Phew! What a really busy couple weeks. Who knew that moving 90 miles could take so much time and effort? But at last, the landlord "stuff" is (hopefully) behind us. The PO Box had a slip in there today for a certified letter, so hopefully that means our rent reimbursement and fuel money is there, and we can really be done with this nonsense once and for all.
J is working insane amounts of overtime in this and recent weeks. 'Tis the season for firefighter overtime. *sigh*
But, that hasn't stopped us from having a handful of adventures.
Early this past week, our neighbor (another firefighter) was struck by the boredom bug and asked if we felt like panning for gold. Before you all start laughing, it's a very common hobby up here. And YES, people really do find gold. And sometimes, even cooler things like rubies and jade.
So, we packed up the rain gear. Not because it was raining, but because you'll have the best luck panning for gold in a creek. And a creek is wet.
We also loaded up some snacks, lunch, our neighbor's 12 gauge (in case of bears), and gold panning supplies, namely a shovel and some pans.
As a side note, I'd like to add that "gear" is a lot more cumbersome when you have kids. In addition to all the gear, we had to have the diaper bag. And the baby backpack. And toys. Ah... the list goes on.
ANYHOO... we finally had the van loaded up and cruised down the Richardson Hwy, toward Black Rapids. We weren't the only ones with a hankering for gold panning either. We passed several people digging up the creek beds and sifting through the silt in search of treasures.
We staked out our own spot a little past Bear Creek, and hiked upstream a bit. It was an easy hike, but stream crossing took some ingenuity. For starters, I wasn't exactly wearing waders. My (cute and useful) Columbia boots only gave me about 3 inches of water protection, and the creek was easily over the ankles to mid calf. With me wearing Beans in the backpack, and J piggybacking me, we eventually crossed the stream a handful of times to "a good spot", when we started our panning operation.
For those of you who want to know how the story ends: no, we didn't find gold. Or rubies. Or Jade. We DID find a lot of really neat quartz rock. We did get really wet and pretty cold. And we DID have a really good time. And I even found myself brave enough to go pee in the woods.
OK, it wasn't bravery, it was my pregnant bladder, but still, I went in the woods. Alone. Without the gun.
After everyone except Beans was cold, wet, and hungry (Beans was lucky enough to get to watch this operation from the backpack), we hiked back to the van. That's when we saw BEAR TRACKS!
Yep, real, live bear tracks.
And folks, they weren't there when we crossed the creek on our hike in!
I was slightly humbled by the sight, and realized that at some point in our day, we were most likely noticed by bears that we didn't notice at all.
Glad that I didn't become bear food (and really starting to worry that the bear might come looking for the peanut butter sandwich in my pocket), we loaded back into the van and decided to take a cruise to Paxson.
Before I go further, let me say this: Paxson is not so exciting. It's literally a gas station/roadhouse (with really expensive gas, too), out in the middle of NO WHERE. I think the Milepost said the population of Paxson was 67. As in 67 people. Total. But they were friendly people, and the drive was SPECTACULAR.
Seriously, any locals or future travellers to the Interior, it's a drive well worth taking. I don't know if words can describe it, but I'll give it the ol' college try...
Once you get past Black Rapids, the hills open up quite a bit. The mountains that were covered in birch and spruce are suddenly only covered in brush, or even barren. As you enter Rainbow Pass, you begin to see multicolored mountains, an effect of volcanic rock. The mountains are literally red, blue, green, orange. They very suddenly get taller and taller... so tall that you begin to realize that you really are only a teeny little speck on Planet Earth.
Not to get all "religious" on y'all, but under those mountains, there is no denying that a very great and powerful God runs the show, created those mountains, and left them there as a reminder that you are insignificant (and yet, somehow, we still mean everything to God!).
You get the distinct feeling that the mountains are swallowing you, and just as fast as these enormous mouths of rock came into sight, they all but disappear, opening up on a lake that stretches for miles.
I'm glad I had the Milepost with me, and that I gave up the driver's seat for the trip. Reading the Milepost revealed that we were just a few mile markers away from being able to catch a glimpse of Gulkana Glacier, where we stopped for a photo opportunity. (Pictures to come, I promise. One of these days.)
