NEED LESS PROJECT Underway!

This week began in earnest our, what will heretofore be called, NEED LESS PROJECT! We have worked all last week on painting and siding our garage. Yes, it's cold here, so that is why we are painting inside and hanging the painted siding outside. It does present some issues that will have to be addressed later such as painting all the scratches and nails. It still looks better than Tyvek! It's also much easier to paint horizontally as opposed to vertically!

Oh yes! I have been pushed into the realm of power tool usage. It's a little daunting to use something that can saw my leg off, but I'm fortunate to have a very safety minded teacher. As you can tell below, we have opted to forgo the "ladder of death" in favor of a slightly better option of a real extension ladder. It's still scary to me, but my fearless leader is undaunted.

In case you were wondering, this is our garage "loft" that happens to have a 12/12 pitch. That's really really really steep. We still have to put on the soffits, but all in good time!
On an inside note, we have also been working on redoing our spare bedroom. It's a tiny little room that just fits a bed and a dresser. It really needed some work. Talk about selling to motivate one to fix things up! We figure if we don't sell, we'll have an incredibly nice place!

Seriously. People post signs like this up here. We can't quite figure out if 1st grade exists or if the meth use just eliminates that year from people's brains. Don't make fun. You have these people in your neck of the woods, too!

Artist at Work

We've been fortunate during this time of less formal employment to have picked up some projects that have provided well for us! Pat had a project of a handrail to build for some friends of ours. This particular handrail was for a spiral staircase, but needed to go on the inside curve along the wood post on which the stairs stood. After much thought and figuring, he came up with a beautiful design and asked me to help! Oh dear.

Yep, that's me! I thought I really looked like I knew what I was doing here. Actually, I had a very good teacher who set me up to not fail! He's good like that.
I thought he was pretty genius in the design and execution. I'm not biased or anything.
He took it in and installed it soon after it was completed. It turned out gorgeous and fits the home's rustic but craftsman feel!

Puppy Lovin'

While we contemplate our lifestyle change (that sounds wrong, somehow...!), we are engulfing ourselves with puppy therapy. They are quite the little playful critters now with most of their teeth very clearly in use. One might say that your fingers are left out at your own risk. Though they play hard, they crash hard! It's when they snuggle up and fall asleep that we just fall in love!

We laugh at their silly positions chosen for sleeping. They seem to like to dig into the couch cushions, but in your arms, limp they go! (Focus on the puppy, not the bed-hedded, bath-robed woman in the shot.)

Crazy

A crazy idea hit us in recent weeks.

It really began about a month ago when we first began to receive unemployment checks. There seemed to be a small amount of stress at this time, and I'm not being sarcastic. It wasn't a lot of stress, just a little. Our budget tightened and we began our typical use of our reserves that are saved for just such an occasion. This was when our focus also shifted from our own finances to helping my sister and her family with adoption expenses. That was a fabulous distraction that helped to teach us that we would like to be able to use our talents/time/treasures to help others more often.

Here it comes!

We are seriously considering selling our beloved home to live much more simply. The idea of using our finances to help others instead of paying our bankers is much more appealing. The plan is to sell our home and use the profits (no loans) to purchase land and build a small cabin. Eventually, we could build a house and shop again, but only as our cash on hand allows. We've also considered that we may like the simple cabin life and choose to spend the money saved elsewhere on others.

The reasons for this endeavor are many. One is the type of work which Pat is involved is seasonal construction. It is a "feast or famine" industry. By owning our own home from day one, we would avoid any stresses to make our mortgage payment when times are slim. Those slim work days may also allow for more travel when we are not strapped to our banker. We may eventually be able to spend much more time, especially during the holidays, visiting family and friends. This potential freedom may also allow for more extensive travel if that is where we are called. Another major reason is the massive amount of interest one pays during the life of a loan. After 2 years of paying roughly $1000/month, we have only paid down (with extra principle payments) $5000 of our principle. That is a huge amount of money simply given to the bank. Think of what we could have done with that much! Nevermind, don't. It makes us a bit queasy. We also feel that this is something that God is calling us to do. We have the potential to live completely debt free and free from the enslaving payments! We like that idea of freedom. It also frees us from relying on economic situations to protect our assets. If we own it all, it doesn't matter as much what the selling price could be. Oh, and last but not not least, Pat has always wanted to build himself a little cabin! Seriously. You know how he is.

I'm a bit surprised at how on-board I am with all of this. I truly love the idea of not making payments to anyone. Think of how much more we could do with all that interest money! I'm a huge numbers person, so I'll be excited to see that build in the bank accounts and see interest GIVEN to me, not taken! I won't lie and say I'm loving the idea of leaving our home. I love it here. I love our views and the opportunity to walk across the lake in winter and canoe it with the dogs in summer. It's a gorgeous park-like setting, but I'm not sure it's worth it. I'm also a little concerned how I'll do in a small cabin. I like those for camping and such, but for years? It could be interesting. I'll be sure to chronicle it all for those interested in seeing one who is a bit claustrophobic and has a bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder to survive such circumstances! Happy thoughts, happy thoughts (big numbers, big numbers...)!

