Living an Unfinished Adventure
We are all living in cages with the doors wide open
I’ve been single parenting it for two weeks now. Having lived in a community with a high military population as well as North Slope—oil and gas working families, I’ve sat through many a conversation (quietly) between people temporarily single parenting. Having always had a present working partner, I merely nodded empathetically and stayed guiltily mum.... Continue Reading →
For the past few poor snow years we’ve become wild ice chasers, listening anxiously for word-of-mouth news on lakes, sloughs, ponds and marshes that have frozen solid (enough) and are clear (enough) of snow to skate. This year though, has been a glorious snow year. Don’t get me wrong, we love the snow—winter is what... Continue Reading →
Ben called us his “yes” people. Sometimes I think he had just perfected his tactics for convincing people and we happened to be conveniently persuadable with kids the right age. Regardless, he knew how to wait for the right moment, draw us in with a story and make us feel like we were missing a... Continue Reading →
For one week, the spring sun was simply stunning and the snow reacted dutifully, streaking in buckets down our street towards the drains, squelching into soggy lawns and creating brilliant reflections anywhere it couldn’t. The left behind browns work hard at greening up, but they always take a muddy while, so we headed to the... Continue Reading →
"Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.Alice: I don't much care where...The Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.Alice: ...So long as I get somewhere.The Cheshire Cat: Oh, you're sure... Continue Reading →
If you have not been able to see the beginning of the Iditarod, you should put it on a bucket, or a list, or both. Like any race, there is excitement, anticipation, prayers barring injury and a general communal pride among the spectators. I have been watching my children play outside for the past few... Continue Reading →
When the temperatures start to plummet from the feverish summer highs of 60°F to the winter average of 23°, our kids start to whine. The clothing is too bulky, hands are too cold, and very soon it comes down to the ultimate complaint: "We don't want to go outside!" With the snowdream of happy kids,... Continue Reading →
One afternoon we decided to take advantage of my husband's day off and take a quick ski on the frozen river that is our town's namesake. As we were loading up, he impulsively decided to throw the new (old) bike in and 'maybe give it a try'. Which quickly transformed our peaceful river ski... Continue Reading →
While we often plan for exciting excursions, many of our exploits occur spontaneously because we are responding to the chances nature offers up. On New Year's Day this year, a lake near our home had an incredible thawing and freezing cycle create 11 miles of smooth-as-glass ice--a true potential playground (if discovered). Eureka! What a... Continue Reading →
We went for a walk in the hills to discover blueberries and found them by their red, red leaves. Arctic Valley is well-known for its berry feast. The hike to the end of the saddle elicits incredible views. We didn't venture so far as we were waylaid by the berries. When you wait until the... Continue Reading →
Living an Unfinished Adventure 