The Von Beckley's

The Last Huzzah

2009-06-25T12:42:00.004-08:00

The drive up to Alaska this year was same-same-but-different, as we drove up through Alberta, going through Banff and Jasper National Parks. We’re definitely going to go back when we have more time, because SO AWESOME are the keywords for those parks. Also, SO CHILLY could be good keywords if you go there at the end of May:

This sign at a little gas station in the Yukon is really great, and confusing:

We drove more than 13 hours each day, and for a good seven hours of that Moma would stand in the backseat and rest her head on the seat, because she likes to see where we’re going. She was born to be a car-riding dog:

Since being here, Taylor and I have been busy little bees. We’ve helped set up the Bear Camp, train the new guides, and get our own place up to speed. We’re guiding a lot more this year since our guest numbers a re a bit low, and that’s been great. Every other week we take turns leading guests to Denali National Park- a long drive, but pretty durn fun. On one guide training trip we had our picture taken in front of a big ol’ glacier. And we realized that this was only the second time in our five years in Alaska where we are both in the same picture. We have more pictures of bears, dogs, and friends than we do of ourselves:

In Conclusion: I could blame my lack of writing on these pages to the busy pace of our lives right now, but that would only be half true; I am also getting bored with this blog. It’s become more of a chore than what it was when it started- a fun and funny diversion. My main reason for starting it up almost two years ago was to show you all what we do in Alaska, and I’ve done that, so I feel very repetitive doing it all over again (our lives don’t change that much up here). So this will be the last post. I like things that have a beginning, middle, and end; they feel much more complete, and this feels like the perfect time to stop.

I'll show you my greenhouse if you show me yours...

2009-05-10T19:30:00.008-08:00

Taylor designed and built (with a little help from our friend Sam) a really big and really awesome greenhouse for his parents. It was completed in time for today's Mother's Day brunch and we all spent a lot of quality time sitting around, staring at it and saying things like, 'I'm so impressed!' and 'It's like a for reals greenhouse!' which quickly embarrassed Taylor and delighted the rest of us.
And now to show it off!
Arrrgghhhh, I be proud of me husband.
Happy Mother's Day to my one mom, three grandmas, six aunts, and one mother-in-law!

Pirates and Sharks!

2009-05-07T13:57:00.005-08:00

Last weekend I drove to Portland to see my lovely friend Marie and her new fiancee, Matt. We all stayed with Maire's cousin and good friend of ours, Daniel, and had a swell old time- especially because Daniel's daughter Joanna is just about the best 3-year-old that has ever lived.
We were playing around with pirate and shark poncho towels, and Joanna's roar was the same for both; I guess to a little kid all animals, monsters and outlaws say ROAAAARRRR!
Marie and Matt also got into the nautical spirit:
And Daniel showed us how if he lost his arms in a fiery crash he could still function by doing everything with his toes, like lighting this match:

All in all it was a tee-rific weekend, and one I wouldn't mind doing again soon.

BOOM BAM SPRING

2009-04-09T21:43:00.007-08:00

Every Spring, every single Spring, I get depressed because Winter is ending. It always takes me a long while to accept that my favorite season is now a whole year away again... and I feel like Spring is such a sneaky season. Here we are, la di da, enjoying the Winter, when BOOM BAM- Spring punches us in the face with it's greenness and baby pinkness and all the instant happiness. Boofers.
But this year I finally saw that all my crankiness won't make Winter last any longer, so I have stoically resolved to enjoy the Changing of the Seasons. And I now see that Spring can be (sortof) fun.
For instance, it means really fun Spring skiing with good friends in the sunny sun sun:
For Taylor Spring means a shorter haircut, a warm weather shave-off. It also means a temporary (but so very awesome) mustache created out of said shaved-off hair:
Spring means creating bike gangs and riding to trashy bars that for some reason have four different candy vending machines in one medium sized room. And out of all the different candy options, our friend Kelly chose trail mix! Trail mix?! Stale trail mix from a dirty old vending machine!? But at least Kelly thought it was a fine decision:
It means junk shopping, because when Spring starts, and it rains and everything smells clean and wet, all I want is to go thrift store shopping and smell some good old tired air for a while. A mix-em-up for the old snozzer.
That was all to say I found U.S. Mint-approved coin wrappers at a thrift store today, and I promptly came home and wrapped up all my Winter change. The Wrapping of the Change is now a Spring tradition to me:
So-
BOOM BAM SPRING!

Carbon Monoxide VS. The Volcano!

2009-03-23T06:28:00.004-08:00

Mt. Redoubt is erupting again. But let me start at the beginning. The lodge we were caretaking this winter (where Taylor got sick) is 9 miles north of Redoubt, and one of the closest inhabited cabins to the mountain. A month or more ago we got a frantic call from our former boss saying that a 7.8 earthquake had hit under Redoubt, shattering the thick lake ice and causing all communications to be lost with the new caretakers of the lodge (he was calling because with the lake ice shattered there was no way into the lodge to evacuate the employees other than this great Alaskan who flies a Super Cub and can land on rough snow, and we had his phone number). That is the last we heard about it until this morning, where I read that Redoubt erupted four times last night, with all the ash blowing north.
I'm sure the lodge is fine, and the caretakers alive and well, but they have already been evacuated, or they are about to be, for most likely the remainder of the winter.
Which brings me to my point- Taylor getting poisoned was half a blessing. We were able to come back to Bend and get jobs, rather then being evacuated in the middle of winter with no prospect of a place to stay or solid income. And although it would've been so cool to hear the lake's ice crack (think of a million gunshots at once), it would've been pretty awful to have died out there.
After we evacuated from the lodge, we were sure our winter was going to be another failure, but in retrospect it has been really terrific. We've gotten to ski a lot, we rented the coolest house ever and got to finally unpack our wedding gifts (whoot!), and we've spent lots of time with our friends, something we've been really missing in our nomadic lifestyle.
So the next time you get carbon monoxide poisoning, just think, "Hey, this might be saving me from a volcanic eruption!"

Jaunty Jaunt.

2009-01-15T19:53:00.004-09:00

Taylor's parents celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary with a dinner at the best Thai restaurant in town. A delicious dinner was had by all, with much spying on our raucous dining neighbors. Taylor thought that this amount of leftover rice merited it's own box:
Later, when we got home, Taylor and I realized that the full moon was upon us, and not only that, but the brightest full moon of the year (source cited: NPR). We got our cross country skis and drove up into the mountains for a late night jaunt. It was much brighter out than these flashless pictures shows:

We went to a lesser known ski area, and it was deserted, but after we were done we drove across the highway to check out a popular, groomed cross country site- and there were at least 200 people there! Skiing! At 10 at night! It was silly how everyone thought they had this great original idea, but we were just one big like-minded herd.

On Days Of Weather.

2009-01-07T19:19:00.006-09:00

The weather lately has been really nutters. I've had some unexpected days off with the mountain closing down almost every day because of 90 MPH wind gusts that have been snapping trees in half and pushing old ladies over.
So one day, with nothing else to do, I counted all my moolah. No matter that it's all in one dollar bills; I'm totally loaded:
Then we took Moma on a scrufflebout out to Tumalo Falls. We love watching the other cross country skiiers, because without fail they (or should I say we) are all nerds. Lots of spandex and wrap around shades. I like to sport jazzy gators, and Taylor prefers sporty fleece soccer pants. Moma dons her ridiculously long tail hair and crazy eyes:

The Mighty Bonnacon Attacks!

2008-12-18T18:23:00.006-09:00

For Christmas, Taylor got me a really great, old, school-district-reject piano. It's beautiful and out of tune, and we love it. Porcelin Elephant loves it too, but Porcelin Pig thinks it's way too loud:
I'm reading a really great book called the 'Book of Beasts,' an English translation of a Latin bestiary from the 12th century. It's an encyclopedia of all the animals they knew about (and some they made up), and the physical and moral qualities of each one. Women, whores especially, seemed to occupy a lot of the author's thoughts- "Wolves are known for their rapacity, and for this reason we call prostitutes wolves, because they devastate the possessions of their lovers."
This is one of my favorite creatures, the Bonnacon. When it's being chased by hunters, it emits a fart three acres wide that sets trees afire and makes every living creature collapse:

Sharpen Your Saws

2008-12-07T15:41:00.009-09:00

When going into the woods to cut a Christmas tree, you have to be ready to do some real heavy duty lifting, and if you are at all out of shape or not ready for the action, those trees will dominate you. They don't care. They'll do it with no remorse at all. I've seen it happen. Taylor and I knew what we were up against, so we boldly strode into the Dark Forest with our guns a-blazin' and we showed those dagnabbiter trees just who was boss:

November Summary.

2008-11-30T22:17:00.006-09:00

It has been exactly One Month since the last post, a month in which Taylor's health has almost healed, we drove Alaska to Oregon, rented a home in Bend for the winter, and celebrated aforementioned new-home-acquirement with a Thanksgiving bashola.

The drive home included 2,000 miles of packed snow and ice with pretty blizzards along the way. We also saw five snowy owls one day, and a wolf chasing an injured deer along the highway the next. We saw another bloodied up car fresh from a bad wreck, and thought about how many dead people truckers must see. But the best part, by far, was the night we spent in the exclusive (to crazies) Shannon Motel, deep in northern British Columbia, where our neighbor-for-the-night stood outside in the courtyard screaming like a dying gorilla that he loved his girlfriend and couldn't understand why she didn't love him (I thought I knew why...). Two hours later, his mom came and picked him up. The walls at the Shannon Motel were very thin.
Taylor has been proving that he can bring home the bacon, or in this case, chuckers. He and our Old Friend Sam went on a grand chucker huntaroo, and we feasted on their little breasts and legs the next night.
Taylor has also been getting back into shape by doing push-ups with Moma. They should make a workout tape called "Using Your Puppy as a Home Gym."

