaces the gloves that were lost in the Seattle Airport last year when I needed them most. 45 Below zero was NOT the time for gloves to go missing.

-Knitting group was a blast this past Monday. I was recently accused by one of my jet-set, city-type friends of being "an old grandma with boring hobbies". I felt kind of self conscious about that for a couple months until I went back to gab with the gals over yarn and hot cider. I was wearing The Very First Grown-Up Size Sweater I have Ever Crocheted For Myself (it turned out pretty good, actually), and was happy to be working on a new project. In the middle of sharing my latest tales and hearing the latest gossip from the other gals' lives, I found myself in that happy glow you get when you laugh so hard your cheeks hurt and you are surrounded by people that "get" you.

-The Baby Update: The girls are doing great. Beans is a ball of energy, as usual... AND turning two very very soon! Birthday party plans are coming together, and I need to get off my duff and start getting the invitations made. It's bittersweet... she's growing, but she's growing too fast!
Little Nugget is desperate to keep up with her sister, and has started CRAWLING these past few weeks. Initially, it was just little frog hops in the right direction. Now, it's a deliberate hand-hand-knee-knee-slide to her destination, which is usually a toy that Beans is trying to play with. Little Nugget officially has Beans on the run for a safe place to play with toys undisturbed, though Beans does enjoy instigating the cat and mouse game, tempting her sister with a fun toy, then running away screaming, "No! That's MINE!"

So now, at 8:00 am, as the sky begins to turn Dusky Dawn Gray, I'm off to play with babies and prepare for our coming week, which promises to be busy. Should have one more update before anything major happens around here, so stay tuned!

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Some Days, It Hits The Fan

2009-09-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, nothing major. Just starting out to be a rough morning in the Moose Nugget Household.
Beans was fitful most of the night, but since J was at work and Little Nugget was permanently attached to my milking apparatus, it was difficult to go check on her. Every time I was able to disengage the avid milker, Beans would settle back down and I would decide that I should let sleeping girls lie.
Hmmm.
I woke this morning VERY early to cries of "Momma! POOP! Tummy Hurts!"
And in my pre-coffee stupor, I ended up sticking my hands in poop as I helped her get out of her underpants. I decided I should turn on the lights and assess the situation, and discovered that in addition to poop, she was covered head to toe in barf.
Argh!
I left her sitting on the potty to check out the full situation. Not good.
I dunked her in the tub and seriously started praying, "God, don't let it be swine flu!"

A side note here... I called for reinforcements. They still have not arrived. One day, I will discover the correct way to communicate that we need help and you need to get home.
Apparently, saying, "Um, half the upstairs is covered in poo and puke, both girls are hysterical, I have vomit in my hair and poop on my hands and shirt. I really could use some help!" is NOT the correct way to solicit help.
The response was: "Um, like RIGHT NOW? You need help now or all day or what?"
Just then, Beans pooped in the tub and started freaking out. I didn't have time to respond, so I am pretty sure I said, "Dude. Are you serious? I said I need help. I gotta go. I've got poop and bathwater all over the floor."
I think J decided that meant I had things well under control.

And two hours later.... mostly, I do. Have things under control. Sort of. Beans has been made more comfortable with movies and Popsicles. Little Nugget stopped wailing as soon as I returned her milk supply, and is now snoozing between meals. As soon as I can stomach it, I will be stripping down the beds and starting some laundry and cleaning out bathtubs.
For the record, I don't do barf. Even when I was a paramedic, barf was just not my thing. I used to make my partner clean it up ("Ah, lowly little EMT partner... I save lives, YOU clean barf.") Seriously. And luckily, my partner had a stomach of steel and could be bribed with a free lunch.

***

The weather report here is: Cold and snowy. We've had slushy rain falling for a couple days now. Snow in the morning and evening, rainy slush in the warmer afternoons (and by "warmer", I mean like 40F). I wouldn't call it a "white out" this morning, but I will say that visibility is limited. I can't see past the end of our block this morning.

***

Alright. I am being summoned with cries of "Tummy Hurts!" again. I've got to go catch some barf.
Hope y'all are doing better than we are here.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

SNOW

2009-09-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

That is not a misprint.
We've had our first official snowfall. And it actually stuck.

While I am one of the crazy people here that absolutely love winter, I have to admit that I felt a little sad to see that autumn (my all time favorite season) lasted a mere 10 days or so. Last week, the days were still a bit balmy and the leaves turned golden reds and yellows. A few days ago, they began to fall off the trees in large numbers. A trip to Fairbanks two days ago proved that there were more leaves on the ground than on the trees. By the time we drove home from Fairbanks, snow was falling, and by the time I got the girls tucked into bed, it looked like a Christmas card outside.

I would like to take a minute and vent about the irony of snow on the autumnal equinox. Not only is that just weird, I was not very well prepared.
Even more ironic is the fact that I was standing in Fred Meyer (the trendier version of Walmart, for those unfamiliar) eyeballing the new Columbia winter coats. I found one I loved and discovered they didn't have my size. "No problem" I think to myself, "I don't need it just yet. I'll check again the next trip."
Hmmm.
For the record, if you live in Alaska, the right time to buy your winter gear was about three days ago.

Don't worry mom, we are far from freezing. I do have my coat from last year. The one that I bought in Nearly Neon Pink because J had me convinced that if I got lost in a blizzard, I should look like a complete moron so I would be found quickly.
Now that I know I am not very likely to be somewhere that search and rescue would need to see me from the space shuttle, I am thinking of buying a coat in more subdued colors.
Beans received some great hand-me-downs... a full set of toddler arctic gear. And her Nearly Neon Pink gear (bought to match mine because if SHE got lost in the arctic wilderness, search and rescue would also see her from space and know she belonged to the moron in the matching jacket)... it still fits.
Little Nugget has plenty of warm stuff, and the truth is, um... we don't plan on doing any crazy glacier hiking or being anywhere that we need full arctic gear for her, so I think we'll all stay warm.

***
I will admit that seeing snow this early was a little tough to swallow. I DO love fall, and it just doesn't seem right to have the white stuff quite so soon.
But... it's Alaska.
And it didn't take long to slip into winter mode. Beans demanded snow boots nearly as soon as she saw the white stuff, and she and daddy had a good snowman building adventure before tromping slush through the house, demanding hot chocolates.
I spent the afternoon digging out hats and gloves for everyone else, and making a winter gear shopping list for our next trip north. This morning, temps were hovering around 20 degrees until well after the sun came up. 'Bout time for that new coat, I'd say.

Hold on tight, y'all! It's autumn in Alaska.

Also, anyone that can clear up the heated discussion about the advantages of pellet stoves vs. wood stoves (ha ha! "Heated" discussion!)... feel free to add your two cents. My personal opinion: why give up a free source of heat (wood stove) for something that costs about $5 a day to run (pellet stove)? Am I missing something here?

Until Next Time!
Happy Moose Trails

Autumn Lights

2009-09-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It's still a day or so before the official start of autumn, but seeing how it's my favorite season, I'm ready to jump the gun.

Speaking of guns... hunting season is officially closed for all us non-subsistence hunters. We have caribou in the freezer, but no moose. J tried hard (and I have weeks of loneliness and insanity caused from being left alone with two kids under two to prove how hard he worked), but long story short... he didn't get a moose. Ah, well. It's about time for rabbit hunting, anyway.

There is a lot of local folklore about the beginning of autumn... the first day of school, the seasonal closing of the Drive-In, The start of hunting season, Snow on the Dome (which I can not confirm or deny, since the dome has not been visible much of this week due to rain). My own official start of fall is a little more, ahem... mystic. Fall starts when I feel a certain chill in the air and begin to smell wood stoves in the night. Those cues are followed by an insane urge to dig through my stash of crochet, knit, and sewing projects and find something to curl up in a chair with. When I suddenly interrupt the constant flow of coffee for a cup of hot apple cider, it's Fall.

That said, I should mention that my recent Autumn experiences have been in the Deep South. Beautiful days like today, where the temps hover around 48F and the constant rain slows to a drizzle, frankly is what Christmas in Alabama might look like. On a really cold year. (For the record, the last Christmas I spent in Alabama was 78F and sunny.)
If I had to describe a day like today to family, I would actually liken it to what a typical Halloween Day in Northern Virginia would feel like. (I mention Northern Virginia because that's where I essentially grew up.)

So, I HAVE been feeling the urge to nestle down with fall projects. I am one sleeve away from finishing a sweater I have been making... the first grown-up size sweater I've ever attempted. I generally stick to things for little people, but found a cute pattern. Besides, my blanket winning at the fair-and my mom bragging about it to all my relatives and telling me I should open an Etsy shop, kind of made me feel invincible in the land of crochet.

On the Moose Nugget Home front, great things have been happening. J might someday, eventually return home. Between hunting, overtime, and rumors of rabbit hunts and fishing trips, we haven't seen much of him.
Beans has been hard at work with home school activities. (Yes, I am homeschooling my two year old.) She's caught on quickly and really enjoys "school time", which frankly doesn't look too much different from the things we were already doing in our day, only a bit more organized and planned out.
We have also successfully completed potty training! Any kid (or grownup for that matter) that can "hold it" from Delta Junction to Fairbanks is potty trained in my book!
Little Nugget is growing in leaps and bounds as well. Not wanting to be left out, she has already figured out a little frog hopping crawl. Too bad she mostly goes backward. Many a photo opportunity is lost because she gets so frustrated that she's gone backward instead of forward. She is quickly learning to propel herself in the right direction however, which keeps Beans in a constant state of picking up and moving her toys away from her little sister.
Oh, yeah. The word "MINE" has entered our vocabulary in the Moose Nugget Household.
I hate the word "MINE" (unless it pertains to my stuff, of course!)
Beans was quick to call me on my own selfishness this week. I was preparing a bowl of coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup for no one except for me, myself, and I. Beans asked for a bite and I answered, "No, this is MINE". To my surprise, instead of the tantrum I braced for, I got a stern lecture. "No, mommy! YOU SHARE IT!"
Hmmm.... hope that ice cream was at least decaffinated. I was outwitted by a toddler.

More excitement is occurring in the Moose Nugget Household, but I'm not at liberty to discuss it...yet. I'm going with a friend's adage... "If you talk about the dream, you lose it." Just know that exciting things are in the air, and the Moose Nugget Farm could be less of a dream and more of a reality in the Hopefully Near Future.

Meanwhile, Little Nugget has propelled herself backward from every toy in the house and needs a hand scooting in the right direction. Beans is busy hoarding toys and screeching "MINE!" over who-knows-what-her-sister-tried-to-touch, and there is a rumor that J may actually make an appearance at home tomorrow, so I guess I'd better make it look like I've been cleaning and doing laundry instead of scraping school paste off the dining room table.
Mental; Note to Self: Don't ever leave the glue sticks where a toddler can get a hold of them.

Until Next Time,

Happy Moose Trails!

Secret Moose Camp

2009-09-02T00:06:00.000-07:00

I heard a phrase this week that sums up my life this month: Hunting Widow.
That sums it up, those two words.
*SIGH*

The good news is, The Mighty Hunter (J) has already returned with a caribou. More specifically, a caribou head. The edible parts are at Delta Meats, being processed into the ingredients for upcoming meals. Why the head is in the back of The Suburban (AKA, "The Junk Truck"), um, I'm not sure. Seeing as I am definitely the "gatherer" of our little "hunter/gatherer" team, I don't quite understand the concept of dead animal heads being kept for decor.
For the record, I am using my long history of being allergic to absolutely everything on the planet as the primary reason why this poor animal's head (or any other head, for that matter) will never get past our doorstep.
I made eye contact with the dead animal and, "I hope you taste better than you smell." Beans made a trip to the suburban with daddy and did a much better job at stroking the hunter's ego by oohing and aahing over the thing. I drew that line at showing the caribou head to Little Nugget.

Secretly though, I somewhat envy the ability to go out and shoot something. Being a hunting widow kind of makes you feel like shooting something is not such a bad idea.
And, for those in the lower, Alaskan Women DO hunt.
Maybe one day.
Meanwhile, I had my husband's company for about 12 hours before he turned around and trekked back to the woods on the search for moose.

For those that don't hunt, I'd like to share some new-at-a-husband-hunting wisdom.
The hunt begins with a month (or longer) of preparation. You have to sight in rifles. You have to ooh and aah over other guys' rifles. You have to come home three hours later than you promised to be home to give your wife a break because you are discussing rifles and hunting tactics. (Silly me. I thought the tactic was: Buy a gun. Find a moose. Shoot it. I was wrong.)
After your wife is thoroughly annoyed, you must then spend a week pushing her past the point of caring about a moose in the freezer by going to the woods and "glassing" for moose. This means you sit in the woods and drink beer with the fellas, and look for moose poop and stuff. This is very important. Somehow.
After that, you spend another week making sure your wife is completely losing her mind trying to hold down the fort by setting up you Secret Moose Camp.
A word about Secret Moose Camps. They are only a "secret" from your wife. From what I've heard, all the men have secret moose camps which are in plain sight of all the other guys' Secret Moose Camps. I am 90% sure this has something to do with making sure the beer is evenly distributed, but I am told this is not the case. I remain skeptical.
Only after your wife has threatened to run away and join the circus (which also coincides with Sept 1, the season opener for moose hunting), can you actually begin your hunt.
Or if you really want to go the distance and get your wife packing her clown suit in a suitcase, you tell her that you need to leave Aug 31, so you can already be in your Secret Moose Camp when the moose walks by at 12:01 am the following morning.

So now, we wait. By "we", I obviously mean me and the girls. Specifically, we are waiting for Barnum and Bailey to pick us up, because we have officially packed for the circus. At this point, I think the circus would be a relaxing change of pace. For starters, in the circus, you only have to worry about your husband falling off the tightrope. Not being eaten by bears, accidentally shooting himself, or rolling a 4-wheeler on himself.
I keep telling myself, "This moose is gonna taste great. It's totally going to be worth it."
But I'm not feeling it right now. Right now, I am a tired Hunting Widow who is totally going to begin planning my Secret Spa Camp.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails

Blue Ribbon

2009-08-01T22:41:00.001-07:00

Hooray for me! I'm a winner!

