NorthBound River Rat

A fall walk with Reily and Arlo

2011-11-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I went up to the hill to take Arlo and Reily for a walk in the woods with me. I love our system of trails out there, and I knew that the best part of fall was coming to an end, and wanted to enjoy it while I could. It turns out Reily is getting pretty old....he was limping a bit before we got back. But as always, him and Arlo had a great time together- and it was a beautiful day!! I always feel so great after a walk in the woods. It is my best therapy! And walking with dogs I think is my favorite...I can just think and relax, but I'm not completely alone either- and they can be rather entertaining!
Now it is the day before Thanksgiving, and Katie, Matt and the kids are here! I am headed to Winona in a bit, with Arlo to go see them. We will see how Arlo does with mom's new kitten- a little orange one, that is very sweet and cuddly. Turns out that it is a girl, too! I miss my Kunguk. Cat Cat- (named by Jim) the little cat that wandered in off the cornfield not long after Kunguk disappeared, has grown and is starting to get a bit fat. He eats obsessively, since he was pretty starved when we found him. Him and Arlo are the best of friends. They even play with toys together...it is rather odd. Arlo hardly knows how to be around other cats though, as Cat Cat just lets him do whatever he wants to him and loves him unconditionally. I wish Arlo would learn that this is the exception and not the norm.
But- off to better things today!! I can't wait to play with my niece and nephew!! It has only been about 2 1/2 weeks since I have seen them- but I have missed them!!

The lingering end of summer

2011-10-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Walking around my yard, there are still a few surprising signs of that which is ending- such as a great supply of tomatoes, just picked yesterday from my garden! For being the middle of October, I am pretty impressed with my pickings. For a few scraggly tomato plants, planted way late in the season, and from the clearance aisle of Fleet farm for less than a dollar apiece, I would say I managed quite well this year! My favorite being the cherry tomatoes, which I have been picking and popping into my mouth everytime I pass by for the last couple months. Pure candy. I just can't seem to get enough. I did not get any tomatoes until well after people were giving me tomatoes by the loads, but come, they did! And I quite enjoy having these fresh veggies well into the fall! I still have quite a few green ones on the plants, but I think I will risk the frost, and see if I can wait a bit longer for them to ripen. Next year- I am planting some early plants, and a few later ones as well!

part of my yard

My beautiful MUMs that Jim bought me. These things are still going strong!...despite all the pine needles falling on them!

In the garden

The back yard has been leveled! Boy does it look a lot better! And now with it flat, we can mow it next summer and avoid the jungle that grew there! Thank you Mr. tractor. Yet again, you have saved me hours and hours of moving dirt.

Seasonal Finds on an October Walk

2011-10-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

After school today, I went to a meeting for our "Fall Harvest Dinner next week- celebrating healthy and local foods. The meeting was held in my classroom, and a parent of a kid I had 2 years ago came to help organize our dinner. She also brought some delicious home-made soup that she will be serving at the dinner next week! After that I had to rush home, because Jim is in Nevada this week, and poor, poor Arlo has had to suffer for a whole day the fate in which most dogs do every day. He was left inside all alone while we went to work! No day at the shop with visiting postal workers who give treats, employees who pet him, Jim who plays with him, and his two beds to choose from. The poor creature. He was a bit wild upon being let out, so I decided to find a trail I knew to exist not far from home. I'm glad I did- because I think I will be visiting it much more! Along the way, I decided to look for things that mark the time of year it is....that beautiful autumn which is already beginning to slip away! So, here are a few of the pictures I took today....so you can feel like you went for a walk too! I always feel SOO much better after a walk in the woods!

the only puddle for miles.....of course Arlo waded in it.

It doesn't look like it in this picture- but this is going to make one great skiing hill this winter!....other than that rock!

Christopher and Sarah- Getting Married!

2011-10-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Kiesel Horse- the chosen wedding island!

So nice out, I just couldn't resist the water!

There were really neat little spider webs in the sand...that just caught the sunlight and made a prism effect!

Helping Grandma off the boat! These photos really make me laugh!!

My little brother is married!

2011-10-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

After the wedding

2011-10-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

On the boat ride back to Merrick. Here is my Grandma Squires!

Captain Steve!!

Wayne

Just after the wedding- at Kiesel Horse.....one of our favorite little islands in the backwaters of the Mississippi.

Hey Grandma! We are married now!!

Cheers!

A toast!

I couldn't have imagined a more perfect day for a beach wedding. Though it was September 10th, it actually got up to about 90 degrees. A perfectly sunny and beautiful day, with the first signs of fall showing!

Christopher and Sarah's Wedding Reception

2011-10-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Arriving at the party!

Alaina, Hannah and Grandma!

My newest little nephew- Baby Vinnie!

There was more than enough to eat!!

Sarah sharing a birthday cake with her Grandma

Singing "Happy Birthday" to each other

Levi, Sylvia and Hannah

Oops, I guess I forgot to rotate this....but the kids had a terrific time with these boxes! I think I will have to get some boxes for my wedding as well!!

One tired little girl! My beautiful niece Alaina...who refers to Sarah and Christopher's wedding as "her princess party"!

A family photo- the whole Dosier/Squires/Heaney/Krzoska...and soon to be Jarvis clan!

Jim and I. Jim finished hand sewing one of my wedding presents at 6:30 in the morning for me, as I rushed out the door to complete wedding decorations. I can't wait for our own wedding, to be married to such a thoughtful man!

Fall Boat Ride!

2011-10-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went on a boat ride with Mom and Arlo out to Kiesel Horse. It was a beautiful sunny day- warm and full of fall colors! I truly love the Mississippi!

More from the Boundary Waters

2011-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Our campsite! Very beautiful- with a large rock ledge over the water on 2 sides!

These little frogs were hopping all over the place at one of the landings. I hope I didn't step on any!

Boundary Waters Trip

2011-08-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

At the end of July, Mom and I went on a 3 day paddling trip in the Boundary Waters.....with Arlo. Arlo had only been in a canoe twice, so this was going to be a bit of a test and training for him! He actually did VERY well, unless the flies were biting him....or a big fish jumped right in front of the canoe. He also really wanted to chase a few dragonflies- so he needed a few reminders. But, overall, I was pretty impressed with how he did. He was able to swim at every portage, and I think he had a great time! We started out at Poplar lake, portaging to Liz Lake, and then to Horseshoe. We found a really nice campsite there, were we set up a base camp. We then checked out a couple more lakes that day before retiring for the evening. Day 2 was our big day! We checked out Winchill, which was a bit colder, but had great swimming. We continued our cribbage tournament, which we never were able to finish. Let the record show, that for our tournament, we were tied for games and were working on a tie breaker. Mom had 60 some points and I had 83....I would have won that game. Hmm...since we quit there, I guess technically I DID WIN!!

Day 2 continued with a lot of portages and a different route back- through Jump lake, Allen and a few others. I guess I would have to look at a map again to remember where we all went. We were both really tired by the time we got back to camp. Day 3 had us packing up and trying to get out before the rainstorm hit. We got wet, but paddled ahead of the lightning, and it was nice and sunny again by the time we got back to Poplar Lake. Seeing as our water filter had taken a dive and wasn't giving us much at all, we stopped right away at Trail Center and got some water and cold pop right away.

This is Arlo on Day 3. He was pretty tired by the time we got back- with all the swimming, and chasing squirrels from camp. He slept pretty good on the way home!

We visited some beautiful spots, and the bugs weren't bad at all on this trip. We had a great time!

A drainfield!

2011-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

looks like a bunch of packing peanuts to me....but this is what goes into the drainfield!

yes, this is the big digger, right inside my orchard. Amazingly they maneuvered around all my baby trees and they all survived!

A few weeks ago we had our drainfield installed for our septic tank. We had been getting it pumped this last year when it was full- so one less continuous expense to be paid!! I used my tax refund for this project, and Jim paid the rest- one more thing in place! Of course now our yard is all ripped up again, but the grass is coming through in spots where it had sand loaded on top, so it is not as bad as it was!
Close to the same time, we also had a driveway put in! So- come on out and see our place- you won't get stuck anymore =) They used their machines to also smooth out a few areas of our yard, so now the lawn mower can get in more places...hmmm...that would be if the lawn mower was working right now. With my new weedwhacker I bought this year also on the fritz, I am a bit fed up with my yard right now. It is turning into a jungle! But, we are paying for things out of pocket, and seeing as I took out no loans on our house, we are doing alright!! I am trying to pay off other loans, so then we can start saving for a bigger house someday!

Touring the Irving

2011-08-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last month, on our way back from Canada, Jim and I stopped in Duluth and took the tour of the Irving-a cargo ship that was retired about 1979 and now rests in the harbor. After touring this massive boat, it is hard to believe it was actually retired for being too small compared to the ships that are out there today! It has been about almost 8 years since I have lived in Duluth, but I still miss the sound of the fog horns from these ships out on Lake Superior!

Arlo's Birthday!!

2011-08-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Aww.....he used to be small enough to curl up on my backack! Well, on August 3rd Arlo officially turned 1 years old, and is no longer a true puppy =( He is now a short, but very stocky, big headed, beautiful and very sweet dog.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Arlo got to go to the river with me and mom, and partake in his favorite activities of chasing dragonflies/ butterflies and swimming. Afterwards, he received his birthday present from me....his very own ice cream cone!

It was a big hit.

Later that night, when Jim got home he got another birthday present- a large raw pork chop. He was a bit unsure of what to do with this, but eventually figured out how to eat it....very slowly. I have never had a dog who ate so daintily.

Of course, Arlo had to be sung to on his birthday. This happened several times, but ended with a duet with Jim on the harmonica and Arlo howling. Arlo gets very excited about the harmonica and joins in every time. We find it quite amusing...and now have 3 harmonicas in our house.

Visiting a Canadian Wind Farm

2011-08-13T21:19:00.001-07:00

Jim and I are currently in Thunder Bay, Canada! Jim was hired to install one of his data loggers onto one of the big cranes that are used to put up the turbines. So, we drove up yesterday, and woke up at 5 am EST to get out to the site, North East of here. We couldn't get our safety training right away, so we took a very quick visit to visit the "canyon" before 9. We then got our safety training, got our passes, and headed up the hill to watch a wind tower get put up.

(where we got our safety training)

driving to the turbine site

This is just one of the blades that goes on the turbine. This picture shows the height well, but doesn't do much to show the 150 foot length.

one section of the tower

The site is planning for 48 turbines. We saw at least 10 already up. I passed one sign today that said "stop the turbines". I have to wonder specifically what the objection is....as this farm is in an area not open to the public, viewable by any open road, or even heard by anyone not employed at the site.

The site we were at today. We watched the generator being placed on the tower, but then nothing else happened....for a VERY long time! While wind farms look for windy sites, they can't be erected in much wind....and there was too much today, though you wouldn't guess it standing on the ground, because the trouble wind was way up in the air. So, we waited and waited for it to dies down.....and I worked on something for my brother's wedding =) To get an idea of the scale of this turbine, notice the bright turquise porta potty well in front of the blades on the ground.

This is the crane Jim was to work on. We were waiting for them to put up the rotor for the turbine, so then the crane could be boomed down for Jim to do his install.

Our watching post

A finished turbine that we visited while waiting....just down the road.

I got to go inside the tower!

My pass. About 7 (almost 12 hours after arriving) it was decided the rotor would not be put up today. So, we headed back to Thunder Bay and ate at a delicious Japanese restaurant called Wasabi =) We ate sushi rolls and Pad Thai.....so good! And our first real meal since an early breakfast, so we were hungry!

Pretty nice place! Pretty nice fiance! I'm glad I have been able to join Jim yet again on another adventure!

In Nevada!

2011-07-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am in Nevada, going on 4 days now. I followed Jim out to Jackpot (staying at Cactus Pete's!) to help him put up 2 towers and two of his turbines to test. It is very beautiful here! I will post more pictures and information when I have more time!

Family Weekend up North!

2011-07-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

My cousin Amy's youngest, Natalie. So much fun!!

Each year, we go up to the cabins (off the Gunflint Trail in Northern MN) for one weekend as a family. The extended family on my Mom's side. It is a great time, with lots of laughing, and more food than can possibly be necessary. This year, we skipped the traditional renting of a cabin at Loon Lake lodge (in addition to the Struve cabin and our cabin), because the Struves added another cabin to their estate....a bit different than our other ones- with running water and electricity, road access, even laundry. It is more like a small house, but beautiful, and perfect for Grandma and small kids. Not as many people came up this year, because we had all been together over Memorial Day to celebrate Grandma's 90th birthday, but a few of us did, and we had a great time. The weather was freakishly hot for the Boundary Waters, reaching over 90, but this gave us a great chance to try out the new dock, which detaches at the end and floats out to the lake for swimming. Even Arlo enjoyed jumping off this, after getting quite a few pushes of persuasion first. He had a grand ole time, chomping on lily pads to my dismay, and chasing dragonflies and other dogs. On Sunday, Jim and I drove up to the end of the Gunflint trail and checked out a few other spots along the trail. We then headed to 2 harbors, where we explored the trains and some things there, ate at a nice Thai restaurant in Duluth, and then headed down to Minneapolis, to catch our early Monday flight out to Utah. Arlo went home with mom and Reily, to sleep for a day and visit relatives for the week.

