At Home…in Alaska

Archive for September, 2004

So our basement will stop flooding!

It’s almost as bad as this past Spring…

with a little hail thrown in yesterday. Wish the weather would be one or the other. Although, since it’s partly rain, the temps have been warmer (relatively speaking) than they could be this time of year. Too wet/not enough snow for winter gear…too cold without it. So, we’ve been doing a lot of staying in. That’s ok though. Getting reaquainted with the puzzles and games in the closet, plenty of time to finish good books…and then there is always the housework that was neglected over the summer.

The chickens were warmer last night. They spent it in the garage in the carrier. You should see them in that carrier now compared to when they were babies! LOL But, they are all cozy sleeping together and I’ll make a little “fenced” area soon around it so they can get out and stretch soon. There may be some poop making the garage smell real nice but all the more incentive to get that coop done (double) ;). Actually, it’s nearly done. Needs some insulating and doors and a few other things (getting some straw, etc.). Dh is the one who suggested bringing them into the garage so whatever mess is made he is aware and graciously offered the space. Since his business is based out there, I didn’t want to presume or impose. But, *something* had to be done as one of the birds was pretty shivery and was favoring one foot. Hope it wasn’t frostbitten. She seemed to be using it well after they were used to the new surroundings and brave enough to come out after a while. I think she’ll be fine. I’ll inspect a little more closely when I go out when I’m done here.

Which, I think I am…done here that is. After the busy weekend, I’m going to let the children sleep in which means I have time for a in-depth QT. I’m really enjoying Martha Peace’s Attitudes of a Transformed Heart
and it’s due back to the library today so I have to get busy and get it finished! After that, the usual routine…breakfast, laundry, school work, laundry, lunch, laundry… LOL Which reminds me, if you haven’t listened to Sora’s song (Sep. 25th post), you really must!! (I was made aware of it via Carmon’s blog.) Dh and I were just dying with laughter - it wouldn’t be so funny if it weren’t so true!!

Ok, ok. I really am outta here this time…

Ciou!

No, this isn’t SNL…

It was decided that we just weren’t prepared for the whole family to go. Amongst the things I listed before, all the snow gear was packed in the shed and it would have been foolish to not have it with us “in case”, etc.

As it turns out, my parents were tentatively supposed to go on a hunting trip and because of the miserable weather decided not to go. They were intending to stop in after their hunt anyway but that wouldn’t have been until this evening or Mon. evening. So, we (me and the children) were available and they came late Sat. afternoon/evening and we were able to have a nice dinner and visit.

It also turns out that that dh got to the texture portion of the job he was doing on our friends house and it had to, obviously, dry thoroughly before going on to painting, etc. He came home late Sat. night. The weather had turned warmer and the snow was melting and it was raining so even though it wasn’t the best of weather at least it wasn’t still snowing or icy conditions and so the driving wasn’t bad.

So, it all turned out well. Sometimes you are just left stumped and wondering but mostly it’s because of conflicting feelings getting in the way. Once you settle that you just have to do what you have to do and accept it, it’s easier to see the whole situation in the proper perspective and more clearly.

We have had a delightful Sunday enjoying each other’s company - husband and grandparents included!!

Hope all of you have a good one too!

A blessed coming week to everyone!

We are currently in the midst of our first snow fall! There’s about a quarter inch right now and it seems to be sticking…

I need boots. I’ve needed them for a while. I have a pair of old clod-hopper leather hiking boots from the early 8o’s that still serve me well…but they aren’t very stylish. I have to be very choosey due to severe frostbite back in highschool…long story I’ll spare you from for now. Anyway, to find the “perfect” boot is a challenge…stylish, WARM, and tall enough for several inches of snow. Hmmm… LLBean had some I liked last year but the tall part they weren’t. I’ll keep searching…meanwhile, don’t look at my clod-’hoppers! LOL

The chickies are freezing their patooties off I’m sure. The coop is 3/4 finished and my dh wants to go out of town (helping friends witht their house still). So, we’ll probably put them in there and put some plywood over the open end and give them a light and call it good. I still don’t have a decent waterer for them. Been using an old pan all summer. But, I need something that will hold more and won’t tip.

Sigh. We aren’t ready for winter…and it’s not just the chickens. Yard clean up is half done. The pool needs to be put in the shed, bikes put up, the temporary greenhouse torn down… Can you tell I’m dragging my feet about leaving? Dh did suggest he go alone like last weekend but he wants us to go and we want to be with him too. There’s just so much to do here that he needs to help with that even if I stayed a lot of it still wouldn’t get done…

Ok, now I’m close to complaining so I’ll leave it at that. It’s Brianna’s bday and I want her to have a happy one although we won’t be celebrating really until next weekend when my parents come up.

Off now…to do I don’t know what…

to our dear Brianna!

A bit of a spark, a bit of a challenge…but every bit our girl! We thank God every day for putting you in our family and we know you do the same!

We love you bunches!!!

this weekend but no snow - thankfully!

Feeling rather lethargic. Noticing the decrease in daylight too. The sun is rising about quarter to 8am and setting about 8pm…so a little over 12 hrs of daylight. Not big deal for some of you but a significant difference to us here. Pregnancy has a lot to do with it too of course.