Where's a leprechaun when you need one...

2008-10-30T22:06:00.007-08:00

One day at work on the mountain last winter, after I finished making a man's latte, I handed it to him and wished him good luck out on the slopes. This was a most unlucky thing for me to say, because he turned to me, and in a Dear Wayward Daughter voice proceeded to explain to me for ONE WHOLE HOUR about how there is no such thing as luck because God exists. Now, I am a (fairly) devout Christian, but I do believe in the existence of Lady Luck; she's like one of God's sidekicks (along with Mother Nature, Father Christmas, and Uncle Sam).
I jest. I am a jester. But why not believe in luck and God? Where is the disconnect? For me, superstition is another way to worship, and therefore knocking on wood three times is prayer. I jest.
All this is to say, our luck has been decidedly bad lately. Taylor got poisoned pretty severely by carbon monoxide at the remote lodge we were caretaking, which resulted in two emergency evacuations from the lodge (one in a helicopter, no less), and us having to Regretfully Resign from the posts of caretakers (he's still sick, and might be for a long while).
Now, you might be wondering, what does it take to get to ride in a helicopter in the middle of the night? I'll tell you! You have to almost die! And while this story is more like a saga and far to long to explain, the long and the short of it is we are heading back to our dear state of Oregon for the winter.
Taylor and I are People Who Plan, and this was obviously not in our plans. We are depressed, but not defeated. And in the spirit of feeling like winners, not losers, we are determined to Make Light of the situation- so enjoy:
When we came in to the emergency room by helicopter, we convinced the paramedics and the pilots to let us bring Moma along for the ride, and then she hung out in the ER with us for hours while Taylor got worked over by the doctors. She slept, and spied on the nurses:
Because we thought Taylor was having a heart attack (for reals here, no jesting at all), he got to sport this fancy heart monitor for a whole day. He gets to do all the fun things:
So, while we are disappointed, we are not dead, which was a real possibility out there. That was good luck and Godly intervention combined, and we are thankful.

Dancing and eating the days away...

2008-10-23T18:29:00.004-08:00

The colder the weather gets, the more I want to bake. I love eating, and I really love eating foods with lots of Crisco and sugar in it- so pie is naturally my favorite food:
As the lake slowly freezes over, Taylor and I creep further and further out. So far we have (bravely) made it about three feet out into the lake. Mostly we shuffle out a few feet, do some dance moves, then shuffle back to safety:

Ahoy, it's a porcupine!

2008-10-08T19:12:00.005-08:00

We are surrounded here by steep hills and mountains, which makes getting firewood more challenging. Felling a tree on flat ground is hard enough, but doing it on a fifty degree slope can make a calm man (like Taylor) pretty worked up. He chainsaws the tree so it falls downhill, and cuts it into chunks that I then throw down to the bottom to our waiting boat. I really enjoy this part. Here's Taylor demonstrating (on a slightly flatter slope) a good log toss. Excellent form, Taylor:
Moma discovered porcupines today. She also discovered that you can't bite them, and she ended up with at lest 60 quills inside her mouth and around her nose. Getting quills out of a dog's mouth is akin to sticking your hand in a meat grinder because the fight she put up was tremendous. We got most of them out during a four hour tousle, but there was still ten quills lodged deep inside her mouth.
That is why, in this picture, you will see her inside a sack (to immobilize her legs) and tied down to the table with the lone rope (and later an extension cord). Tying her down was not enough; I had to lay on her, on the table, while Taylor held her head down and her jaw open with a looped belt.
And before you judge us for animal cruelty, saying 'Well, she looks pretty calm and helpless in this picture,' please remember that she is only calm here because for a whole hour before I took this shot she was screaming and thrashing. That much effort would make a monster look like a lamb.
This was one of the most hellish afternoons we can remember having in ages. But, at the same time, seeing her in an REI sleeping bag sack tied to our kitchen table with an extension cord was pretty funny:
She is a-ok now, sleeping like a baby. We are exhausted as well, but happy that our little puppy is healthy again.

The Killing of the Shrew

2008-10-06T09:30:00.008-08:00

Certain things we have in abundance out here, like bears, beavers, and shrews. Other things we have a shortage of, like candy bars, hot tubs, and restaurants. But this is OK with us.
Our indoor voles and shrews is having a population renaissance of sorts, and we are the stodgy old people trying to squash their happiness. Well, not literally squash, more like crush, because we use traps. Just in case we run out of food we are freezing them so we can make little rodent kabobs:
There are at least three huge beaver lodges in this lake, and as someone who has only ever seen beaver dams, never a regal and majestic lodge, I am as impressed as a person can be:
As this lodge is a bear viewing lodge, there are many a bear around. This bear strolls through camp about twice a day, rolls in the mud, and bolts at the first hint of a human. So we stand inside and paparazzi the heck out of it:
Also, we had our first couple of days of snow, Moma discovered the tastiness of a good dead salmon, and Taylor and I are on a Scrabble playing marathon.

Spring and summer and autumn went.

2008-09-28T10:19:00.011-08:00

We are happily settled into our winter home. We got here four days ago, and worked hard with our boss to finish closing up the property. He left yesterday, and so of course the first thing we did was take the boat and go fishing; when I say 'we' what I really mean is 'Taylor convinced me to go with him.' But it turned out fun because he caught four salmon in as many casts. Moma also enjoyed herself, because fishing combines her two favorite activities- staring at animals and being in a boat:

It is really great being all by ourselves out here. Exploring an area is so much better when there aren't any other people around; it's more like how things should be, if that makes any sense at all:

Taylor is content to be with just his wifey and his puppy (and I know what you are wanting to say to us, 'Have you seen "The Shining?"' And I know what I would answer outloud, with an ingratiating laugh, 'Oh no, and I'm not going to!' And I know what I would be thinking in my head, 'Please, people, come on- solitude does not make a person a psycho, so grow an imagination and grow up.' I'm not angry, just bewildered that people associate wanting to be alone with being mentally deranged).

The weather has been particularly fine these last few days, perfect for some crazy wild guitar strumming:
Finally, this morning's sunrise. Between where we are now and those mountains 75 miles away (you can see them in this photo if you look closely) is where we spend our summer months. It's kindof great to know that we almost see where we spend the other half of our year:

Beneath My Teeth Lies Old Roast Beef.

2008-09-18T15:27:00.005-08:00

I have always had weak teeth. And it doesn't help that my two favorite food groups are bread and candy. So I am having a lovely root canal done tomorrow, and then getting a SILVER TOOTH on Monday, and then we're flying out to our winter gig on Wednesday! I am a little excited about getting to sport a SILVER TOOTH for the winter, even though the only people who are going to see it are Taylor and the occasional pilot. Eventually, I am going to expand the metal in my mouth to look like this Cool Dude:

We shut down the lodge today, and the saddest part was leaving all the flowers in full bloom. Actually, the very saddest part was having to tear them out and chuck them on the compost pile. But dolling myself up with them before all the carnage made it a little better. And at least the compost pile is pretty:

Whoo Hoo!

2008-09-01T09:46:00.006-08:00

Taylor and I are going to be caretaking a lodge this winter, and we flew out there for a couple of days last week to give it a looksie. So great! was the decision made by us, and I got so excited I had to dance a little jig (in private). Here's the view from the lake:
We're going to be out there for 8 months, in lovely solitude. Our main job will be reporting the weather to the National Weather Service 12 times a day (because we're at the base of a mountain pass and the pilots need to know what the deal is), a job for which I am getting certified as an Official Weather Reporter (or somesuch title). We also have to shovel all the roofs, and keep a landing strip plowed on the lake once it freezes. I know many of you are thinking that we've really gone nutters now, but this is something that we've wanted to do for a long time, and if you haven't figured it out by now- Taylor and I are both hermits at heart.
There's loads of bears out there too, like this little fella, who can't catch a fish if his life depended on it (which it does, incidentally):
The lodge we're at is on Big River Lake, but there are loads of little lakes around it, some connected by a channel and some by a short hike. We kayaked to Weasel Lake on some off time while we were out there, and saw not only these loons, but brown and black bears, beavers, and a seal! A seal in the lake that followed us around and around, like a dog.
A plane is going to fly out there once a month or once every couple of months to resupply us, and also bring us any mail you tenderhearts might have sent us. Here's our address for September 25th- May 15th:
Taylor and Adalie Beckley
c/o Within the Wild
2463 Cottonwood Street
Anchorage, AK 99508
We're going to have internet access as well, so I can still post pictures of THE GREATEST WINTER EVER! (I am dancing another little jig at the moment)

Wearing skirts in the wilds.

2008-08-10T17:19:00.007-08:00

About a month ago my parents came up for a long overdue visit, and Taylor and I decided that what they really really needed was a camping trip way out in the middle of nowhere. So we rented a yurt on this really great bay outside of Homer, and hiked and sea kayaked and ate a lot for three days.
Getting ready to go sea kayaking takes a bit of dressing up, like putting on these attractive skirts:
Three years ago, when Taylor and I were brand new newlyweds, we went sea kayaking in a double kayak, and it nearly did us in. Two stubborn minds do not go well together in one boat. But apparently we have grown into being the greatest married couple ever, because we are pretty awesome kayakers. Just look at our perfectly synchronized form. We should be in the Olympics:
We went for a hike over this mountain behind us to a fish hatchery on the other side. First we had to navigate our way through a Jurassic-sized forest of Devil's Club, that nasty plant with millions of microscopic thorns:

Then we crossed a ladder over a little ravine. Taylor's advice to the rest of us was to just go as fast as you could over it, and then he practically ran over the (very unstable) ladder. I tried to do that too and almost fell 10 feet down to the bottom. Sometimes Taylor forgets that he is more coordinated than the rest of the world:
On the boat ride on the way back to the mainland the captain offered to take our picture, whereupon we wisely asked who would then be driving the boat. He replied that "The darn thing drives itself nowadays," and it did, because he turned around backwards and took a bunch of pictures while the boat chugged ahead at a pretty good rate. Also, notice how well Taylor and I match. It's like we've skipped being a young married couple and have gone straight to the matching jogging suit phase of life. I kind of like it:

Feasting!