4th of July Paddle, and update

2011-07-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is also Carol's birthday (Jim's mom). Last year on the 4th we paddled from our house down to below highway 35 on the Black River. This year, his sister and Chris were in town, and my mom and Wayne joined us as well. We started in Melrose and paddled down TO our land (or right next to it at the boat landing anyways. We like to keep the kayaks up near the house, and then we just drive them the 4 blocks out to the highway, and down the next road to the launch area. We could keep them below, but then we would have to go through mosquito haven to get to the crick, and I am not quite so keen on leaving them where anyone can see them and grab them. I would be devastated if anything happened to them. So, Monday was Arlo's first boat ride- a 4 1/2 hour paddle...he was very antsy, as we have never asked him to sit continuously for so long. But, despite a bit of whining, and lots of reminders that he couldn't chase dragonflies and leaves while in the boat, he did pretty well. And he LOVED being out on the islands! I have never seen him swim so much. He has been resting pretty much all day today, two days later. I did get to paddle my new "zone" kayak for about 10 minutes, but spent most of the time in the canoe with Arlo. My goal with my new sit on top is to get him to lay down in it so we can paddle up to a sandbar, just around the bend upriver and get some swimming and exercising in while Jim is at work =) I would say I have my work cut out for me, and I should expect to tip quite a bit, but I really hope to get there! Arlo is a chaser....a born and bred duck dog without training- and he chases everything from leaves, to bugs (butterflies by day and moths and fireflies by night), to my cat, to Kunguk's disdain! He is a very happy go lucky dog though, and never does so menacingly. He is 11 months already!

Our paddling trip was a lot of fun- a little bit of sunburn, but not really bad. One thing to note: banana boat sunscreen has an orange tinting in it! We sprayed it on, then spent the day as oompa loompas! We looked like we were trying to fake tan. I really enjoy "our" river though! The rocks along the sides were beautiful, and there are so many sandbars to stop and swim at along the way!I definitely need to get out more! Today, however, I am getting caught up on odds and ends at home finally- as I have been too busy the last 3 weeks! I am spending the whole day at home, and I am determined to finish planting the rest of my blueberry bushes! I planted 2 last year that my mom gave me, but one was too little and did not come back. The other has big green berries on it already! Next year, with 3 more plants in, I might be able to make something out of the berries- and I am going to make sure the ones that make it this year get into the ground so I can maybe get some more! I have already figured out a large area that I want to turn all into blueberries on my land. Hopefully this week the Har-Mur will be coming out and putting in our driveway! We also are trying to get the septic people to come out and put in the drainfield for our septic. At home, I am finishing up things like shelves, trim, and when I get the wood from Jim's shop I will start putting the good wood up on our ceiling (which right now is just Luan board). I have this week and next to work at home- then Jim and I are headed out to Idaho Falls, Nevada, and Utah. We are putting up a tower with one of the wind turbines he designed, to collect data in a high wind site that isn't so nice to wind turbines to see how it does. I think it will do great- he has a good design, that has been doing well in other places; he even got a contract to make slightly bigger turbines for the army now! I am excited that as part of the contract he was able to hire a mechanical engineer to help him, so this time around he isn't doing all the hard parts on his own, though I am sure he will still be plenty busy. I am excited to help put up a tower and see that part of the country, which I have never been to (except overhead with a plane). Other than that, I am working on moving into a new classroom this summer- as I will now be back at the Elementary school. Right now my class is a mess, full of supplies for all the 4K classes, things belonging to the last teacher in that room, and furniture that stays with the room, though I already have a classroom of furniture that got moved in there as well. It is a mess. But, I will be really glad to be back in the main building, where I can make copies, have reliable internet, have bathrooms right by my room, have a smartboard again, have things kid sized, and not share a room (and noise) with another class. I WILL miss my enclosed playground that I had, so I didn't constantly have to count kids and wonder if someone had wandered off, and being close to another playground within walking distance....and the kitchen in the next room. But, I found a free mini fridge in the dumpster, and I am going to take my stored microwave with, and I even bought an "Easy-bake" to use with my kids- as the lunchroom ovens are used for a large part of the day. I think my room will be really nice once I get it set up. Problem is, I can't do much right now, as they want to clean my floors, and don't want me to use the tile yet, and I am working around other things. But, it will work out- it just needs a work. Good thing I have the summer off! I also need to go in for a few days to work on curriculum stuff- but I actually get paid to do that! Which is nice, as I am a bit broke right now. I spent too much on birthdays, parties, traveling, and house things at Menards....and I need to do things like car repairs, take the cat to the vet, etc. I did sign up for a 3 credit class (another expense) but, that should stop me from taking a pay DECREASE this year, as we will now be paying more for health care, and our salaries were frozen. Can't complain too much though, when I have a job when many don't. I also own my own home- I just need to pay off the land, and my car is paid off. I have been paying a lot into my loans for things like my new teeth and school, which is mostly why I feel broke. I wouldn't have to pay so much, but I am determined to keep the same monthly payment goals to meet my personal payoff dates =) Well, I have been sitting at the computer long enough- time to get moving and meet some goals around the house! Sorry it has been so long between updates. All I can say is that life is busy.....and if it wasn't I would find something else to make my life more full!

Engagement Pictures of Sarah and Christopher

2011-07-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

the pavilion where the wedding will be held

Some things are best established before the wedding!

My little brother is getting married on 9-10-11! This last weekend we had a wedding shower for him and Sarah, behind Bays End on the Mississippi. I was in charge of the decorations. So, with that, I went to their house and took a lot of pictures of them and printed them off for around the tables and put a few in frames, and put together a photo album for them. Because to be honest, I hardly had ANY pictures of the two of them together! I think the photos turned out great, despite the fact that it was about 90 degrees when I went to their house to take them, and we were all sweating like crazy! I borrowed Jim's nice camera, which I am still figuring out, but it does take nice pictures. So, here are a few of my favorites!

More winter!

2011-04-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Where, oh where has the spring weather gone? Oh where oh where can it be?......More snow this week! This morning I shoveled about 4-5 inches of snow in Winona. Yesterday I headed to Viroqua (to visit my future mother in law who just had a knee replacement) with Arlo. He spent most of the day in the car, with little walks. While driving through La Crosse we stopped at Hixton and went for a little hike. It was beautiful with all the snow on the trees. Strange to see bits of green hiding in so much snow! Today I came to Viroqua again, but left Arlo to play with one of his best doggy friends in a fenced in yard. I'm sure he is as happy as can be. Carol seems to be doing great after her surgery, and I have been enjoying spending more time with Jim. This weekend was so great- after the Cave of the Mounds on Saturday, we soaked in a hot tub at our hotel and went to a comedy club. The next day we spent a few hours at an indoor waterpark, took a nap, went out to eat, and soaked in another hot tub outside. A very relaxing, fun weekend! And, I am still on spring break! Easter this weekend, and maybe I will get around to getting some things done at home too!

I'm engaged!

2011-04-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

This spot is right above where we were in the cave!

Jim and I are on vacation in Wisconsin Dells. Yesterday we visited Cave of the Mounds, and while lagging behind on the tour he proposed to me!!(about 70 feet underground) =) I said yes, of course. We are very excited! Here are some pictures....I have many more, but will take the time to upload more later. Today we spent some time at an indoor waterpark at the Chula Vista resort, ate some great food, and took a walk along the river....and took another last soak in a hot tub in the outdoor hotsprings. I wish we could stay on vacation longer- it has been such a great weekend!

Cabin Photos

2011-04-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Between these cabinets, I am going to make a little shelf for things such as cookbooks.

We put cedar in, from the floor to about 4 feet. We still need to make a rail for the top, but I think it looks beautiful! Minus the extra construction materials, you can at least get an idea of what it is going to look like!

I hae noticed my last pictures of the cabin are nothing like what it now looks like, so here are a few photos to give a better picture of where I am living. I didn't take any pictures of the upstairs, because after adding the bed, I really haven't done much up there...and it is really messy with clothes I need to put away right now. With winter clothes, we don't really have enough room for everything, so without constant rearranging and stuffing things onto our shelves, it is messy up there. I guess it doesn't matter too much as we are the only ones up there, but I can't wait for summer, with tank tops out and most sweaters packed away. It will be a lot nicer up there!

First Outdoor Shower of the Year!

2011-04-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I had my first outdoor shower of the year! Yesterday was 61 degrees and sunny, so we had 185 degree water in the big water tank, heated from the sun. Also, to septic tank is getting full, so better to have one outside....The air was slightly chilly by 7:30 when I had my shower, but the water felt REALLY good! Jim also rigged the shower to have water shoot down below on your legs, as well as fall from up above, so it keeps you extra warm in the colder temperatures. It was the longest shower I have had at home in a LONG time! I stayed in there until I was wrinkly! Most of the time, my showers are indoors, with the 5 gallon hot water heater that we run off electricity (also from the sun, but with a generator backup if we don't have enough)...which gives me enough time to quickly wash my hair and then VERY quickly scrub up before it starts cooling down. Usually it is getting fairly cold again by the time I am rinsing off. I can imagine Jim has a little more time to scrub his body, as he has less hair. Although I majorly cut my hair this winter (about a foot), it is still past my shoulders a bit, and takes awhile to wash....also my hair has a tendency to get greasy very quickly and I have to really scrub it good- thus taking up by far the most of my time in the shower....leaving little time for other things. Thus, when I have had the chance this winter, I still have been taking advantage of the use of other people's showers, where I can really scrub up, and enjoy a more leisurely soak and maybe even shave my legs! But, welcome back to sunshine and warmer weathers! I can now take decent showers at home again! =)

(notice my walk-way of pallets through the mud!)

Trench for the septic tank, behind the houses

Now that all the snow is gone, I am looking around my yard and seeing all the work to do! There are piles of sand and mud around the yard, trenches to fill, ground to smooth, and grass to plant- as well as general cleanup from building! My goal is that my the time school gets out, I will have a real, decent yard, and not a red-neck junk yard again! That gives me 2 months, which seems feasible. Especially as we are getting more daylight. So, here are some pictures from around my yard today, to give you an idea of what I am working with.....and to show my spring flowers coming up!!! I am so excited to see things grow. I also have an EMBARASSING collection of seeds I have been hoarding (many of which I got on super sale though!) which I am hoping to plant in my yard. I have been having a hard time establishing my wildflower garden....about a 100 foot area around my apple trees. Last year I tilled and tried to get some sections to really start growing by seed, but it seemed to have done little good. I know once I get things established over there it will be beautiful. This year will not be quite as busy, and now that I have a well, it will be a lot easier to water over there....I also think I will start some in a pot and then transplant. I am determined to have a butterfly garden- one that I don't really weed, but a natural meadow area that is full of beautiful plants....along with my more manicured and groomed garden.

Cabin Update

2011-04-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Looking back at my other posts, I haven't had an update on my cabin since January, so here are some things that have been accomplished in the last 3 months:
1. Cabinets are polyurathaned and installed- in the kitchen and in the bathroom (we have one more small one we want to install in the kitchen), and are thinking about putting some up above the fridge yet. I also need to build a small shelf between two cabinets for cookbooks.
2. Windows trimmed. All windows now have sills, and one in the living room, and the bathroom window even have the moulding around them and are completely done.
3. Walls are painted- one tan wall in the living room where we had sheetrock instead of pine, and a greyish blue in the bathroom.
4. Cedar half way up in the bathroom
5. Bathroom door is installed now....and the glass knob is put on.
Bathroom lights were put in last weekend, and the fan was installed quite awhile ago.
6. More lights in the vaulted ceiling, as well as a fan to blow the warmer air down.
7. Counter top! Our kitchen actually looks pretty finished now and is much more usable.
8. More shelves. I put an 8 foot shelf up near the ceiling above our couch and wicker baskets hold storage items such as cords, games, etc. I also put up 2 mini shelves above the stove where we are storing spices, and I brought my Amish made bent wood shelf home and have a place for books and papers now.
9. After painting, I put a rug down inthe living room. It is hard to keep clean with the dog, and sand and mud from outside, but makes it warmer for our feet when sitting on the couch and adds color to the room.
10. I have about half of the floorboards (along the bottom of the walls) installed. I need to buy more so I can finish that.
11. Our 5 gallon instant hot water heater....just enough for a shower. A quick one, but SO nice! Soon, and a couple days already, we have had enough sun to get more hot water from Jim's Solar Hot Water Panels. He has already taken a shower outside in our outdoor shower. I am waiting a couple more weeks I think.
12. We made the addition of a cat to our happy home. Kunguk has finally made it out to North Bend, as of around my birthday. She and Arlo aren't the best of friends, but they make do. Her and Jim aren't the best of friends either....she can be a bit of a terror at night while you are trying to sleep. But, she has been a lot better now that it is nice out and she is more tired. I am really glad she is here, I missed having a cat.