Yup. Took a blue ribbon for the blanket I almost didn't enter because I thought it might not be good enough.

I'm proud of me!

I also wish I had entered a few of my other projects. After scoping out the competition, I think I could have put a hurtin' on the contest. Or at least earned back my fair entrance fees.

The fair was good fun, and for anyone local, there is still one more day to check it out. Beans had a fun time consuming more junk food than she has ever seen in her life, and visiting with the animals in the livestock pens.

Boy, that was FUNNY.

You know, learning the sound an animal makes is basic stuff for kids. Everyone knows a cow says, "Moo" and a pig says"Oink". But watching Beans hear these noises come from actual animals was HILARIOUS. I mean, I do a good cow impression (Hello! I am still a human milk machine!), but nothing compared to the deep sound of an actual bovine. I thought Beans was going to come out of her skin when she heard a rooster crow, and a pig snort while checking her out to see if she was edible.

We have a nightly ritual where I ask if she had a good day, and ask if she remembered what we did that day. Putting her to bed last night, I asked the usual questions.

"Did you have a good day today?"

"Um. Yesh."

"What did we do today?"

"I'm go fair!"

"That's right! We went to the fair! Do you remember what we did there?"

And darn if that girl's eyes didn't get wide and brighten as she let out the loudest and most adorable, "MOOOOOO!"

After a good giggle and mooing fest, I tucked her horse-scented little body into the bed (no time for a bath last night!) and heard a giggle anda good "Cockle-Doodle-Doo!" as I left the room.

Not to worry... she DID get a bath today, after another trip to the fair. The parade rolled through town, and though I cringe at the amount of C-A-N-D-Y Beans was able to collect and consume at the parade, I darn sure wasn't leaving until I saw the MOPS float with all my hard work on it. It took an act of congress to stop Beans from collecting candy, and after the parade passed, she still stood close to the road, waving at cars and yelling, "CANDY!!!"

We checked out a few more booths and made our way to the animal pens again, because you can't leave the fair without visiting Kate the Mule, who was the BIGGEST mule I have ever seen in my life. Seriously, she stands taller than the horses in the adjoining pen! Beans and Little Nugget and I spent the rest of the day in the company of some good friends until the sugar overload was more than I could bear.

Side note: you know you've gone "small town" when you realize you know most of the people at the fair. And also when you can spot the tourists. When I had a few minutes to reflect today, I realized it was really nice to go somewhere that the people don't just recognize you, they KNOW you. They remember to ask about your visit with your in-laws. They notice you took a prize for your blanket. They know your kids and point out that they are pushing their baby sister's stroller out the door (with little sister in it!) while you are busy looking over someone else's quilt.

So, I LOVED the fair. I have to admit that growing up in the 'burbs has limited my experience with real county fairs. In the city, they bring these little fairs into town that are mostly carnival games and rides. If there are animals involved, it's usually a pony ride pen. There's no contests, quilt shows, or cook-offs. This Deltana Fair was The Real Deal. Just like in the old stories like Charlotte's Web. It's a Wanna-Be-Farm-Girl's dream.

And dreaming, I am. I have serious land-envy and also want a pony. And chickens. And rabbits (for eating). And turkeys and my very own rooster. And I can't wait for the girls to be old enough for 4-H and FFA and looking as cute as all the 4-H girls out there in their braids and overalls, taking care of their animals at the fair.

I won't name names, but a friend I was with today (a fellow city girl) said the fair was "ok", but she couldn't do it for more than a couple years. That tweaked my sad little heart-strings, because personally, I could see myself living the small-town life for the rest of my life. I really truly do want to be the 70-something little white-haired lady at the fair, cooing at the new babies in town, passing out candy to the kids, and telling little boys to get their mitts off the Reserve Grand Champion Quilt. (And hopefully, I'll be saying that because it will be mine! HaHa!)

Speaking of quilts, I am going to give a shameless plug for my mom's new etsy shop. If you are inclined to look at some quilts (and soon, embroidery and bags!) then check out bethsblocks.etsy.com

And then please buy lots of quilts so my mom can come visit me in Alaska and maybe dad won't complain about her bazillion dollar quilting machine.

I'm going to give another shameless plug to my mom, too.

Mom grew up in a Kansas farming family. And truthfully, to hear the relatives tell it, when she was old enough she got as far away from the farm as she could. That explains why I'm mostly city girl. But mom still taught me to crochet (one stinkin' granny square at a time!), and a few other farm girl tricks, proving that you can take the girl out of the farm, but you can't wash the farm girl off of her.

I used to envy her box of ribbons for showing horses at county fairs like this one. Every time I asked about them, she always used to get a sentimental and embarrassed little look about them and shove them back into her hope chest, tucked under her childhood teddy bear and Grandpa's Purple heart.

I think I finally kind of get it. It's just a ribbon and a few bucks, but it also kind of proves that your talent matches the amount of hard work, sweat, and tears you put into what you entered.

Thanks for passing down the farm-girl heart.

I'm still on an adrenaline rush from my first blue ribbon. I made the blanket a few years ago, while I was on bed rest and waiting for Beans to safely make it into the world. It's stitched with a lot of prayers for her arrival, tears of worry on the bad days, tears of joy on the good ones, and daydreams of wrapping her up in it. It was good enough to just get her to full term and home from the hospital, and snuggle her in the blanket in the rocking chair for the first time. It was enough to tuck her into bed under it, or snuggle up in it for a story. I'm glad I now get to pass it down to her with a blue ribbon, $3 (my prize money!), and a story of my first county fair.

And since I'm on an adrenaline rush, I came home and went through all my crochet magazines and books, and began selecting items to crochet for next year. Like I said, I've got a good eye on the competition now, and plan on giving those gals a run for the prize money next time. Time to start coming up with some award winning patterns, jams, and various other projects. Good thing winter is just about on the way! (Oooh! I know Susan is gonna get me for that comment! BTW- when you come through town, call for sure! We should be home that Monday and would love to see you!)

Until Next Time,

Happy Moose Trails!

When I Say Move, MOVE!

2009-07-30T23:07:00.001-07:00

Good grief. Ya know, I grew up being an Army Brat (mom and dad are both retired!), so I know the "Hurry Up and Wait" game well.
J and I have been in a "Hurry up and Wait" mode for a couple months now. We were told at the beginning of summer that the base intended to demolish our home (and several others) to begin construction on new housing. We were advised that we would be moving "at some time in the summer". So, we waited. And waited.
Then, the phone rang.
Thursday afternoon, to be exact. J called and informed me that the movers would be arriving on MONDAY.
So, there's your "hurry up" part.

I was somewhat ill-prepared for the move. Not only had I just barely scooted my father-in-law and Other J off the premises, I had seriously committed myself to Other Activities for the weekend. There were more berries to pick, more jam to make, friends to keep play dates with, and more importantly, a float to assemble pieces for the Fair.
And even though I knew I had committed to designing these pieces for the float nearly a month prior to their due date (Wednesday), I had unintentionally procrastinated until the weekend before the Fair. Like I said, there were berries to pick, jam to make, in-laws to entertain, and play dates to keep. I mean, I could think of a hundred different ways to spend my summer days besides covered in glue and scrapbook paper with two screaming kids begging to do something besides watching Tinkerbell for the fifth time in a row. Not that my weekend went that way at all.
*Ahem*

I can hear my mom's voice in my head... the same tone as the night before my diorama was due in sixth grade, asking me exactly how long did I know I needed to construct a replica of the Roman aqueducts out of plaster of paris and where did I think I was going to find that at 7 pm on a Tuesday night.
Followed by the chuckle she has adapted since I became a grown-up... the chuckle that says, "I'm so glad I don't have to pull plaster of paris out of thin air for you now, kiddo. Ha, ha."

ANYWAY...
Against better judgement (according to whom?), I picked berries to my heart's content on Saturday. Since J was working, I went with another friend and her husband's shotgun. Little Nugget was blessedly cooperative, and slept the entire afternoon. Beans was pretty content to eat berries beside me until she and her playmate decided a sword fight with sticks was a bright idea, and Beans lost. Still, I managed to pick a decent number of berries before heading home to tend to Beans' (minor) wounds, which were mostly to her ego.

Once everyone was bandaged up, did I begin packing?

Of course NOT. I made my jam, then observed my messy, sticky kitchen with disgust. Then decided I should really start that float project.
The float project took up my entire Sunday, and I must admit that the glue had hardly finished drying when the movers arrived on Monday.
But dang, my part of the project looks good.
And Beans only had to watch Shrek three times and eat her weight in popsicles for me to finish it.
Lesson learned?
Sure. Don't agree to put together a float when berries are in season.
(Kidding!)

***

So, the movers arrived, and for some reason, it took them two days to move us less than three blocks across the base. And good thing we didn't move across the country. When J and I returned to the old place, we found several boxes worth of stuff that they forgot. Important things. Like my aprons. And various other stuff too... but that all belonged to J so, not as important as my aprons, right?

The new place is nice. We have hardwood floors now, which is a definite bonus in any house with toddlers that are potty training. After four days of me solidly cursing the movers and my husband (who did NOT deserve to be called half the names I called him, really), I have most of the house unpacked and somewhat in order. My only complaint now is that I had to be responsible and tell my friend I couldn't go berry picking because I had to unpack.
But I only did that because J told me if I went berry picking instead of unpacking, I would have to clean the old place all by myself over the weekend. With both babies in tow.
So, yeah. Moving won, despite my arguments of how berries don't pick themselves, or how J would really regret not berry picking when we eventually run out of jam (um, probably in like three years, at the rate I've been making jam).

Around 5 pm today, life returned to somewhat normal for us. Being Thursday, we had to stop everything and go pick up our organic produce box. We desperately needed the breather... J and I were hollering really nasty comments about where laundry baskets belong at that point in time. (Boy, you can argue about some ridiculous stuff when you are moving, ya know?)
The drive relaxed both of us a bit, and mercifully lulled one crying baby to sleep. The other baby was content to sing her own special version of the ABCs in the backseat, so all was well in the Moose Nugget household.
We took advantage of the break, and extended it to an impromptu barbecue, putting steaks on the grill and adding some grille zucchini and a salad. Beans was thrilled to be released from indoors, so we had a nice dinner at the picnic table, then watered the few plants that survived the move and colored with sidewalk chalk.
Yup. Sidewalk chalk makes it official... we are moved in.

***

Met some new neighbors while we were out playing. Fellow homeschoolers and newbies. Seem like nice folks and looking forward to spending time with them.

Not much else to report from here. Moose Nugget plans for the weekend involve getting to the Fair in time to stand in awe of my awesome project, and admire how the other gals involved made my part look a lot nicer than it really is. Also enjoying some Fair fun, and checking in the needlework tent to see if I've won a prize... I entered one of my crochet blankets in the Fair for judging, so here's hoping!
Also some plans to FINALLY meet the new school principal's wife! Only been planning on that for a few months now!

That's the update from this side of the neighborhood!
Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Overcoming the Fear of Berries

2009-07-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Or more specifically, overcoming the fear of berry picking.
No, no. The berries themselves are not frightening, but the large mammals that eat them are.
I finally convinced J to put together his new shotgun and take the girls and I blueberry picking. We headed out with another friend of ours and her children, and armed with the shotgun and a couple large bowls, set off for Alaska's bounty.
We were definitely IN bear country but found a nice open meadow with enough berries for everyone, and came home with enough blueberries to put up twelve jars of jam and a few cups of berries in the freezer. The kids all came home with blue poop (you wanted to know that, right?), which is a good sign that we ate as many as we harvested. I spent yesterday evening washing berries and making jam, and planning our next trip to a few more berry patches we scoped out along the way. Now that I know what the plants look like, I am realizing we have been passing up a good number of potential harvest sights!
And (thankfully), saw not one single bear or other berry eating mammals.

The girls and I set out again today with a friend to pick more strawberries. This afternoon's agenda involves strawberry-apricot jam, since I have a large number of apricots from our farm boxes this week. Berry picking was short, but plentiful today, and only involved one mishap, when Beans wandered off into the woods. I spent a couple minutes in a panic, but thanks to her bright pink jacket (which I only put on her as an afterthought today! GULP!), she was quickly found with the help of my friend.
Lesson learned: Always wear bright colors, and look up from the berries a little more frequently. Missing a kid in the woods is the quickest way to feel your throat drop to the pit of your stomach. This post will never do justice the the feelings that hit you when you find your little one and hold her close, and suddenly experience a mix of relief and anger at the same time.
And little Beans? Not frightened by her adventure. Nope. She threw a tantrum when I demanded that she come out of the woods at once and stay close to mommy.
Figures.
But thank goodness she is safe!

***

The rest of our week was fun. Pops and Other J enjoyed the fishing trip, and the guys came back with a good forty or fifty pounds of fish and shrimp (prawns, really!) for the freezer. The guys returned smelling of campfire and fish. J and I stayed up until 1 am cleaning and packaging fish. Halibut, China Rock Fish, Black Bass, and Quill Back, along with fifty very large prawns are now residing in my freezer. Looks like we'll need another freezer before hunting season starts, but that should get us through a good bit of the winter. J is checking the fishing reports this week, and may be heading out for salmon in the next week or two.
After packing everything for the freezer, I finally got a moment to check out the pictures, and I have to admit, I have a serious case of envy! The guys claim to have spotted two whales, and have pictures of seals (seals!) and icebergs! They were telling stories of hauling smaller icebergs to shore, and using that for their ice supply. The camp site was amazing, and even had me wishing I were brave enough for tent camping.
While we won't be going as hardcore as the fellas were, I have insisted that J bring me to Valdez before the end of summer for a night or two of (RV) camping.