2008-08-01T14:41:00.004-08:00

Yesterday our guests went king fishing and they brought home the bacon. Or the salmon. Either or.
Two of our guests knew how to make sushi, sashimi, etc., and so a Raw Fish Feast was had last night.
This little gem is topped with king salmon eggs pulled from the very belly of the fish we were mowing down on:

Things that died.

2008-07-30T11:23:00.004-08:00

We used the same roll of aluminum foil day in, day out, for the last three summers. It was a gem of a roll, never failing us in our time of need, until last week when I really really needed some Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil 18" x 1000', and it died on me. No more foil. Ah well.
Birds are routinely flying into the large windows of our lodge and breaking their necks. One time a hawk was being chased by a bald eagle and hit the window, but didn't die. This little robin wasn't so lucky.
These flowers look so alive and snappy, but they are dead now too.

What is this feeling of warmth on my arms?

2008-07-29T12:05:00.008-08:00

Sun! Is here! And so I am sitting here in our boat, down in the river, trying to use someone's internet (the nearest house is over a quarter mile away), and I'm in heaven- I'm not wearing long johns or muck boots or heavy Carhartts, oh no, I am wearing a short sleeve t-shirt! And flip flops! It's heaven I tell you!
Taylor got a small solar panel to charge up our batteries (we have no electricity, and everything is run off of marine batteries or propane or both), and at the same time he also got these jazzy suspenders, so you can see he is a looker and a thinker:
We make a Deluxe Hamburger Picnic Extraordinare for one of the lunches that our guests are here. Presenting the origin of those burgers... The Beef Tube:
Taylor and a friend built a couple of new tents here at our lodge, and Moma has already claimed one of them as her very own:
Hooray for the sun!

A bit of sunshine.

2008-07-26T12:32:00.003-08:00

This is the coldest and wettest July since 1928, according to the local newspaper. Four years ago I would have been depressed and moody, but this year I am just moody- a month of pure rain is just plain silly. So here is a picture of our lovely greenhouse on the one sunny afternoon we have had lately. I am going to gaze at this picture and gaze at it some more and then go and gaze at it again:

A word is worth a thousand pictures.

2008-07-19T14:33:00.006-08:00

I came into this post with a bucketful of excuse on why there have been no posts as of late, but when I started writing this I thought, hey wait a minute, how do I even know that there are any Loyal Readers of this blog, and I have no interest in explaining myself to The Internet, so the only reason I will supply is that July is the busiest month of the entire year in The Lives of the Beckleys, and I have been spending what free time I have playing with my dog and reading a book of Flannery O'Conner's letters. And writing run-on sentences. But now, with a few minutes time on my hands, check this out (please say that last phrase in a fake Russian accent).
One of the dinners we make is a Kabob Dinner Deluxe, and here is half the pile of food I cut up for it You will also notice in this picture the small size of our kitchen- what you are seeing is 1/2 the total space in there:
Taylor and some other Construction Fools went out to Bear Camp to build some more tent platforms, and spotted this bear from a close distance. Then his camera died, which is why there aren't any photos proving his boat trip out to an island 3 miles off shore in the middle of the night with a drunk captain and a sinking boat, or how he had to jump start the camp's truck using his body as the conductor, which threw 250 volts of electricity through his body over 20 times, and made it so his hand was involuntarily clenched tight for several hours, or how the truck didn't have a tow hitch and so he traded off holding the hitch of a trailer full of drums of water as they drove down a beach, him sitting in the back of Said Cursed Truck while Said Cursed Trailer bounced around on the rocks and almost pulled him off. So, because none of that was documented, here is a very Calm and Pretty picture of a bear, taken right before that bear tried to break into the kitchen and eat the goodies being cooked in it:

Fun in Kayaks.

2008-06-28T13:08:00.009-08:00

Here's a long one!
My lack of writing on this blog is all due to the fact that we have had a full house of guests every night the last three weeks- and I don't mind admitting that entertaining so many people is exhausting. But before we this string of people, I got to guide a group of ladies on a Kenai Fjords National Park tour, and then out to our company's Adventure Camp- a sea kayaking camp located on the edge of this great little cove.
Driving twelve ladies all together requires a pretty big vehicle, and so I was lucky enough to drive this enormous thing of beauty. It can be said that Taylor was more than nervous about me driving so many people so far (he was taking into consideration my high school vote as Worst Driver), but I performed admirably, all things considering- the bus did start puffing black smoke, and the steering wheel was all loosey goosey.:
Then we all hopped on a catamaran to see the glaciers and animals of the park. I was really hoping this piece of the glacier would calve when we were there, but no such luck:

I like AC so much, here are two different views of the place:
Kate, the manager of AC, is one of our best friends here. She's one of the most inventive people we know, and one of the only people I could see easily surviving in the wilderness. Here she is chopping up kindling with her knife, because the hatchet had broken:
When Kate and I took the ladies out sea kayaking, I played the role of sweeper in the back, making sure no one floated out to sea. I was paddling along, and all of a sudden I hear all this snorting and snuffling right behind my boat. I turned around and there was this really, really big sea lion! He, or she, dinked around my boat for a while, but moved away quite a bit by the time I retrieved my camera from the depths of my kayak:
And, finally, here's a picture of me, taken by me, with Resurrection Bay in the background:

More, Please.

2008-06-06T16:43:00.008-08:00

I flew out to my company's Bear Camp to help out for a couple of days, and as usual great times were had by all. There are bears everywhere out there, like this one that strolled through camp:
Whenever we would see a bear, my coworker Caprice and I would instantly fall into these bonafide safety positions- 'The Arrow to My Happy Place' and 'Back to Momma's Belly':
Back here on the other side of the inlet, the water in our river still isn't rising fast enough, so we kayaked up today to see how deep it is (the water is still 2 inches deep, dangit). Moma crowned herself Queen for a Day, and took over our kayaks in true royal fashion:
And then, and this is what I am dying to tell you all... I found a (slightly) mysterious abandoned cabin right near our lodge! For years now our coworker Gary has been telling us that he has heard there is an old cabin out by our place, and he was right!
After we arrived at the lodge we run, I was tromping through the woods, and first I saw this, an old trapper's cabin. They make them small because when you are trapping in the middle of winter you are just going to stay the night there, and the smaller space to heat up, the better:
So as I was walking closer to it to peek inside... I saw the cabin! Joy of all joys! I ran back and got Taylor so we could both explore it together (because that's obviously more fun), and even though the roof has fallen in, it's awesome, and it's ours:
All my frustration over the river's water level slid away, and my day sprang up happy, and all because of our Found Cabin.
A cabin! And I found it!

Taylor's Solo Journey to the North Pole.

2008-06-02T12:53:00.007-08:00

Our transportation of choice to get us up the river to the lodge we run is a flat-bottomed jon boat powered by the mighty Go-Devil engine. Our current Go-Devil is getting old and cries a lot, so Taylor made a daring journey to North Pole, the Christmas-year-round town near Fairbanks to buy a new boat and Go-Devil from the Go-Devil Jedi of the World, Stu.
Here is typical North Pole street scene:
Here is Taylor's room at the B&B he stayed in. Crossbows, Swedish songbooks, Christmas trees, and Lord Fauntleroy figurines all together as one- I think the theme was 'Christmas with the Scandinavian Robin Hood':

And here is our new beauty, a 24-foot government-issue-only Go-Devil. The orange bucket is covering up the prop. The loverly landscape behind is typical interior Alaska scenery:
You may all think that we are getting pretty excited about nerdy things like new swamp boats, and you would be right. So of course there are going to be many more pictures of the two boats, both with fresh coats of paint and new names (the old Go-Devil, which has been bequeathed to me, by Taylor, is now named George Washington Hayduke).

Send Us Goodies...

2008-05-19T13:11:00.005-08:00

...and we will send you something really great from up here!
Our mailing address is:
Taylor and Adalie Beckley
General Delivery
Sterling, AK 99672
Presented by another Classic Alaskan Moment.

Cool Cars and Buff Bods.

2008-05-16T16:28:00.007-08:00

We've been taking mini excursions after work- on one we went with some friends to this great little lake to go canoeing. That sounds wonderful, and it was, but here are the details of that trip: Taylor was really sick with the beginnings of a bad flu (it's not like I made him go, but I like hanging out with him- so sue me...), we only had two paddles total between the two boats, it was extremely windy and our canoe almost flew off the top of our truck, and the wooden paddle you see in this picture snapped in half soon after- thus leaving us with 1 1/2 paddles and a wide stick to move around with. But how fun! We found an island and enjoyed the partial sunshine, and Moma is a natural canoe dog. Just look at that fierce little look in her eyes:Another day Taylor and I went on a hike to a nearby glacial lake. Taylor pumped some iron and got totally buff:
And then we found this super sweet hot rod and took a spin:
And so we're off to a good start of the season! Yippee!

Long Haulin'

2008-05-07T10:52:00.005-08:00

We are now in The Future, and glad for it. The trip here was fine, without any serious incidences- and the only troubles we did have were with our silly little puppy.
The first night, she puked up a big mess onto Taylor's camp mat in the middle of the night- puke that was full of 4" long wriggling worms (needless to say, she's now on medicine for that).
The second day she fell through this frozen lake (pictured below), and had to squirm her way out of it, while we had a panic attack on the shore:
The third night I scared myself silly because all the trees around our campsite had fresh bear scratches on them, or so I thought. Taylor solved that mystery by realizing that they were made by a snowplow. I'm such a weenie:
The fourth, fifth, and sixth nights passed without incident. One of the best thing about the trip were Moma's games of Bull Fighting. She's a natural:

Oregon's State Beverage is Milk!