Our biggest things we now need:
A drain field for our septic tank, and a driveway. I also think I am going to get a couple chickens, so I need to build a chicken coop, we need to move our shed and set it on level gravel and fix a board on the bottom of it, we would like to add a screen porch, need to plant grass, and we need to get Jim's battery bank set better. There is still a lot of work to do around here, but compared to last year, when my field still had 4 foot weeds, it is amazing to me how far we have come!

A Three Day Weekend

2011-04-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

It is now Sunday already, and I am sitting on my couch wondering where my weekend has disappeared to again. How does it always go so fast, and with so little getting accomplished? You would think with an extra day this weekend more would have gotten done. But then I look back at even this morning and I can see it quickly filled up with drudging chores. I woke up and put away the dishes, went online to check my email for school and was reminded that I needed to fill out a 3rd form from my Observation...so spent 45 minutes filling that out, then also remembered I was supposed to take 3 online summary/classes about administering medication for students. Another hour and a half gone. Oh, those darn bills I keep putting off....another half hour, and I can't even get online to certain sites so I will have to finish later. Let the dog out, cuddle with the dog a bit, get some food.....try to check my email for the 4th time, nope- still can't access. OK, I guess I am done, and it is 2:00 already.....and I still need to make my presentation for a class I am taking this week. Ugh...procrastinate for another hour- what else can I do besides that? Hmm...appparently check other people's blogs and then decide I need to write something on mine. Maybe then I will want to do it....or it will be time to head into Winona to meet my Mom and Grandma for supper.
I did have a slightly productive weekend. Yesterday was beautiful out so I spent quite a bit of time working in my yard. I leveled dirt from the well and septic tank, tried to spread more dirt over the sandy parts, and even spent an hour ripping out raspberries that are crawling all over my lawn and have created quite the nuisance. I am beginning to think I will rid myself of all raspberries and find some somewhere else to pick. Focus on apples, blueberries and other plants without thorns! I cleared leaves and pine needles out of my garden, and my daffodils are now about an inch high. I then went over to my storage shed and helped my mom and brother clear some of their things out of there, so I can now get in the back to my stuff. I need to get rid of yet more stuff, and organize it better. I am hoping once I get more stuff out of the shed I bought last fall- using up more of the wood inside the house, I will be able to put some things in there.
I just made reservations for an indoor water park- so at the end of April Jim and I are taking a mini vacation to Wisconsin Dells, to swim and check out Cave of the Mounds. It will be good to just get away to where there is nothing I need to work on at all. Hopefully Jim will be caught up enough on projects by then. We were going to build some boxes for wind turbine parts last night- went and got the wood at Menards, but then the brake on the truck got stuck on the way back. So we spent quite a bit of time in the Taco Bell parking lot trying to fix it, until Wayne came by with the right tools to get the Caliper off...and fancifully rigged with a wedge of wood so we could drive slowly back to the shop. By then it was 11:30 so we just headed home. Oh well, at least the wood got delivered. Today has been rainy and cold, not a good yard day, so I figured I would get caught up on stuff I hate doing and just get it over with. We will see about that class assignment though- I might put that one off until tomorrow. It is due on Thursday. I'll post some pictures once I get around to getting them on my computer!

The Elusive Mrs. Wishy Washy!

2011-02-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

If anyone sees this book in print, you better grab it! I wanted our library to order it for next year, but they couldn't find it. I finally found it online, but most copies were $30-$70!! I finally found one lone book for $9 that is "well worn". Hopefully it is at least usable. I have never met a kid yet (4-6 years) that doesn't LOVE this book! It is a great pre- or early reading book, but I guess it has been out of print now for awhile. How can this be, when they are still selling flannelboard pieces to go with it, and have activities online dedicated to this book? Apparently other books, in the now "Mrs. Wishy Washy collection" are still printed, but I want the original one. I would LOVE to get a big book of it again, but I am doubting that will happen now.

Well, I spent the day at home today.....no school due to Walker's campaign to end collective bargaining in Wisconsin. This also means that all the veggies I cut up for what was to be our "4K" pizza night with 130 people that I was in charge of, are sitting in my fridge and need to get eaten. Any good recipes for green peppers and onion- that uses a LOT of them?
Maybe I will look through my new "Vegetarian cookbook" this evening and see what I can find. A $26 book, which I got for $1.37. Thanks to my students who gave me gift cards to Barnes and Noble for Christmas and Valentines.

So, what did I do with my full day off? Did I poly my window sills, go for a hike in the warm weather, clean my house? Write up lesson plans for next week? woodburn my door trim so I can finish up my house? No...I sat at my table for an hour and a half this morning, finishing up my "Starry Night" jigsaw puzzle, which has taken me a lot longer to put together than any puzzle I have ever done (and texted my sister), then went out into the yard and shoveled dog poop now uncovered from that wonderful snow blanket and sinking up to my ankles in mud because we didn't have time to plant grass last fall after building our house. I then got tired of hardly being able to move around and then came inside and turned on my newly improved working computer. That is it...it is now 6:00! I got caught up on some emails- both work and personal (which I was over a month behind on), ordered a Mrs. Wishy Washy book, chatted with my brother for a little bit, got some ideas for class, found some pictures I needed for a unit I want to teach, and still managed to not get my finances figured out, which is why I turned on my computer in the first place. Why is it that one small little hiccup, like my purse being out in my car and across my sink hole of a yard stops me from being at all productive? My poor puppy has been inside most of the day because 2 times coming in like a mudball has been all I could handle....but, time to get a move on. I will take Arlo into Melrose where we can go for a walk on the streets, then stop and get some spinach to go with my veggie/egg meal I will make, get my free movie that I have a coupon for, and then work on cleaning my house and then finishing my "bear paw" mittens I am making for my students....so we can act out the Three Bears story. I guess it isn't the LEAST productive day...though probably the least productive in awhile. I do desperately need a walk though- I am going stir crazy in here- I hate the MUCK season part of spring- I find it way more confining than winter, when I can still walk in the woods, ski, go sledding...and my dog doesn't come in as a mudball and try to jump on my couch =(
I do have some beautiful potted and blooming daffodils and hyacinth sitting on my table though, a birthday present from Jim, which reminds me that this will soon lead to something better! =) And I am already planning my summer adventures!

skiing

2011-01-31T18:17:00.000-08:00

yesterday i went out skiing with arlo along the snowmobile trail and skiied over to lacrosse county.....apparently my shift key and alt key donmt work on my phone for this site. anyways, here are some pictures.

Oh, the GREENness!!

2011-01-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

I was just looking over some pictures, ad found these from a hike that Jim and I took up North last spring. I must say, I do miss all that color!! Maybe this spring Jim and I will be able to get out on more hikes again like we used to take.....I guess we went hiking a lot, right up to where we started building! Funny, how something small like building a home can consume your life =)
Anyways, here are some pictures, to remind us all, in the middle of winter, that it doesn't last forever!!

And 2011 begins....

2011-01-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

So, where does that leave me?...or where am I beginning from exactly...
Well, as far as my house goes, things have been moving along again. They hit a bit of a standstill around Thanksgiving, and Christmas season as always was busy, but we have been making progress in the last 2 months since I have posted! Let's see....
1. The wall for the shower, and the shower itself are in (minus any plumbing fixtures)
2. My brother trimmed out 2 walls for me this week, the bathroom and one in the living room (which is wonderful, because while I know I could do it, it wouldn't look remotely as nice as it does!)
3. I finished the walls up in the loft (minus the polyurathane) and put in shelves for clothes, a small rug, and a brand new bed that Jim and I picked out! I have 2 beds in storage, and Jim has one next door....but his we would need to hire a crane to get out of his house, and mine have been in storage awhile (one is two small) and with his allergies we decided a new bed would just be best.
4. We got a new refrigerator! A present from Jim's mom for Christmas, we went and picked one out at Lowes that uses pretty low energy- not much more than the little one in Jim's house- so now we can keep leftovers, have a full gallon of milk and much more! It has also been nice to have a place to put pictures and notes. It is now displaying a very nice drawing made by Jim's 3 year old niece as well, with lots of colors! It does make it feel a bit more like home!
5. We got a new cookstove installed! With propane ignite, it has 4 burners and an oven....and we have been cooking away!
6. While we had our water pipes freeze up for awhile, Jim was able to thaw them out and we now have running water again. We are still working on the hot water, but to have water coming out of the faucet has been a wonderful thing! Just last night we took out our kitchen sink temporarily though because now we just got....
7. Kitchen cabinets!!! We went to Menards yesterday (leaving about 11:00 am) to go pick out cabinets for our kitchen. Around 8:00 we returned, with a different truck and freezing cold! Just after picking out our cabinets (oak-unfinshed ones-for literally half the price of finished ones) we went to take the truck around back to load them up (Jim's shiny new but used red one he bought and put a plow on)...but the power steering went out. So....we couldn't drive it anywhere, leaving us at Menards with a bunch of new cabinets. His mom came and picked us up and drove us to Jim's shop where we woke up the Isuzu flatbed from his long winter nap. He was very reluctant to wake up, but we eventually got him going, unstuck from the loading dock which was full of hardened snow, the bed cleared off in Menards parking lot, and loaded with cabinets. Jim pays to have snow removed from his shop, as there is no place to put it, and Menards has a HUGE parking lot with a big snowpile already. We figured, with the amount of time and money we spend there, they wouldn't mind helping out their esteemed customers. Before taking off again I went and bought some foot warmers, and we wrapped Arlo up in a towel....the Isuzu does not have what I would consider heat, so it was a cold trip home! From Menards, it is about a 45 minute trip, and it was barely above 0 at this time...and we were already starting out cold. We stopped at Kwik Trip and got some hot cocoa and a snack, and away we went. We made it home fine, and didn't even get the Isuzu stuck in the driveway (as I anticipated). The chunk of ice half blocking Jim's view never melted, and in fact his view got worse along the way, but we were home! We went inside to warm up for awhile before unloading the cabinets....the house was about 50 degrees with our new.....
8. Propane heater (with a vent to outside)! We still needed it warmer though, so we started up the pellet stove, and even took the little electric heater from Jim's house and crawled up to the loft where it is quite a bit warmer. After awhile the chill started to leave us and I fell FAST asleep. Apparently Jim tried to wake me up, but I have no recollection of this. I tend to sleep pretty hard sometimes. I woke up when I heard the door shutting though, and got up to help move cabinets. I'm not sure if Jim was irritated with me for falling asleep or the cold, but he was pretty grumpy. We got everything unloaded though and then we started putting a few cabinets in place. Our whole kitchen living room area is still pretty full of cabinets, but, they will be nice! We finally got to bed about midnight, slept about 8 hours and then Jim was off to work, and I started working on the cabinets. My mom also came over today and we got most of them polyurathaned. There are just a couple that need one more coat....and I guess there is one we left behind in Jim's truck I will still need to do.
The propane heater has been wonderful though, keeping our house at a much more constant temperature....and making it so we don't come home to a 35 degree house! We also figured it made a lot more sense than using propane to run the generator to get electricity so that we can run the pellet stove! We have been pretty disappointed with the amount of electricity our pellet stove requires....which doesn't work well for an off grid house in the winter!
9...Let's see, we also got a kitchen table from my uncle Jim's auction. Arlo's bed sits underneath it, and we even have 2 chairs for it now! I also like it for sentimental reasons, as it was always the "puzzle table" that Evelyne and Jim had in their kitchen at the "new house"- right when you first came in. The always had huge puzzles that they were putting together. I have a puzzle sitting upstairs I would like to put on it. Jim just asked the other day when I would have time to use it.....my response was "well, never, but it is a nice thought." I will get around to it eventually when my house is a bit more settled I think!
10. Ah, I almost forgot! We got a new shed!!! It is an 8x12 shed that is sitting next to Jim's house now, after a lot of drama getting it there! But, all our tools now hang out there, giving us a real house to live in! I no longer have the air compressor sitting right next to the couch, and I actually have a few small drawers of clothes in my house rather than the chest of electrical and plumbing parts! It has really helped me feel like I am in a house rather than a construction site! It also has a workbench in it and a few shelves that have rapidly been filling up with odds and ends building supplies and wood.
11. I have purchased the wood I am going to use in my bathroom- 4 inch tongue and groove cedar, which we are going to put half way up the walls....the drywall on top (which is already in and just needs a little more mudding) is going to be painted grayish blue.

So....we have a lot yet to do, obviously, but things are really starting to move along! Our house is really starting to feel like a home!