Beans snoozed comfortably while J, myself, and our friend chatted and took in the scenery. Our new friends are as avid about loving Alaska as we are, and we exchanged stories of the few adventures we have already undertaken and the many that we want to. Our new friends are also avid "Moose Patrol" junkies. *grin*
And the moose along the way back home from Paxson were amazing. We passed 7 or 8 (that we saw).
We returned home much later than we planned, tired, muddy, and glad for the trip. The evening ended with a beautiful sunset (we are finally having real sunsets, and at a decent hour!) and dreams of our next gold panning adventure, when we hope to really strike it rich. (Don't worry, J's hanging on to the day job!)
***
The following day was a trip to Fairbanks. And now that I live in Delta Junction, I REALLY hate going to town. I elaborated on our trip by the old North Pole house last post, so I won't rehash that nonsense. The rest of the day was exasperating... shopping for things we needed, doctor's visits, the works. I had every intention of stopping by to see my friends in North Pole on the way home, but by 5 pm, we were STILL finishing up our shopping and everyone was tired and grumpy and ready to go home. (Sorry M! My next trip up is Sept 9th and I DO plan on stopping in then!)
***
I was almost relieved when J went to work the following day. I was exhausted and Beans desperately needed her routine back in order. We chilled out for a couple days, then made our way into Delta Junction for another adventure on Saturday.
Nothing too exciting... we went with my neighbor (the wife) to the library, the IGA (where you can get a coffee), had lunch at the Drive In, visited the Farmer's Market, then since Beans dozed off in the car, we drove down Clearwater Road and the down the Rich Hwy to Black Rapids. (Just because). With lots of gal pal chatting and beautiful scenery, the time passed quickly.
Of significant note was a HUGE Bull Moose (we actually say two of them on our drive). The first one was enormous, and we nearly mistook him for a tree, until we noticed he was moving. His rack was probably the size of the front of my minivan. AMAZING. And just right on the side of the road. The other "little" guy still had fuzz on his antlers, but was an impressive sight, nonetheless.
***
In Other News:
I came face to face with a moose the other night! I wandered out our back door onto the deck and found myself within 6 feet of TWO of these amazing animals. The smaller of the two took off in a sprint toward the tree line, while the other acknowledged my presence with a half hearted snort, a glance up, and then went back to munching on my neighbor's chickweed. I figured I was somewhat safe on my deck (even though the moose WAS able to rest it's head on the deck floor!), and snapped a few photos and stood in awe of this creature.
Honestly, there is no way to do justice in a description of these animals. They are huge, powerful, skittish, unpredictable, and even then, when they are chewing up your lawn and only giving you a bored look from time to time, amazingly docile and peaceful animals to be around.
****
More News: One of Bean's beloved goldfish (we had him for 3 days) had the take the porcelain plunge. Yes, "Callie" (named for her calico coloring) had to be flushed away this morning, as she was found belly up in the tank.
Don't worry, 10 month old Beans was in no distress over the loss. In fact, she laughed hysterically as poor Callie went around, and around, and around in the bowl before finally being swept away. (OK, I guess on some level, a goldfish swirling to it's grave IS kind of funny!)
Callie was quickly forgotten, and "Bub" (named because it's a word Beans can actually say), the remaining fish, is still alive and well. For now, at least.
****
So, no idea where this coming week's adventures will take us. J is working more overtime, then he claims he is going fishing. Hopefully he brings back something good for supper.
Meanwhile, on MY agenda is to find somewhere around here to get a haircut.
Beans is hopefully going to get the hang of this tooth cutting business. She has two top teeth poke through in the last 24 hours, and it looks like her canines are following close behind. EVERYONE in the house will be sleeping better if those teeth would just come on through.
I DO know that Delta Junction's Sullivan Roadhouse is hosting the Garden Soup this Wed, and I DO plan on making it into town for that. This will also be the last week for the Farmer's Market, finally closing up for the winter. Lots of other adventures planned, meanwhile, I have several crochet projects that have been neglected this week, and I've got an itch to get back to them...
Until next time,
Happy Moose Trails!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The End of Landlord Woes? Please?
Well, hey, y'all! Let's see if I can actually get a few minutes this week to give some updates on our progress here...
