Neighbors

My new neighbors are very quiet and the little one is super cute. I'm hoping they stay for awhile, it's fun watching the calf wobble around!

Volcanic ash in my back yard!

We have tons of volcanoes here in Alaska and recently Mt Redoubt has decided to blow it's top, repeatedly!! It has disrupted tons of flights in and out of Alaska. I'm so thankful we didn't have any recent travel plans! After one of the eruptions the resulting ash cloud reached Anchorage and gave the city a nice layer of grey ash.

Winter Fun

Last week my friend Monica and I snowshoed 3miles to a cabin at Eklutna and spent the night. It was a glorious sunny but cold day on the way to the cabin but it got way colder that night -20F. That wouldn't have been a problem IF we could have kept the stove running hot.

Me and the infamous stove which I burnt my pants on while getting close to try and get warm! =(

Such a gorgeous day!!!

New Years - 2008

To celebrate the New Year we lit off fireworks at midnight in -27F. It was butt cold and I soon lost all feeling in my fingers, go figure. The guys started the fire the good way, with lots of gasoline =) and we all took turns lighting fireworks. I borrowed some of Becky's BP Arctic gear to stay warm while Storman had to wiggle himself into my jacket, way to small for him, hence the michelin man look!!!

Storman safely lighting a bottle rocket, not.

Christmas

Here are some belated Christmas shots. I made it to PG this year and had a very good Christmas with Storman's family. It went by way too quickly and like most holidays I ate way too much. I got to try porcupine for the first time and it was very tasty!!! Storman's grandma made it for Christmas dinner.

Storman and I went snowshoeing one day and of course I picked the windiest day to go. It was blowing 20-30mph and was brutally cold when you were out in the open. Thankfully the majority of the time we were in the trees!

Isn't this tree topper cute!! I love it, Storman made it when he was 8.

Moose hunting

Last summer I got to go moose hunting with Storman and his dad in Port Graham. They didn't want to be found that day, too bad as they are tasty and it would have been a cool experience. Hunting requires a lot of patience and I'm not sure I have enough of it =) and of course I got cold...big surprise there!!! It was fun listening to Storman and his Dad try to call in the moose. Storman's Dad used a coffee can with a string in it and Storman use'd the shoulder blades to imitate a moose rustling and banging in the trees. Here Storman is imitating a happy moose and then a slightly agitated moose.

It's amazing how many trees and shadows look like animals!! I found tons of tree moose!

I think this tree was a porcupines snack. I did not see the perpatrator and I recently found out that they are quite tasty!!!

House - After

As you can see it looks a lot nicer with the wallpaper!!! A friend of ours retextured the walls in the living room, entry way, family room and laundry room and then my dear mother primed it all when she came in august. 8hrs of solid priming, she's too good to me! And then she even consented to paint more once I had picked out some colors. She's a saint!!!

We are slowing getting rid of the yellow appliances. Storman's parents bought us the new oven which I love, so now we just have to replace the lovely yellow toilets...

House - Before

Ok, for those of you who have been asking to see photos of our new house here they are. These are the before pictures. Gotta love the seventies yellow appliances and the previous owners love of wallpaper...I'm not sure what they were thinking!!! Removing the wallpaper was easy it was the getting the thickly applied paste off that caused a lot of angst!! Thankfully we had extra hands to help, thank you Tamsin and Fran!!! My favorite wallpaper was in the laundry room but Storman wouldn't let me keep it up =(. What a meanie!

Kennicot Mine - August 08

The weekend before my wedding I took trip to Kennicott Mine with my mom, sister Sarah and friends Curt and Andrea and their son Cole. It was a long drive but we survived the rain, flat tire and had a great time. Along the way we stopped at Independence Mine in Hatcher's Pass.

Cole is enjoying some freedom from the car seat in Chitna before we started the 60mile long dirt and very bumpy road to McCarthy. At mile 36 we got a flat...not fun but with some help from a passerbyer we got the spare on and made it to McCarthy!

We learned that this trestle bridge had a catwalk under it so we stopped and played for awhile. It was 300 ft above the river so it was a little nerve wracking for me to walk on it. Sarah had no problem and was actually running and jumping. Crazy girl. Mom ever the adventourous one even got up on it!

Kennicott Mine is about 3miles from the town of McCarthy and is an old Copper Mine. It's well preserved and the scenary is breathtaking. We took the mine tour and I decided I wouldn't have made it in the working conditions!!! I'm such a wimp. I need heating and would have died in the

cold temperatures!!