Arlo, is now 50 pounds and just over 5 months old. He is still adorable and he has been a lot of fun! I can now let him outside to wander around on his own (as we have a pretty big yard). He really hasn't wandered off very far, though he is starting to check out the ditch more, looking for sticks, and I did notice today that he had wandered into the neighbors field getting closer to the turkey flock that likes to frequent here. Some days I have noticed as many as 30 turkeys hanging out in the field next to us! I also see a lot of turkey prints on my land, and I think there may be a family of pheasants living next to our driveway (on the neighbor's land). At night I often hear an owl that seems to be living in the pines nearby...I love to hear it hooting! I have been feeding the birds lately off a dead pine limb about 15 feet from my living room window, and I have been seeing cardinals, blue jays, red headed woodpeckers, nuthatches, lots of chickadees and juncos. I really do like my land and living out of town!!
Arlo seems to be completely potty trained now, and has even spent a few days at home this week alone, all day, being out of his kennel (which we took out of the house for space reasons). Jim took a last minute trip to Utah for work this week, so "poooor" Arlo had to stay home =) He really is quite spoiled. He wasn't even alone much, as my brother and Dad came by to help me with some things during the day and let him out and played with him. This dog spends less time alone than any dog I know. At home, he is the most MELLOW and sweet creature imaginable! You can pile things on him, dress him up, and poke him, and he doesn't even care. He pretty much lets you do whatever you want to him. Bring over new people and especially other dogs though and he gets VERY excited! With other dogs he will run and play until he is dead tired....so some people think he is a hyper pup. Ha ha! Jim and I know better. He is also a big cuddler, which is exactly what I wanted. Another thing that he gets all excited about is when he hears the harmonica. Jim will play for him and get him all riled up sometimes- Arlo dances around and barks when he hears it.....great entertainment. I really couldn't have asked for a better puppy....he hasn't even chewed anything really expensive!...he's chewed a few things, but not much at all for a lab. I thought for sure, with how he went after our shoes as a puppy, we would lose at least one pair.

School is half way over for the year already! Hard to believe! I feel especially busy at school because I haven't really been able to come home and work on any school stuff....I am too side-tracked by other things that need to get done, or else I am exhausted. But, I have seen a lot of progress in my kids, and I am just starting a unit on the arctic right now! So, starting tomorrow we will be looking doing all kinds of fun things with snow, arctic animals and even crabbing through the ice! Getting things ready, and looking through pictures on Friday made me a bit homesick. I found a book about a boy who lives in Kotzebue (not far from where I lived in Shishmaref), and all the pictures made me think about all the things I had experienced up there and made me really miss it! I absolutley LOVED Alaska! I do really want to go back and visit soon....
Well, not much else that is new here....that is my life right now- WORK, build, dog, boyfriend, family and for the most part just not having enough hours in the day. But, I am going to go lay down and read now for awhile (for a book forum I am taking for credit) but still, more reading than I have done in quite awhile. I miss just relaxing in the evenings....so that is my one and only New Years resolution-to take more time to relax and do things that I enjoy.....even if they don't get me towards any goal. I was talking to my mom today and she said I am always one that gets my work done first before I relax and have fun. But, I think she and everyone else is right....there will ALWAYS be more work. Sometimes you need to relax anyways. As long as I get things done that I really need to, I'm going to try and stop feeling guilty about taking a couple hours to myself...and I am going to try and do it at times when I am not so exhausted so that I actually have some energy to do things that I really like to do- like hiking, skiing, reading, etc. Otherwise I just lay around watching a movie or something....mostly just falling asleep!! But, I am glad I worked my butt off this last year, because I wouldn't be where I am if I hadn't. I love that I own my own house- and one that I built myself, with the help of my family and friends! Thanks to all that have helped me!! Now this year I can work on getting a garden, taking down barbed wire, building bird houses, doing the "pretty" stuff to my house like the wood ceiling....replanting grass, figuring out my driveway, figuring out a few drainage problems in my yard using the tractor, starting a real compost pile, filling in trenches....yep, my mind is already working against my new years resolution! Ha ha!

a bit messy, and pre-cabinets....but this gives an idea of what our kitchen looks like!

Aw! Arlo's first Halloween! Dressed up like a spider, and carrying a spider! ha ha! His hood kept falling over his eyes and he would just bump into walls! But he never tried to get it off! What an easy-going baby!

more progress

2010-11-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

Oh! Our baby is getting bigger! Jim periodically puts Arlo on his scale for packages at work. Here, he even got a label...but he is not for sale! What a sweet baby! He stands there so nice! Our "baby" is not so little anymore though. At 30 pounds and almost 15 weeks, he has been growing quite a bit, and even graduated out of his puppy collar this week. He has the SIT and COME down really well...he can stay for 3-7 seconds, GIVE with some reminders, FETCH, and fights like he is being attacked by fire ants when I try to get him to LAY DOWN....we'll keep working on it.
Today we discovered a really nice, long walking trail just one mile from our house....this improves my whole outlook on life- it is just what I needed- and will be great for Cross Country skiing this winter. It is right along the river, so I can imagine the mosquitos in the summer, but for 8 months of the year, it will be great!

Here is a more recent picture of our house!

This was the inside about a month ago...since then, we have put up all the pine walls and added some furniture. Our pellet stove is now working, which has been really nice! I can tell I will definitely need to buy some slippers though with our cement floor, it gets very chilly!! I am now sitting on the couch with my feet up on the couch trying to warm them. Hmm...would be really nice to have my warm seal skin slippers from AK....but I won't dare risk that for about another YEAR. Arlo just managed to pull off the wood plugs covering the screws on my new stool and ate them. He doesn't like things that stick out apparently. Overall, he has been pretty good, and he has learned what "No" means....but when he gets something in his head, he always tries to go back and get something when I turn my back. Puppies...just like my 4 year olds sometimes!

So I have been taking it a lot easier this week. I am exhausted and burnt out. We got our Occupancy Permit on Friday, and I guess I took that as an OK to crash. Not that I've been lazy.....I managed to clean up a lot of stuff this week and move some things into the house, and actually get caught up on a few things at work and my life (such s bills). I spent 3 hours at a class I am taking on Tuesday night, bought groceries for our new fridge we bought (in celebration of our occupancy permit, and a Christmas present from Jim's Mom), did laundry and cleaned a bit, got caught up on weeks of work email I can't check usually because I have no internet there, and I THINK figured out some insurance stuff for the cabin. So much fun....But, I kept falling asleep this week whenever I would sit down!
Today I got back to work on the house again- put some weather stripping on the door, spray foamed around the new window and one last wallspot, cleaned Arlo's stink box, and polyurathaned 2 wall sections 2 times. One more coat and they should be done! I could poly for a week and not be done in this place though....wood everywhere. I could wait on it...but everytime you hit a bug and it splatters, Arlo rubs against it, or whatever, your wall will look that way permanently unless you sand it. So, I have incentive to get at least the first coat of poly on soon so I can at least wash my walls.

The toilet is now back in, as of yesterday morning....I mean, put in for the first time....since Wisconsin code says nobody but a certified plumber can put anything in until you get an occupancy permit. I would never break the rules. We also have the parts bought for the shower, have a little bathroom sink my Dad gave me a long time ago and have a kitchen sink (though no cabinet to put it on yet). We will see what we can get done this weekend. A shower would really be nice, but the rest I am not too worried about, other than polying the walls. We have a sink next door in the meantime, in Jim's house....and I NEED to relax a bit. I have not been feeling like myself lately, and I know it is mostly because I am overtired and burnt out. With a good nights sleep, and an actual day off....not a day off work to spend more time on the house, will improve my mood in extremes...and I am not thinking just 2-3 hours this time. I need a real, full day, sit around and be lazy, read a good book by the fire, then take the dog for a long walk and then cook an actual meal and maybe visit somebody while not feeling rushed for time, kind of day!
This week I had a parent come in and ask when her son's Sharing Day was, saying that she thought she had missed it. She said she was just so tired, and she couldn't keep anything straight anymore! She seemed exasperated, exhausted, and at her wits end. I wanted to take her new baby for awhile and let her go soak in a tub and sleep....but I knew exactly how she felt. I have been feeling that same way all week....and I'm not even sure why. It's not like I have 3 kids at home like her, but I can't even get anything done because I have way too much to think about and can't even remember what I am headed off to do, as I am also thinking about the 10 other things I need to do, and what I all need to get them done. My motto has always been "Plug away and things will get better". Truth is, there is always more to do, and you just end up half dead if you try to do it all. I know this...I've learned this lesson again and again the last 2 years...yet I still think I can do it all, and I try to...because I don't like the alternative of letting things fall apart a bit. When you have some parts of you that like to fall apart no matter what you do, you try to be more in control of what you can.
All in all, I am happy- things are going great in all areas....but some things in my life need to start changing before I crash again.
So, my thoughts are....
1.enjoy the new trail- take Arlo for more walks. Spend more time with the puppy- getting exercise and training
2. get stove working and shower, walls done and then quit for awhile...take a real break.
3.take the time to read or do SOMETHING relaxing for half an hour each night.

Almost November!

2010-10-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

Well, seeing as it has been about 3 months, I thought I better post SOMETHING! So much to say, so many pictures, and so little time, though. My cabin has been coming a LONG ways! It is completely sided now, stained (except one small piece), the electrical is complete, plumbing pipes are mostly in, soffit and vents are done, loft floor is in and polyurathaned, 2 shelves are built into non existent walls in loft, pellet stove is here, and the hole for the piping is put in, carsiding is more than half way up, sheetrock in one small part, linoleum in and we even have a few lights in and usable! Other than that, we had the well dug, which ran over 200 feet and cost about $4,000 more than I was expecting, and the septic tank is in (thanks to Jim). We are moving ahead, and really hoping to get our occupancy permit soon (but we need to have all walls and ceiling complete first)...then we can move more stuff in and start some more serious plumbing. We have a couch now, though, which has been wonderful, even if I hardly ever sit on it.I have for over an hour tonight, and it has been soooo long since I have had a couch! It feels wonderful. Jim surprised me with having a couch moved in and 4 lights up when I came home last week. Other than building, which has been taking most of my free time, I am obviously back to school, and starting to get into the groove of the year. A couple weeks ago we took a field trip tot he Pumpkin Patch which was a lot of fun. I was moved out of the school this year, as they just ran out of space, and I am teaching with another teacher at "Children's Palace" where the school district is renting space for our classrooms. Other than the fact that nobody has cleaned it yet this year other than me and the other teacher, things are going well over there. We are really hoping to get a janitor soon though, as too much time is spent cleaning and I am feeling pretty behind on other things int he classroom that I would like to get done!

Most important update of all.....we got a puppy! Welcome Arlo to the family! He is very sweet and cuddly, even if he is a puppy that chews on everything, including people. He is about 13 weeks old now, and can fetch and come very well....he is still working ont he sitting...he gets too excited. Potty training has been going pretty well, except that he doesn't tell us when he needs to go out- but as long as he gets out occasionally, he does really well. Here is a picture of him all tired out from romping with Uncle Reily (who is very good with him).

Hmm...we had to take one window out and replace it because it wasn't an "egress window" according to code. Luckily we had a lot of help and it went in pretty quick. One minor setback...there have been a few others, but things are moving along.

mom and Christopher on a day that they came out to help me...and surprised me as I came home from work. A nice surprise! lots of insulation and soffit! Thank you!!!!!

An older picture of the cabin, but I don't have my memory card to upload more...now it has the stain on, and some really nice looking logs on the corners, that Jim bought for me =) They really do make the whole thing look really nice!

An idea of what color the cabin is.
well, it is late, and tomorrow is our Halloween party and then I need to get ready for conferences.....and there is no more hot water for showers- so I will have to wake up early enough to wash my hair in the sink. It is getting pretty cold to be taking outdoor showers anyhow! Last week we even had a couple mornings that were below freezing...the water was warm, but it can't hit all of you, and getting out felt pretty chilly! Still, at least we have a shower! I'll try to post more pictures when I have more time...though that might not be until Christmas the way things are looking now! ha ha!

Another busy day!

