Domestic Me

It's nothing too new for me, but lately I've been focusing more and more on adding to my food storage. This is not an easy feat when I live in Alaska 1/2 the year. First of all, Juneau, Alaska has no farms, no ranches, no food source but the sea and plants found in the woods. What you buy from the grocery stores costs at least twice what it costs in the lower 48 (states) because it all has to be shipped up. Eating healthy is hard. Storing healthy food in bulk is almost impossible. But there are ways. While the sea can offer up numerous amounts of goodness, it's not easy to get if you don't have a boat, which I don't. So I turn my eyes to the forest. My two favorite times of summer are the ends of July to harvest fireweed and the middle of August to harvest wild blueberries. I look forward to these days off all year long.


While there's most likely going to be a drizzle falling on me while i pick, I'm grateful for it. That means the biting bugs are kept at bay. While I have to constantly keep an ear out for rustling in the nearby shrubs I'm grateful to know that it might be a bear or, much better yet, a friend helping me out. At the end of the day I'm cold, wet, and tired, but I'm grateful for the fresh air and the exercise. While I soak my goods to get all the worms and gnats out, I'm grateful to know that they are natural, chemical free. I am so grateful for these moments to re-connect with Mother Earth, Heavenly Father, and myself.

When my time in Alaska is over and it's time for my winters in Arizona with my family everything changes. There's a constant hustle and bustle, traffic, sales, ads, so much stimulus. It's not an easy transition. But there is always one constant that pulls me through - my family. One thing my mom and sister and I have always enjoyed doing together is canning. While I, the youngest of 4, grew up in the suburb of Phoenix, AZ, my oldest sister, Nikki, has all of her fondest childhood memories in Idaho. She recalls hauling firewood, swimming in the ditch, knowing all her neighbors, having game hang in the garage, and helping with the garden. But one of her strongest and favorite memories is watching and helping Mom bottle as much food as she could. The basement and cupboards would always be packed with bottle after bottle of goodness.



While Nikki can't raise her own children with these exact same experiences, she has been able to still set an example of them in ways that she can. Her desire to have her 2 years worth of food storage is such an example to me. Not only is she following the wise council given, but she has learned so many new and useful things. Food storage is so different from what it was 25 years ago when we left Idaho. And being one of the most generous people I know, she has made sure to inspire Mom and me and teach us and help us so that we can be better prepared as well.



Since my return to Arizona 3 weeks ago we have bottled 90 lbs of beets, 20 lbs of concord grapes, 20 loaves of bread kits, and 50 lbs of chicken. Once again the closets are filling up and our dinners are getting tastier. I am so excited to keep this tradition alive, to pass on these skills and knowledge to the next generation. And while I pray that we never need all of this food we are storing, I am grateful for the sense of peace I have knowing that we have it no matter what.

A day in the life (well, a day off anyway)

Mom, lets do something. I'm bored.

Seriously Mom. I'm really bored.

My favorite boy and girl :)

Just another day in paradise :)

A couple of Stellar's Sea Lions. First time I've seen them this year :) Was like breathing again :)

Bears!! You may see the closer one on the right side. This is the cub. Mama bear is back in the bushes on the left side :) We saw them while driving out the road. Was a rare treat!!

After the bears we saw this little marmot on the side of the road checking out the traffic :)...which there was none of :)

Not a bad daily commute (mines not quite this gorgeous. This is about 45 miles from my house, but it's breathtaking, and rejuvinating.)

My little man loves swimming in the sea. He's soaked right now :)

Laying on the docks catching some rays, and my breath, after a weeks work. This is what I sat up to :)

This is for Kattie :) Wish you were here.

Love, Me and Sarah :)

Walking on the Gilkey Glacier

Here's where I work for the summer. The big brown and blue building is our hanger where the helicopters get worked on. You can partially see a white building behind it. That's where I spend all of my time sitting at the desk :)
This is "Man Candy", one of our fantastic pilots. I call him Noah heh heh. Out the window you can see the Mendenhall Glacier and the lake it spills in to. Following the lake is "the valley" where I used to live.

This is a new look at the Herbert Glacier for me. I'm so used to seeing it from the ocean. It was awesome to see it from this angle and watch it meet the sea.


Some of the spectacular mountains not many people get to see. Typically we only take people to the Mendenhall. Going to the Gilkey Glacier is really a huge treat for everyone. I was super blessed this day.

These are the ice falls. Meaning, this is where the glacier really starts picking up speed (relatively speaking) and flowing down the mountain.

It's like another world up there!

Just a little perspective to compare the helicopter to the mountain there. You can also see a few nunateks up there :) ("the lonely ones" - the bits of mountain that stuck up above the ice during the ice age. They weren't carved down by the constant friction so they're sharp and pointy)

Another look at the ice falls.

I snapped this as our helicopter was taking off. These are a few of our guides that get paid to chill up here all day and hike around :)

A little look at the Juneau Icefield. A great illustration of how nunateks were formed so long ago.

View from the chopper.

If you look closely you can see how the ice and snow litterally flow like water. Even though it's too slow to see, you know its moving like a river.