Monday was a day of recuperation for the guys, and we spent the day driving Pops and Other J around Delta, showing them the general area. Pops, being from a farm in North Dakota, was especially impressed with the agricultural area of Delta, and hugely impressed with Clearwater River and the lake it empties into. We wrapped up our day with a trip to the park for Beans, and ordering pizza from Birch Brothers, our new little pizza shop in town.

Tuesday, Pops and J decided that it would be best to spend the night in Fairbanks, since their flight left early in the morning on Wednesday. We loaded up the girls and both cars, and made it a day of shopping. We wrapped up with another trip to the Salmon Bake, and headed to the hotel.
We were ready to make goodbyes, when Pops locked the keys to the rental car in the trunk. Oops. J and I headed to the airport for the extra set of keys, and while it took a little time, we eventually said our tearful goodbyes and headed home.
I love living in Alaska, but saying goodbye to family always makes me wish we were a bit closer. I'm already looking forward to the next trip, and missing Pops and Other J terribly.

***
So now, with everyone gone, the weekend plan is to get the house back in order, get the girls back on their routines, and then finish up my obligations for the Fair. I have my assignments for the MOPS float, and there is lots of cutting and pasting to do around here. Also, more jam making, scarf knitting, and various other projects that have deadlines looming in the near future. Should prove to be a busy weekend, and next week should be full of more berry picking, jam making, and float construction.

On that note, I have kids and jam to tend to, so...

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

The In Laws Are Coming!

2009-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

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!

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Smoke

2009-07-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

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!

Bikers, Hitchhikers, and Campers, Oh My!

2009-07-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

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!

Rainy Season

2009-06-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

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!

The Longest Day of the Year

2009-06-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

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!

Urban Alaskan Pioneering

2009-06-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

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!

Campfire Songs

2009-05-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

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!

Spring Has Sprung

2009-05-07T17:32:00.001-07:00

Spring is in full swing, Alaska style! Hooray!

I just want to make an announcement: I saw GREEN this week! I was driving to a friend's house this past weekend and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Sure enough, the grass on the side of the road is indeed green, and growing. I made sure to pay close attention on the drive to Fairbanks on Monday, and discovered that in addition to the grass being green on the side of the road, the trees are beginning to bud. (A little help from the locals? Is it the birch trees or the cottonwoods that are sending out leaf shoots?) Yet another exploration at the park proved that the pussy willow is beginning to send out furry buds, and I should know. I had to pull about a dozen of them from Beans' mouth because she thought they were furry jelly beans. (She gets her "smarts" from her daddy.)

Our spring is proving to be incredibly busy, and I am loving it! Spring in Delta Junction means everyone is going outside. We've met so many new friends and done lots of fun stuff in the community, and we are eagerly awaiting all the things to come.
This month alone, there are playgroups galore, trips to the park, seeds to start, greenhouses to set up (ours has to be portable because of the rules on base), gardening to pine for, and best of all... The Farmer's Market opens this month.

Here's our recent and upcoming adventures:

-I felt momentarily famous when we went to the library Basket Auction. I didn't win a basket, but when we paid our membership dues for the Library Association, the lady taking our dues asked if I was the infamous Moose Nugget. (I am! I am!) Not only was it nice to meet another person from town, it was nice to go home and realize that someone actually does read my blog. And she enjoys it! (Take that, "Anonymous Reader"! There are folks that don't find me "torturous"!) *grin*

-We've made some new friends. And not just me. J has made new friends. Thank goodness. This means that when he starts talking about hunting, fishing, guns, and ammo, instead of just glazing over and pretending I am listening, I can say, "Um, yeah. I don't really care, so why don't you call your friends?"
(Just kidding. I still pretend to listen, then POLITELY chase him out of the house to go hunting or hiking with a buddy.)
Meanwhile, since I have also made new friends, he no longer has to glaze over and pretend to be interested in my latest crochet project, recipe, or otherwise girly things.

Speaking of projects... I can not believe that I (once again) missed the local knitting group meeting this month. I swear, there is a great knitting conspiracy to keep me from that group! I have been trying to get there for ten months. Every single month, something comes up that keeps me from going.
Next month, I swear, I am going. I swear it.

Other happenings 'round the Moose Nugget Household:
-Green things are growing. And I haven't killed them off... yet. I've got a handful of seeds sprouting in the house... kohl rabi, broccoli, and cabbage so far. I actually did manage to attend the MOPS meeting this past week, and came home with a pepper plant and three cherry tomato plants. And J gave me what I really wanted for Mother's Day, which was a $100 shopping spree in the garden section at Fred Myer, so I came home with a handful of houseplants, to satisfy my desire to be surrounded by green and growing things until I am "allowed" to plant outdoors.

Gardening in Alaska is going to be different, to say the least. I got a few strange looks when I asked when I could plant my tomatoes outside. The answer (for other southerners who are wondering why that's a strange question) is: you don't. Tomatoes grow in greenhouses here, or get brought indoors at night if you aren't lucky enough to have a greenhouse.
Weird.
But if it means I get tomatoes from my own "garden", then so be it. Incidentally, the pepper plant also doesn't go in the ground, "for best results".

I have to admit, I am chomping at the bit to get the garden going. Sowing seeds indoors and tending houseplants only slightly appeases my desire to dig in the dirt. That said, I have been warned by every experienced Alaska gardener I have talked to to stay away from the garden until the very end of this month, and possibly into the beginning of next month. As lore would have it, a full moon early in June means it may freeze the night of the full moon. (Huh? Any local want to explain THAT?)
Meanwhile, I have been amusing myself with plans that get bigger and more ambitious by the day. We are purchasing a portable greenhouse that will house my delicates, then constructing a couple raised beds that will house other fun veggies.

Speaking of veggies, another fun little thing we discovered this week is a fresh, organic produce delivery service! I ran into it accidentally (though I have to admit, a North Pole friend mentioned it to me some time ago, when it made an appearance in Fairbanks). Full Circle Farms, a CSA farm in the pacific northwest delivers a box of veggies as frequently as once a week.
Last week at the park, a mom asked if anyone was interested in a box that another participant was unable to pick up. I bought the box from her and found the most amazing fresh fruits and veggies, then headed home and signed up for the service.
This officially ends my complaint of the quality of produce available in Alaska. I know you've heard me whine before about the lack of fresh produce or the quality of what is available here. This stuff was AMAZING. And while it initially seemed expensive, when I calculated how much we are spending at the grocery stores for lesser quality non-organic produce, it came very close to the same amount.
Seriously... check it out: fullcirclefarm.com

I have also acquired a geranium basket. The guest speaker at MOPS encouraged us to plant something that reminded us of someone special in our lives. My mom has always had geraniums. (Though I suspect it is because they are hard to kill, right mom?) One year, we had birds nest in them, and though the plants suffered, we couldn't bring ourselves to evict the baby birds.
Since having the New Little Nugget, I have had a few waves of "homesickness", and having a bright basket of geraniums to brighten the house up makes me think happy thoughts of "back home".

Alright... I am officially out of time for this entry, which stinks, because I feel like I have only given you the tip of the iceberg (so to speak) of our adventures this week.

Coming soon:
-Visiting in-laws in July (dad and bro, who I miss dearly and can't wait to see!)
-MAYBE a visit from my own folks (mom, dad, and sissy), if I can convince them to come
-The new Cyber school principal and family, who I "met" online through a completely unrelated site! Neat people and I can't wait to meet them in person!
-Moose sightings galore. They are coming out in full force as the world greens up.
-Bear track stories, and how I hope my fear of bears has subsided enough to enjoy some exciting things this summer. J already reported bear tracks on his hike yesterday, as well as a dead moose carcass, which I suspect was the reason for bear tracks. Yikes.

OK. Off to make dinner for the masses. I promise a good Moose Lo Mein recipe soon, too!

Until next time,
Happy Moose Trails!

A Spoonful of Sugar

2009-04-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

Just for the record... a spoonful of sugar really DOES help the medicine go down.
What am I talking about? My recent absence.
Oh, I know. Most of you assumed I was just busy in New Baby World, right? Oh, we've been in New Baby World, alright, but we have also been in Everyone Has the Crud World.

Beans had some sort of vomiting/poop bug the week I gave birth to her sister. The following week, she caught a cold, then decided to add an ear infection to the mix. Not to be outdone, J decided he would also like to have the vomiting/poop bug. A week after I gave birth. I COULD have felt sorry for him, but I didn't. Instead, I huffed and puffed my way through those weeks I was supposed to be "resting and recuperating" and obeying midwife's orders to take it easy. But since we didn't obey any of her orders through the pregnancy to take it easy, I don't know why I thought I would be obedient AFTER delivery, ya know?
Nope. I ended up with some sort of cold/sore throat/ need an antibiotic bug. The antibiotics didn't work the first round, so I got another round of them.

And just to make sure she fit into the family, New Little Nugget decided she really wanted to go back to the hospital.
Yep. That's right. The hospital.
OK. Don't panic. She's fine now. But she caught some lovely little sniffle/cough bug from her very loving sister. And teeny little babies don't do colds so well. The doctor took a listen to her and admitted her for some testing and observation... and lots and lots of suctioning of Shrek colored goo out of her nose. Yeah, it was pretty gross.

The good news is: the family is on the mend (mostly). We are once again, home from the hospital, and sheesh... I really hope we keep it that way now! Half the family is on antibiotics (Beans and me). Half the family is drinking Imodium cocktails (J and Beans). Three fourths of our family are sick and tired of being sick and tired (J, Beans, and me). Half of our family could care less if anyone else is sick, as long as the breast milk shows up every couple hours. (Wanna take a guess on those family members?)

ANYHOO...
Things are getting better. And it just wouldn't be the Moose Nugget Family if there wasn't a "trial by fire" while getting settled into our new situation.
The end result is this: I am seriously relieved that J is going to go back to work next week. Don't get me wrong. I love him. A lot. And I really am glad I didn't have to handle two sick kids entirely alone. But...
He. Is. Driving. Me. Crazy.
Honestly. He NEEDS to go back to work. And not for the paycheck, but to avoid having someone coming to pick me up and put me in one of those white jackets and haul me off to a rubber padded room.
I used to look forward to all our retirement plans. Now, I am reconsidering. I think he should have a job forever. Even saying, "Welcome to Walmart" ensures that I get a good eight hours of peace and quiet in my house a few days a week, right?

Ahem.
I digress.
Speaking of my wonderful spouse, he is currently rabbit hunting with a new friend of his. I literally threw him out of the house today, telling him to make good use of his rifle... before I did.
Ahem.

***

ANYHOO... this brings me back to babbling about Alaska.
Rabbits. J is out rabbit hunting, and I'm nervous. Oh, I've had bunny stew and bunny pot pie before. But for those that don't know, there are different types of bunnies. MOST bunny-eaters are accustomed to cottontails. (Yes, like, "Little Peter Cottontail, Hopping down the bunny trail...") He's hunting hares, which ARE different, and we have been warned by seasoned residents that not only are hares "a little more gamey" (interpretation: does not taste like chicken), End of Winter hares are particularly gamey, since they have been foraging for food and living mostly on bark and other roughage. Hmmm... time to come up with some serious seasoning, or find a good stir-fry recipe.

Side Note: The longer I live in Alaska, the more I notice that stir-fry becomes my standby recipe for meat that I otherwise have no clue how to prepare or any inclination to eat.
Hey, if it works for dog, cat, and rat, it can work for Winter Hare, right?

And speaking of food... I have to take a quick moment to make y'all giggle about how "Alaskan" we are becoming.
You know you live in rural Alaska when...
Wile "in town", you take your daughter to Pizza Hut, and ask what she wants on her pizza. Beans was quick to reply, "Moosh." When I explained that they don't put moose on pizza at restaurants, she gave me a confused look and said, "Ok. Boo-Boo?" (Caribou).
The poor girl just could not understand what kind of pizza place did not make moose or caribou pizza, and I had to lie to the poor girl and insist that the sausage pizza was indeed "Moosh and Boo Boo Pizza", like mommy makes at home. (And even mor impressive, she knew it wasn't, and decided she would just eat salad instead!)

***

Moving right along in our Alaska Family update:

Spring really IS here! Granted, it's not like any spring I have ever really experienced before, but it's here! The days are growing longer... we are officially over sixteen hours of daylight now, and dawn and twilight have stretched our days with visible light from 4 am until close to 11:30 pm.
The days are downright balmy compared to our winter days- hovering in the mid 40s to 50s during the day. That said, we woke to off and on snow flurries today, as temps were in the mid to upper 30s.
Our recent driving to Fairbanks has revealed melting rivers and streams, and the roadside ponds are becoming visible again. Nothing turning green just yet, but I can't wait. Last year's green-up was amazing, with our weekly drive taking on an entirely different look each time we made the trip.
The weather has my green thumb itching to get something planted. J brought home a potted plant for me, but it wasn't enough. I picked up a few seed packets this last trip to town, and plan on starting a few things indoors this week. We won't be able to set out plants until the last week of May or first weeks of June. This year, I'm planning on a salad garden (carrots, and a few lettuce varieties), as well as trying to grow broccoli and kohlrabi, and a few varieties of peas, which I have been told will grow wonderfully here with our cooler weather.

We've been spending as much time outdoors as we can, in spite of being sick. After a long and cold winter, it's impossible to see any current reason to stay inside. With Nugget bundled up and in the sling, and Beans in a jacket and boots, we have gone on long walks around the base to see snow melting, play on mostly thawed out playgrounds, color with sidewalk chalk, splash in puddles (which we have lots of these days!), and meet other neighbors who have been waiting for the world to thaw before venturing out as well. Beans has been enjoying being ppushed around on her new tricycle, and J and I have had fun seeing all our friends and neighbors who also have new babies, or soon will... thanks to Alaska's most efficient way of keeping warm through the winter. (ha ha) Seriously, what else are you going to do when it's 40 below?

I know I said I love winter here. And I do. But I love spring, too.