2010-08-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty full day! I woke up to gazing out my window and discovering that my moon flower had blossomed! For those unfamiliar with these beautiful flowers, they have big white blossums that open up at night and are pollinated by moths...the flowers wither in just one day, but are amazing. so, I had to get up and go weed my garden and enjoy it for awhile.
From there I cleaned out the cooler and headed into Melrose to buy refreshments for people coming to help put on my roof....but I only made it about 2 miles before my car died. Fortunately I had grabbed my phone at the last minute and I called Jim who was at home and he drove the tractor out to tow me back home. I then used his car to run into Melrose. Jim's Dad, and Wayne came out to help with the roof, and our Moms came to watch and help out a bit, too. My mom also finished weeding my garden which I have been wanting to get done =) We had purchased some roof jacks at Menards yesterday, and used those to run 2x10x12' boards along the roof. I worked from a ladder or down below handing stuff up, Jim's dad belayed him around so he could do all the monkey work, and Wayne spent most of his time up on the top of a tall ladder screwing metal in from the bottom of the roof. I guess I measured and marked things, helped carry things over and lift up onto the roof and tied things onto ropes so Jim could pull them up.....not my most involved part of the project, but I am not really big on being up on my 10/12 pitch roof. I'm fine with being on the ladders at the edge though.
We worked until a little after 5, then cleaned up and headed into the River-view in for supper. It is my neighbor, has great food and is looking right over the river. The water is rushing by really quick after all the rain we had this week. We had over 2 inches Thursday night and Friday morning....but I heard they had even more- up to 7 inches near Chippewa, so I can't complain. My driveway is getting better as we keep working on it, and not being quite as big of a mud puddle at least.
After supper, Jim and I walked home and stopped to look at the waterfall that is on the northern part of my crick- a surprising waterfall for this area- at probably 15 feet and quite wide. Sometimes I forget to stop and appreciate how pretty it is.
I'm feeling quite content and appreciative of all the good things I have today....a great family and friends who have helped me so much....beautiful land with lots of wildflowers and butterflies, my cabin is coming along great, and I am dating a really nice, sweet guy. Life isn't perfect, but some days I really remember how lucky I am. Now, tomorrow I may feel differently as I sit in a hard chair for 8 hours listening to people try to teach me things without being very informative at all =) Oh, 3 days of conferences....I am filled with anticipation! =)

Another busy weekend

2010-08-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend was another busy one. On Saturday, Christopher came out, as did Jim's dad Clare, and we worked on getting the rakes made and setting up the studs against the 2 end trusses. This proved to take a lot longer than anticipated, with double notchings on each stud to accomodate the trusses. But, the window is now framed in, and we are now working on the roof! Today, Sunday, Christopher was out again by 9, and by 11 we were all exhausted from the heat and dripping sweat again- today was a hot one, with the temperature up to 91. We got the rakes put in place, and 2 pieces of sheathing on the roof before heading to the Haake family picnic during the hottest hours of the day. But, we were back at 3:30 and finishing up the sheathing on the southern side. The tractor was a huge help in getting the sheathing up! I will be so happy when the roof is finished and nobody is monkeying around on my steep roof anymore- it makes me a little nervous. But- I love seeing the progress! Everyday I am more excited about my cabin =)

Trusses are up!

2010-08-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, the trusses went up on my cabin! Jim, his Dad Clare, Christopher, Wayne and my Dad all came out and helped raise the roof =) I am now able to see where my loft will be, and it is really starting to feel like a house! I am so excited! The bugs were miserably bad, but we got them all set in place in about 2 1/2 hours! Thanks everyone!

Bye, bye Buckthorn, hello view!

2010-07-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Dad and Christopher came over and helped me clear trees- white pine limbs that had fallen, an elm too close to the cabin, maple tree overhangs, and LOTs of buckthorn- a nasty invasive species that now gone, I have really noticed how much of my view it was taking! I can now see from my backyard down into my beautiful ravine, and all the moss and beautiful plants down there. I am loving it! It also clears out the home of many mosquitos and gives me more of a yard!

A busy Sunday!

2010-07-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday we woke up and got quite a few things done...some things we weren't even counting on! Here are some pictures of Jim's "dungeon" as I like to call it- the battery vault for the solar power. These things have had quite the beating the last couple weeks, as this 1,000 gallon septic tank has aquired more than what we expected for water! With our unfilled trenches filling up with water and then making a waterfall into the tank, our batteries have seen better days. We installed a sump pump, and then on Sunday Jim built up the walls so that now we are only getting rain water that falls in that area into the tank. Tarring the tank was not the most fun, and I definiteley had the most tar on me after we finished. Four days later, I am still picking tar out of my nails and off my leg. But- for a water-proof tank, it is well worth it! Here is a picture of what the tank looked like a couple weeks ago! Thank goodness the batteries are in casings and appear to be OK.

While I worked on finishing up the covering for our foam around the slab, Jim worked on getting air bubbles out of the solar hot water. This turned out to be a much bigger project than anticipated with soldering required and spewing hot water everywhere. Not fun. Besides handing him towels, there wasn't much for me to do, so I put my eyehooks on my kayak rack to tie down the yaks, and then finished up my slab covering.

Before...and after.

Our next project was getting one of the empty water tanks onto the truck, so Jim could take it into work and get us more water. These tanks have been working out very well! With a nice shower and brushing my teeth, I apparently use 4 gallons of water- so a 330 gallon tank lasts us quite while. While pulling back the cover off the tank we discovered this on top.....

As Jim pointed out, I had a moral dilema. I don't want mice in my yard, but I can't kill babies.... I moved the nest nearby to an area on the ground where there squeaks can be heard by mama mouse and covered them with some tarp so they didn't get wet. The next day the nest was there but the babies were gone...eaten or moved, I choose to believe the latter. I'm OK with my cat killing them when they are older, I just can't kill anything that defenseless....even something I don't want.
We then riggeed the pump up to the other tank with zip ties so it is now off the ground.

Our next project was sheathing the house. I took a break when my friend Jill, an aid in my classroom showed up with her husband on motorcycle, but we otherwise just hit it and got it done fairly quick. Jim cut out all but one window, which I took the sawzal to yesterday when my mom was visiting so we could sit inside and enjoy the view =)
Overall, I think we had a pretty productive day!

Framing the cabin!

2010-07-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was a busy day, as Wayne, Matt, Christopher and Dad helped me put up all 4 walls on my cabin! Since then, Jim and I have sheathed it as well. We picked up the trusses yesterday, and Thursday looks like the day for raising the roof! It has been a lot of fun seeing things progress, and I am learning a lot! Thanks to all that have helped me so far! I definitely would not be able to do it all on my own. With 2 1/2 more weeks before work....crunch time has begun =) Surprisingly, I am not stressed out by this. I am expecting to get quite a bit done this week, and I am hoping the temperatures drop so I can work outside longer. Apparently it was 94 today, and even with a bit of wind, that is way too much for me. I still put in an almost full day, but it definitely takes too much out of me....so Jim and I went to the movies and sat in air conditioning tonight....and now I am headed to bed with air conditioning. So, to all of you that think I am roughing it out on my land....not really. I am loving it out here!

Changes....

2010-07-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

In the short 2 1/2 months that Jim and I have been dating, we have both made quite a few changes. For him, he took down his wind mill out in Fremont MN due to issues with the county planning department and then moved his 6x10 house- first to the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in mid June, and then to my land out in North Bend. A week and a half ago we poured the piers for it to sit on, and put in a pole for the solar panels on my land. Last week we set up his house, renting a big forklift as it was too heavy for his tractor, and within that same day we hooked up water from 2- 330 gallon water tanks and have pressurized water, and ran the wires to get solar power hooked up. 2 days later, Jim got up early and hooked up the solar hot water panels, so now we have hot water coming out of our shower head hose and can take wonderful showers! We also have a mini fridge, air conditioner and internet here on my land! The last picture shows the tent that my uncle gave me- a 16 foot army tent where we store many things and can have guests sleep =) Yesterday we spent the fourth of July hooking up 2 more solar panels to our pole, making an amplifier so we can have music inside (he taught me how to solder and I got to make most of it), and then taking the truck out to Fremont to get the outdoor shower, where we got stuck in the driveway and met some nice neighbors, Bob and Crystal who helped us out.
I now have my building permit, and the front end loader got fixed on the tractor today, so as soon as it is nice out, I will be renting an auger and starting the piers for my cabin =) My original plans of building a 24x28 foot cabin have been currently put on hold, and I will be building a smaller, 14x16 foot cabin this year. In a way, I guess it is my practice cabin, and may be my workshop or art studio later on. But, it will give me time to figure out which direction my life is headed, and still give me a place to live and be on my land in the meantime. I am pretty excited about it! I was hoping to start sooner, but apparently permits and all that paper work were entirely under estimated. It seems everything takes about 3 more steps and twice as long as anticipated, but I am still excited about all the progress out here. I now have a small flower garden and have been planting a lot of wildflower seeds in one part of my yard I have decided to keep meadow. I have also planted 2 apple trees and 2 blueberry plants, thanks to my Mom. Apparently, I also have TONS of raspberry and black raspberry plants also growing out on my land. I am still hoping to plant pear, plum, and a few more apple and lilacs, but those might have to wait until next year.
The Midwest Renewable Energy Fair was a lot of fun! Jim worked the whole time, but I went off and went to hear speakers about building green, building smart to save energy, composting, building with stone, biodiesel and grey water systems. I came back with lots of ideas and a lot more knowledge about building. I look forward to going again next year!
On Saturday, Jim and I celebrated his Mom's birthday by paddling the Black River. We launched from my crick, and headed south for 22 miles. The temperature was 89 degrees at 7:30 at night when we headed back, so I imagine it was well into the 90's while we were paddling. Despite multiple re-applications of sunscreen we got a bit of sunburn which I still feel when I turn on my side to sleep. It was a beautiful trip though, and I enjoyed seeing more of "my" river =) Today is another rainy day, so I am heading to the cabin to celebrate the 4th with family and eat a ton of food at dad's cabin. I wish Katie a very happy birthday!!

Spring Hike...better than homework!

2010-04-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from a few weeks ago, when my friend Jim took me out to Eagle Bluff to look at some solar panels he set up. We then hiked down to an old abandoned mill from 1920 right along the Root River...I love old abandoned buildings! Spring is definitely here- the grass is turning green and leaves are starting to bud out! With the more recent arrival of rain, which was MUCH needed, things are especially becoming more colorful, and I am enjoying my first real spring in 6 years! Coming from an Alaskan Spring, where the ocean was usually still frozen in May, and many of the trails are too mushy to travel on, to full out summer like conditions here at the end of May, I have really been missing that "in-between" phase! It has been a lot of fun- though I am putting off too much exploring until I get my homework done. Today was my last day of spring break and I used it to work on homework for the last 9 hours...it did help that it has been raining all day. As of next week, I will be done with 6 more credits, which I need to move up on the payscale, and then I will begin spending much more time outside!! Though I don't delude myself too much- I know I will still have a of work to do, figuring out building on my land, which I hope to start in 2 months. Still, my new bike my brother helped me get should be back and completely functional by then, and I am also hoping to break my kayak free from 4 months in the storage shed, and work some more on my yard out on my land. Grandma Bublitz gave me some peonies, flocks, and daffodils yesterday, so I went out and started my flower garden before coming come from Easter with the family!

Checking out the Beaver Dam

2010-01-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I went to my Dad's cabin and we went with Lucy, Trina and Chris, walking along the backwaters to check out a giant beaver dam. It was getting towards the end of the sunlight, and was really beautiful out! Here are some pictures I took- some very busy beavers out there!
Snow on the dam

yep, they have been busy chomping away!!
Trina, writing her name int he snow, on the river ice.

Heading back to the cabin. We then enjoyed some hot buttered rums by the fire outside, and had a reeeeally good meal of "crockpot lasagna" and salad....and many different kinds of cheesecake for desert- I was stuffed! Just thinking about that lasagna makes me hungry again though!

Amnican Falls

2010-01-31T10:07:00.000-08:00

The first week in January, I had yet another doctor's appointment in Duluth. Up and back in one day, for a half hour appointment, if that! But, good news- I got a new "flipper" that I can actually eat with- so my "soft food diet" ended MUCH earlier than expected! Christopher, who made the trip with me, helped me celebrate as we headed to Grizzlies where I got a pulled pork sandwich and enjoyed some chewable food!! We then headed back to Winona, but stopped at Amnican falls along the way for a little hike. It is really beautiful there- and we found this amazing "Ice Monster" as seen in the first picture here!....as far as we can tell, just made from water splashing up into the same spot over, and over again, and freezing. He was about 4-5 feet tall, and our greatest find of the day- though we enjoyed the whole hike =)

Christmas Break!

2010-01-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

Well, with things uploading so slow....I haven't been all that motivated to get my pictures on here- but I will try to put at least a few on now. Christmas break was great! Not a lot of resting- I went to Winona for Christmas Eve, Dad's cabin Christmas Day, and then spent the weekend down in Missouri, visiting Katie, Matt, Aidan and Alaina. I was then back in Winona for one day, and even came back to La Crosse for a couple hours with Christopher to drop off presents and grab some clean clothes, then we headed out to my land where we hiked around. The next day I was off again- this time with Mom up to Duluth for a doctors appointment (check-up after my surgery), and then from there we headed up the Gunflint Trail to the cabin! We stopped at Gooseberry on the way up, and then snowshoed to the cabin, carrying our stuff on a sled that we pulled behind us. We started a cribbage tournament (which lasted 2 days and I ended up winning) and on New Years Eve Day we went snowshoeing out to Bill and Sandy's cabin- it was sunny and beautiful out that day and we had a lot of fun! Hiking back we hit a bit of slush, and my shoes iced up really bad, making travel not as easy (next time I am bringing a knife to chip it off) but otherwise it was a perfect day! After finishing our cribbage tournament we played Scrabble (which I also won) =)....drank a little wine and headed to bed to get up early and watch the sunrise (which we were up in PLENTY of time for as the clock had not been set from daylight savings!). New Years Day dawned pretty cold, with the thermometer reading -10, with a little bit of wind, but it felt good getting out and snowshoeing back to the car. We stopped at a few spots on the way back to take pictures of the fog rising on the lake (Superior) and the ice, and then headed to Eu Claire to celebrate Christmas with Michael, Randine, Maryanne and Mike, and Alex and baby Isaac. I then skipped the New Years party that night with friends to opt for a weekend at home....where I had not really been in a week and a half! Heather came to La Crosse and we did a bit of sledding, which was a lot of fun! So....I have pictures of all these things, but probably won't get much uploaded. I am putting more on Facebook if you are interested! =)

Happy Winter Solstice!