2008-04-27T11:03:00.005-08:00

We're going North to the Future tomorrow from She Flies With Her Own Wings (if you know your state mottoes then you will know where we are going and where we are now). In honor of the fun we will most definitely have, here is a video from when we drove down last October, when we put our full faith in the Swedish powers of a 1968 Volvo (and the omnipotent powers of our God), and were rewarded in full:

Also, Oregon's state dance is the Folk Dance. I'm not quite sure how that one goes.

Curling Cornices.

2008-04-26T05:38:00.006-08:00

Taylor and I have been knocking the stuffing out of the mountain this week. It has snowed every day, at least 6 inches a day- and it's light and fluffy snow, like in January!
Here are three different cornices we were jumping (and falling) off of. I am the first picture, and Taylor is in the other two. These cornices weren't that big or anything- the first one was 7 feet and the last one is around 11 feet- but oh it was fun!

Can't Every Weekend Be A Holiday Weekend?

2008-04-14T16:33:00.009-08:00

Taylor and I just returned from a trip- him to visit his good friend Ross at the coast, and me to Portland to see my good friend Marie. I had the camera, though, so you will just have to trust me that Taylor (and Moma) had a pretty sweet time.
Marie and I went to a great thrift store, just chock full of goodies. She purchased this gem of a nesting-doll, showing Russian (or shall I say USSR-ian?) leaders through the ages. Can you spot mini Stalin?
Another thrift store we visited apparently decided that separating books based on the author's sex was the way to go. Do I need to mention that the store was run by a conservative Christian group?
We then headed up to Seattle and had what I believe could firmly be asserted as a marvelous time. The Sculpture Park there is really fun, and Marie and I could be heard to shout in glee, "Is that a Richard Sera? Oh my gosh! It's so great!" A wedding party and their photographer thought so as well:
A gathering of slightly blurry Whitworthians were seen at a party Eli threw at his lovely new home:
The childhood game of Jump Off The Swings is still great as an adult, we decided. From top to bottom are Marie and Matt, Jenene, Lars, and Marie and me.
And so, to end this post and this weekend, we have a shot of Marie's legs, flying high, wishing us well:

Steens! Alvord! Moma!

2008-04-05T18:47:00.012-08:00

We left the town of Bend for the first time in 5 months yesterday- I guess our first cold winter in three years made us go into hibernation mode. As lifelong Oregonians, we felt the stateriotic (pride in one's home state) duty to go camping and experience nature in it's finest, specifically in the famous Steens Mountains of south-eastern Oregon. That whole area is a favorite of ours, and I was proportionately way too excited for the two day camping excursion- which I blame on not having left a 30-mile radius in so long.
The start of the trip wasn't too auspicious, because we left too early to take Moma on her morning walk, and she barked at us to let us know of her displeasure. Our ears rang:
But she soon wised up to the coolness of our destination, and once we got there, decided to help Taylor fish for rainbow trout:
Her help payed off, because he caught a big, old papa. Meanwhile, I took a lovely nap under an old teepee frame I found (was it built by Native Americans or hippies, we will never know). My pillow wasn't near as bad as Jacob's rock- a nice paperback book by Virginia Woolf. I like to think I soaked up some of her way with words into my dreams (which were bizarre, by the way):
Also, our campsite had been frequented by lovers of iconic '90's bands, as seen by these quaint engravings on the picnic table. The attention to detail in the backwards 'R' is my favorite part:
The next day we headed around the bend, so to speak, to the Alvord Desert, a true freak of nature in nature. Picture, if you will, mountains almost 10,000 feet high on one side and a huge flat desert miles across on the other- so great! You can drive no-handed and blind, and still be safe. If we could only figure out how to make the moolah out there, we would totally buy a big parcel of land and make it our home sweet home- a lack of crowds and a surplus of space equals count us in!
Moma and I had a race. It was a tie:
And then she faced the gusty winds, and tried to figure out just where the heck we were:
All in all, a good mini-excursion. Camping is ten times as much fun with a dog than without. And Moma had been so good on the trip that when we got home, she promptly ran off yipping and yapping after a herd of deer. Sheesh already.

All eyes are on the mountain.

2008-04-05T18:38:00.005-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you... for one day only... Taylor the Wondrously Talented Telemark Skiier!
And... Adalie the Amazingly Awe-Inspiring Barista Extraordinaire!

Psst... it's Easter!

2008-03-23T18:38:00.008-08:00

Happy Easter! Many happy tidings and well wishes from ours to yours.
We celebrated today in our family's traditional way:
First, Taylor had to show Moma who wears the pants in this family:
Next, my dad, Taylor, and I shot some very nasty pinecones:
Then, we all sat down to a big dinner of deviled eggs:
Finally, my sister entertained us all with her many cool Facial Tricks and Silly Noises:
¡Vivan los conejos de Pascual!

City of Beckley!

2008-03-18T18:28:00.006-08:00

Taylor has kindly agreed to showcase his lengthening rattail for us. I think it's going to be the curly, sexy, flying-in-the-wind-and-in-the-face-of-convention type of rattail:

Finally, we invite you to check out our city. We offer many amenities, including Sweet Treats Saturdays, a Beautification Committee, and a Mayor with the last name of Pugh.
www.beckley.org

A declaration of thoughts, being thought.

2008-03-11T18:28:00.007-08:00

Our dog chases planes. She spots a plane, flying oh so very high up in the sky, and then she takes off across the ground, running and looking up to make sure she's still going in the right direction.
She also chases birds, which is more normal dog behavior. Yesterday she spotted a Great Horned Owl with a dying, squeaking rabbit flopping from it's claws. She ran instantly after it, with Taylor in hot pursuit, and after 3 miles and a highway crossing, she succeeded in cornering the owl in a tree, and somehow getting it to drop it's quarry, now very much dead. Then she systematically crunched up the bones to make it more consumable, and swallowed the thing whole.
This incident has served to convince me that my Power Animal can no longer be the Snowshoe Hare, as I have stated in a previous post. No, it cannot be, because Taylor has decided that his Power Animal is a Lynx, and Moma has decided that her Power Animal is some sort of Feral Canine, and both of those prey on rabbits and hares. I cannot be eaten by my own family.
And, I know, Taylor and I only heard of Power Animals through the movie 'Thumbsucker,' and we thought of it as a joke (and still do), but the thing is is that I am a firm believer in the phrase "Every joke has a heart of truth" (a thank you to my mom, for repeating that enough to make me believe it), so a change has to happen.
The dilemma is now this, and I'm going to pose it as a question you would ask on a first date that is going very, very poorly: if I had to choose an animal, what would I be?
And the answer is, I don't know, but here are some contenders:
Caribou- the females have antlers as well so they can protect their babies from rampaging bull caribou who only want one thing from the nursing mother (and we all know what it is that men want...)
Walrus- whiskers, overgrown buck teeth, and wrinkly skin is what I have to look forward to when I'm old anyways, so why not embrace it right now?
Stegosaurus with triplets- by the looks of it, I will be well at ease in the city life, and the babies are cutie patooties, so that's all the reasons I need!

Postcript: I am not a writer, I am a reader- and that is why everything I write sounds like something you have read, because I have a sponge for a brain. Hopefully someday I will think of something original, something that will be a mix of all I have read with some inspiration thrown in- and it will be grand.
I've decided that the greatest thing to happen for most people would be for them to have just one original thought in their entire lives, just one would be enough to convince them... to convince them to think, and to do something with those thoughts, because they would then be searching for the next original thought.
Or maybe they wouldn't- because I am also convinced the the majority of the world are not thinkers, but absorbers- and that is scary because absorbers are followers, and followers in large numbers are mobs, and mobs are lead by thinkers who know their followers are foolish and unthinking, and want someone else to do the hard work for them.
This we must be aware of, and fight against- we must fight against the dark thinkers, and against the lethargy that always wants to overtake the thinking mind, and turn it into an absorbing mind. But awareness, and recognition, of that danger is half the battle- most don't even get that far!
So take heart, man, and see that you are alive! And only once! And for not very long! Wasting time is foolish, but being a blank-sheet absorber- a sponge with no destination- is even more than foolish- it is stamping your foot at wisdom, and pissing at the feet of God. We must take vows of moral courage if we are to live this life well, and I take mine- to seek wisdom so that I may get closer to my goal of creating something new, and by doing that- to see God. Creation is devotion, and devotion is obedience, and I will obey Him who gave me my thinking, reasoning, rational mind.

Oh, to be an adventurous old lady!

2008-03-01T16:30:00.009-09:00

It has been so long (21 days) since I last communicated with the World Wide Blogosphere that I am half-ashamed. But only half.

Moma, our fine furried friend, is a truly awesome animal. Look at this picture and see the truth of that statement. Not much is better than a sleeping puppy posing as a praying mantis:
We've been spending a lot of time cross-country skiing. There are only a few trails around here that dogs are allowed on legally, and one of them has a waterfall as a destination.
One of the best things about going out and skiing is that we have met a lot of really sweet old ladies and their equally sweet dogs- one such Grand Dame is 84 years old, has a bum knee, and still goes skiing almost every day. We first met her right near this waterfall:
Long before Christmas Taylor and I made up this really fantastic package and sent it to our just-as-fantastic friends, Scott and Claire, who are living in Italy for a year or so. And two days ago, we got it back. What the devil is that all about?! The stamp on the package said the address was wrong- but it isn't because they received a letter we sent them! Those Italians are just plain nutters!
So, dear Claire and Scott, here is a picture of what international mail did to your Christmas present, and we are saving it for you until you get back:
Also, as I am sure most of you are aware, there was a total eclipse of my heart... and also the moon.
And I need you now tonight, And I need you more than ever...
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight:
Going to the library is, and always has been, one of my favorite things to do. All the long aisles with high bookshelves, and the millions of options, and the collective smell of thousands of books- it's all so comfortable. Taylor and I have totally raided our library's collection of falconry guides (Taylor), how-to books on the art of composting toilets (both of us), and great novels by Margaret Atwood, Roald Dahl, and Julia Alvarez (me):
Squirrel says, "Howdy-doo-dee, friends, neighbors, and countrymen. I'm a reading fool!"