I got to thinking about it, and I think what I really love about Alaska is the extremes of it. When it's winter, holy smokes! It's WINTER. There is no escaping the dark, the cold, the snow, the ice. When it's summer, it's SUMMER. There is light and life everywhere you turn. There is a flurry of activity, as everyone tries to fit in as much outdoor fun and recreation as the short season will hold. Spring and fall are constantly changing. Each day, you look out the window to a different Alaska. There is very little "same-ness". The same thing that attracted me to a career as paramedic (the fact that every day was going to be different and have it's own set of unique factors) is the same thing that attracts me to Alaska, and keeps me interested. Every day is different here. You keep your eyes open because you don't want to miss what's coming next. (Um, you also keep your eyes open all summer because the sun never goes away and makes it impossible for dark lovers like me to sleep, but that's a different story.)

***

As another little side note, we are quickly coming up on our one year anniversary in Alaska. This year has gone by so quickly that I can't believe it myself. Our journey into Alaska began May 12th. I have recently been reflecting on our last year and been amazed at all the things we've seen, done, and experienced... and this is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. It's amazing to have lived and grown so much over this last year, and then more amazing still to realize that we have really had to miss out on a lot of things because the pregnancy limited what we were able to do, or residency rules limited what we were able to fish, hunt, and various other things.
This coming year promises to be pretty adventure filled for us, as we finally establish official residency here and lose some of our limitations. Moose Nugget Followers should look for exciting stories this year of hikes with babies (and hopefully without bear sightings!), more exciting hunting and fishing stories, more road trips, and more "Alaskan Living" stories, as we enter our second year of our journey into Alaska.

A little closer to the anniversary, I'll blog-reflect on our last year here more in depth. But for now, I am still awed by Alaska, and so glad we came here. And this coming year, we are better prepared, from appropriate winter gear, to room darkening shades for the summer. We are armed with more knowledge, more information, a tiny little bit of experience, and a couple of decent rifles and a shotgun.

Meanwhile... I discovered the best way to bribe an 18 month old to take an antibiotic that smells (and tastes) like strawberry vomit is to promise a handful of jelly beans if she'll just take her medicine first. I'm off to bribe children and quite literally nurse everyone back to health, and put everyone to bed under a well-lit Alaskan night sky. For the record, it's 8:35 pm and we have a good two hours before sunset.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

She's Here!

2009-04-10T11:37:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note from a very tired new mommy!
I don't normally like to share super personal info online, but...
Ruthie Elizabeth has arrived!

We spent two weeks in the hotel in Fairbanks, waiting for that "any day now" our midwife promised.
I'll spare everyone the details of the labor, but it was a LONG labor, which I did accomplish naturally. We are back home and everyone is on the mend.
Beans loves her new sister, but is currently mad at mommy. She is under the impression that New Little Nugget is HER baby, and rushes over to check on her for every squeak, squirm, and wiggle. Very cute.

She's a sweet baby... doing what babies do best. Nursing, sleeping, pooping. And staring in sweet baby amazement at all the things going on around her.

I will try to get some pictures up soon... it's on my list of new-mommy-things-to-do, but it's on a VERY long list right now, so please be patient!

Meanwhile, spring is finally springing, Alaska style around here. I never thought I would find it possible to sweat in 40 degrees, but I do. Airing out the house is a daily activity now, and so are the trips to the swings for Beans and Daddy, giving mommy and New Nugget a chance for some rest.

Stay tuned for reports on Bean's first Easter Egg Hunt. She was too little to care about Easter last year, but this year, has been suspiciously eyeing packages of candy, baskets, and egg dyeing kits. Daddy is taking Beans to her Easter Egg hunt this afternoon (on base), and she will wake up Sunday to more chocolate than any toddler should be allowed to consume, as well as her fair share of miscellaneous "junk in a basket", that should buy me a few moments of quiet time, right? *grin*

And once again, not to get "religious" on y'all... but I just want to give a little heads up about the meaning of Easter.
Easter is the reason jerks like me (and all the rest of us) are able to have a relationship with our Creator, and find forgiveness for all the really crappy things we've done in life. It's not the birth of Jesus, or even His life... and only in part his death. The truth is, He was the sacrifice for our sins and shortcomings, and most importantly...
He is Risen!

I hope your Easter morning is full of sunshine, wherever you are. I love sunny Easter mornings... a clear reminder that no matter how crummy a life you might have to be living, there is something bigger out that there than all of us, who loves us and wants a relationship with us.

Oh gosh...no, I'm not talking about church (y'all know how I feel about that and religious religion!). I'm talking about GOD, the guy who has created each of us, fearfully and wonderfully made. Go have some relationship with him. However you do that. For me, it will be watching my two beautiful girls, enjoying a few balmy arctic breezes, and hopefully, a clear view of these amazing mountains... and thanking Him, for giving me a chance to be better than "the scum of the earth".
Easter is all about the potential to be better people. Don't forget to go love your neighbor (however you define that) today. And if you are having an Easter feast, remember the people who have no one. Y'all know by now how I feel about all the lonely people on the holidays. Don't forget to love someone "unlovable" today... just like God loved you during your unlovable times.

I'm off to recover, nurse a baby, and snuggle a toddler. Until next time...
Happy Moose Trails!

PS-
SHAWN: your comment DID find us! We really enjoyed meeting you guys at the museum as well, and we are looking forward to a play date as soon as we are all back on our feet and feeling well.

Spring Equinox in Alaska

2009-03-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring, everyone! At least, officially, right?
I was eagerly awaiting this morning, the first official day of spring. I hope everyone else woke to a beautiful spring day, Lower 48 style. Alaska style meant a "balmy" 3 below zero this morning, and either a light dusting of snow, or a layer of frost on the cars and roofs in the neighborhood.

I received some beautiful pictures from a friend in California the other day... wildflowers in bloom on the mountains, and even news of her officially breaking ground on her annual garden. She also sent me a picture of some beautiful jonquils, and I teased her about making me sad.
Jonquils are one of my favorite flowers... where I grew up, it was the first official sign of spring, followed by the larger yellow heads of daffodils. Those two flowers meant an end to winter, and soon, things would begin blooming.
On the other hand, it is nice, experiencing the first dawning of spring without my usual hay fever symptoms. This will be the first spring in my life that I don't need sudafed or benadryl to keep me breathing. *grin*

This past week has been a busy one for the Moose Nugget Family. We returned from the midwife's office with news that we should definitely be prepared to have to head to Fairbanks at any time now. Seems that there is some progress in the direction of labor and delivery after all. (Hooray! Oh, glorious day!) Hopefully just a few more short weeks. Or less. Less would be nice. We've been told that IF we make it to our next prenatal appointment, we should be prepared to stay in town, as the midwife wouldn't feel too comfortable with our returning home at that point.

In other quick baby news... we had to fire the doula. Um, yeah...
Well, she "forgot" that we had an appointment this week. This is the second of three appointments she has forgotten. And she offered no real apology, just "Oops. I forgot." Aside from the fact that I was pretty irritated (having driven up a day early for the sole purpose of meeting with her, AND skipping Beans' nap, AND meaning dinner and bedtime would be late too)... this was kind of a "third strike, you're out" deal. The first appointment she missed, we chalked up to an accident. The month it took her to return my calls and tell me she accidentally deleted my birth plan (that I only wrote to humor her, since MY idea of a birth plan is: Have baby, recover, go home), that really hit a raw nerve, but since she's also a dog musher and was "out of town" we chalked it up to a miscommunication about how long she would be out of town. But forgetting a third time? Just unprofessional. So... we terminated that contract. Back to "Plan B". Have a baby, recover, go home.

For family and concerned friends: Everything will be OKAY. The midwife plans on being there through the whole birth. J will take Beans to a nearby hotel and keep her entertained, and they will visit the hospital after the New Little Nugget arrives. The "plan" is still to attempt a drug-free birth, but the new "Plan B" is to throw "Plan A" out the window if we have to.
And besides... birth plans are a little silly, in my humble opinion. God and babies are not in the habit of following directions. I know. I have a toddler. And once or twice, I might have tried to order God around, too. It really doesn't work out so well, for the record. Kids and God pretty much do whatever the heck they feel like doing. (grin)

SO.... ANYWAY...
Our busy week continued. I will shamelessly admit that in an effort to jump start labor, I allowed J to drive me down every bumpy road in Delta Junction, under the guise of "house hunting". Yep. It's official. We like it here enough to stay.
That said, after days and hours of bumpy roads, peeing in the woods (bumpy roads and bladders with babies sitting on them don't mix well, for the record), and a handful of contractions but no spontaneous labor later... we didn't really find anything we liked this time around. Lots of fun, er... "project houses", but as far as move-in ready or meeting our criteria, not this time. We gave up the search for now, and decided to just wait out the housing market a bit.
But it was a good way to kill some time this week!

On one of our bumpy road travels, we saw an amazing sight...
Yesterday, the sun was shining bright in a slightly hazy, overcast sky. A rainbow formed a full circle around the sun, like a halo. It was beautiful, and made me (once again) wish I had remembered to stash the camera in the car.
Can any of the locals tell me: Is that a "sun dog"??? We weren't sure, exactly.

***

In other news... well, there's not much other news. I have officially given up the van this weekend, since driving is getting a little more difficult with this belly of mine. Not to mention, J should really have a way to get back home from work, when I DO have to make the "Honey, it's time" phone call. Beans and I are "stuck" in the house for the weekend, though if the weather is nice enough (as in, above 20 degrees or so), we'll likely venture out for some playtime in the snow, or a little walk around the neighborhood.

Other than that, I am wrestling with strong nesting urges. The intense desire to clean out kitchen cabinets, closets, and various other places in the house that probably don't make a difference in the universe, but just CAN'T be allowed to stay cluttered or messy. I mean, seriously, who can bring a baby into the world when the pots and pans are not perfectly aligned in the cabinets and the spice cabinet is not in alphabetical order? Really.

In the coming weeks, we are waiting for the obvious (duh!), as well as a couple packages at the post office, including some fun books on cold weather gardening, as the gardening bug is really starting to weasel into my daydreams these days.

I hope y'all are having beautiful spring days, and enjoying the dawning of a new season.
Until Next Time,

Happy Moose Trails!

Night Lights

2009-03-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Susan- thanks for "Heads Up"! Amazingly enough, it paid off last night.

Poor little Beans has caught yet another cold. Good grief. I think we are destined for every single virus this winter.
What that means for me... a few restless nights and an increase in nursing (which is increasing contractions, BTW, something I'm sure the midwife is going to be just thrilled about.)
Last night was no exception. Around 11 pm, right around the time the Tylenol wore off, Beans was up and calling for "Mama", only with a stuffy nose, it sounded more like, "La Bamba". After nearly an hour of nursing, she was finally dozing off again (and I was contracting about every 3-5 minutes, and finally decided I had enough of that). She thankfully accepted being put back to bed, snuggled in with baby and blankie, and I tiptoed out of the room to visit the potty.

On my way back to bed (midnight-ish), I glanced out of the spare bedroom window at the night sky, and I'm glad I did. The sky was dark, with that alien green glow moving along the night sky. They hovered just over my favorite constellation, Orion (my favorite, because it's one of the few I can actually identify, plus, knowing Orion once helped me win a Trivial Pursuit game for my mom and her team, ages ago). Orion's position in the sky, along with the aurora made it look like he was pointing his bow and arrow directly at the lights, poised and ready to hunt them down out of the sky.
As an added bonus, pressing my aching and contracting belly against the cold window (it was below zero again last night) had a soothing effect on the contractions, and I stood, feeling a bit like a hokey hippy, but letting Alaska soothe me enough to return to bed.

The days are numbered, where we will see the aurora. Days are getting longer and longer, and you can almost tell a daily difference in the light patterns. I was amazed when I put Beans to bed last night around 8 pm, and discovered there was enough daylight left to read by, and it was after 8:30 when I had to finally turn a reading lamp on to finish my book. This morning, another trip to the potty around 6:15 already had dawn-light peeking through the windows, and streaks of color beginning to form in the sky. It wasn't long after that the brilliant sunrise colors started up, and the sun filled the house again.

Oh, I have mixed feelings on it, of course. I am beginning to look forward to my little part of the world thawing out, and blooming and softening enough to be working the soil again. On the other hand, I also know it won't be long before I am nursing a new baby in the wee hours of the morning, confused as to why the sun is trying to creep into any crevice and crack it can find in the shades, blinds, door jams, and windows.

Meanwhile, I definitely plan on taking the advise of my friend Susan, and keeping my eyes to the sky in my hours of insomnia. The light show last night was worth having to be out of bed.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Are We There Yet?

2009-03-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

I have officially gotten impatient for the arrival of April.
I. Am. Tired. Of. Being. Pregnant.
Just so you know.

This is going to be a short entry. I am moody, tired, and slightly irritable.

For friends and family: we have an appointment this week with the midwife. Given the fact that I have had contractions off and on all week and a few other hints, not sure if we'll get the green light to come back home or not. If anything major is happening, we'll start calling down the list and letting y'all know.
We DID find out that my iron levels were incredibly low (like, not safe to go into labor "low"), which explains the reason I've been feeling pretty crummy these last couple, um... months.
An iron supplement has finally started to help.
Ever been sick enough that you didn't realize how awful you were feeling until you started feeling better?
THAT is how I feel this week... WOW. I knew I was feeling crummy and crabby, but I didn't realize it was that bad until I started feeling quite a bit better!

These days, I am still feeling a little run down, and significantly less guilty for the number of times I whined to J, "But I don't feeeeeel good!" But overall, improving. Which is good.

Meanwhile... we have been busy with various sight-seeing. Secretly, I am hoping that all the drives down Alaska's very bumpy roads will throw me right into labor, but honestly, all they do is make me have to pee a billion times per car trip.