2009-12-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

Things have been busy! We are in our last few days before winter break, and we are trying to finish up a lot of projects...today we made gift-bags for the presents we are making tomorrow- decorating them with sponge paint, and put our names on some ornaments to take home. Last week we made our own ornaments, and there is still plenty of glitter around the room to prove it! Today I managed to get outside pictures of all the kids to use for their presents we are making tomorrow- making frames around them, and putting magnets on them to stick on the fridge. I will post some pictures later....the upload is just really slow and I am tired =) My kids sure are cute though! 2 more days of school and then I get a little break. I stayed a couple hours late today trying to get things ready, finished some Christmas shopping, then went for my first ski of the year (cross country). It felt WONDERFUL! I love getting out skiing, even in the dark.
I had my last surgery last week- where I got my implants. I am really glad to be done with the going under! Just one more step and I will be finished! Though, I do have to wait 4 months until then, and I am on a soft food diet until then....mashed potatoes, yogurt, etc....I have found 13 things I can eat- any suggestions are more than welcome! I am sure this will get really old! But, it is better than the liquid diets I have been on this year! Just hard to go to a Christmas party and see everyone eating wonderful looking food and only be able to eat one thing and just have to look at it....at least I got a bunch of great goodies last week at the White Elephant party- I ate plenty then, and I ate a bunch of fudge out of my fridge last week in preparation for a dreary diet this Christmas. =) My swelling is down a lot though, and I am feeling a lot better today- and finally getting some energy back....though my kids are taking it right away again- ha ha!

More paddling pictures

2009-12-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

2009-12-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took my last kayaking trip of the year. I was a little nervous I wouldn't be able to get out, as more ice had formed than I had originally thought, and one of the places I thought about launching was locked in with ice, but one of the campsites at Merrick was ice free by the shore, so a friend and I put in there. It was a little chilly, but it was a lot of fun- we saw a muskrat, eagles, and lots of evidence of beavers in the area- they have been really busy since August when I last paddled there!

Paddling up onto the ice a little bit =)

a muskrat busy eating

I saw a lot of interesting ice formations

busy beavers..... this is just one spot we noticed

Having trouble uploading more pictures, so will have to upload more later!

Leonid Meteor Shower

2009-11-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

My legs actually feel worn out today! I stayed at work until 7:30 tonight for our potluck/ Thanksgiving program- and then I hiked up the bluff- on the Hixon trails, to go view the Leonid meteor shower. I found a nice lookout there and lay back on the big flat rock enjoying the stars and listening to music for awhile. It took me awhile to realize that the meteors were lower in the sky, and I was better off sitting up to watch them- but laying on the rock for awhile was really peaceful and relaxing. I have been trying to find a better balance between work and play lately, and I have to say, I have been MUCH happier!! I have been getting out and seeing more of my friends, getting more fresh air, and have just generally been enjoying my life more. The last couple months I have felt like a lump on a log- working late, and then coming home and working on more stuff until I had no more energy left- then maybe going out and trying to do something, but being too worn out to even really enjoy myself..... I have decided I would rather be worn out later at night and try to work on things then. After work now I am trying to get outside and do some of the things that just make me happy- and the difference is really noticable in my whole day. Now if I can just figure out which direction I want to go with my life- I still feel like I am trying to refigure things out after this last year.....for now I think I have decided to just go with the flow and see what comes along- as I am too indecisive about what I want to do anyways, and I think I need some time to just relax and sort some other things out. I have been getting back into reading my books, sorted through most of my things and actually have what feels like a home again, and finally feel settled at my new job- now to finish up my surgeries, sort through things on my land, and enjoy my friends and family again!

September Hike with Christopher

2009-10-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hiking in Hixon Forest
A cave that we found...
I almost didn't notice these beady little eyes watching me!
A view from the top.

I was a little nervous about the one year anniversary of Gary's death, and didn't want to spend it alone....even if I have been doing fine....I guess I was afraid all the memories would come back to me. Christopher came to La Crosse that day and spent the day with me hiking....the thing that relaxes me the most. I enjoyed getting out in the sun and seeing all the fall colors....this is the first fall I have seen with big colorful trees in quite a few years!

Oktoberfest!

2009-10-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

For two weekends, and a couple days in between, I celebrated in La Crosse's Oktoberfest- with lots of beer and live music! The first night of festing, I made the mistake of bringing some vodka with me....forgetting about that extra kick it can give you, long after you stop drinking it!! After a bike ride home that lasted much longer than needed, I decided beer was good enough for me for the rest of the festivities! My favorite was definitely the Jim Busta polka band- but the other bands were a lot of fun as well. I have never participated in a real Oktoberfest before, but it was definitely a lot of fun!

This little 2 year old is going to be a future polka star....
The festmaster!
The last night of festivities.....

Yep, we closed it down the last night...
While waiting for a certain person that uses the bathroom a lot, I noticed the festmaster and the whole "royal family" outside the tent. I took a picture of them, and was called over by the festmaster to get a picture with them...I also got an "honorary festmaster" button =)

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I took both my morning and afternoon classes on a field trip to "Grandpa's Garden". With 18 kids in the morning and 16 in the afternoon, it was a full day. The kids each got to pick out their own pumpkin, and the next few days we used them in class to measure how many pumpkins long we were, weighed our pumpkins, and used them in our dramatic play center to sell. We had used the week before to talk about how pumpkins grew, and the different parts of the plant, so the kids were pretty excited to go.
With 4 classes going in the morning, the people running the patch came up with some different activities for the kids to do while the kids waited for their turn on the hayride around the farm (definitely the favorite part!). Here is one of the kids trying out the "balloon lunch"....a giant sling for water balloons...none of the kids got very close to the actual target....but some got closer than others =)

The hayride!!!
Here, "Grandpa" showed us a Native American carving tool that he found on his land....most likely used for scraping skins.

Having our snack....here is one of the little girls with her little sister. Some parents came with for the trip, and a few brought younger siblings along,.

Pumpkin pictures to color...one of the things they had there for kids to do.

Overall, this was a pretty tiring day, but the kids had a lot of fun, and I did too! It was nice that at the patch they talked about how the pumpkins grew, reinforcing what we had been learning that week.
As a school, West Salem does not really celebrate Halloween, so I haven't been doing a lot of Halloween stuff with my kids- but they are pretty excited about it- so we have been doing a lot with pumpkins, spiders and monsters, and the kids have been talking a lot about what they are going to be. I have to admit I am pretty disappointed that I am not in a village, and I won't get to see my kids in their Halloween costumes this year!....one disadvantage to being in a larger community.

Kayaking with Mom

2009-10-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a long time since I have posted anything, and as I have the day off, I figured it was about time I get something on here! =) I have had internet for about a month now, thankfully! I don't know how many times I called my landlords trying to figure something out, and had left at least two letters for them and nothing happened- I never even got a call back. Seeing as I had no time off during the day to go talk to them, I just got frustrated and was looking into getting internet from a different provider. I even tried one out, but they didn't work here as they were blocked by the bluffs. Aaron then wrote them a letter on my behalf and a few days later I had internet...he said the letter was "cordial", but I wonder. It seemed to work though...and I didn't write it, so I don't feel any guilt. I can finally keep up on my bills and get more stuff done! You don't realize how nice the internet is to have until you don't have it....I didn't even realize how much I use it just to get some quick facts.
Anyways- here are some pictures from last week when I went kayaking with Mom- who finally got a kayak of her own- a Current Designs Kestrel- 14 foot. She met up with me here in La Crosse after school, and we headed out to Green Island to try it out and explore. I hadn't been in my kayak in a few weeks, and was anxious to get out and see how the river had changed. We picked the perfect day- as it was almost 65 degrees when we launched...it was quite a bit cooler when we came back, but still a pretty good evening! I wish I could get out more in the fall- unfortunately this is my busiest time of year for work- and I am still trying to figure a lot of things out from moving and my accident =( The weather hasn't exactly been the most cooperative either.....
I have been trying to get out running at night- which I have actually really been enjoying. I like the cooler weather for running, and the stars, and the fact that there is really nobody out at that time. It is more peaceful. It has also helped to calm my nerves and help me sleep...which has been something of an issue for me the last month or so....mostly I just get really frustrated with myself, as it is my head that keeps me awake- and seems like it should be something I should be able to control.
I am settling into La Crosse pretty well though, and I really like my new job! The first month was pretty frustrating and tiring, but I think I am finally starting to figure things out, and so are the kids- things have been going a lot smoother, and I really do have a great group of kids to work with. Hopefully I will start being less busy at times when I am supposed to be done with work and will find more time to just have a life now. I am hoping to find time to make more friends around here, which I think I really need. I have a ton of friends in Winona- but by the time I go and hang out there at night and drive back to La Crosse, I don't have much time to be in Winona- and want to visit my family when I am there too....I really need some more friends that are local, so I can have people to just hang out with in the evenings and do stuff with. I went to a meeting for the Sierra Club this wek- which was really interesting, and I really enjoyed, but I was disappointed that there was nobody near my age involved- they were almost all 50 or older. I think I will stay involved with this group though- as I think they are working towards some wonderful things.
Well, here are some pictures from our paddling trip....I didn't have my camera unfortunately- so these were taken with the camera on my phone! Technology is getting easier! ha ha!

Technology sucks when it doesn't work!

2009-09-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have been without internet for about 2 months now....so that is my excuse! For some reason I just can't seem to get it figured out. At first I thought my landlords might possibly call me back with a reason why my "free internet" has no signal....ha ha ha! Plan #2- get my own....but when you are starting a new job and seldom get home before 4:30 or later, there isn't much time during business hours to get your life organized! Someday soon, I may possibly have a chance to update everybody about what I have been doing all summer....until then....tough luck. When I do get internet I need to do things like pay my bills. Sometimes it sucks being a grownup.

Canoeing with Christopher and Sarah on Tucker L.

2009-07-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Every year, my family heads up to the Gunflint Trail for a family reunion.....it started the year my Grandma turned 80 and we took her up there for a surprise trip for her birthday, and it was so much fun we have continued this every year. This year we headed up July 18th....between my Mom and Step-Dad's cabin, my aunt and uncle's cabin, and one rented from Loon Lake Lodge, all 27 of us had a place to stay this year, though we tended to converge at our cabin, which made for one crazy, loud and fun get together!! As an added bonus, my aunt and uncle from Idaho, and cousin from New Jersey, whom we don't see very often were able to make it out and join us this year =)!! I have many pictures from this trip, but here are just a few from when I went canoeing with my brother and Sarah around 8:30 at night...my favorite time onthe water!
Passing my two cousins, Jenny and Adam
We headed back to where we kept the vehicles, to pick up another 12 pack of Black Label...to those that don't know- the best beer!

Again, have I mentioned that I love being on the water during this time of the day?!!

Strawberry Jam!

2009-06-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

At 8:30 this morning Heather and Christopher and I headed out to pick strawberries!!! We picked 4 gallons, and even with my gimpy hip, and picking right behind everyone else on the same row, I still picked faster =) I was glad for the help though- I don't think I would have had the stamina to get that many berries on my own!
As we were leaving I was wondering if I had gotten enough berries.....