First, the home front: we are settled in the new place and made a trip to North Pole and Fairbanks yesterday to finish up our duties as tenants there. Um, we arrived to "fix the fence" as demanded by landlord and get the remaining items we had in the shed to discover that "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN OUR HOUSE". And it wasn't Goldilocks, I can tell you that much.
Yup. Someone else has already moved in. Funny, because WE paid rent until the end of September. AND, we were instructed by landlord that we could not disconnect the power or be reimbursed for our fuel oil until Sept 1st, when our notice expired.
Hmmm.... yeah. I'm pretty kind and loving, but I draw the line at paying for someone else's utilities, or letting someone live for free in a place I've paid for, ya know?
So, a couple calls to the landlord (who tried to argue the point), the power company, and putting a friend on standby to possibly siphon out our fuel oil (oh yes, I CAN be mean!)...
Well, the landlord wanted "to make a few calls" of his own to verify that is is indeed unlawful to move someone in while we technically are still paid through AND to make us pay power when he has another tenant. He soon called back, significantly more humble and not yelling anymore to tell us he'd be happy to refund our rent from Aug 16th (when the new folks moved in) and get a check to us for the fuel measurement he took the last week we lived there. And oh, yes, while waiting for him to return our call, I contacted GVEA (the power company) and had the power disconnected. Don't worry, I was nice enough to give until the following day, so the landlord could tell his new tenant they had about 24 hours to turn their own power on, unless they WANT to be sitting in the dark, cold house without running water. (The well is electric pumped.)
Yeah... I'll be glad to have all this over and done with. What a bunch of maroons.
*sigh*
OK, I was REALLY hoping to have time to tell you all REALLY exciting stuff, like how we went gold panning, found bear tracks, and made a gorgeous scenic drive to Paxson- and seriously, the moose count on that trip was incredible- but Beans is looking at me saying, "Mama, POOP!", and,um, she means it.
Off to clean up Bean Nuggets.
Back later to update if I can.
Until then, Happy (and hopefully not as stinky as mine) Moose Trails to y'all!
First, the home front: we are settled in the new place and made a trip to North Pole and Fairbanks yesterday to finish up our duties as tenants there. Um, we arrived to "fix the fence" as demanded by landlord and get the remaining items we had in the shed to discover that "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN OUR HOUSE". And it wasn't Goldilocks, I can tell you that much.
Yup. Someone else has already moved in. Funny, because WE paid rent until the end of September. AND, we were instructed by landlord that we could not disconnect the power or be reimbursed for our fuel oil until Sept 1st, when our notice expired.
Hmmm.... yeah. I'm pretty kind and loving, but I draw the line at paying for someone else's utilities, or letting someone live for free in a place I've paid for, ya know?
So, a couple calls to the landlord (who tried to argue the point), the power company, and putting a friend on standby to possibly siphon out our fuel oil (oh yes, I CAN be mean!)...
Well, the landlord wanted "to make a few calls" of his own to verify that is is indeed unlawful to move someone in while we technically are still paid through AND to make us pay power when he has another tenant. He soon called back, significantly more humble and not yelling anymore to tell us he'd be happy to refund our rent from Aug 16th (when the new folks moved in) and get a check to us for the fuel measurement he took the last week we lived there. And oh, yes, while waiting for him to return our call, I contacted GVEA (the power company) and had the power disconnected. Don't worry, I was nice enough to give until the following day, so the landlord could tell his new tenant they had about 24 hours to turn their own power on, unless they WANT to be sitting in the dark, cold house without running water. (The well is electric pumped.)
Yeah... I'll be glad to have all this over and done with. What a bunch of maroons.
*sigh*
OK, I was REALLY hoping to have time to tell you all REALLY exciting stuff, like how we went gold panning, found bear tracks, and made a gorgeous scenic drive to Paxson- and seriously, the moose count on that trip was incredible- but Beans is looking at me saying, "Mama, POOP!", and,um, she means it.
Off to clean up Bean Nuggets.
Back later to update if I can.
Until then, Happy (and hopefully not as stinky as mine) Moose Trails to y'all!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Finally Settled
Ahhh.... home. A lot of people would say "Home is where the heart is". I agree. I also think home is where you can sleep without rodents chewing through your walls, smelling diesel fuel when you wake in the morning, or waking to the sound of your smoke detector going off when your heat kicks on.