That said, we have seen some beautiful local scenery, as the days have been clear and sunny this week... and, well, warm.
We are not officially into "The Melt", but we have had some melting (and refreezing, just for the record, which makes the parking lot a fun hazard for a 9 month pregnant woman carrying a wiggly toddler).
The warmer temps have been welcome, and I am beginning to get a little antsy for spring.
Daylight Savings is completely messing with my brain, however. I was still looking at daylight around 8 pm.
I know, I know. I'm the "crazy" one. But I sure am going to miss the dark. I love the warmer temps, but already, I am lamenting the loss of night time. The sun being up at dinner time, and Beans' bed time is completely throwing me off routine and sense of normalcy.
J and I both have commented several times this week that we sure will miss the winter.
Not to worry. We will soon be enjoying the summer activities (though not the 22 hours of daylight!), and it won't be long before winter returns, I'm sure.

I know, I know... I'm whiny and complainy. Goodness, let's hope "Anonymous" isn't being bored to tears by this entry. I wish I had more positive things to share, but it's been a long and tiring week.
Meanwhile... I am anxiously counting down the days to my due date, and absolutely, positively READY to go into labor. Though I still need to pack a suitcase, actually.

OK. On that note, I am going to take my whining off to bed for some much needed rest. If I don't return next weekend, you can safely assume that I am likely in labor, or otherwise too cranky to come up with anything nice to say...
Family and friends... we'll call if we aren't being sent back home!

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

When IS Spring in Alaska?

2009-03-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

No. I'm not the one asking. But I have been asked that by several well meaning friends "back in the States" who are beginning their spring garden planning and "tired" of winter. (I hope you know I'm only teasing you, Ruth!)

But in all seriousness... I have extreme Spring Envy right now. I had a luxuriously long chat with a dear friend of mine in California this past week. She's a fellow "farm girl", only she REALLY does farm, and I'm still dreaming about it. It was nice to talk to her while she simultaneously tended her own children, the chickens, the goat, and various other tasks while we chatted. We were halfway through our conversation when I recognized a sound I haven't heard in nearly a year... frogs, croaking in the background. I was immediately envious of the flow of farm life, the croaking of frogs, the hum of crickets... and longing to actually have a current need to pore over seed catalogs and plan my spring planting, which my friend will be doing in a matter of weeks.

For those of you asking... planting season here does not start until June 1st. In a moment of pure envy, I did ask a local friend of mine, "WHEN is spring going to come?" Don't get me wrong. I really have enjoyed our first winter here. I like the weather, I like the snow, and yes, in a sadistic sort of way, I even like the dark. But all those frogs croaking and talking with my gal pal about goats and hens kind of got me hankering to have my farm girl dreams realized, and get my hands into some dirt. Only our dirt is still definitely frozen.
According to my local friend, it's going to stay frozen for a while yet. I think this friend of mine heard the SLIGHT desperation in my question, because she kind of giggled before answering. According to her, the snow will start to melt the end of this month, but not be totally gone until mid or even late April. And no, the ground probably won't thaw before then.

The upside to that... I should be nice and "recovered" from labor and delivery by then to maybe get a little ambitious, and get a couple things in the ground.

***

And, in baby news.... things are going well. We are officially far enough along to no longer have to worry about being sent to Anchorage to deliver! Hooray! Um... this also means that I am DUE in about 6 weeks. Goodness, I don't know where the time has gone. And somehow, another week managed to slip by without the baby preparations being done. You'd almost start to think I am the procrastinating type. Hard to believe that with Beans, I had the nursery painted and everything bought and stashed away before I hit the halfway point on my pregnancy. How I managed to get six weeks away from my due date with getting almost nothing done is beyond me.

There is also rumor among the midwife office that I am going to be sent to Fairbanks to "nest". This is a truly Alaskan term, I think. But the midwife has said that moms who have had more than one baby are not "allowed" to sit in rural areas until they go into labor. Apparently our insurance company agrees... they would rather pay for a hotel for a couple weeks than risk needing a medevac on the side of the road.
Hmph.
Well... we'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, I guess I'd really better think about getting a suitcase packed. I should at least do that much, to get ready.

I am also going to add this note, on getting ready for baby:
I know I haven't been posting as regularly. I really DO tend to get kind of anti-social shortly before having a baby. Like the entire third trimester. Especially the last month of pregnancy. I am enormous right now. I can't see my feet. I can't even put my own socks on. So if there are long absences from Moose Nuggets on the blog, I have either decided
a) the world can go to you-know-where in a hand basket
b) that I would rather be taking a nap than updating my blog
or
c) actually gone into labor. If that happens, I will try my best to get on here and let people know the New Nugget has arrived. But between labor, delivery, breastfeeding, dirty diapers, busy (and yes, still nursing) toddler, and the fact that my husband is going to be home driving me insane for several weeks (ahem, I meant to say he would be home "helping")... that may not happen. If any of my absences extend into mid-April, you can probably guess that I have finally been relieved of being pregnant.
Until April (hopefully, anyway) you can otherwise assume that I am feeling rather anti-social... or napping.

***

In Other News:

We've been busy, busy, busy! We have had beautiful weather these last few weeks. Most days, the temps have hovered in the 20s, and we have been bundling Beans up to play in the snow, which is a current favorite way to spend her afternoons. She looks much like the younger brother in "A Christmas Story", bundled up, and every time we get her dressed for the snow, I expect to hear her say, "I can't put my arms down!" But she loves it. J sets her in the snow and she goes right to toddling around the building, stopping occasionally to throw snow at daddy, or wave to mommy who is watching the fun from inside most days. (A recent slip on the ice reminded me why pregnant women don't need to be trekking through the snow.)
Beans loves to be out in the snow so much that we have found it impossible to get her in without bribing her with a cup of "hot cocoa" (which is actually just warmed ovaltine and milk). She heads in, shivering and arms outstretched for her hot cocoa, while allowing me to get her unbundled, then settles in for a good snuggle while she warms up.

We have also ventured out quite a bit into Delta Junction... daydreaming about buying a home, and thinking about making some long-term plans to stay here. No, no... nothing set in stone thus far, just some lofty dreaming and future planning. As far as immediate plans go, we are still just chugging along and waiting to have this baby.

Still on our "routine" around here, for the most part... playgroups, housework, moose watching, and gazing longingly out the window for glimpses of our fox friend, whose prints in the newly laid snow suggest he has been visiting, but he remains elusive.

The sun has been rising earlier and setting later, setting a new rhythm to our day, and contributing to the Spring Fever I'm feeling. Even on cold days, it's hard to resist the draw of the brightly shining sun. It prods you out of bed, and with a handful of clear days recently, the view has been spectacular. Mountains with fresh blankets of snow surround the horizon, the sun comes up in golds and pinks, and sets in purples and reds. I found myself surprised last night, as our went through our normal after-dinner routine of closing the shades and getting Beans ready for a bath... we had eaten dinner later than usual, and even as I drew the shades at the later hour (around 7 pm), I was surprised to still have some "daylight" and twilight JUST beginning to set in. It nearly made me sad to close the shades, and made me aware of how the long hours of summer light can easily deceive you here. The longer the days get, the more likely you are to truly lose track of time... staying up later and later, and rising earlier and earlier. A very odd circadian rhythm.
It also made me aware at how the time change this weekend will affect our day. I can't hardly imagine... daylight at 7 or even 8 pm again?
While I am looking forward to spring with renewed zeal, I am also sad to see our long, dark days coming to an end...

***

Well readers, it's time for me to get anti-social. More specifically, it is also time for me to answer to the persistent calls of "Momma" coming from the crib upstairs. Seems that Beans' nap is officially over, and since I decided to keep y'all informed today instead of taking a nap myself, it is DEFINITELY time for a cup of coffee.

Until next time... which will be the next time I'm not feeling anti-social, too tired, or otherwise in labor...

Happy Moose Trails!

Would You, Could You, With a Fox?

2009-02-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

Oh, I probably don't have a whole lot to say today, but I had to share!

I had every intention of going to bed early last night, especially since I didn't manage to get my mandatory third trimester nap in yesterday. Instead, I decided I was going to "just really quickly check my email", then go to bed.
There is no such thing as "quickly" checking email, I have decided.

Long story short, I was up late emailing a response to a friend of mine. By the time I looked up, a couple hours had gone by and I am pretty sure that J was likely at the fire station, fuming about the fact that I hadn't called to say "good night" yet.
See, we have this family rule... he doesn't call me at night. Every time he does, the phone wakes up Beans, then we are all up late because after I get little Beans back off to bed, I call him back to holler at him for waking her up. (I know, very productive...)
The thing is... um, I had just received a stern husband lecture a few days ago about how I tend to get distracted by certain things (um, maybe email was mentioned, now that I think about it?), and that generally means that J is exhausted and tired, and waiting for me to call him, so he can go to bed.
I'll politely and kindly omit the fact that the other guys at the station have mentioned the late-night Halo games and other video game matches that run into the wee hours of the morning, and politely and kindly say that the "poor guy" isn't getting sleep because his wife isn't calling at a decent hour instead. *grin*

Well, J was actually pretty understanding about it (or maybe he knew better than to attempt to lecture his moody, pregnant wife again this week?).

I say all this to eventually get to my point...
As I was telling J all about our day, and the various other things that I was thrilled to be speaking to a grown adult about, the neighbor's dog startled me by barking up a storm. Looking out, I saw nothing, and went back to griping about how annoying that stupid mutt is.
A short time later, as I was gazing out the window, listening to J tell me about his day, I noticed a small, furry creature run through the yard.
My first thought was that the neighbor's dog had been allowed to run loose (and do his "duty") in my backyard again. When I didn't see a person chasing after the little mutt, I took a closer look, and found myself staring directly at a FOX.
This is not the first fox I've seen in Alaska, but it IS the first I've seen on base. He was a cute and precocious little guy... pale red, with tail fluffed out as he bounded through the snow. He stopped a few times to throw a snootful of snow into the air, and stopped to "alert" on a few neighborly dog droppings (in MY yard)... no doubt wondering who they belonged to... then ran off to the next yard, in search of food.

I wish I had grabbed the camera. But truthfully, I was so enthralled with watching him, that I didn't dare leave my post at the window and chance missing him scamper off. And no doubt he would have likely been gone before I could get back, open the door, and get a good picture of the little guy.

Thing is, I'm pretty sure he'll be back. J and I had noticed some tiny little tracks several weeks ago, from the tree line, into our yard, and back again. We had no idea who our frequent mystery visitor had been until last night... and now that we know, we'll be keeping a watch out for him again.

***

I just want to add... this is one of the things that I love about living here. You never know what you are going to get to see each day. Maybe I am still amazed by all this because I've spent so much time in cities through my life. But I never do get tired of the unadulterated nature of Alaska. I am amazed by wildlife that is completely oblivious to the presence of man.
As the sun rose over the mountains today (and we can see the mountains today, as it is clear, crisp, and sunny!), I opened the shades upstairs to let the light in, and stared down at little fix tracks, doing my best to see how far into the tree line they go, and hoped my little night visitor would come back during hours that I could show Beans this creature that she's only seen in books.

Not much else to say, and I have a nap to take....

SO until Next Time,
Happy Moose (and fox) trails!

Is It Spring Yet?

2009-02-19T21:27:00.001-08:00

OK. I know, I know... I said I LOVE the winter here. And I do, I really do. But I have to admit that on days like today, where the weather was in 30s, the snow is starting to "slush", and the ice is falling off the playground equipment, well... a day like that could really make a gal wish for springtime.
Not to mention, spring would mean finally delivering this baby, who insists on using my rib cage as her personal jungle gym, and my bladder as a trampoline.
Can y'all believe... only 8 weeks until my due date? Time IS moving by quickly, actually.

So... back to longing for spring...
Today was just BEE-U-TEE-FUL! The day started with checking the weather on the Delta News Web and discovering the temps were listed in the upper 20s already. Honestly, I think folks back home will think I flipped my lid, but I opened every door and window of the house to air it out. (The house DOES get stuffy and dry through the winter!) It was glorious... a cool crisp breeze floated the arctic air through the house. Alaska air is so... CLEAN, and crisp. Taking a deep breath of it always makes me feel like I'm in one of those soap commercials, where the scent of soap magically wakens you from slumber and you are suddenly fresh and "zestfully clean". The arctic air, mingling with my coffee, set me in a pretty good mood this morning, and I didn't even mind when Beans demanded to watch Wall-E for the billionth time this week.

*Oh, I should add my disclaimer. Yep. Third trimester "slacker mom" syndrome has set in. My usual "no TV, no sugar" rules went out the door when I became desperate for a little rest these last couple weeks. For the record, I have Wall-E and Tinkerbell memorized already.
Yeah, yeah... we'll be back to our anti-TV, anti-sugar, crazy hippie parenting ways in a matter of weeks. Don't think we officially fell off the wagon. Sheesh.*

ANYHOO... halfway through Tinkerbell (I vetoed Wall-E. Really, there is only so many times a week I can stand the same movie. My limit is like, 100.)... I hear the refrain, "Hi, Moooosh! Hi, Moooooosh!"
Sure enough, two of the gentle giants are chilling out on the sidewalk, licking Ice Melt off my van tires. The thought crossed my mind... one of my readers (Karla) has been blogging about her desperation to find moose. I thought to myself this morning, perhaps I should invite her for coffee and the next showing of Tinkerbell. These moose come to the sidewalk, like junkies to crack. Want Moose? Get some Ice Melt and then get in the house. If you Ice Melt, they will come.
(OK, another disclaimer... do not actually put down Ice Melt or any other kind of salt with the purpose of attracting moose. That's kind of illegal and called "baiting" or something like that. The Fish and Game Department doesn't take that infraction lightly. Luckily, since we can't hunt on base AND because the sidewalks are downright treacherous, we are not in any danger of being fined for salting the walk... and the moose staring into our windows is just an added perk.)

And moose or no moose, the offer for coffee stands, Karla!

These moose delayed my departure to playgroup this morning. Not that it's required to be on time (seriously, anyone who expects a mom of toddlers to be on time to anything is a little nutty, in my opinion), but I WAS bringing cupcakes. A neighbor finally managed to spook the moose when she left for work (though the oldest gal was reluctant to leave her salt mine), so I darted out to start the van, and hoped the moose would remain absent until I could safely get Beans and myself tucked into the car. (They did.)