A Saturday night at home...

2008-02-10T08:31:00.000-09:00

Drunken samurai ninja warrior devils on the loose!

The Soul of a Skier, the Heart of a Lion, the Mind of a Giant.

2008-02-06T18:10:00.000-09:00

Taylor and I went on a cross-country skiing expedition, and even though I am a complete beginner to the sport, I got Taylor's approval, and he is a former Competitive Athlete. And I am a total convert to the coolness of the sport even though, I admit, I always thought cross-country skiers were really dorky, and I still do, but in a cool way now (because, take a gander at my outfit, and tell me I am not doing my best to uphold the belief that cross-country skiers are silly nerds).

Taylor found a mound, a giant scary mound, and my downhill-skiing soul took over, and so, in confusion of what sport I was actually participating in, I gave a whoop of delight, and was off! And then I was done. Just that quickly:

Veenter Vonderland

2008-01-29T06:17:00.000-09:00

There is a sign in the ski school yurt where I work selling lessons. My coworkers and I have debated what it could have originally been intended for, but we are at a loss. We have a very low-risk job, and most of the girls have long hair, and we've all been known to wear scarves, and I can't say that my clothing is all that tight fitting:

Mighty winter storms have been hanging out with us, which makes walks with Moma really fun, since she is a regular Snow Poodle. See if you can spot her perfectly posed body in this shot:
Her favorite thing is to run full-tilt and then lower her head and scoop up the delicious snow in her mouth. Or to bury her head under the snow and just lay there, content. We have to dust her off a lot:
Something got this Poor Coyote; we think a car hit him or some fool idiot shot him for fun. He was really pretty though, and surprisingly healthy for it being the middle of winter. We found him before the snowfall, and now he's just a lovely little outline under a juniper tree:

Epidermaly Bereft, and Happy for it.

2008-01-23T21:01:00.001-09:00

Not only was today National Pie Day, but it was (self-declared) National Alpenglow Appreciation Day. Both holidays were duly celebrated, with a big HUP HUP HUP to Bob-my-father-in-law for the pie, and a mighty slap on the back to Taylor and I for getting up really early (and on my day off) to make it up the hill by the time the alpenglow was in full bloom.
We ran, really hard, in the -3 degree weather, and all the heaving and gasping I was doing frosted myself right up:
But all of our efforts payed off BIG time when we saw the beauty of the splendid Cascades and a full moon to boot. You can see that Moma really got into the spirit of the day:
Also today we went and saw a concert (Taylor's first one since last August! Crimeny!). A band called Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles rocked us out of our skins. I'm totally skinless right now, and I will be for a while, because of their hard rockin' rockin-ness. And if you don't go out and check these guys out, you will never know the pleasure of having your epidermis fall off out of pure musical satisfaction.

Colors!

2008-01-22T16:45:00.000-09:00

I know it has been 13 days since I last wrote, but I truly had nothing to say. Our puppy is doing well, I am working full time at the mountain being a barista, and Taylor is ship shape as ever- but isn't writing just to say that merely being boastful? And am I being boastful right now by oh so artfully slipping in how well everything is?
In any case,I now have something to show- this picture I found of a building in Iowa or Ohio or one of those silly Midwest states, and it's beautiful, and worth a post. It makes me think of great colors, and how I should think in colors more often:

Part Three: The Grand Entrance and Exit of General George Custer.

2008-01-09T20:46:00.000-09:00

(Read the words of General Custer first in each frame)

*Extra points to the reader who recognizes the awesome movie reference in the last frame.

Moma Hearts Nature.

2008-01-07T19:55:00.000-09:00

Our dog has decided that she wants to be a deer. We have a resident herd of mule deer that hang out on the lawn most evenings, and Moma's favorite thing in life is to sit about 20 feet away from them and just stare- for hours. We once left her out there for two hours (supervised, OBviously), and she only moved her eyeballs. She is just about the raddest dog in the history of canines:

Part Two: Squirrel Meets Clem.

2008-01-07T19:51:00.001-09:00

Part One: Squirrel's Thoughts.

2008-01-02T10:48:00.000-09:00

(You might have to click on each picture to enlarge in order to read the words.)

Organland.

2008-01-01T18:17:00.000-09:00

www.freecycle.org is the awesomeness that is the future. It is a message board that you subscribe to (through your town name), where people post things they are giving away, and things they need. And money can't be involved, it's all free stuff! Today Taylor and I picked up an electric organ from a very nice lady and her two kiddies. So great!
Our acquisition of this amazing gem is definately the best thing that has happened to us in 2008. Moma isn't as impressed, though, because the noise hurts her little thick skull:
And take a look at these buttons. We have the Wow-Wow, Manual Attack, and Add Main to Leslie buttons, among others. I'm practically melting with the coolness of this thing:

Time for Teething!

2007-12-31T19:33:00.000-09:00

A sheepskin woolie, titanium cooking pot, Elephant, Squirrel, and Husky wish you all a happy New Year:
Question: What do all of the above objects have in common?
Answer: They are quickly being mauled to nonexistence by Moma (although the titanium pot is withstanding the pressure pretty well).

The Well-Disciplined Mind

2007-12-21T13:13:00.001-09:00

We are very scientific in our training approach for Moma. Knowledge over sentiment, I always say:

Deck Them Halls With Boughs of Jollies

2007-12-20T19:55:00.000-09:00

'Tis the season for some folksy romancing!

Nip Nippers.

2007-12-13T11:12:00.000-09:00

Our puppy, Moma, went nutty in the woods the other day when we were Christmas tree hunting. This picture is right before Taylor cut down the tree... and right before Moma insisted on being at the base of that tree, pouncing at the moving sawblade. She looks calm here, but it's only because she was saving up her craziness:
I'm sold! I'm totally into our new dog! And I know that makes me almost like those people who don't have kids, so they pretend their dogs are their kids- but look at her! She's a doll!

Cakes and Cakes and Cakes Galore!

2007-12-10T11:24:00.000-09:00

My little sister is 23! And not little anymore!
We went to the beach for her birthday party, and it was great. My mom made her famous chocolate birthday cake adorned with candy treats, but the 4 hour drive to the coast wiggled the cake and frosting all apart. So great looking:
But look how tasty and appetizing it looks with the legendary candle train and happy birthday candles:

A puppy! For us!

2007-12-06T07:45:00.000-09:00

We got a puppy! So great! We have been patiently waiting for three years the right time to get a dog, and now the right time is here! She is half husky, half border collie, and is the best puppy ever. I'm going to stop now or else I'm going to start sounding like people who treat their dogs like they are humans- it's so annoying, but I can understand the impulse now.
We got her in Eugene yesterday, and on the drive home the only place she was happy was by Taylor's feet, and he was driving. We know, we know- that wasn't safe, but what are you going to do?
She also liked sitting down by my feet:
We have a puppy! And she's the best!

Anteaters eat ants, and then they get hit by trucks.

2007-12-02T19:59:00.000-09:00

Our last week in Ecuador melted our faces off day after day with it's greatness- we went to Canoa, a beach town that we love (we went there a lot last year when we were living in Ecuador). We met a couple of fellow Sumaskans (Summer Alaskans... my new gift to the dictionary). One day we rented a truck and driver, and with our new friends traveled around to several other beaches. We were lucky enough to see the fabled 'Arco de Amor,' aka the Love Arch... and from the side it looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie:
Also on that truck trip, we saw a dead anteater in the middle of the road! And I have never even seen an alive anteater! But if I did, it would have looked something like this:
And we were also lucky enough to be in Canoa for 'Canoa Day,' the annual celebration of the town. Because it's in Ecuador, it has to have a 2 hour parade- because no celebration is worth it's salt if there is no parade! Everyone knows that! This girl was the queen of something, maybe the Queen of the Kindergartners, but alas she had no retinue or ladies in waiting or anything. It is awful lonely being at the top:
And, finally, a last picture of a Beckley in Ecuador. Here I am, in a stunning self-portrait, saying, "Wooht! Ecuador! Yes! And I'm in a cave on the beach! So great! Woohty woohty wooht!"

We went! We worked! We left!

2007-11-24T09:13:00.000-09:00

Our last post featured us just starting out our days here in Ecuador, and now this one will feature our ending days here. The much-anticipated job did not work out well, and so we resigned (and then jumped for joy and clicked our heels like leprechauns). We regret nothing about the whole ordeal, because every step of the way we felt like we were doing the right thing. We are disappointed, of course, but not regretful. I think that to die without having any major regrets would be the best thing ever (and I also think that I stole that idea from Paul of the Bible).
Here is the recap on our 9 days at the job:
The location is beautiful there, and there are no flat areas to be seen. Here we are on top of a ridge (we got to do lots of hikes- the good part of the whole thing) overlooking the hotel we worked at- it was made up of a lot of buildings. I believe this is taken looking south:
This next picture is taken at about the same elevation (10,400 feet) as the hotel, but more east, on a plateau. I'm laying on my belly, praying like hell that the edge of this cliff doesn't break off:
Now this last in the trio is of me at the bottom of the canyon you see in the second picture. There is an elevation difference of about 3,500 feet. Luckily Taylor and I have never been effected by altitude, and so the hikes were really fun:
The sunsets were also pretty spectacular. The tiny point of a peak you can see in this photo is Illianiza, an 18,000 foot volcano. We got a better view the next day on our drive out of the failed job, and it's actually a twin-peak mountain that has to be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen:
The little town our hotel was outside of was very tiny. Here is the main plaza of it at 3 in the morning, when we were waiting for a bus out of there:
And, finally, a really awesome building we walk by a lot here in Quito. Last year here in Ecuador and again this year we have noticed that a strange obsession with castle designs is all the rage. I think this is a business of some kind:
So now we are mentally preparing to return home, and excited for the plethora of Christmas cookies that we will be eating soon. This has been a silly adventure, but at least it's going to be a memorable one. And please excuse my cheesy phrasing, because we're in a cafe that is playing 90's radio hits, and I think the cliches are getting to me!