Anyway, just trying to maintain enough energy to accomplish what’s necessary today. My spirits aren’t down though - which is good. I’m just operating in s-l-o-w-m-o-t-i-o-n… Which makes me not very talkative…

snow? rain? fog?

When I got up this morning, it looked a lot like snow today. But, it was too warm. I knew it was warmer because it wasn’t so biting this morning…my fingers and toes didn’t feel like they were going to fall off. Sure enough, it was in the mid 40s. So…what was it going to do? Overcast all morning…was the temp going drop and it would snow or not? Nope. It stayed fairly warmish all day and…it rained. And rained some more. I think it’s still raining…can’t really tell at the moment because the evening temps are dipping and there is a pea soup fog out there. Actually, I’m about to find out because I have to check the chickies and batten them down for the night. When my dear older son saw the fog, he excitedly told all us about it and then when he saw me with my coat, he said, “Oooo, what does it *feel* like out in fog?” with big round eyes. I think I’ll take him with me.

Yesterday morning, about 8am I guess, I heard a coyote yipping and howling…very close. Interesting. First time I’ve heard that in the 7 yrs we have lived in this particular house. Started seeing one beginning last winter. Brought back some childhood memories as we heard them “all the time” where and when I grew up. Wolves too…sometimes right out the back door. Our city has really spread out in the last decade+ that I’ve lived here. Moving up into the mtns more…encroaching farther on wildlife territory. Thing is, here in AK, it’s all around us. We are right up against it all the time. It’s not like the States where most wild stuff was driven out (for all intents and purposes) long ago. Even driving through the most “country” of places down in the Lower 48, there is still evidence of civilization where up here we still have vast tracks of land that are relatively untouched/no evidence of human-kind. More and more people are moving here and less and less moving away (of those that have been born and raised) so the “pristiness” is decreasing but it’s still a “rustic” place to live for the most part despite our modernity and cultivation. (We don’t live in igloos or get around by dogsled (at least not here in town ), have the latest in technology and styles, our theatre has top current dramatists, orchestras, dance, etc.) But, many people still like their log cabins, older vehicles, hunt and fish for subsistance, etc. Interesting cultural mix we have here.

Anyway, miss those things (associated with a more rural lifestyle) and hoping harder for a country/remoter parcel of land in the (nearer) future.

weekend out of town. Back yesterday afternoon. Tired. Busy week. Trying to get back on track…academics, laundry, etc. May go out of town again in a day or so.

Feeling pretty well for those who have asked. Mild nausea on occasion is all besides getting a bout of sleepies in the afternoon sometimes.

Sorry I can’t chat longer. You all know how it is I’m sure.

We lost a chicky. They (4 of 6) escaped sometime on Wed. afternoon when we were focused on our academics. I constantly look out the window and check on them and I kept seeing heads bobbing around in the playhouse through the window…but then it finally dawned on me that there were only two heads…and it seemed to be the same two. I was out in a flash to check for sure…and sure enough, only two were there…the wire had come away from the side of the playhouse…a nice wide gap for birds to walk through. I ran around the backyard, ran around one side of the house, ran around the frontyard, ran around the other side of the house. There, at the corner of the garage pecking in the dirt were two (what is it about THAT side of the house and THAT corner of the garage?!) and I shooed them back to the backyard and their pen. Looked high and low on our property for the other two, finally called the children out to help. We tramped through the trees and bushes and got as close to both neighbors places without trespassing. Got some feed and shook and shook the container. Tramped through the woods behind our property. All to no avail. We were pretty anxious and distracted now and couldn’t get back to our school work. So, we sat out in the pleasant weather on the deck reading…and listening. The neighbor to the west came home and started wash his vehicle. Whether the chicken was in his yard and he didn’t know he scared it or he did on purpose, we heard a fluttering and flapping and a “crash” through the trees between our houses and a few seconds later our Aruacana-but-not-one came around the side of the deck as if she went out for this afternoon stroll every day!!! Yay!! We waited and watched all the rest of the evening until it was dark. No chicky. No chick all yesterday either. It would be a miracle if she came home now…but we all still have a glimmer of hope. My husband suggested we should organize one last “search party” for one last ditch effort in finding her… Perhaps we will when he gets home. It’s hard for me to cover much ground with “littles” in tow. We were planning on going out of town for a night or two… Without the coop, I can’t really. I’m not sure when or if he’ll get to it today… I’m having a hard time with it not being done a week or two ago when we “planned” to do it… Trying not to think grouchy thoughts about this having been prevented if only it had been done… If she does happen to be alive, to have escaped cats, dogs, owls, coyotes, hawks, etc. then I feel bad because the nights are pretty cool now…down into the mid 30’s on average if not freezing. Sigh. It seems funny to be praying for a chicken…but my prayers are joining my children’s for her. I feel bad too because it wasn’t one of “mine” but my eldest’s bought with her own money. I’ve given her one of mine of her choosing…it helps a little but still it’s not the one she got to pick out for herself initially… Sigh again. On a practical note, I’m disapointed also because I was really looking forward to 6 eggs/day (if we were fortunate to have top production). That’s the absolute bare mimimum for our family as far as I’m concerned. I already don’t do as much baking as I want (or feel I need) to sometimes, etc. because of cost and inconvenience in getting them anyway if I run out (sharing a vehicle, dh forgetting to pick them up, etc.) Anyway, Boo-hoo. I’m despondent…over a chicken. Silly bird.