***

The drive into town was beautiful. The sign at the bank claimed a balmy 28 degrees as I drove past (and it was 32 F when I headed home an hour later), and I caught myself singing Bob Dylan tunes at the top of my lungs as Beans snoozed in the back.

A side note. And I know I've made this side note before, but it's worth repeating. I LOVE Bob Dylan. The guy sings like a dying Orca, and gets paid big bucks for it. And his songs are so deep, man... I'm just sayin'... how can you have a bad day while crooning at the top of your lungs about how "you ain't gonna work on Maggie's Farm no more!" Seriously.

***

I digress. Anyway... I found myself gazing longingly at the drive-in, mouth watering for a buffalo burger basket and a milk shake. I found myself wishing I could put Beans in the stroller and walk to the post office, or play on the swings and the slide. I found myself wondering how many more weeks there would be before we could venture out without risk of hypothermia...

We had fun at playgroup, packed up, enjoyed the drive back home, and (oh, the irony!), as I settled Beans down for her nap and laid out on the sofa for a nap of my own, I dozed off watching snow fall.
Back home folks, no... I'm NOT kidding. It started snowing shortly after lunch.

And in my fickle way... I was glad for it. I snuggled under the quilt my mom sent for Beans (the house was a little chilly, what with the windows still open), and dozed peacefully, watching the gray sky litter the ground with more white flakes, glad to not see the end of winter JUST yet.

***

So. Once again, not a thrilling week. Life has taken on a good routine of play, housework, watching the weather warm up, and waiting (waiting, waiting) for the end of this pregnancy.
I am planning on a well deserved BORING weekend, hopefully hunkering down and watching a couple netflix movies.
Next week's agenda involves aging another year for both J and myself... though it is likely to pass with little fanfare. If you haven't noticed from most of our holiday posts, we aren't huge "celebrators" of many days. In previous years, we used to take a good vacation for our birthdays, but this year... a simple trip to Fairbanks for a midwife appointment, a few supplies, and hopefully, a lunch that doesn't involve the phrase "Would you like fries with that?".

Oh. I AM hoping to convince J that we should indeed spend the night in Fairbanks the previous night, as the Ice Park opens next week as well! There is apparently a playground made of ice, that I'm sure Beans would love (or not, since she's not really a fan of being cold), but it would be kind of nifty to go see it.
On the other hand... it's an "annual" Ice Park, and will be open for a couple weeks. Daylight is finally such that we have light early enough in the morning and late enough in the day that we could actually have light for our entire drive. It would be nice to actually get back home and sleep in our own bed. Or not have a Fairbanks trip take up two days of our week.

I know, I know... everyone else drives in the dark. I don't. And J does, but I nag him the whole way and make him nervous as heck, so it's best if we just don't have that argument for the 100 mile drive. Until I am allowed to take valium or drink heavily enough to knock myself out and not notice J careening down mountain roads in the dark, we can either spend the night in Fairbanks, or get home before dark.

***

Meanwhile, I am still furiously crocheting, and basically just trying to pass the time as my feet continue to swell past the confines of my boots, and my belly continues to swell past my ability to even see my swollen feet. I am getting to the part of pregnancy the medical community calls "the third trimester", but I have renamed, "Gosh, this part sucks". I am looking forward to the day when a simple trip to the bathroom doesn't leave me short of breath.
Beans is enjoying this stage of pregnancy immensely. She has figured out that it is nearly impossible for me to reach the floor, and spends her day doing things she knows she's not supposed to do, then laying as flat as she can, while I fumble around beneath my huge belly saying, "OOOOH! When I finally get a hold of you, girl!!!!" She has also figured out that there is a spot under the dining room table that I can no longer reach, even if I do manage to get down on the floor. She spends most of the day hiding forbidden objects under there, knowing I can do nothing to retrieve them.
Not entirely sure where she gets this mischievous streak from. I'm sure my mom would be able to tell you, but certainly, I was NEVER this mischievous. NEVER. And that's the truth.

***
I can't reach my feet, but I can still reach the keyboard, so...
Until next time....

Happy Moose Trails!

Moose Patrol!

2009-02-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Hey, y'all!

So, we seem to suddenly be overrun by moose this past week. Two large females hanging around the backyard, a group of three (perhaps mom and her twins from last calving season?) hanging around the parking lot, and a lone and VERY large female hanging around our front door. Literally.
J was on his way to take out the trash and I heard the door open, a brief expletive, and the door shutting again in a hurry. He spooked the poor gal, who had been happily licking Ice Melt off our front porch. She took off to the back yard, but once she realized J was gone, resumed her position on our porch. Beans and I had a good time watching her, and she stuck around for over an hour in the front yard, licking salt and grazing on any grass roots she could kick up in the yard.

Speaking of Beans, she is full of words these days! Her sign language vocabulary grows every day... over 30 words, maybe? And her verbal language is growing quickly, too.
I mention this because long after I grew bored watching our moose friend, Beans stayed in the window, saying, "Moooooosh! Moooooosh!"
I was absentmindedly agreeing with her, "Yes, Beans... MOOSE. Do you see the moose?" as I cooked dinner, and poked my head into the living room to check on her. This time, it was MY turn to be shocked, as the giant moose had decided to climb a snow bank in our front yard, and was happily staring back at Beans, um... into our second story windows!
Part of me wonders, was she standing outside practicing her own vocabulary? "Beeeeeeens, Beeeeeens".
Beans and I dimmed the lights to get a better view, and snuggled in the rocking chair to watch our new moose pal, watching us, until dinner threatened to burn and Madame Moose decided it was time to find another salt lick.

***
I don't know if it means spring is on the way, but moose are really out in droves lately. Our trip to Fairbanks last week proved the importance of moose patrol, as they seemed to be everywhere, and completely oblivious to the Human Element. We are seeing groups of females, and lots of moms with yearlings, and a few youngsters starting to run around without the watchful eye of a parent. There were even a handful of reports that moose are venturing into the city these days... a sign of spring? Or a sign that food is growing scarce out there, and they are showing up closer to us people for a better chance of a nibble?
Hmmm...

***
Well... in the family report this week: the midwife visit went well. Another negative FFN, so barring any major medical emergency, we shouldn't be in any danger of having a baby for the next couple weeks. I am getting pretty excited about that these days. This last FFN should take us to 33 1/2 weeks gestation, which means we are within days of being able to deliver in Fairbanks instead of being sent to Anchorage. That's really good news. And if we can get another FFN after that, we should be past any serious danger of prematurity for the Little Nugget. Very good news all around.

Also in the family report: my nesting instinct has taken on a mind of it's own. The reality of a baby appearing sometime in the next 10 weeks has made me aware that I might need to start preparing things for the little one to show up. The week has been spent washing teeny tiny clothes, diapers, and various other itty-bitty things, and getting organized for managing "two under two".
The reality of that endeavor (two under two) is beginning to set in, and I am already begging J to take, oh, two years of paternity time. *grin*

***

Well... it's been a pretty easy going week or so around here. Not too much exciting to report in terms of Alaskana... other than the fact that we have very near "normal" days again now.
Today, the official daylight is 8 hours and 30 minutes. "Civil Twilight" adds an extra hour to that, giving us almost 10 hours of light.
As Beans and I drove J to work at 7:40 this morning, we caught glimpses of the beginning of sunrise, and by the time we were on our way back home (8 am), the sky was already glowing orange and pink over the horizon.
The lengthening of days has an interesting effect... it gives an air of excitement, kind of like those first glimpses of daffodils or jonquils in warmer climates. It feels like something NEW is coming, or right around the corner. The longer afternoons give off a faint memory of the incoming spring and summer, the days when the windows will be open all day, with a crisp pine scented breeze blowing into the house.

I didn't really think I would be looking forward to winter leaving us, but I AM starting to daydream of all the fun that warmer weather will bring with it...
I am excited about being able to get back to exercise and jogging, and plan to (hopefully) be ready to take on a couple 5Ks this summer. Last year, Beans and I walked the Mosquito Meander in Fairbanks, and I was secretly envious of those who could participate in the Midnight Fun Run, which I skipped because Beans needed to be in bed. This year, I'm thinking, "What's the big deal if they sleep in the stroller for one night? Really?"
I also don't plan on sitting on the sidelines for the Ft Greely 5K this summer. I longingly watched J leave the house for that "little jog", and since he has been letting his cardio practice slide (lifting weights instead), I was secretly calculating if I would have been able to beat his time. No doubt, if I ran without the kids, I could... with the kids in the stroller, I probably could have kept pace with him.
(Ha ha! Just a little jab there, for my sweetie. And if I can get my postpartum fanny into shape fast enough, we'll put that contest to the test this summer.)

Can you tell our family has a slight competitive streak? *grin*

Ah... spring coming also means walks with the kids, trips to the outdoor playground, walking to the post office, and grilling out.
Not that we don't grill out occasionally now. J likes the "challenge" of grilling in 30 below. But I am fondly thinking of the smell of the grill, the scent of mosquito repellent, and hanging out in the yard with the kids and some good friends.

***

MEANWHILE... I am still feverishly crocheting tiny little baby things for the New Little Nugget, as well as for a few friends who are expecting. There is an urgency to crocheting these days, as I know my weeks are numbered... it won't be long before the crochet projects have to take a back seat to nursing TWO hungry little ones (yep, Beans is still at the breast...), chasing a toddler, keeping a baby happy, getting back into shape, meeting friends, and various spring and summer activities. And somewhere in there, getting the house ready for the summer visitors... grandparents, uncles, and various other people who love the fact that we live in a cool place to come visit.

On the upcoming agenda: well, not much. Now that I am the size of an infant beluga whale and beginning to waddle like a fat little penguin, our pace has slowed to the minimum level of physical exertion possible. If y'all want to bear with our boring pace, I'll keep posting... but I hope you aren't expecting too much exciting in the way of adventures. Even J has been warned that his activities have to stay within cell phone range (that's not really far, here!), so other than a couple hockey practices in town, his days of ice fishing and snow machine trips are about over for this year. Poor guy... he's really pouting about that, but he does understand that he just might "accidentally" fall through the ice if he chooses to go fishing and his wife goes into labor and can't reach him by phone.
Besides, someone has to be here to help me get shoes and socks on, since I can't see or reach my feet anymore. I tried making Beans do it, but she thought it was more fun to throw my shoes down the basement stairs, then watch me waddle down to retrieve them. Even the cat seems to find amusement with watching me try to reach to the floor and fill his food and water dishes. (We fixed that with a self-watering, self-feeding style bowl. HA!)

Well, folks... that's the moose report from here. I've got to waddle myself to the potty (for the millionth time this morning), then waddle myself and Beans to playgroup, where she can run off some of her energy. That is, if Madame Moose will kindly let us leave our house. We apparently have a pretty comfy front porch.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

Here Comes The Sun

2009-01-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

Ha, ha. I bet you have that song in your head now, don't you?

A quick word, before I continue on my usual rambling about myself...

Thank you to everyone who showed some support on my last post, either through the blog or email. I would love to take just a minute to (hopefully not embarrass!) but ask those of you who don't mind, to take a peek at what one of my readers, SIMON had to say.
And for the record, Simon, if you ever decide to keep a blog, I would love to read it! First, you live where my heartstrings call me. I have a not-so-secret envy of people who walk the streets that Laura Ingalls used to walk. And I hope you are right... that maybe one day, my little Beans and my Little Nugget will care to read what I wrote... my thoughts on our own little life.
I think you should go for it! (And when you blog on blogspot, you can put settings that only allow certain people to read, post comments, or other things. I opened my comments to the public, to see what was out there because I'm willing to handle some, ahem, "constructive" (?) feedback... but you can avoid comments from the peanut gallery if you don't want them! Just so you know!)

Also... I want to clarify my own anonymity. It's Husband-Induced, mostly. I had to beg and plead to be allowed to keep a blog, and posting even a single picture on this blog was a month long begging and pleading. MY reasons for staying anonymous are because we have three beautiful children, with another on the way, and while we have a general trust in most human beings as a whole (none of us have intense fear of strangers), we stay semi-hidden because the thought of cuckoo Internet predators and other weirdos and stalkers just don't appeal to us.

I have decided, however, that my "Anonymous" reader stays "Anonymous" because he/she is either
1. My former Landlord
2. Has their own Internet safety concerns
3. Could actually be someone famous, like Angelina Jolie, or Brad Pitt (how cool would THAT be??)- and CAN'T divulge thier identity
or
4. Is Bushy The Squirrel, from my early entries, and is offended by the way I have portrayed her and her little baby squirrels for freeloading in the old North Pole house.

SO, readers.. (including Mr/Mrs "Anonymous", who is apparently still reading, despite the torture), let us continue on with our usual lives, and mention it no more...
Without further Ado...

Like I said, "Here Comes The Sun"...
The days are slowly and surely lengthening! We took J to work this morning, and already, at 8 am, I could see the faint hint of dawn setting in.
Dawn and dusk are incredibly beautiful times here. The sky is still "dark", but a shade of indigo that slowly lightens to a blue-grey, then, as the sun peeks over the mountains (at least on the days clear enough to see it),begins to come alive with streaks of pink, orange, sharp bright blues, and eventually, the bright yellow orange glow of the sun makes its entrance between the mountain peaks.
Nowhere have I seen a sunrise like it. Amazing. It is my favorite time of day to stand by the kitchen window, cup of coffee in hand, and watch the sun as the snow blows off the trees, and steam come off the mountains as the sun warms them, just a little.
Day is getting longer now, too... almost like a "normal" day. I have noticed glimpses of the fading sun in the sky as late as 4:30 pm now, and dusk simmers in the sky for a good hour most evenings, giving the impression that there is some daylight from about 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, or close to it.
Dusk is another beautiful difference from the lower 48. Early in the afternoon, the sun loses it's "noon glow", and even though you can see it in the sky, it begins to change from a bright yellow ball, to a deep orange ball in the sky. To see it's "light" you really have to look at it to know it's there. Sure, there's "daylight", but the sun seems separate from it, looking more like a large Harvest Moon in a sky of daylight, instead of night. As the orange globe begins its descent between the hills, the reverse of sunrise takes place, leaving sharp pinks, reds, and oranges in its wake, and finally fading into pale blue, to indigo, to black night sky.