We are a ways from implementing this plan, as we still have projects yet to be completed on the house in which we currently live. We are just in the beginning phases and are researching cabins and vacant lots and acreages. I also need to research the housing market up here and prepare for that daunting task.

Crazy? Possibly. Insane? Not as insane as all that interest and stress. Simple? Yep. Easy? Not likely! Worth it? I'd bet on it.

Can I just take my stove?

December

Christmas has come to our home! The decorations came a while ago, but yesterday and today was part of a gift we gave to Jesus. I'll have to explain that in detail a little bit more later! In the meantime, I have felt renewed Christmas Spirit, and thought you might like to see our Alaskana Christmas decor!
Quite an eclectic mix of traditional/lodge. I don't know if HGTV has that in it's style category. I tend to think we don't really fit any category!

Yes, this is the bunny that taunted me just after Rowdy brought me, unaided mind you, a snowshoe hare. The difference between a hare and a rabbit is simply that a hare is born with hair! Rabbits are born "naked." A visual difference between adults is the bunny above has shorter ears, smaller feet, and a fluffier tail than a snowshoe. By the way, this little fella hopped around in between the garage door, shown above, and the deck of the house just feet away. When we get low in the freezer, this guy won't stand a chance!
On the off chance that you were curious as to our driving conditions, I paused on my way home to take a picture from my driver's vantage point. As you can see, the road is fairly snowcovered and yes, it's slick. Once the first snowfall is over, people tend to remember how to drive on such roads and it's relatively safe. The biggest hazard is moose who pop out of nowhere in the dark and on such roads, it is extremely difficult to avoid them. This is why we have the roadkill meat programs. Yep, you heard it right. We eat the roadkill! Typically churches are called after the H.P. is alerted of a kill. Our church then has a list of potential helpers to go to the site, collect the carcass, and bring it somewhere to harvest. Only the salvageable meat is taken which can vary. The meat is then either wrapped there, or taken to a processor and left at the church for anyone who has need. I wouldn't turn it down any day. I think it's still a cleaner meat than chicken!
The other day the sunset was so breathtaking that I had to go out and try to capture it. I was utterly unsuccessful. As beautiful as these pictures may be, they don't hold a candle to what I really saw. As black & white as our landscape seems to be at times, the color of the sunset was more than fabulous.

The light was fading into the horizon around 3:30 or so, and as it's now the shortest day of the year, these few hours of daylight are not to be missed.

To all our peeps:

We knew you wanted to see some puppy pictures! I admit, it's been a bit more rough for me for lack of sleep, but we should be arriving on easier times very soon. We seem to have a suspiciously large yellow male pup. We think he keeps eating other puppies. Seriously, he's huge. We, as in Bella, also has a "size impaired" yellow male pup. He's a cutie and seems to do just fine, but is about half the size of "Brutus." Yes, that's what I call the ginormous one. The rest seem to be within the realm of average and are squealing a lot, trying to bark, and generally eating as often as their momma will hang out in their den.
Elmer Fudd has arrived this winter. Fortunately, Rowdy has befriended him and has proven himself invaluable in retrieving the "harey" beast. It's a good thing Elmer is wearing his camo. He doesn't stand out at all, huh?!
Tonight we relived Thanksgiving Dinner by cooking up our turkey that Pat won at the men's turkey shoot, and all the fixin's! I did have to call my sister and get my niece, Sydney's recipe for her berry pie. Its secret ingredient that I will reveal to you all, is the white chips put on top when the pie comes out of the oven! YUMMY! Thank you Sydney! Pat loved it!

Puppy Day!

In preparation for being inundated with puppy pictures after today, I will start with the most recent photos of us and our "puppies!" Just the other day, after refusing to cuddle with Pat, I jumped in the chair and Bella followed right in. I think Pat felt bad, but what could I do? She was feeling the need for some cuddling and being hormonal, I was her choice! She hasn't completely avoided Pat, but it was a clear preference for me! Have you noticed how big she was? That was an ordeal being in the chair with her. I didn't win in the surface area fight. She was much more comfy than I.
Lest you think Rowdy doesn't get much attention, he gets lots of lovin' in that chair. Especially when our friend, Dean comes over! I think Rowdy gets really excited to see Dean, because he knows he'll get some good cuddle time!
So, for now, this is all. We have one little yellow female who has made her presence known, and many more to come. The day is just beginning and the puppy pictures will thus commence, though I'll try to postpone too many until they become much cuter in a couple weeks!

Alaska to Africa

Small Crosses: 7 3/4" x 5": $10.00
In an effort to try to help raise money for my sister, Pat is selling these handmade items. Why does my sister need money? She and her husband are bringing home their youngest son from Ethiopia. This process has been and continues to be an expensive endeavor. God has provided in amazing ways, and if you would like to participate in His provision, please let us know. Pat is taking custom orders, at least as much as is feasible! The items are listed with their prices, and the shipping will be extra if you live outside the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Keep watching, as there will be new items added in the future!
Large Layered Cross: 18"x11": $40.00
All profits will go to this family who are awaiting their newest arrival!