Ecuador, Ecuador.

2007-11-11T11:45:00.000-09:00

We are now in Ecuador, back again in Quito, and it feels the same as it did when we left last year. Getting here went smoothly- much better than last year, except for the fact that Taylor got a nasty cold from an inconsiderate person on one of our plane rides.

So now we are waiting (semi-patiently) for him to get better so we can go to our new home, a five hour trip from here. It´s raining like crazy, and I´m in a slightly-sleezy, super-trendy internet cafe, full of young expats who boastfully speak Spanish fluently, all the while looking condescendingly at the tourists seated at the next booth over, as if to say- Yeah, I am so much cooler and better travelled than you are, if you haven´t notived by my awesome language skills. One thing we have noticed in our travels in that those foreigners who have been in a country a long time get a wierd sort of superiority complex that they love to lord over all the newly arrived foreigners. It´s a protective measure against feelings of fear and a slight disconnection with the society you´ve chosen to live in.

So on the whole, we are so excited to be back here- we get to go meet our new bosses and coworkers in a couple of days and get settled into our new life! Yea!

(By the way, if this post makes no sense it´s because the music in this internet place is so bad that it has paralyzed the thinking part of my brain.)

Beware the Mustachioed Man.

2007-11-05T07:00:00.001-09:00

Our good friend Marie came to visit us this weekend, and we had a jolly good time. Jolly good. We went and saw 'The Darjeeling Limited,' and our love of Wes Anderson was increased ten-fold. Taylor also showed us that he is six movie seats long:
Bend has a women's Roller Derby league, and the awesomeness of the game melted our collective faces off. It was the Skull Rollers vs. the Wicked Pussycats, and the Pussycats' mascot is Cat Boy (or so we called him). Cat Boy needed to tinkle, and we caught him zipping back up. By the way, he's wearing roller skates, and his costume doesn't include eye holes, so he is one talented 6'6" cat:
Finally, Taylor showed us his arsenal of BB guns, and we shot the living dickens out of the High Desert:

Go, Señor Doctor, Go!

2007-11-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

While we wait for our visas to be processed so we can leave for Ecuador, we have been taking advantage of the great weather that Bend is known for. Unfortunately, my head has ballooned in size, and taken on the characteristics of my dad's face:
The doctors are at a loss for a cure, and so I am patiently waiting for their research to bear fruit. My mom decided a trip to see our relatives in California would be just the trick to take my (now enormous) mind off of this sad calamity. And it did! I have great relatives, and I only wish I could spend more time with them.
We went to Ikea, and I was impressed by their army of shopping carts. Those Swedes are prepared for anything:
On the drive back to Bend, we saw a blink-of-an-eye town that's claim to fame is possessing the World's Largest Grindstone! They could have chosen a more dignified location for it, though:

Pets on Parade!

2007-10-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

This is my tribute to the 4th of July, since we didn't do anything this year because we were in the middle of the woods.

It's always fun to look back on old pictures and laugh at a)the outfits, b) the haircuts, and c) the activites. This picture features all three of those things- I am wearing a red tank top that I had sewn myself (I remember thinking it was so cool...), my sister and I are both sporting less than flattering haircuts, and we are proudly participating in the annual 4th of July Bend Pet Parade. And in the left side of the picture is some lady dressed as a jellyfish... which was a totally normal thing to do in the totally awesome Pet Parade! Kids who didn't have pets pushed toy baby strollers with their stuffed animals riding along, and I remember seeing a lot of red wagons carrying fish bowls with clearly suffering goldfish. And the best part were the free popsicles after.

Magic Magic.

2007-10-16T09:16:00.001-08:00

In an effort to lighten things up concerning our driving trip, because it was really fun, here are four silly pictures of memorable events.
We stopped for lunch at a lake in the Yukon, and there were two gray jays that ate bits of our sandwiches out of our hands (Taylor informs me that he has had loads of gray jays eat out of his hands before, but this was all new to me):
That night, we camped at a supposedly closed campground (the signs said closed, but the gates said open) and Taylor was getting a campfire ready to start, when it started all by itself!
One of the best stops on the Alcan is the Liard River Hot Springs, and everyone who is cool stops there for a soak. A blizzard started the next morning, and the air was freezing cold. That's why Taylor looks like a marshmallow- a marshmallow drinking Coors Light:
But I wasn't looking much better. The combination of prescription glasses and beanies is a very unfortunate one indeed:

The Car, With Us, On the Road.

2007-10-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Every time I try to write an intro for this post, I erase it, because what can I really say about the trip down the Alcan. It was over 3,000 miles, and took us about 9 days, but those are just numbers, and numbers can't tell a story.
So, first, here is a list of the animals we saw in herds and flocks: buffalo, caribou, stone sheep, black bears, sandhill cranes, big horn sheep, arctic swans, wild horses, and a lone fox. So great.
We saw a lady die, we saw trees dying, and we saw a wild horse dead with his legs frozen out parallel to the ground, just like a toy. I guess that's what happens when winter is coming.
We almost died, too, trying to cross the Canadian Rockies in a forty year old car without chains and in the middle of a blizzard. I've never been in a position before where I thought, "Well, I guess this is it." And what do you do then? Nothing, because when we die isn't our choice, and it's so terrifying to realize that. But we didn't, and a miracle is all that can explain why not. It's also terrifying to realize that God is everything, and we are these little nothings, and it's God that decides all.
But we ruled the mighty Alcan. We melted it's little face off with our very presence. It's already crying, dreading the day we drive back up to Alaska.

Going South, We Are. Enjoy It, We Will.

2007-09-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today Taylor, Volvo, and I are heading Outside (to southerners, that means the outdoors, but to the northerners of this fair country, that means anywhere that's not Alaska).
And even though we are both staunch Protestants, today merits a prayer to St. Christopher, the patron saint of (among other things) travelers, cab drivers, lightening, automobile drivers, Havana, fruit dealers, holy death, and toothaches. So a prayer to one of God's most holiest has us covered in most every way. Those Catholics aren't taking any chances, it seems.
North to the Future!
South to the Past!
East to the Present!
West to the...

Maggot Fish!

2007-09-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Spawned out fish! Missing eyeballs! Very smelly! Bears! This was a fun outing, and all I wanted to do was just run around and make grossed-out noises like when I was a little kid.
This fish is completely full of maggots. And was half-buried by a bear. Listen closely and hear them eating and moving:

Yea for nature!

Bee Day!

2007-09-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

Taylor is now 26 years old, and looking very chipper indeed considering he is quickly approaching old age.
There were almost too many candles on our mini-cake. I could feel the cake crying under the weight, but then it didn't feel anything, because we ate it.

Luminous Lighted Lodge.

2007-09-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

One last view of the lodge we work at. We shut it down a couple of days ago. Nighttime and an old camera that won't focus make everything prettier:

Hair!

2007-09-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

I think the best thing about making jam is lining all the jars up when you are done and admiring your work. Actually, I think the best part about doing anything is admiring what you have done after it's all done:
Taylor and I went to Portland last week for our good friends' wedding, which Taylor was in. While Taylor did all the pre-wedding things guys do together, Marie and I reacquainted our Chickenscratch dolls (my Chickenscratch brought his pet whale, Targon McFlubbers, along as company) and we all spent some real quality time together:
Then, at the wedding, Taylor and Brett also reacquainted themselves with each other. Those little gems. By the way, my favorite thing about wedding pictures or party pictures are the poses that dancers are caught in. This picture has several great ones in the background:
During all of this great bonding and special time, my eyes were freaking out. I couldn't stand any light at all, and they hurt all the time. So I went to a doctor and was told I have blisters on my eye! And ingrown blood vessels! And a virus! What the heck?! Now I get to go back to my younger days and wear my extra-thick glasses:
And apparently when I bring out my glasses, my crazy hair comes back too. We didn't have a mirror so I was unaware of my looks until I walked into the lodge and saw my shadow on the door. Pretty scary stuff:
But luckily, throughout everything, our guard polar bear makes sure we're safe:

Of Kilts and Kayaks.

2007-08-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Six of us from work took two days to do part of the Swan Lakes National Canoe Trail (oh so very impressive), which eventually empties into the Moose River, which we live on, much farther downstream. Taylor and I have been wanting to do this trip for three years now, and now all we can talk about is future kayak trips, into more remote areas.
It was really fun, and involved many portages. At first, we were all carrying our kayaks, but after several of us almost lost our temper doing that (these portages were all at least 1/2 mile long, and hilly), we discovered that we could just drag them along, and all became well again.
And it didn't rain on us at all! Twas a miracle! So, here are some pictures from those lovely two days of bliss (and sore bodies):
The last portage ends at the Moose River, which that far upstream is really narrow and there are lots of logs sticking in the water. Taylor got flipped over by such a log, and had to stand in the river emptying out all the water. We all laughed heartily, and for a long time:
So even though the end of the summer is coming fast, our casbah is still being rocked mightily by it.
By the way, I tried to see if I could ruffle our bosses unruffable feathers, and said to him "I'll be there in two shakes of a lambies tail," and he didn't even flinch. That man is my hero.