I wasn't expecting the effect of this on me. It's no secret that I truly love the winter here, other than the cold temps. (I WOULD prefer temps around , say, zero, as opposed to 40 below!) Other than that, I find winter to be a beautiful and amazing place. I never tire of the changing winter scenery... and it DOES change! Some days, you can see the sun, some days, a pale grey sets over the sky, some days, the snow is falling, and on other crisp (and very cold days) the sun will shimmer off the frozen snow, where you can see new moose tracks, and hope for a glimpse of the animal. There is a sense of awe when an animal or object appears... a fox makes a sharp, dark red contrast on the otherwise stark white landscape, or a large moose suddenly appears through the tree line.
Also no secret that while there are things I love about the summers here, I have a sort of reversed seasonal affective issue, where the 24 hours of daylight becomes tiresome to me, and I deal with a sort of summer "funk" when there is an absence of light. (Not complaining about Alaska, mind you. Everywhere I have lived, the longer summer days has sent me into some sort of weird funk. Maybe I'm part vampire, or something? Hmm. Have to check the family tree for that one.)
So I am surprised to find myself feeling the same things many of the seasoned residents feel around here... a happiness for longer days, and looking forward to the spring temperatures.

It's nice to talk to some of the other people around here... it seems like the general consensus is along the following lines:
Early winter is fun. The snow is "new" and exciting to see, at first. The days are still temperate, the days still have some "normal" hours and structure.
Not for me, but many people I have talked to, December to February is a cumbersome time to many local residents. By then, we have had several months of snow. And with the temps below freezing, it's no longer "new and exciting" to trek outdoors, start the car, shovel the walk, or get snow off the car. Many people (even die-hard ice fishermen, snow machiners, and dog mushers) stay inside more often when the weather gets below 20 Below... venturing out for necessities, but not much else. Those few months of isolation and cabin-fever can really get to a person. (Once again, not me, so much. Sure, I like to get out and tire of indoors, but being a homebody, I actually love the excuse to pull out a crochet project and not go start the van!)
As the weather "breaks" and the daylight begins to come back, people are anxious and happy to get out again... even venturing out into weather or temperatures that might have stopped them from going out a few weeks ago.
I have observed with some curiosity (and relief, since it has been getting J out of the house a bit, too), the number of people in our little town taking up outdoor sports in the last few weeks. J and a neighbor have been ice fishing once a week, with plans to add snow machine trips to the weekly adventures. And the offers for snow machining, ice fishing, hockey scrimmages, and various other activities have been rolling in faster than we can keep up with or accept them.
Local stores that spent several weeks a bit "empty" have suddenly filled with what I call "the lingering"... people who are in IGA to do much more than buy groceries and hurry home. They are stopping in the cafe, poking their heads in at the bank or the local coffee shop, and, well, lingering... chatting with people they haven't seen in a few weeks, making plans to get out of the house, and most of all... talking about spring. The guesses on when break-up is going to happen are starting to be peppered in among the local gossip, and I was even told excitedly by a local business owner that I chat with often, "Rumor has it, we are going to have an early and warmer spring than last year!"

Maybe some fellow Alaskan Residents can make sure I have the record straight, but it seems like the seasonal cycle is kicking into high-gear. Spring IS coming... eventually. And like I said, the talk around town sounds excited for it. Won't be long before we start hearing of all the summer plans people are making, instead of the vacations many have taken or are taking now, to get out of the cold.
(Susan, I can't wait to hear how Hawaii was for you! I am happy here, but can remember the feel of sand between my toes, too!)

I find myself getting excited about it, too... strangely enough.
Spring means that this new baby will finally be here.
Spring means that our road trips through Alaska will be returning.
I don't know how much gold-panning we'll do with TWO babies in tow, but it does mean a return of picnics, walks through parks, fishing on unfrozen waters, gardening, and longer days to visit with our North Pole and Fairbanks friends, without having to worry about getting home before it gets too dark.

Meanwhile... I was recently told of "The Ice Park", coming in February, which sounds like a fun way to finish out some of our first winter in Alaska. I'll have to find the kink and post it, but it's basically a bunch of ice sculptures, slides, and other things made of ice. Oooh... Ahhhh....
Ice is one thing we definitely have plenty of, so we might as well do something cool (ha ha) with it.

IN OTHER NEWS:
(This is where people who don't care to read our family updates could probably tune out:)

Our last midwife visit went great! I kind of went in, guns blazing about how I was tired of being a medical anomaly, and the midwife was pretty receptive to letting me be "just a normal pregnant woman". The one exception... if we aren't doing all the medical intervention, she asked if we could do a simple test, every two weeks, that basically shows if there is a risk I might go into labor in the next two weeks.
For the medically curious, it's called a Fetal Fibronectin Test... you can google it, so I don't have to get overly "graphic" here, but basically, it shows if there are physical changes in body fluid that happen in the weeks just before labor. Until I get to 37 weeks or so, we WANT to see "negative" results. Which is what we got this time around. Looks like labor won't be in the next two weeks (or at least an incredibly low risk of that!), so this little one is still cooking away, and getting big.
I am now getting kicked in the ribs and the hips at the same time, and had to buy the next size up in maternity clothes. J assures me that I am still sexy and beautiful, but I mostly feel like a lumbering cow, and am rethinking my decision to not "moo" through labor. I mean... maybe it will just come naturally, since I am morphing into a cow now. In fact, if I get much bigger, I won't have to worry about mooing like a cow through labor. I will be making beluga whale sounds instead.
Well, we had good news, and go back in another two weeks. Hooray!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Beans is a sicky AGAIN. Looks like she picked up another little cold, and the pediatrician has warned us that croup and RSV are going around. We stayed home from playgroups this week, but other than a little extra fussiness and lots of nose blowing, we are holding down the fort.
And in REALLY good news: we actually saw a pediatrician that we loved! She also took a look at little Beans' weight, said she was finally coming back on some sort of "curve", then made me feel extra good by saying, "Well, judging by the two of you (J and me), it doesn't look like she would be destined to be a very big person anyway." (That is the best thing you could ever say to a pregnant beluga whale, ever!)
She was very supportive about STILL (yes, still) nursing, and listened to our crazy hippy diet and told us that she thought we were on the right track. Which I already knew. But it was nice to hear a "professional" say that. She also agreed that we did the right thing, avoiding the poptart, bologna, and mac and cheese diet that one doctor advised us to start.

Other quick news of no important note:
We lost one of the channels on TV that we actually care to watch (NBC apparently made their digital conversion already). Between that, the moron in tech support I talked to who took 30 minutes to tell me I needed a converter box that the install guy says I don't need, and realizing that the only channels of the 55 channels we pay for that we actually watch are: PBS, NBC, and ESPN during college football season, it just wasn't worth a converter box. Especially when I can download all those things online OR get them from Netflix.
So, we ditched the cable.
On that note, a heartfelt apology to my teenage boys, who when they come to visit, are going to be more "bored" than they could ever imagine. Just think... no cable? No video games? What is a guy to do all summer???
The fresh air will do you some good, fellas. And I promise, (well, I hope, anyway) the bears WON'T eat you when you go fishing with J. Just keep you head up, make lots of noise (which you are already good at), and run fast. Just kidding. Don't run. The bears will give chase.
*grin*

SO...
That's our update this time around. Coming up in the next few weeks, more playgroups (once Beans doesn't have boogers hanging down to her chin), more ice fishing (for J) is likely, especially since he returned with dinner again- this time, two good sized "land-locked salmon". (They have a real name, but I don't know what it is.) They were tasty, whatever they were, and leftovers were turned into a special dish (Salmon Fettuccine) for Beans, who has recently asked for "noo-noos" (noodles, for those of you who don't speak toddler) for every single meal this week, including breakfast.
Also on the agenda, a snow machine trip for J, if the weather holds out, but we are predicted for 20 or 30 below again this week.
The following week, ANOTHER trip to Fairbanks to see the midwife. No more shopping. I'm burned out on shopping. And most of all... glad to be back home in our own little nest. Time is going by quickly, and it has dawned on me that I should start getting our little nest ready for a new little bird (or nugget) to be here.

Until Next Time,
Happy Moose Trails!

The Point

2009-01-23T20:04:00.001-08:00

As in, the point of my blog.
I just want to say that I love getting feedback from people. I really do. I am always interested to see what people think of my writing, my thinking, and hear the opinions of others. I'm not easily bothered by differences in opinion (unless they occur with my husband, in which case, I am automatically right), so I usually welcome them. And when I think someone has been a bit obnoxious stating their opinion, I usually just ignore it.
In this case, I plan to make an exception, but for good reason.

I received a comment on the blog yesterday that got me thinking a little bit...
Here's the comment from an ANONYMOUS poster:
"Hmmm...came across this blog and read most the posts (I guess I must love torture). This post is actually the only one that doesn't consist primarily of complaining and whining. Kudos for that, I suppose.On another note, you may want to talk about more than just you and your fam....unless it's just a blog to stay "distantly connected" to your far-away friends and family."

Hey, "Anonymous"... thanks for reading. Torturous or not, you actually managed to waste some of your day reading my blog. So I can't complain about that. It means I caught your attention out there in the great big Internet universe, right? Kudos for THAT, I suppose.
Sorry to hear you find my writing torturous. I feel the same way about J.R. Tolkien, personally... but lots of other people (including my 12th grade English teacher and a really dorky guy I dated in high school) really like his writing.
I finally found an awesome way to stop torturing myself. Stop trying to read The Hobbit, or any of his other books for that matter.
I really won't be offended if you stop torturing yourself, but I thought I WOULD let you (and all my readers know) the purpose of my blog before you go.

I said I had a good reason for commenting on this. And it really wasn't to single out an opinion, but to expand on that opinion.
I just want to put it out there that this blog IS about me and my family. That's the "point" of "following this southern family's journey into Alaska". And while it's sole purpose isn't to stay connected with family and friends back home, that is a really nifty benefit of the blog.

Seriously folks. As much as I really do love talking to people back home, between the time change, an active toddler, LIFE, and plenty of other factors, I just don't have time or desire in my life to call everyone once a week and chat.
The blog keeps those people who are semi-interested in our lives somewhat current on what's going on for us, without having to commit to a couple hours on the phone, listening to me babble. The rest of the family and friends who REALLY want more detail and don't mind listening to me chatter all afternoon, call or email for more details.
In all honesty, this blog has probably saved a handful of relationships that would have otherwise fizzled out once we moved 5000 miles away from everyone, as well as forged some new cyber-friendships with people I would have otherwise never "met". Hooray for Technology!
(And for those who are bored with my prattling on about life, Hooray for the "close window" button, right?)

The blog occasionally serves as a glimpse into Alaskan living, but that's going to be through the eyes of a true "cheechako"... or new resident. I will not be claiming to be an Alaskan Expert, by any means. My biggest goal in sharing "Alaskana" on my blog is to make friends and family realize that we are not daily living the lives of the guys on Deadliest Catch (although I still say that if I ever get a chance to go to Dutch Harbor, I am TOTALLY stalking that bar until I meet Phil's very cute sons), or being eaten by bears, or all those other things Discovery Channel fills your mind with about Alaska.
The glimpses of Alaska are going to come from my experiences here, which I should mention, are reported by a "city girl" who has spent most of life in a relatively temperate climate (i.e. South Of The Mason-Dixon Line).
*And when I say "city girl", I mean that until a few years ago, I did not know that a "Wild Turkey" was an actual animal, not just a smooth Kentucky bourbon.*
I have spent nearly all of my life in decently sized cities and suburbs. Most of my formative years were in the Suburbs of Washington, DC. Up until moving to Alaska, we probably had 2500 people in my neighborhood. Now, that's what I have in my TOWN.
And I totally wish I was able to report on a lot of really cool things, like snowmobiling, dog sledding, hiking glaciers, and various other things, but pregnancy kind of has a lot of those activities on hold this year. Maybe next year. Or the next. All kinds of cool things are on our "Things To Do While Living in Alaska" list, but Rome wasn't built in a day... and all the cool things Alaska has to offer won't be done in our first year here, especially since I'm "in a family sort of way".
Don't worry, readers. I plan on telling my husband to find better things to do next year than getting me knocked up. (But honestly, when it's 40 below outside, the car won't start, and the cable is out, what else are ya gonna do?)

Incidentally, the blog also serves as a great place for me to Mind Vomit, which my Type-A Personality needs to do frequently. I'm sort of a Mind-Vomit junkie. (Mind Vomit Bulimic, perhaps?) I find that it helps me figure out who I am, who I want to be, and how I plan to get there. So you'll probably find a lot of that on this blog as well.

Oh. And as far as complaining and whining goes... 90% of what I "complain" about is actually my general use of sarcasm. If I REALLY mean to complain about something, you'll know I'm really complaining. There won't be any doubt. If you don't believe me, ask my husband. True complaining is generally done matter of fact, involves expletives, and is done very loudly in our house... without the sarcasm or tempered with humor. So if it sounds like "complaining" but has a funny undertone, yeah... it's just my lame attempt at humor.
I know. My older kids don't think I'm funny either.
But I can't help it. I was raised by two people whose sense of humor is a little like white wine. Dry.
My dad has been (good naturedly) compared to Captain Spock on more than one occasion. And my mom... well, where do you think I got my skills of sarcasm as humor? My parents were both big Monty Python fans, if that gives a clue to their sense of humor.
My dad still grins (he never giggles, and I think I've heard him laugh ONCE in my life) at "I'm going to fart in your general direction!"
(*Mom, Dad- I hope you know I say that with love and affection. Though I still don't get most of your jokes. *grin*)

SO...