My old home :) Allen Marine dock on the far left and some of our boats coming in and out. Alaska Marine Highway Ferry terminal on the right.

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. And it's a beautiful day. Yesterday was rainy and snotty and lovely in it's own way, but it made me admit to myself that I wasn't taking advantage of being up here yet. That is my one goal this summer. Live it to the fullest. It could always be the last chance. So Ozker and I got up and headed to Sandy Beach to enjoy the day. He loved the freedom and the smells and even getting a little wet in the chilly ocean waters :)

Last night was Mon's night to host dinner. We all gathered at her new pad. It's fantastic!!!! Inside is furnished, updated, nice, and offers a jacuzzi tub!!! Outside...is indescribable!! Her backyard is one of the greatest views I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing Mon!!

Here's a zoomed up picture of what we can see from Monica's deck *crack*. Oh the memories :D

I also had to take my annual, pre-season observation of the glacier. It's as beautiful as ever. This year I got to enjoy it with my sidekick and Mom along for the ride via cell phone :) I never tire of seeing this site.

Headed Up

Well, it's that time of year again. That time when I shake off the impending heat and head north. This time was little different. I had my BFF Ozker with me :) So it was quite a different experience for us both. But one I think we both treasure...mostly hehe. Anyway, the pictures say it better than I can. It was, as always, a beautiful ride.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/25097151@N07/sets/72157616804858457/show/

I'm currently taking suggestions for my littlest friend's name...so far we think it's Frank....

An angel among us

I have been blessed my whole life to be surrounded by angels. Some of them I cannot see, but many of them I can. One angel that has made my life richer is my sweet cousin, Becky. I have never known Becky as a healthy woman. And yet while I always check in on her health status, I have never thought of her as sick either. Becky has fought cystic fibrosis for so many years now, and yet in my eyes her battle has been invisible. Never have I known someone to love life so much. Never have I seen a more positive and optimistic person. She makes jokes about her needs such as her oxygen tube and her many stays in her hospital bed. No one feels uncomfortable around Becky, like they do around so many others fighting health battles. She has always been so comfortable with who she is and what her trial is that within an instant you see past everything else and only see her shining spirit. It's a gift that I have contemplated a lot lately.

In fact Becky was such a fighter that I think I never thought she would finally go. This is a hard one to accept for so many of us. Becky has finally left us for greater adventures. She is now with her sweet brother, Parrin, who also fought the fight against their "65 Roses". She is with our beloved and greatly missed grandparents and Uncle David.

She has left a wake of people behind her that will miss her so much. Our lives are without a doubt a little more empty. When I think of the incredible relationships she had with her parents, her daughters, her brothers and sisters, and especially my dad, my heart breaks. The world is a little darker.

So tonight as we set out, once again, to our homeland to say our goodbyes, I will tuck the lessons she has taught me into my heart. I will try a little bit harder to be a little bit kinder, a little bit more patient, a little more thankful, a little more forgiving. I will be reminded how precious this life truly is and how small all the rest of it is. I will love. I will serve. I will be thoughtful and generous. I will say "See ya later" to my cousin, friend, and angel. And I will try my hardest to make up for my past and live in the future the way she did so that I can end up where I know without a doubt she is now. Even now, she gives her gifts of life and living.

The Huntsman Hunts Again!

I am a woman that loves me a good bargain. I think this is true for most women, but for me it’s a hobby, a passion. This love, this slight obsession, is in my blood. My Grams gets up every Friday and Saturday morning to hit whatever garage sales she can find. Sometimes she comes home empty handed, sometimes she spends some pennies just to have the joy of spending, and sometimes she finds a true treasure. Treasure hunting – that’s what this is. It calls to us constantly. Something’s out there that I could love for the rest of my life and it will probably only cost me 75¢. What could give more pleasure than that? Some might claim this is a sickness. I can rarely drive passed a thrift store (even a Savers or 99¢ Store) without going in. My first instinct is to head toward the clearance racks of stores. I been known to walk down every aisle in the Wal-Marts. You just never know. In fact I have a whole storage unit full of things you’d never know…. But one day I will have a house decorated like no other – a museum of my finds. It will be wonderful. It will be my heaven and sanctuary and I will become lost within the walls of my own findings.

And they call this a sick passion.

Anyway

Yesterday Mom and I did Dad the great favor of taking a load of our junk and garbage to the DI (Deseret Industries – a church run thrift store). Ya know, clean out the closets and garage. Organize and straighten things up a bit. Seems fairly innocent

Muahahahahahahaha

I found me some finds!!! So today I pay a tribute to yesterday’s discoveries; a tribute to passion for the hunt, for finding something no one else has ever seen before, or could never expect to pay my price for. I pat myself on my back and salute every second hand store out there.

I got the ribbons for $1 a spool. That's pretty close to million yards right there. The flags have a ton of potential! The book and trunk were picked up a few weeks ago during our garage sale weekend. Those were both great finds as well that couldn't be ignored.

My new electric fish soup tureen!!!! I absolutely love this guy!!!! I can put cheezy dips or soups or wassail in there and he'll keep it warm as long as I need!!! I love him. I LOVE him!!!