35 jars of jam later, I realize I had gotten plenty! Heather came over to grandma Bublitz's with me, and we spent most of the day working on berries. I even mashed some up into a syrup with lots of chunks to put over pancakes later. I thought about mashing up some more, but Heather quite emphatically told me I was "done". I guess I got a little carried away with strawberries =) But, people will be eating my jam all winter long, and I even have some berries left to make some pies tomorrow! We finally finished up around 5 and then I left to eat my yummy supper of refried beans and sour cream...about the most consistent food I can eat right now on my liquid diet- as it requires no chewing. I thought about taking a nap then, but Christopher was cleaning the house so I joined him, and soon started in on the yard. So much for "taking it easy"...I barely sat down all day! I feel much better for it though I think!

surgery

2009-06-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

The normal side of my face....
And the other.....
Apparently when only one side of your face is swollen, your mouth goes lopsided....
I think I can get these.....it really doesn't look bad- just bruised and swollen a bit. The incision was only about 2 1/2 inches long.
Well, I had my bone graft surgery on Thursday already! The doctor took some bone out of my hip and put it into my jaw in three different places. The surgery was originally going to take 3 hours, with one hour of recovery and then I was told I could leave....but then they were only going to graft bone into two spots. It ended up taking an extra 2 hours and they had to pull out a few more bone fragments....one of them I knew was there, as it had been working its way out and was sitting partly out of my gum line, the other part they must have found while they were doing the graft. There is an 80% chance that the graft will take, and then I will be able to get my teeth implants in 4-6 months, once I am healed up. I am looking forward to having a normal mouth again =) They wanted me to spend the night at the hospital, but I talked them into letting me check out that same day. I am back on a liquid diet for another week and a half, and no alcohol at the moment because of my antibiotics I am on.....I take 4 different medications right now- kind of a pain to remember, but I was supposed to be on a steroid too- I just chose not to take them- they were sort of optional. Overall, I am feeling really good, considering. I am "taking it easy" as advised, but I haven't let it stop me from doing everything- I still manage to make my days productive, and I can walk fine. I am on day 4 of recovery and feel tons better than yesterday- if I feel this much improved tomorrow I will be doing everything again in no time! I had what they call a "Stryker pain Pump" in my side for the first two days- with a tube that pumped numbing stuff into my hip. After two days there was nothing left in there, and as I had left Duluth, I got permission from the doctor to pull the tube out myself rather than drive back up. It was an odd feeling pulling a 6 inch tube out of your hip, but it suprisingly did not hurt. I am now debating if I can pull out the stitches in my hip this Thursday and avoid yet another doctor's visit...I pulled some out of my lip after my first trip to the hospital....that wasn't bad. The ones they pulled out of my chin were more imbedded and hard even for the nurse to get though, so I am wondering what these ones are going to be like. I think I have decided to try and make an appointment for Thursday morning tomorrow and if I don't get it, I will do it myself. I can't do it earlier and don't want to wait around for something like that....fourth of July weekend- I will be off! =)

I give up....

2009-06-29T20:32:00.001-07:00

I am never going to catch up on all the photos and things from this spring! I give up trying. Sporadically I will just post some pictures from things that happened back in Alaska, but from here on out I am just starting afresh and going to try and stay at least somewhat updated. Riiight...it is summer, after all.

village prices

2009-06-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

So while I did make more money while up in the bush...things also cost a lot more! Typically I did all my shopping for the year in Anchorage and then shipped it to my village, but sometimes you just want or need something at the store. I usually only went to the store bout every other week...sometimes only once a month, but each trip inevitably cost me about $30. A big splurge for me, if I was feeling I deserved it was to go down to the store and get a can of pop for just over a buck. Buying in bulk didn't save anything there- a 12 pack was still $12.
Just to give a quick idea....a newspaper, loaf of bread (cheap kind), 2 cans of spagetti sauce, some yeast and some on sale about to expire canadian bacon pieces cost me over $30.

This can opener, far from a top quality one was only $14.99Hmm...ptarmigan....free. No wonder why people in the bush shoot everything. I saw this guy while out on a walk with Mark and Sadie near tank farm.

Pictures by Kids!

2009-06-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

I often let my kids use my digital camera during lab times, so they can get used to knowing how to click and shoot pictures. Many of these pictures are deleted right away, however, some are nice or just downright comical.
My kids thought this was hilarious to write......I thought it was educational =) Yep, it says I love you Huny....my kids spell phonetically, which is appropriate for Kindergarten.
What a lovely hat one of my kids made me.....
After a picture of two each, the camera goes away.....I guess it came to that time.
I really do love "my" kids =) This was a great year of teaching. I had an absolutely wonderful class.

Past Due #2- Skiing to Nex Crick

2009-06-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

While this is working.....more pictures! This is from the following Saturday from the previous post....we had so much fun we had to get out again.... This first picture is of some ptarmigan tracks...think there were a few running around there? Looks like a ptarmigan party to me! Interesting how all the tracks are parallel....

Melody and Mary....
me and Sadie....

One of my favorite views, no matter how many times I see it!

Spring Ski....past-due post #1

2009-06-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from when I went skiing after a big snowstorm with my two neighbors, Mary and Melody....obviously from up in Alaska yet. Pictures are loading tonight! At least I will get a little caught up! Need to head to head to bed soon though. This was a Beautiful day out!.....took Sadie with of course- she had a great time too =)

I know, I suck.....

2009-06-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

I can't help it, things are crazy busy, and this just is not a priority for me right now. When I do try to make time to post, the pictures take forever to load, then quit loading so I just give up....will try again tonight- I really do want to get a little bit caught up and get it off my mind. Also- once the pictures are on here, I can get them onto my external harddrive....granted further free-time I don't have, and off my computer! Almost reaching 9,000 at the moment. I know- it is ridiculous....but I like my camera.....today not so much- it wasn't working for awhile and was really frustrating me! But, it did pull through and I got some awesome shots, which I will post eventually if able....

I am into my last week of my Masters program, so I have a couple very busy days ahead of me...but then one major thing will be off my plate. I am not even attempting working on it right now as my brain is sun fried I think....I spent 6 1/2 hours out in the sun paddling today...will post more on that later, but for now, I will just say I had a great weekend and got outside a lot, which of course makes me happy....as everyone knows.

Tomorrow....last Masters project, re-doing my last project as I realized I was missing a small part, going and getting my accounting stuff figured out for my new job, and helping my brother and Dad plant our garden (?!) Obviously this one will take a back burner, but I hate to not help out, as it will be my garden too, so we will see if I can squeeze in some time and just hit it hard...
Anyways, will try posting a few pictures tonight- but if you don't see them, the computer was going slow again and I lost patience! =) Need to get some sleep so I can get stuff done tomorrow....have been running on very little sleep this week. Nothing abnormal of course!

OK, OK....

2009-06-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

So, I really just haven't been on here and have been way too busy lately! I am finally moved back to Minnesota, and am actually in Missouri right now....headed back to MN tomorrow, then in two days I am headed back up to Duluth for more dental stuff. I have gotten some stuff figured out--I will be having a surgery on June 25th for my bone regrafting....they were pretty optomistic that they could take some bone out from my jaw under where my wisdom teeth were to use...but after further information I am missing too much bone and they will need to take bone out of my hip for my jaw. I'm not thinking it will be too bad....they said maybe I will be on crutches for a couple days, but afer that I am hoping to be right back into doing stuff. I told the doctors I was planning to camp in Duluth after my surgery (because they asked)....but they didn't seem to think that was a great idea. So, I told them I have a friend I could stay with....was still planning to camp, but turns out I may have family coming with me. I doubt they will let me =(....maybe.....

I am moved in with my brother for the time being- going to be working in West Salem next year as a 4 year old Kindergarten teacher. I am hoping to start building my cabin in August, thinking I may get an apartment in West Salem for a little bit, until that is far enough along to live in =)
I am going to start doing a bunch of posts tonight.....really quick with my pictures just to try and get caught up a bit! Will try to stay updated with what I am doing this summer as well.....but I don't get online quite as much when it is so nice out!

Stuck in Koyuk!

2009-05-05T21:25:00.001-07:00

The village of Koyuk....
In a serious attempt to get caught up on my blogging, I am going to really attempt to post at least once a day for awhile!....We will see. These pictures were taken almost 2 months ago (I know!)...when I took a Frontier plane into Nome for Dan and Ethel Karmun's (Gary's grandparents) Anniversary party. A lot of the cousins were going to be there, and even Nellie came from out of town. I took a day off work, but when we stopped in Koyuk first, I never got any further. Upon taking off again the fuel line got disconnected on the plane and we never got altitude and the plane started making funny clunking noises- we had to circle right back around and land....and then I was there.... The villages do not have a building to go into and wait for things...

...unless, you count this, that is. I don't. So, I headed into town as suggested, and was told to come back in "a little bit".....sure. Not really having anywhere to go in the bush, I decided to go to the store. Got myself an orange soda and original flavored skittles- something we don't get in our village =) And one of the few candies, I really still love! I also stopped at the school, where the principal knows me and let me in to use the phone and call the Garrison's, to say I would be late....
I then headed back to the runway to wait....
I looked at the view, and waited......
and waited.....

and waited.....Nobody around, so I kept waiting......
And got bored, so decided to play with my camera.....

How long can I entertain myself this way you ask?

Actually, quite awhile it turns out- but then the batteries die, or get too cold, so you are left with nothing else to do. So, I then wandered around the airport a little....until I noticed somebody coming up. Any information? No. But the guy offered to take me to his house to wait, as it was close to the airport and I wouldn't miss anything. Turns out, I know his wife- a teacher in Koyuk. So, I got to hang out with Heather and she fed me pizza and showed me how to knit better =) We later found out the weather in Nome had gone down, so I was stuck in Koyuk for the night. Heather and Chuck let me stay in their spare bedroom though, and the next morning I made it back on the plane and I just went back to Elim (as I had already missed the party I figured I should just go back to work).

View from the plane.....

I then got a ride on the back of a sled into town- luckily this one had a musk ox hide on it, and I realized how NICE they are for padding your butt while going over bumps!

Thus ends my second plane "adventure" for the year! As another Frontier plane had recently collided into a mountain, leaving one teacher with a broken back, I feel pretty lucky with how mine have turned out!

Mr. Curiosity!

2009-05-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here is my little buddy, Qunguk, whom I added to my family in December. He shares a birthday with Gary, September 24, and has been a great friend to have. He drives me crazy at times, but sometimes I need that! As you can see here, he really likes to crawl into small spaces...wherever he can find them!
Here he is playing with my stuffed bunny that Brian and Lana brought for me when I was in the hospital. He has taken it on as his new wrestling partner....and I will often find it laying in a completely different part of the house from where I left it.
A couple weeks ago, my little buddy (aka Gukaroo, Guk, or Mr. Curiosity) started feeling really sick. He started walking like this and crying non-stop. I was incredibly worried, and called the Nome vet, who could offer me no advice except to try and get ahold of some amoxicillan. I wasn't able to bring him into Nome the next day because the vet was closed on Sunday.....thus one of the things I do NOT like about livig in the bush! The local clinic would not give me amoxicillan for an animal, so I ended up giving him my antibiotics I had from after my surgery- cephalexin. Luckily, I was able to find out (with the help of Katie) that cephalexin is exactly the same thing given to animals as humans. Within a couple days of holding him down and trying to get him to eat some with a syringe (and getting myself pretty scratched up) and mixing it in tuna juice which worked much better, whatever was wrong with him seems to have cleared up and he is completely back to his old obnoxious self.....thank goodness!! My own uneducated diagnosis: a severe urinary infection. Poor guy.
If I bring home a box, this little guy CANNOT stay away from it, and has to see what is inside. Here I got my box of furs from Montana- needed more rabbit skins for my parkie....he was completely happy. His favorite are the small scraps of beaver fur- which he carries all over the house until (lately) he ends up playing with them in his water bowl, where they lay looking like a drowned rat for me to dig out =(

Despite all my efforts, I have not been able to yet keep this little guy off my table =( One of the few places he is not allowed. Here he is lying "in wait"...just waiting for me to turn my back so he can run across it, knowing that I will chase him to spray him with water. At first I started flicking him with water, then a simple water bottle, then a full fledged super soaker (table cloth removed for that period). Next step the bath tub? I have no idea. I have decided I don't want to clean up after the super soaker anymore, and he chewed off the end of my water bottle as a pre-emptive strike..... After being gone for nearly a week, I can only imagine that he is living on that table right now!! Renewal of the battle after I get home....
What a strange guy. He doesn't usually go after my milk- but LOVES white grapejuice!....will even dig in my trash to get it, and tries to get into my cups =(
When he really wants to drive me crazy he keeps playing with my table cloth, knocking it off the table, so that I constantly have to fix it. He likes to crawl under it, like he does the rugs and my blankets......
Happy kitty......! Ha ha! The kids love to come and play with him. Not sure he feels the same, but he has never scratched any of them. He gets a lot of excersise running away when the kids are there =)

"Helping" me with my mail....he likes to spread it all over and chase the paper.....
One of Guk's favorite places....as soon as I open my bag to get out my laptop, he is in there. He thinks this space belongs to him.

Qunguk comes up on the ridge of my tub, when I am taking a bath, and when I am taking showers- either pawing at my toes poking out of the bubbles, or playing with me between the two parts of the curtain. Just like Monster did, he will lay down right outside the bathroom door if I shut him out. With how much entertainment, frustration and joy this little bugger brings me- I am never bored!

Little Visitors....

2009-05-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

I get quite a few little visitors knocking on my door.....some to visit because they are bored, some just needing to warm up.... Sometimes we make cookies together....
Or just have hot cocoa......
Play with things around the house- like my mukluks and ruff....

One day we made snowcones with the fresh snow in the yard =)

And here is my buddy Sadie visiting.....she makes me laugh a lot when she has these booties on. She walks really funny, as she doesn't particularly like how they feel on her feet =)

Biathalon Tournament!