For my readers (friends and family) who were already interested in our lives... I'm gonna keep right on mind-vomiting and updating about the family.
And those of you really nifty people who have developed an interest in my little family, I hope you'll keep reading! I'm so glad you found our little blog and I truly am flattered by those of you who like my writing enough to keep reading.
And for those of you who have told me I should get published and get paid to write, you totally make my day. I wouldn't argue one bit if you wanted to send me $19.95 for a book full of my useless babbling! Maybe one day. When I have something"interesting" to say...
And everyone... keep commenting! I love hearing how you found our little blog. I love hearing the opinions on things we think, do, and how we live.
People who agree make me feel less "weird" People who disagree inspire me to rethink my standing on some things... sometimes changing my opinions, and sometimes strengthening them. At a minimum, it opens dialogue and inspires thought, which is one of the purposes of life, after all.
Iron Sharpens Iron, ya know...

On that note... thank you "Anonymous" for opening dialogue, and making me think out my goals for my blog. Yup... it's mostly to stay connected, have a place to mind-vomit, and it's a great bonus that I attract people who find us somewhat interesting enough to read about.

Next week: Our travels to Fairbanks. Good grief, I hope the wind lets up before we have to head up there!

The weather report today:
Windy and cold. Oh. Same as yesterday?
I wish I could report the temps, but it seems the wind managed to rip our thermometer from the porch and blow it away. Either that, or a moose really wanted to know what the temperature was in his or her little den.
Beans and I took J to work this morning. The temps didn't feel so bad, but the wind is something else! I had to walk directly into the wind to get back in the house, and it literally does "take your breath away"! Poor Beans wasn't thrilled about that, and I buried her face into my jacket to keep the wind from knocking the "wind" out of her!
Back in the South, we were trained to get in the cellar or basement when it started sounding like a freight train outside. I've had to consciously remind myself that I am not likely to see a funnel cloud here, even if it sounds like one is barrelling down on the house.

So.. off to do more crochet work, then a nice hot shower, a cup of tea, and a good book before heading to bed.

Until Next Time...
Happy Moose Trails!

Out And About

2009-01-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

Well hello again!

Some days, I feel like a horrible blogger. My posts have been few and far between lately. I think I was anticipating more time on my hands, but our first winter is proving to be very busy for us... and I don't even think we have had a good chance to really do all the stuff we would like to do, because this pregnant belly of mine is hindering a lot of outdoor activities.
Let's face it, it's hard enough to run away from bears when you aren't pregnant.

OK, OK, I know... bears are hibernating this time of year. All the more reason to not accidentally find one that happens to be awake right now, if you ask me.
But enough on my fear of bears.

Well, as you can guess from our post title, we have been "out and about"!
OK. I am probably about to take a little flack from friends and family, and maybe even a few concerned readers, but...
Bed Rest just isn't going to happen.
I'm adding a disclaimer here... my midwife and I had a good talk last visit, and somewhere in my exhaustion from our return trip from North Dakota, I think I finally made her understand that being trapped in the house with a 15 month old was probably more of a risk than anything else I could be doing. As I posted last time, she took me off the progesterone, and I think she's starting to surrender to the fact that I am going to be one of those "non-compliant" patients when it comes to bed rest.
In my defense, it's not my fault. Anyone who disagrees is welcome to come explain to Beans why she has to be content playing indoors for the next three months while mommy sits on the couch. And while you're here, if you can train her to make her own meals, change her own diapers, do laundry, clean the house, and maybe even bring me a snack, I'd be more than happy to comply with bed rest.
Meanwhile, I must preserve my sanity, and that involves leaving the house.

So... after a week-long bout with a double ear-infection and a sinus infection (Beans), followed by a few days of being out of commission myself with "the crud", we decided it was time to go make friends. Or at least get out of the house. This also involved taking advantage of how travelling messed up Beans' routine, and I, out of selfishness and pure desperation to meet other people, decided to ditch her morning nap. A couple days of a really cranky toddler, and soon, we were adjusted and ready to go.

We have been to playgroups that led to other playgroups, Library Time, MOPS, and various other things going on in the community. From this, I have met moms with kids the same age as mine, a few with some similar interests, and most of all, have had contact with humans who are 1) not related to me, 2) don't smear peanut butter on my favorite shirt, and 3) don't throw blocks at me when I say it's time for a nap.
In other words, I have been having LOTS of fun!

Seriously. In all honesty, Library Time was a little more "work" than I was hoping for. Seems that Beans doesn't quite understand the concept of sitting in a circle and reading stories. Especially when the library has one of those really cool train set tables she could be playing with instead. But I think we can overcome that with a little practice. Maybe. Beans IS pretty determined, especially when it comes to trains.
MOPS was also not a great success for us. Um... Beans has never spent more than a couple hours in her entire life away from "My Momma!" (me), and while I was able to leave her in the nursery successfully, it didn't take long before she noticed my absence. I was called out of the MOPS group to retrieve Little Beans, who was sobbing "MY MOMMA!" in the arms of a frazzled looking teenager.
I have been told it will get better. J, on the other hand, remains unconvinced of this, and has made me promise to never leave her in a nursery again, until she is at least 15 years old.

OK. Before I get too much flack from our readers on that as well... I should (or maybe I shouldn't?) mention a couple of our own Moose Nugget Family Rules.

For reasons that are way too yucky to get into on this blog, we have a general rule that we don't leave kids with sitters until they are old enough to tell us what happened while we were gone.
We have met several other adults and family members who seem offended by this Family Rule, and many who think that we are "ruining" our kids, not socializing them or making them learn to be away from us, wondering "how on earth" we'll ever do anything as a "couple", and even people who are offended that we don't need or want their baby-sitting services.
To those, I have to say, "Get Over It".
J and I are not offended or inconvenienced by our daughter's presence. And having followed another Family Rule of "get your dating done before you get married or have kids" might help some people to understand that I don't "date" my husband. We're married. Oh, don't worry. We still have special time, "grown-up time", and do lots of fun things together. We just do fun stuff as a family, and save the grown-up stuff for when babies are in bed.
And as a side note, to "not making our kids learn to be away from us", well... I don't know too many kids who needed mommy or daddy to come to college with them. I'm sure the day will come soon enough (or even too soon) that Beans and her siblings are more than happy to leave us old parents behind.

Another Family Rule contributing to the ban on nurseries is this:
J's primary job is being a fire-fighter, and his role in our home is to bring home the bacon.
MY primary job is "mom and wife". He brings home the bacon, I cook it. We are both committed to the fact that my primary job as "mom" is to mother our children. As much as I DO enjoy getting out and doing a few things by myself from time to time, we both agree that if someone else is doing my job (a.k.a. the nursery), then there better be a REALLY good reason I have abandoned my primary duties.
I know, I know. Extreme. I probably made half the women reading this gasp in horror. I never said YOU have to do it, but it works for our family.
For those concerned, I DO get out and do things on my own. My husband, while definitely NOT a very good stay-at-home-mom, IS a great dad. And by that, I mean, he changes diapers, plays with the kids, and manages to not set the house on fire while I'm gone. And even if he did, well, he's a firefighter, so I trust him. (That trust does NOT extend to laundry, or cooking anything more complicated than tacos, however. Just taking care of the kids.)

ANYHOO... Those rules may help explain why J was more traumatized than Beans over her ordeal in the nursery.
But don't worry MOPS gals! I'll be back! J is usually home on those days anyway, so she'll still be home with daddy while mommy gets a chance to get away and play!

Speaking of getting away... J has been doing some getting away himself.
He's been off ice fishing, and starts helping out with some hockey team this week as well.
The ice fishing has been "prosperous", and he came home with a nice dinner the other night. Two trout, one of them was 17 inches! I have discovered that my pioneering desires end at having to behead or fillet fish. J was kind enough to handle that, and I pan fried the little one and baked the big one with a garlic pepper and lemon peel seasoning. It was a good teamwork effort... J bringing home dinner, my preparing it. Even little Beans was thrilled, and munched on dinner, chanting, "Yum Yum Fishy!"
Looks like Ice Fishing should turn into a weekly habit (and hopefully bringing home some dinner each time!), as a friend and neighbor has decided he can tolerate J's company in an ice house for several hours on a regular basis.

Oh. I didn't mean for that to sound so mean. But I think most married women can agree with me on this: I like my husband's company from time to time. But too much of a good thing... well... No one should have to spend that much time with any one individual. I love him, but after a few days of his company, I'm a little desperate to get out, too. Plus, he talks more than I do, and it's really not very nice to tell your husband to "PLEASE, shut up" as often as I do. (Hey, I DO say "please"!)

In Other News:
We have an appointment (and consequential trip to Fairbanks) to see the midwife this upcoming week. Should be able to send along a little baby update for everyone next week.
For those of you asking, NO, we haven't decided on a name yet, and when we do, we probably won't share it until the baby gets here. I'm crazy superstitious like that, and besides, every time I find a name I like, I meet a bunch of kids with the same name, then have to change my mind again. Besides, no offense, but I don't care if you like or don't like the baby's name. She's the one who has to live it with it, and I have to call her by it. So if I want to name her Petunia Gertrude Picklebottom Merrill, I will.
(Just kidding. I won't really name her that, even if it is unique.)

Weather Report for Friends, Family, and Readers in the Lower 48:
It's cold. And windy. Did you expect anything different?
We had an incredible warm-up last week (over 40 degrees!). I thought I would love that, as I'm not exactly crazy about 40 Below, but all 40 Above did was turn everything to slush, then it froze over again.
I had my first slip and fall on the ice which caused J to panic, but all I really wounded was my pride. Little Nugget and Momma are just fine. Beans, luckily, was in the house (it happened when I dashed out to start the car... another reason I want auto start on my vehicle for next winter!), so she wasn't in any danger either.
Also, 40 Above didn't do much for me except make me anxious for warmer weather. Last week was nice, to be out in a light jacket, or even no jacket at all. This week, we are back to below zero temps (though not nearly as bad as previous weeks), and I was really unhappy to have to face my thermals again. Especially since my belly just keeps growing and growing.
I know I've said it before, but I REALLY resent the fact that no one makes maternity thermals. I am currently feeling a bit like a stuffed sausage.

Meanwhile, daylight is creeping back in slowly but surely. We are back to 5 1/2 hours of official light (sunrise to sunset), and it may be my imagination, but it seems like dawn and dusk hours are also lengthening. While the sun doesn't officially rise until shortly after 10 am, you can see traces of light along the mountain range starting at 8:30 am, and though the sun "sets" a little after 3:30, there is still evening light until around 4:30 or 5 pm.

Clear days are absolutely beautiful. The winter light casts a crisp pink glow on Mt Hayes and the rest of the mountain ranges, and I love to take a few sips of my coffee while gazing out the kitchen window, staring at the mountains and hoping for a glimpse of our local moose.
I have even developed a sort of "love" for the overcast days...
I know (and have recently heard) a lot of people who are "tired" of winter and ready for spring, but for me, as each day grows longer, I feel a certain sadness and longing for NEXT winter already. The only thing I'm "tired" of, is the below zero business. I could live without that.
Maybe in coming years I will feel differently. Maybe I am just "in love" with the winter because it is our first one here... and my first true winter after eight long years in Alabama. I can understand why some people don't like this weather and the "dark", but I just don't see how I'll ever tire of it.
Maybe I'm crazy. (No comment from friends or close family on that one!)

In other babbling:
I have also been keeping busy with crochet projects, sewing projects, and a few good books. I've finally started a baby blanket for Little Nugget... a challenging pattern, but coming together nicely. I am still working on a cross-stitch that I started when we moved here, but got sidetracked with other projects that were more fun to complete.
On the current Book Reading List:
- A Laura Ingalls Wilder book, letters and diaries from her trips in adulthood, to visit her daughter in California, as well travels from De Smet (Dakota Territory) to Missouri, and some travels she and her husband made later in life. (Mom, if you haven't read this one, I'll send it when I'm done! It's good and has lots of photos and stuff in it!)
- Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. It's the first in a series that has been out for a while, and a friend recommended the series. I'm finally reading it, since everyone else seems to have enjoyed it.

And a ton of pregnancy, natural childbirth, labor and delivery books recommended by the doula, the midwife, and plenty of other pregnant chicks. I have read so many of these books now that I am convinced they all serve the same purpose... to convince women that drugs in labor are terrible and going to kill you and your baby, and to make you feel like a big crybaby for thinking labor is going to hurt.
For the record... labor DOES hurt. It is not "uncomfortable" as one nurse tried to convince me when I had my first child.
And, as much as I really would like to achieve a drug-free labor this time around, I am not above making myself somewhat comfortable if I feel the need. Also, if anyone knows a labor book that doesn't involve techniques like: mooing like a cow, making primal birthing noises, or birthing in an ice bath, surrounded by a dozen chanting medicine men (or whatever some of these books recommend), THOSE are the books I'd really be interested in checking out.
I still refuse to moo like a cow.

ANYHOO... that's our update this time around. Our upcoming weekend and week involves
- Trying To Make Beans Go To Church, a.k.a.- "How dumb can mommy get?"
-Midwife visit, to convince the midwife that bed rest is seriously overrated and remind her that I am NOT going to moo like a cow through labor.
-Shopping in Fairbanks. This also involves the next size up in maternity pants, as my belly refuses to cooperate with my wardrobe any longer. Also, there are rumors that I can get pita bread in Fairbanks, which would be so nice, as the recipe I have involves loads of effort, and sometimes doesn't produce nice "pockets", but gives flat llittle disks of bread instead. (Wow. Whoever thought I would be thrilled to find things like pita bread? And my oldest son is more concerned that I have no clue what an Ipod Nano Touch is. Hmmm.)
-More ice fishing, playgroups, cold weather, wind, and crochet projects.

I hope everyone else is staying warm and out of the wind! For those of you getting glimpses of spring in the lower 48... I envy the fact that you will be gardening months before I am!

Until Next Time...
Happy Moose Trails!