We've Gone Cran-Crazy! Ood-e-lah-lee!

2007-08-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

The other day Taylor and I went looking for adventure, and we found a literal mother lode of cranberries! One of the hills next to our place is crawling with low-bush cranberries, also called lingenberries. Already I've made cranberry-orange relish and cranberry-blueberry bread, but I haven't even begun. I picked a whole gallon in only one hour! I never really liked the taste of them before, but fresh ones, with lots of sugar, are so good.
We've also spotted loads of animals lately- which isn't odd at all, but the good thing is that we've had our camera ready. So, here are pictures of moose and sandhill cranes and sockeye salmon:
These cranes were doing a sort of dance, and we think they might have a nest right there because they haven't moved from that location in a week or so. But it seems awfully late to be starting a nest, so we could be wrong:
Taylor saw these spawning sockeye when he went fishing at Quartz Creek:
Taylor declared that his day of fishing at Quartz with our friend Drew was the greatest day of fishing he's had in many a year. Here is a huge Dolly Varden trout he caught (and then released, of course):

Succesfully Startling the Tourists.

2007-08-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

Although it is raining and poopy today, two days ago it was sunny and oh so very hot. So Taylor and I took our aunt's little dog Alice to the Knik River for a lovely day of listening to barking and playing baseball with rocks.

I'm typing this while sitting on our dock. Seven canoes full of French-people just paddled by, and I think they were very weirded out by me, as we are only the second building they have seen in probably seven days of paddling the canoe trail in the refuge. And here I am, stealing an internet connection like it's the most normal thing in the world. At least I assume they thought my presence was a little odd, because they all started staring at me and jabbering away in French, in what I take to be a confused tone of voice.

Are We Not All Americans? Do We Not All Weep and Whine?

2007-08-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

Our normally sedate lives have of late been interrupted by lots and lots of cool things. And not so cool things- like lame guests who called us 'uncivilized.'

But even that is alright, because those rude humans have inspired me to write a treatise on the American psyche, with special emphasis on how Americans behave when vacationing. This paper will include, but not be limited to, these themes: One, the utter disregard of manners and common courtesy, replaced with an inconsiderate and selfish attitude. Two, the unbelievable self-righteousness mentality, mixed with a healthy dose of bland middle-class morality. Three, whining as a natural course of conversation. This last point is the most fascinating, because as a culture we all whine almost constantly, even when we are a having a good time. It is as if whining and complaining have become a positive way to talk. Mine eyes have been opened, and I'm bewildered by our common behavior. Our grand President exemplifies this behavior: blame everyone else for everything, never take personal responsibility (especially when faced with the facts that you are to blame), whine constantly about things that cannot be changed, and fear anything and everything that is even a little bit different or more difficult (i.e., not having electricity, or running water- because as everyone knows, only uncivilized backwards losers live like that!). Ahh, but here I am complaining, proving my status as an American.
But really good and weird things have happened as well. I recently rode a fish in a local rodeo:
And the weather has been really lovely, so Taylor played Le Banjo for hours in the sun:
I got to go see this really cool, and really old, Russian Orthodox church. There is a huge Russian Orthodox population on the peninsula, left over from when the Russians ruled the roost:
We have a volcano up here called St. Augustine, and it is an island unto itself. It looks almost exactly like those paper maché volcanoes you made as a kid, and then you would add baking soda and vinegar in the middle and create an awesome explosion. This volcano makes real explosions, though. And it was steaming on the day I saw it:
And this is a little odd: two days ago we woke up and it was foggy out, which isn't weird at all, but then a lot of forest-fire-smoke mixed with it and we couldn't see anything at all when we drove our boat downriver. We almost got lost on the river. And then who knows what would've happened to us! Awful things!
Finally, last night we went with some friends to see the band Cake, a high school favorite. And it was so, so great. Alaska doesn't get very many really good bands, and so when anything resembling a decent show comes up here, it sells out immediately, and people come in from all over- we drove 120 miles to see it. And since we all loved the band so much, they loved us, and played three encores. Everyone was dancing and the drunks were having the time of their most likely short lives. This was the first concert we've seen in three years, and one of the guys we were with hadn't seen a show since the last Rage Against the Machine tour in 1999! So great, so great, so great:
So there is a week's worth of us, with an abnormal amount of activity in it. We feel so normal, and busy, and American.

Proof of Our Not-Lameness.

2007-08-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking lately that you, our dear reader, most likely believes our life to be really boring, consisting only of building things and cooking things. You couldn't be more wrong! We happen to be one with nature as well: just yesterday, I was guiding a family on a hike that ends at a waterfall, and we saw a momma bear and her baby fishing in the waters and eating salmon. But, of course, I didn't have my camera.
And last week Taylor and I were sitting on our dock and a moose came charging down the hill out of the woods and into the river and starting splashing around like he was going crazy. Again, our camera was nowhere around.
Then two weeks ago Taylor was eating lunch in the lodge, and a lynx strolled up and looked in the window at him, like it was nothing. I just wanted to reassure you all that we actually do have cool lives, filled with interest and glee, but since great moments are by nature spontaneous, they are hardly ever on camera.
And the other night we paddled our kayaks up into the refuge and picked a LOT of blueberries:
So last night I made a great blueberry and peach pie, which is the first pie I have ever made- and it worked! And tastes so good! My pride cannot contain it, so here is yet another picture of something I have baked:
I can't promise that this blog will become action packed, with more photos of us spelunking and ice-climbing than cooking, but I hope this helped to put your worried minds at rest: we are not as lame as you thought.

The Construction Project of Our Lives.

2007-07-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

We're done! With the lodge! This has taken three years of construction, just Taylor and I, and we finished last night. So here are some before and after pictures. First, the horror that was before:
Please note that although it may look maybe ok, there is no insulation or paneling on the walls or ceiling, and the windows are just dirty old screens.
These guests are freezing! The lodge was really cold in the mornings and at night (or, whenever we needed to use it with clients) and eating the meals was awful because it was just so cold and miserable. These guests might be smiling for the picture, but I can tell you that they were not happy (and pretty vocal about it too, ugh).
NOW for the GLORY that is our lodge now! The joy! The rapture! The happiness frosted lightly with giddiness!

Windows! A heater! Insulation covered by wood (because when people come to Alaska they expect a lodge dripping with wood... it's the Alaskan way, in their minds)! A bearskin! Breathtaking!
One last picture to show our happiness. Taylor was a dancing fool with that old nail gun! Isn't building fun?

Those Poor Souls.

2007-07-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

I am well aware that I have been remiss in posting posts on this page of posts. Taylor and I are in the middle of HEAVY DUTY construction- we're finishing the inside of the lodge by putting wood onto the ceiling. Which is no small thing as we have to get everything up there by boat. I was lucky enough to get to perch my little bum bum on top of this heaping pile of wood for the ride upriver:

Last year we put glass windows in (among other things) and because of this the local bird population is suffering a higher death rate. It is the Big Black Fly season now, and they hang out inside our lodge, crashing against the glass over and over, thinking who knows what. And the birds nose-dive into the glass thinking they can snatch them away for a tasty treat- but apparently the windows are having the last laugh, because those poor little birds are dying by the dozen (with the flies also biting the dust because of, what I assume, is pure exhaustion). Here is one of those poor souls, lying where I found him:
Also, the greens of our garden are even more outrageous than last week, so if your eyes didn't burn out of your skull from the previous picture, then prepare to go blind from this one:

My Eyes Are Outraged!

2007-07-17T11:30:00.001-08:00

We love green houses!  We're nuts over houses of green!  But I half-promise that this is the last picture of the new greenhouse, only two days old and looking the picture of health:

(The area to the left will be a compost bin. Ooo de la lee!)

And I dare you not to burn your eyes with the intensity of this green. My eyes are outraged daily by the vividness of the plants around here, and by the shocking colors in our garden.

I would really like for a snowshoe hare to hop up to our tent one night, come in, and decide it wants to be my pet. This is possible because many snowshoe hares live around us, as you can see by this map:

I wish I could let you all smell the air here. It is the best smell I have ever smelled in my life, and I have a very sensitive sniffer, so I am well versed in the field of odors. Up by our lodge it is a combination of alder, birch, cottonwood, and spruce, and the combo concert of these trees is so fresh smelling, and so peaceful. It is as if by just smelling the air you think, Yes, this is the way things are supposed to be. Funny what a scent can do to the mind.

Fear Everyone! Eat More Bread!

2007-07-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

Taylor is truly suffering for perfection. Not only does he spend every moment crafting his beautiful greenhouse, but he's goring himself with the screw gun! Look at his hand! There's are two holes in it! And a cut on the finger!
Obviously, to the majority of the world's population, a wound this small would be unmentionable- but we are Americans, and it is our duty to announce every little thing that occurs, so that the rest of the American population will live in fear. Therefore, in the name of national security, I am putting the terror alert at Code Orange, because a terrorist obviously switched our harmless Ryobi screw gun for one made with hatred and unpatriotic thoughts, and it purposely hurt an innocent civilian. Be on guard, comrades, for these are dangerous times.

I wish to amaze you all by the amazingness of the bread I am baking. I feel as if I am creating little bits of awesomeness that I can admire as well as eat. Have I mentioned yet that bread is my absolute favorite things humans have invented? Well, it is. And how.

A Bushel of Boasts.

2007-07-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

We discovered today that we someone around us has wireless, so we can now sit at our remote lodge and go surfing on the World Wide Web- but we don't have running water, electricity, or a road anywhere nearby. And our nearest neighbor, and apparently the provider of this wireless connection, is over a quarter mile away across the river delta from us. How strange! I'm typing this outside, looking out over the river and the marshes, and hearing someone's cow (what? a cow?) mooing sadly. This is no land for a cow.