Pat's Roadkill

At 7:10 AM, I received a call. It went approximately as follows:

P: Hi Babe.
M: (groggily) Hey, what's up?
P: (calmly) I hit a tree.
M: (deciphering if he's serious or not) Are you serious?
P: (seriously) Yeah. I'm serious.
M: (concerned) Are you O.K.? Do you need me to come get you?
P: No. I'm alright. I just drove over it.
M: (relieved and annoyed) What?
P: A tree fell over by Charlie's place. I didn't see it in time and I drove over it.
M: Ah. Is the car O.K.?
P: Yeah. It was only about 4" in diameter. You'll see it on your walk today.
The remnant of the roadkill spruce Pat hit this morning. It seems that Charlie worked early to clear the carcass. Perils of living in Alaska.

A Walk in My Park

Yes, it finally snowed! It is not "normal" for the snow to be this late, but I must say, it is fashionable. Snow makes it substantially brighter, so I am much happier as of late. I did begin to remember, however, that walking in snow is like walking in sand. Much tougher!
I had thought I was far from the winds of Kansas, but I was recently proved wrong. We've had a bit of a "breezy" start to our wintry weather, and due to the prevalence of the Spruce Bark Beetle, Spruce trees have met with a decidedly definitive end. The trees are extremely tall and have very slender builds. They didn't stand a chance against the gusts off the sea. This scene was repeated more often than my legs preferred, as I was required to step over or try to find a path around many more fallen trees than usual. How can I tell which trees were newly fallen? If you look above, the tree that broke has very light wood. If it has been down very long at all, the wood grays and dulls. It's bright and golden if it is fresh, though fairly rotten (how's that for an oxymoron?!).
I often find the Alaskan woods quite unique with mosses hanging from trees with snow clinging to it. It seems a contrast in nature. Not so! We haven't had that much snow, unfortunately, as the grass is still able to withstand it's weight.
Those Kansas gusts did more than just inconvenience my walking path. Besides the couple of trees that had apparently fallen in the roads and pushed aside by earlier motorists, we discovered we had a tree that was pulled out and leaning towards our neighbors. Fortunately, we (O.K., just Pat) went over and promptly removed the tree from their property and stacked the remaining pieces and burned the slash in our fire-pit. We were thankful that this was the only tree that fell, and it did no damage to us or the neighbors.
Today was the first day I ventured out onto the pond. I've stepped out on it before, but was cautious as I could see very clearly the floor of the pond from the ice. I know in my head that it is frozen solid, and clear ice is the best quality, but it was just too unnerving to walk across. It now has a couple inches of snow covering it, so it seemed much safer! I did check a few places along the way, just to make sure of the ice thickness and found this fascinating flaw an inch or two below me. I was actually looking for frozen, suspended lily pads, but this was also interesting. Below is the view of our place from across our little Walden. (A fascinating side note: we discovered today that our home was the original homestead on the entire lake. I felt a bit proud of our little house!)
And finally, the sun began to set (at about 3:00, here) and throw it's colors across the sky and snow. It was captivating in person, much less so in a photograph. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of snowshoes (story on that later!), and about three more feet of snow!

The Rookie

We have this garage that doubles as a shop. (Pat has informed me that it is a shop that doubles as a garage!) This to say, WORK goes on in this space. I'll leave Pat to tell about his woodstove project, but let me share my little project today.

Since you know we live in Alaska, and you probably know we have snow, this all leads to the conclusion that you must know we have our studded tires. We normally have the tires switched by now, but our weather has been unseasonably warm and gorgeous that we haven't felt the need. It's now becoming much colder, and though we don't have snow as of yet, it will be here before we know it. Worse we may have ice. So Pat has decided that since our stud's are on rims, it's time I change the tires. All of them.


Yes, it's a little bit cold in there, but it didn't take long before I was warming up.
I learned a few tricks to make it easier and also learned where to put the jack, etc. It was a good reminder in case I need to do this on my own someday. Of course, I plan to bat my eyelashes as much as possible to avoid it, but you just never know when all the drivers are women or it's just too dark to see me. Moving on, I was an obvious novice to the shop work concept, and Pat let me know that one can always tell the rookie by all the dirt on the face!

Pumpkin Carving Madness!

Last night, we were invited to a Pumpkin Carving Contest/Party. I was told it was pretty competitive and there had been some good entries last year. I told Pat about it and he was up for the challenge. We went to the store and had to carefully select just the right pumpkin (it had to be big enough), and headed to the party. It was on, right away.


My friend, Tami had a very popular pumpkin with the kiddos! The judging commenced when all were set up and lit. Pat's Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Logo Elk is on the top right. I'll have to get another better close up! It turned out really well, and it won the prize for "Most Creative" pumpkin!