Yep, we are "home". We got moved without too much trouble and had the help of several other firefighters. I love the new place. It's not the "cabin" I eventually want, but the three story townhouse-styled home is a good trade.
Beans and I have been up to many adventures. She loves the new place as well, and made me realize that you don't really have to "teach" a 9 month old to go up the stairs. They somehow know how to do that, and pretty much anything else that can inspire heart attacks in parents. Going down is a lesson that still needs to be learned. Meanwhile, I'm getting really good at catching her when she tumbles.
In addition to the stairs, Beans is a big fan of screaming in the basement. Ok, before you people think I've locked her away down there, the laundry is in the basement. And she discovered quickly that her shrieks of joy echo off the walls. Um, even funnier is our neighbor's puppy, who hears her shrieks and answers back with yips of his own. Most days while doing laundry, Beans and the puppy are having conversations through the walls, while I secretly hope no one is calling the MPs about a baby screaming in the basement.
Speaking of MPs... I got a stern lecture about the speed limit on base. I think I was doing 17 in a 15 mph area. The lecture lasted a good 5 minutes. I forgot those guys could be um, jerks.
ANYHOO... we've spent the better part of the last week trying to organize things and put things away. There is a lot of room to stretch out in the house, and I must admit that my decorating savvy works better in small spaces. I have no idea what to do with most of this space!
So, I did the next best thing to decorating, and chose an ample size room in the house for all my sewing junk. Yes, I have my very own room for sewing now. And since the door shuts, I can leave it as messy as I want.
Yes, I usually prefer a pretty tidy place, but there is something about chaos in the sewing room that makes me feel so much more productive.
MOOSE PATROL:
Holy Moose on the Loose, Batman! We see moose almost every single day. Every morning I wake to fresh moose tracks under our windows. It's a pretty frequent event to be "surprised" by one of these large creatures when you wander outside. One little fella was hanging out in the parking lot by my van the other morning, and only took off when neighbors started driving in for lunch.
****
Speaking of neighbors: so far, we like ours. The neighborhood is full of kids, the parents are all friendly, and the ones without kids want them. A nice place for a little one. Beans has (of course) already made friends and made every mommy in the neighborhood fall in love with her.
****
So, we've spent the last couple weekends poking around town. Delta Junction has a lot of summer activities and we really enjoyed the small Farmer's Market where I found a new apron and some Strawberry Bluebarb Jam (strawberry, blueberry, and rhubarb). Um, YUM. Perfect on my homemade sourdough bread!
We also found that yard sales are a great way to meet some of the locals. And get some killer deals. A special nod to my friend Susan... I will soon be experimenting with that desire to get into photography! I picked up a Minolta 35mm camera with all the extra lenses and filters. I still have to muddle through the instruction manual and start "playing" with my find, but it was a killer deal at a yard sale.
I had gone yard sale-ing with one of my new neighbors and her little puppy, and we stopped at the Drive-In for lunch on the way back to the base. Oh, I will miss the Drive-In over the winter! They will be closing soon.
Also, Sullivan's Roadhouse is about to harvest their gardens and host the local "Garden Soup". They make several different types of soups from their harvest and serve it with fresh bread. I'm looking forward to it, if we can make it there.
***
Speaking of winter, snow is coming down the mountains FAST. it reached the foothills sometime this weekend. it won't be long before we are seeing the white stuff on the ground in Delta Junction.
Temps are hanging in there though! Upper 60s in the day (most days), and 40s at night.
***
So, overall, life in the Junction is peaceful and calm. There is some dissent brewing with Former Landlord, who (in my ever humble opinion) is a ninny. But since all of us already knew they were ninnies, there's no point going into it. The biggest thing is they are still arguing that they think we were wrong to move out. And rumor has it that they found another tenant, so WHY are they still griping about this??? Maybe just to annoy me. *grin*
****
There is other news, readers, but I am waiting for good timing to mention it. I'll leave it to your imagination, but a hint: I've been feeling a little under the weather for the last 2 months. In about 7 more months, I should be feeling much better....
Meanwhile, I've got to think of a good blog name for the new little nugget.