Bread is my all time favorite anything. And since I eat so much of it, I decided to start making it. I've dabbled in baking before, but most of my efforts turned out as 'crumble cakes,' as Taylor so aptly named them. But now I'm serious. And the whole wheat bread I've been making is amazing! It's delightful! It's wholesome and completely organic! I am nourished and happy- there is something so therapeutic about kneading bread dough for a long time. Look at the darling little butt on my loaf of bread!

I'm not even close to being done with this baking business. Last night I made a yeasted whole wheat pizza crust dough, and stealing the topping ideas from Old Roommate Eli (blue cheese and apple) and our Aunt Laura (vegetarian from our garden), we made the best dinner we've had in ages.
Taylor is building this amazing log greenhouse. He worked for a while at a log home building place, and decided to put those skills to use (also, we are really cheap with our cash, and didn't want to spend any money on lumber). So he's been thinning the trees on our land here, which needed to be done anyways, and he's using the logs for the greenhouse. Quality thinking, really. It's going to be the coolest greenhouse for miles around.
Taylor also went drift boat fishing the other day, and caught like 9 trout. And I have never been fishing, but he assured me that the trout here are way bigger than trout in the lower 48. This picture is him holding a Dolly Varden, which is a fish in the trout family.
By the way, while he was fishing, I was at the lodge baking and cross-stitching and cleaning, because we have decided (we are the deciders, after all) that the traditional American marriage is our goal. Therefore, I will do all the cooking, cleaning, and sewing, and he's going to bring home the bacon, or trout. This is such a more wholesome way of life, wouldn't you agree? I am probably going to start walking around barefoot soon, too, as soon as I get pregnant. Women don't deserve to wear shoes- that is obviously a man's priority.

The Deepest Heart.

2007-07-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

All of my funny (to me) posts are not a completely true reflection of how Taylor and I are feeling. My insides still feel muddy and tired most of the time. Even hearing Carol Burnett on NPR talk about her friend that just died set me off for a couple of hours. Laura was just that cool! She was that important! She was part of our deepest hearts, that area where only a couple people in your lifetime can get into, because it is so completely vulnerable.
Two years ago, when Laura gave us our car, her 101-year-old neighbor John came over to see what was going on and talk with Taylor and Laura about proper car maintenance. Notice how, like in any good mechanic's shop, only one person is working while the others stand around and give advice:

From the Vast Archives of Glory.

2007-07-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

I found something beautiful today whilst looking through our old pictures. Here is my birthday cake from 2 years ago, when we apparently didn't have any birthday candles or a real cake. Matches, chunks of chocolate, and a maraschino cherry make a fine and tasty treat.
That year the weather got up to a scorching 85 degrees, and in the spirit of summer we went swimming in our mighty Moose River. This is, of course, the year before we discovered the 7 inch long leeches and 3 foot long Arctic Lamprey lurking in the water (read up on lampreys, they are freaky looking things- like bottom feeding eels. My insides squirm with the mere thought of them...). Look at that happy boy wash himself! Look at the murky water! Look at the floating non-bio-degradable shampoo! Ahh... the follies of youth.

A Veritable Cornucopia of Awesomeness.

2007-07-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

The many, many hours of daylight combined with Taylor's gift for gardening have made our garden explode! Please note when looking at these pictures that we planted the plant starts only 2 weeks ago. (And then think in your head, "Golly those Great Green Gardens are Good!")
And here are our herbs (you got your basil, your basic oregano, your lemon thyme...) and broccoli (the little guys in the black pot- they were started from seed).
Lest I get too serious and boring, here is a WONDERFUL picture I found yesterday while cutting up a Natural History magazine from the early 80's. If only my child's destiny could be so promising...

Foreign Goodies

2007-07-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Since my thoughts, and therefore my camera, aren't in a funny-thinking state of mind, here are some great pictures from Ecuador, when my brain and my camera were lovingly in sync:

A very popular idea was to top off the ugly old trash cans with the head of a strawberry, or clown, or Donald Duck! Imagine all the fun that can be had! Now everyone will want to throw away their trash because it's such jolly old fun! Sadly, this lady washing her cart thingy didn't notice all the fun being had behind her.

We were watching one of the daily parades one day and I spotted my all-time favorite Ecuatorians, ever. I like every single thing about these three gems. (By the way, the other day I was reading something in the phone book and I saw the word 'jem' used where 'gem' should have been, which made me sigh, 'Ah, Alaska...').
Taylor went CRAAA-zy with his new charongo! Just plain crazy!
We stayed in this amazing hotel. I'm not rating the amazingness based on things like comfortable beds, or lights that work, or constant hot water- no! I'm judging this place as a 10 out of 10 because of the decor. Every room had a different animal painted on the doors- we stayed in the Golden Retriever room, but my favorite was the Horse room. The Lion and Tiger room was cool too. Unfortunately, the door painting theme didn't make it into the room- our room was clearly lacking in any sort of real Golden Retrievers, or even a stuffed one.

To Our Dearest.

2007-06-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful Aunt Laura died a week ago, and this has been the hardest week we have ever gone through. She was more of our surrogate mother than our aunt, and the reason we came to Alaska three years ago. Everything I could say about our emotions right now would be a cliche- our hearts are broken, we're shocked, we feel numb... but I now realize why those phrases are overused in the first place- because they are accurate descriptions of how people feel when something tragic happens.
And so we dedicate this day, June 24th, to Aunt Laura. We chose this day because it is Adalie's birthday as well as Aunt Laura's funeral day, and so we will always remember her and how she was one of the greatest people we have ever known.
We love you, and adore you, and will always remember you.

A Portrait for the Ages.

2007-06-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

Alaska has been good to us.

Noteworthy Events.

2007-06-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

Many exciting events have been taking place in the lives of the Von Beckleys. First, we went to a plant nursery and saw a real, live banana tree, growing actual bananas! And we live in Alaska! Look at the ripening bananas:
Secondly, Taylor built a raised garden bed so we can have an organic garden. Here he is surviving hordes of mosquitos in the quest for perfect dirt:
Thirdly, and most importantly, I finally noticed what a funny sign our local gas station has:
But the clown isn't lying- those ice cream cones are huge! Here I am (or rather, here my knee is) with a SMALL ice cream, and I've already eaten HALF of the cup! The audacity of those people! Who do they think they are?! Crazy, that's what I think.

One Joyous Activity Down, Many More to Go.

2007-06-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

Our glorious days of hiking in along the scenic power lines have come to an end. The water in our mighty river has now risen to acceptable levels (meaning, 4 inches deep) and our mighty, Louisiana-born Go-Devil boat can slog it's way through mud and silt to our place.

Here are some selected scenes from our last day hiking in to our lodge:

Please note the petrified animal droppings gracing the edge of this classic mix CD. This was found near a rubber boot with a bullet hole in the side. The locals here are a real classy bunch.
After seeing all the trash and the general unkempt character of Nature, I decided to really go for it and cleaned the hell out of the messy, dirty land.

A New Car Will Soon Be Yours

2007-06-03T07:37:00.001-08:00

Taylor and I are thinking about buying a new car, and we have found a several that we really love. Taylor thinks we should go with the blue one, but my heart is set on the one in the middle!

On a more serious note (C? B Flat?) for all of the moms reading this, we are finally getting to open up our lodge, even though there is still no water in the river- which means we have to hike in 3 miles to our place, through a crazy land filled with teenagers with automatic weapons and really big, hungry bears. We like it, mostly because of the AWESOME DANGER around every corner and the HUGE ADRENALINE RUSHES we get! Here's a picture demonstrating the riskiness of this hike:

Our Anniversary

2007-05-31T22:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary, and it was swell. We went whitewater rafting with our company, and then spent the day with the newest member of our family, Chickenscratch #3 (pictured above), who along with his adopted brother Sir Weevily Wheat (the bird), sang us a rousing rendition of 'Oh, He's a Jolly Good Fellow.' We kindly overlooked their poor singing abilities and clapped loudly at the end. This year was much better than last year, when we spent our 1st anniversary in the hospital because Taylor almost got paralyzed by a crazy falling door, and had to be airlifted out of Bear Camp. The following picture is Taylor right before the accident, blithely unaware of the danger and pain about to befall him:

Taylor and Adalie's Adventures at Bear Camp

2007-05-29T17:40:00.000-08:00

(The following is in third person. Read it as if you were reading 'Dick and Jane Go To School.')
Taylor and Adalie traveled by tiny plane to their company's Bear Camp, where they go each summer for a while to help out the friendly folks who work there. They love going to Bear Camp, and are so happy that their company sends them there all the time. This time they helped set up the tents so all of the lovely tourists will have a nice place to sleep. There are lots of big brown bears at Bear Camp, and a friendly old homesteader named Wayne. Wayne is a nice man. He has lived on this land since 1967, and right now Wayne owns a dog named Boots and a goat named Sugar Something. Taylor and Adalie smile big at Wayne's stories! They are so happy!

Adalie was ganged up on by the fierce goat dog duo. They demanded she play with them for hours, and when she wanted a break, the goat dog duo headbutted her.

Taylor participated in the annual Moldy Mattress Rodeo. He won.

Snapshots from Our Life

2007-05-25T19:37:00.001-08:00

This scary lettering on the inside of a typical building here (notice the unfinished loveliness of the wall) is written by our Gary, who is known for his friendly smile and blackened teeth.

Our new pet bird, named Sir Weevily Wheat. We rescued him from a glacial beach- he was half buried in the silt and very lonely. Now he's safe and happy, living with us.

Our children will always be Junior Rangers on Alaskan fjords cruises. These concerned citizens are taking the pledge of undying loyalty to the National Park Service and all she stands for. It was a very moving experience.