2009-04-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Marie and I right before leaving White Mountain....hmmm- and about 12 hours before my accident =)
About a month ago I headed off to White Mountain, a nearby village for a Biathalon tournament with two of my skiiers. I had more skiiers, but these were the only two still consistently showing up for practices and elligible.... We were picked up a couple hours early, leaving me scrambling to get a sub in there before I left! We were able to work something out though. Our previous ski tournament had been canceled due to weather- so I was glad we were going to be able to go!
Marie was one of the chaperones for the Nome kids, so I was able to spend some time with her that weekend, and also got to see Quinn, Caitlin, Jared and Hannah ski (Gary's nieces and nephews).
Walking back from a tournament.....At first I just thought this was a box with a coat in it, then I realized there was a tiny kid sleeping in there =)
Getting a ride to the store.....some nice local let us hop on the back of his dogsled (behind his snowmachine). While it may have saved us some walking, my hind end was rather glad to be walking back! I forget how bumpy the roads are in WMO...and dogsleds aren't exactly soft unless there are skins thrown down!
Hanging out in the gym most of Friday evening and Saturday while the guns were having trouble being sited, due to the cold, the kids got pretty bored! They wouldn't let the basketballs be out, so kids came up with their own games-like this- penny toss. Friday, Angie was smart and started a giant game of Pickle in the Middle....which had enough kids to make a big circle and a few people in the middle. She wasn't too fond of my tackle moves though.... =) The amazing part is that she was surprised when I almost took her out!
I was not a bit bored while there- I brought my parkie to work on, and got quite a bit done! I also got some reading done....more relaxing than being at home where I have a million things to do. I purposely left my computer at home so I felt free to relax a bit =)
On our way to White Mountain, we flew into Nome to pick up a couple people from Gambell....and they weren't there yet. My kids were ecstatic...as this means we got to go into the cafe upstairs of the airport and they could get slushies!! I guess you have to be from a village to understand what a treat that was.
Starting line of the race.....

One of my kids from Shishmaref! It was really fun seeing them there....and their coach, my friend Angie.
Hannah Tozier
Caitlin Tozier....
Ha ha! I taught this kid in reading my first year teaching....now he is taller than me! And he is only in about 8th grade! I wish there were more kids like him...!
Kids skiing around before bedtime....
The RELAY RACE! For this one, all the schools are mixed up into different teams and given a color to identify themselves with streamers. There is a short race near the river, just for fun, and is sort of the final event of the tournament.

Skiing back up to the school afterwards....
Riding up to the airport.....
Waiting for the plane.
How we get up to the airport.
Flying co-Pilot!....My two skiiers! Great kids and no trouble at all. I would travel with these two anytime! =)

Walk in the Sunshine!

2009-04-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

The weather is getting absolutely beautiful out! I have a hard time staying inside and getting things done. Notice my sleeves rolled up- yep- it is that nice! About 45 yesterday! The sun felt warm! So my neighbor and I headed up to the other side of Baldhead- one of my favorite places to go- and I'm sure I have posted pictures from there before- but here you go again.
A turban to keep the sun out of the eyes!
Notice the snow melting off the mountain!?!

Ski Practice...

2009-04-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of ski practice with my Junior High kids....which ended right before my accident a couple weeks ago. Today I started Elementary practice, which is a lot of fun- and the kids are really excited and motivated. I am a little sad I can't be skiing with them, and have to walk besides them instead, but they quite enjoy using me as a coatrack for discarded clothing when they get too warm! Today was BEAUTIFUL out! Probably about 35 degrees, and things were melting just a bit, and the sun was out fully. i will need to start remembering sunglasses for practice. Today we mostly went over how to fall the right way without getting hurt, how to snowplow and slow down if you are going too fast, and how to walk uphill. We practiced on a smaller hill by the school, that gets some decent speed, and then went on a little ski loop which ended back at the school. At this point I can still keep up with them by walking, as most haven't been skiing yet this year. They were doing really wel though, and they were tired by the time we got back! =)
This is the drift by the school the kids play on. See the door? That is my emergency exit door to my classroom =( It is a little better now, as they attempt to shovel it out every couple weeks or so. Can you see the merry-go-round sticking out of the snow? Some of the kids can use the monkey bars on their knees right now.
My little "helpers". These guys kept me company while I sat around timing kids ski loops before the tournament. Now they are in my Elementary skiing.
They like to play with my big poles.

See the ocean? Not frozen all the way out anymore! The ice that is left will probably stay for quite awhile yet. Remember earlier in the winter when I was complaining about not having enough snow? Well we have plenty now! In what John likes to call "Second Winter" or Winter Part-2, we had tons of blizzards and got dumped on! I think our snow will last for quite awhile this year- as we have even more than last year now (which was quite a bit). I know Nome has had its highest recorded snowfall this year.....not sure how long they have been recording that- but over 100 years I would imagine. So while I can't ski right now....I will be out snowshoeing!

Enough Already!

2009-04-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

My latest adventures the last few weeks have lead some people to state, "I don't think Alaska likes you anymore". True, this has not been my easiest year up here. But, I still love Alaska, and I hope it still loves me=) Last Saturday evening, after returning from the White Mountain ski tournament, I decided to take a spontaneous trip BACK to White Mountain with a couple friends of mine for a day..... we didn't get very far. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, as I blacked out for a minute- but I am pretty sure I just fell off the machine and slammed into another one (not moving of course). Leave it to me to hit the one stationary thing around us at that moment. This led to an even less planned spontaneous trip to Fairbanks where they medivacced me early the next morning....about 4 am. I got to experience the whole stretcher thing and everything- though I had walked right into the clinic and was able to move just fine. I also got to experience morphine- which I think they gave me way too much of. It instantly made my head fuzzy at a time when I was really trying to know what was going on around me.
The next day I spent in Fairbanks hospital...pretty much sitting around hooked up to IVs and getting pain meds I didn't ask for (except on a couple occassions)....and Nellie (Gary's sister) and her husband Brian who live in Fairbanks came to visit me. The next day I found out things were a little more serious than I first thought, and I had multiple fractures to my jaw and somewhere in my face, and was going in for oral surgery to get my mouth wired shut.
And they say- watch your weight and don't lose any. Right. Like I can stay the same weight being on a liquid diet. I will gain it back when I go to Fairbanks May 1st to get my jaw unwired and I can eat anything I want. No thought about calorie intake then- I will be full out gorging myself! And I look forward to it!
I feel pretty lucky nothing irreparrable happened- lost a few teeth- which will be a pain to get fixed- but I can. All in all, in another 2 months I should be back to normal- added a scar to my chin. At least in the meantime I can walk around while I recover, or I would be a bit unbearable.
So- will I "take it easy"? Of course- do not worry! I guess this means I will be a walking elementary ski coach, and my skiing is done early in the season, and I guess I won't be sledding as planned....however- no fear! I have already decided that snowshoeing won't do too much harm- and I have been wanting to get out and do that anyway. Also....ice fishing.....and finishing my parkie- and maybe having enough time to finish a painting I started.....
I am hoping to be back in my classroom next week- but I can't talk too loud, so I may need someone to help me be a voice.....hopefully it will work out.
Still need to update about the ski tournament and Iditarod- will get around to that soon!

I actually look better in these pictures than I do at the moment, as my face just continued to swell and my eye turned black, but it will go back down. I did get stitches in my chin and lip.
I won't show the really good pictures of my teeth here, as I don't want to freak my Mom out....but imagine what a B rated Zombie movie is like! I have a metal brace holding them in now until they aren't so loose....what is a little more metal in my mouth at this point?

Blizzard in Elim

2009-03-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

Some of the drifts go right up to the roof-line.
This is the tractor that plows our roads....in front of our store.

Digging down to our front door- so we can get into our apartments!

About week and a half ago we had a blizzard come through Elim, and all the kids had to be picked up from school by parents. My windows quickly became covered with snow, and I couldn't see much out of them. The kids finally dug out the snow this week by my thermometer, so we can get more accurate temperature readings for our graph. The thermometer was attached to the outside of our window and buried in a drift.

I thought this was a lot snow out our window, until another storm hit and buried it much further. The kids had fun last week after school walking on top of the drift and peeking into my window....it was rather amusing to look out the window and see their feet going by.

Doubt

2009-03-15T01:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend I have really been thinking about what it will be like to move back to the lower 48. Before I had concentrated on all the good things about moving back- building my cabin, family, cheap pet food and fresh milk, fruit and veggies, a river out my backdoor, the ability to take real vacations during the summer, being able to play music loud anytime I want- as there is no neighbor on the other side of the wall, used bookstores and record shops, getting to use my LPs, having more people to visit and more things to do....

But, as anyone who knows me knows- I really do love the bush. Sometimes it is hard for me to transition back to life in the lower 48....and I haven't even been back for more than 2 months- so it is just like a vacation. What is MOVING back going to be like for me? Sometimes I just can hardly handle "civilization" as some call it! I know some people can't imagine coming up to the bush and having to deal with some of the things that are normal for me- but think about this- would you really miss these things?

-not being able to walk everywhere you NEED to go (including work)- if your car breaks down you are really in trouble.
-putting tabs on your car, getting insurance, making sure you have an updated insurance card, making sure no lights are out so you don't get pulled over, having to replace your windshield because the cops say so, even though you can see out of it just fine, having them tell you you have an expired license though you have a new one to show them
-traffic jams, road construction, stoplights, speed limits
- not having stockpiles of basic supplies, so running out and needing to go get more
-not knowing who your neighbors are- thinking it would be odd to stop and talk to a stranger on the street...or them thinking you are odd
-not being able to walk one or two blocks and be out of town
-Having to follow trespassing rules for open land- not being able to just go anywhere you want
-not having free internet because you don't live right by the school
-worrying about how the economy is going to affect your job
-being inland and not seeing the ocean
-dealing with family being upset you don't visit enough
-not having enough snow to snowshoe most of the winter
-Having to travel to get to the ski trails- not going right outside your door
-The sun setting at 9 during the summer, rather than being able to be out fishing at midnight
-Having hooded sweatshirts not be "professional enough" at work
-Following city ordinances
-Having to see cop cars...maybe even have them follow you, just waiting for you to make a mistake
-Not being able to make instant friends with people you recently met, and have those friendships be lasting
-Not hearing great adventure stories from most people you meet
-People more interested in discussing things to buy than what they can make or how they rigged something up
-Having to mow your lawn
-Not having wild berries grow everywhere around you
-Having to really wait for a bite while fishing

Am I ready to move back and have to deal with all these things again?! I am sure I will manage, but it is starting to hit me that I will miss the bush more than I gave time to think about. I feel truly at home here, I love my job, and nature is all around me. I get out and do something away from the village almost everyday, because it is so convenient to get out and away....I fear moving back I might go crazy! Good thing there is the Mississippi there, and after I get my cabin up, I think I will fit in there pretty good. With all my land and space, I might be able to get away from a lot of the things that I dread about moving back....

Fun with kids

2009-03-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

After school I typically get quite a few visitors.....a few days ago they had fun playing on my computer and trying out the photobooth...which is always a big hit!

Flight Home!

2009-03-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

The flight home on March 1 was beautiful- it remained bright and sunny all day! I took some pictures of the ice cracks, and of Elim from the air.
When the plane picked me up in Unalakleet I looked inside and noticed some familiar looking kids- Shishmaref!! My friend Steve was on his way back with some kids from Anchorage, so we sat in the back and talked and played a Kung-Fu card game on the trip to Elim =)

A great day to be in Elim!

When I landed, they were loading up a sled with a dogfood drop for the Iditarod- which would be starting in Anchorage the next week. The Elim checkpoint is by the volunteer fire department....just near this picture.

Snow and Ice

2009-03-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, while I was in Unalakleet, the sun came back out and it was a beautiful day! I took a walk down to the beach while waiting for the plane to take me home.
I like how snow forms on the ice, and how it looks so many different ways, so I took some pictures.

Mexican Party

2009-03-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

While in Unalakleet, I attended a Mexican themed birthday party. I was glad they let me crash the party. I had fun getting to know people on the Unalakleet staff better. My costume was a rabbit fur mustache =) A scrap I had left from working on my parkie, which I had brought along to work on in my free time. Unfortunately, my mustache kept falling off everytime I smiled or laughed, which was a lot! Eventually I had to take it off.

snowdrifts

2009-03-05T09:57:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures I took walking around on Saturday evening after the blizzards had stopped and the sun was coming out! People were out shoveling all over =)

This was the drift I hiked through to get to the school. By Sunday it had compacted and you could walk on top of it- but on Friday it was still soft and hard to get through!
Some houses had their doors completely covered with drifts.

pictures from UNK

2009-03-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

This is what it looked like in Elim when I left on Friday....hazy but some visibility.
This was in Unalakleet after I landed....and we got stuck.

This picture was taken Saturday night- still on and off blizzarding, but not quite as bad.