VERY Happy Moose Trails to all of you!
Yep, we are "home". We got moved without too much trouble and had the help of several other firefighters. I love the new place. It's not the "cabin" I eventually want, but the three story townhouse-styled home is a good trade.
Beans and I have been up to many adventures. She loves the new place as well, and made me realize that you don't really have to "teach" a 9 month old to go up the stairs. They somehow know how to do that, and pretty much anything else that can inspire heart attacks in parents. Going down is a lesson that still needs to be learned. Meanwhile, I'm getting really good at catching her when she tumbles.
In addition to the stairs, Beans is a big fan of screaming in the basement. Ok, before you people think I've locked her away down there, the laundry is in the basement. And she discovered quickly that her shrieks of joy echo off the walls. Um, even funnier is our neighbor's puppy, who hears her shrieks and answers back with yips of his own. Most days while doing laundry, Beans and the puppy are having conversations through the walls, while I secretly hope no one is calling the MPs about a baby screaming in the basement.
Speaking of MPs... I got a stern lecture about the speed limit on base. I think I was doing 17 in a 15 mph area. The lecture lasted a good 5 minutes. I forgot those guys could be um, jerks.
ANYHOO... we've spent the better part of the last week trying to organize things and put things away. There is a lot of room to stretch out in the house, and I must admit that my decorating savvy works better in small spaces. I have no idea what to do with most of this space!
So, I did the next best thing to decorating, and chose an ample size room in the house for all my sewing junk. Yes, I have my very own room for sewing now. And since the door shuts, I can leave it as messy as I want.
Yes, I usually prefer a pretty tidy place, but there is something about chaos in the sewing room that makes me feel so much more productive.
MOOSE PATROL:
Holy Moose on the Loose, Batman! We see moose almost every single day. Every morning I wake to fresh moose tracks under our windows. It's a pretty frequent event to be "surprised" by one of these large creatures when you wander outside. One little fella was hanging out in the parking lot by my van the other morning, and only took off when neighbors started driving in for lunch.
****
Speaking of neighbors: so far, we like ours. The neighborhood is full of kids, the parents are all friendly, and the ones without kids want them. A nice place for a little one. Beans has (of course) already made friends and made every mommy in the neighborhood fall in love with her.
****
So, we've spent the last couple weekends poking around town. Delta Junction has a lot of summer activities and we really enjoyed the small Farmer's Market where I found a new apron and some Strawberry Bluebarb Jam (strawberry, blueberry, and rhubarb). Um, YUM. Perfect on my homemade sourdough bread!
We also found that yard sales are a great way to meet some of the locals. And get some killer deals. A special nod to my friend Susan... I will soon be experimenting with that desire to get into photography! I picked up a Minolta 35mm camera with all the extra lenses and filters. I still have to muddle through the instruction manual and start "playing" with my find, but it was a killer deal at a yard sale.
I had gone yard sale-ing with one of my new neighbors and her little puppy, and we stopped at the Drive-In for lunch on the way back to the base. Oh, I will miss the Drive-In over the winter! They will be closing soon.
Also, Sullivan's Roadhouse is about to harvest their gardens and host the local "Garden Soup". They make several different types of soups from their harvest and serve it with fresh bread. I'm looking forward to it, if we can make it there.
***
Speaking of winter, snow is coming down the mountains FAST. it reached the foothills sometime this weekend. it won't be long before we are seeing the white stuff on the ground in Delta Junction.
Temps are hanging in there though! Upper 60s in the day (most days), and 40s at night.
***
So, overall, life in the Junction is peaceful and calm. There is some dissent brewing with Former Landlord, who (in my ever humble opinion) is a ninny. But since all of us already knew they were ninnies, there's no point going into it. The biggest thing is they are still arguing that they think we were wrong to move out. And rumor has it that they found another tenant, so WHY are they still griping about this??? Maybe just to annoy me. *grin*
****
There is other news, readers, but I am waiting for good timing to mention it. I'll leave it to your imagination, but a hint: I've been feeling a little under the weather for the last 2 months. In about 7 more months, I should be feeling much better....
Meanwhile, I've got to think of a good blog name for the new little nugget.
VERY Happy Moose Trails to all of you!
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