What's up around here?

Not much going on here, just some growing: plant growing, duck growing and baby growing. Seth and I went in to the sonogram place and had the nuchal translucency done today, everything looks good, they will give us the official results tomorrow but it seems our baby most likely does not have Downs Syndrome. We watched it flex it's toes and hands and move all around, wouldn't stay still.

Last week of school around here, they are ripping apart the deck at the Old House and taking electrical off old garage in preparation for tear down.

The triathlon went well, my swim time was once again quite good and my run time embarrassingly slow, but for someone who didn't train to run, even thought she might walk, running the whole time and finishing strong than staying for 5 hours to volunteer seemed pretty dam good and three months pregnant to boot.

Congratulations Don, you done good with the diploma!

Hope your week flies by too.

It's been a long time

Well,

Hard to sum things up so I won't, gets dull anyhow.

Cut to the chase. Breaking news:
Grandma just called, do Seth and I want their telephone booth? Yes, the kind from England, this one is actually from England. Grandparents bid on it via phone and had the 2,000 pound booth shipped up here and put in their mall. Move it to the Old House? Or maybe it could take the place of our front gate, to get into the yard you step into the phone booth? Giant concrete pad underneath the thing makes it a pretty permanent choice no matter what we decide. Any ideas?



Next:
Just home from the doctor and now that the cat is out of the bag I will post a gray smear that is OUR BABY! And it finally looks like a BABY!!! Too amazing to watch the little lime sized critter wiggle it's feet and rub it's eyes like the light is too bright in there. This is one new Mom who can't watch enough of that heartbeat and now the movement, can't feel it but to watch something that is supposedly in you rolling around and kicking, too muchy!!!!





I won't inundate you with gray splotches and smears from now on but it is such a relief to see what looks like a little human, in this picture you can see the head and little torso and two little fistsy things, I saw the individual fingers today, and good news.... no tail. How proud Grandma will be to see our kid has absorbed it's tail, so accomplished already.

Now, a few pictures of the progress on the Old House.




These pictures show the new kitchen and the living room with new hole in the wall and the newly refinished original hardwood floors that are covered with paper, one has to act fast when Seth is in action, will have to take pictures of the floor another time. The Old House is what the family calls the homestead house Grandma and Grandpa built and everyone else added to and now under current ownership of us.

A little Fur Rondy?

Well, February flew by. A house warming party at Ashley's house was great fun, good fireworks and lots of dog mushing. They once again closed the roads downtown and held the sprint dog races through town. It was fun to watch the little fast dogs and than watch the start of the Iditarod with the big long haul dogs and the fancy heavy sleds. Now Seth's favorite musher Sebastian Snuchlle is 2nd and my main man G.B Jones is 46th, dropping 6 places from the starting day, G.B scratched last year in Anchorage, the parade route before the real race even begins so I think that we are doing just fine in 46th, G.B in general looks like he coming off a long bender so him standing on the sled for a few days consecutively is huge. G.B is from Wasilla so go figure, you can't change an old dog's habits.

In other news the chickens are venturing out of the coop and into their run. Garret Silverman must've offended someone, maybe a racial slur or your momma joke in bad taste, she lost a toe nail and received a bloody wound on her neck, I took her in for her typical hospital stay, a quick wash in the faucet and a few hours in the produce box in the shower to cool off. One might point their finger at Lupida for the smackdown, she had a very bloody beak. I don't know who laid this cone shaped egg but it looks more ergonomic, looks like an egg should in my head.

Lastly, two pictures of the new hole in the roof. You might ask yourself why or why are they ripping this house apart, it looks much worse than when it started, and you would be right, really right. This is where the skylight used to be, it wasn't supported by much so it's great it didn't smash me or Don or any of my entire family that once lived in that house at one time.

Now, off to Girdwood for five days of skiing crappy snow in the snow. Should be a good time, Uncle John and Aunt Bonnie and Erin are all up for skiing, I don't know about the rest but it will be awesome times, bringing the projector so we can watch movies on a ten foot screen.

Hope your spring break it also excellent, if you don't have a Spring Break than maybe you should get a job with COLLECTIVE BARGAINING and live the life you were meant to :)

Old House update

Two more pictures to keep you updated on our progress, or de-progress as it looks in these pictures. Chad has been working there and Seth when he has time, really amazing what they have done, or un-done. This is where the kitchen and the bathroom used to be.
More pictures soon...........

Also, on another note I read about this family in a magazine and took a look at their blog, it is an interesting idea, a no waste home. Supposedly they don't throw any trash away, they live in California so I will give it to the lady it seems possible, just time consuming initially. Anyhow maybe you'll like reading the article.
www.sunset.com/zerowastehome

Since we are on our second giant dumpster at the old house and will have to have a bonfire in the spring I will not begin to compare myself to this family, Seth and I are pretty good on our trash impact but remodeling is not a zero waste deal here in the Great Land.

Fur Rondy weekend

It has been cold and clear and windy, windy, windy here! Ashley and Scott had a great house warming party and we watched the fireworks but it is hard to stay outside, so windy.
This week was busy for both of us. Seth had contractor interviews and I hung the Youth Art Month show at the museum, so fun, I will include a few pictures.

On Friday night we headed to Ash's school to watch a high school musical, Hairspray, it was great, we are huge supporters of high school musicals, I am always so impressed with how brave the kids are, they go to school full time and can still put on a great 2 hour plus production!

Today we watched the dogs sprint by through town than walked our own dogs at the dog park in the wind, than warmed up with coffee and sweets at New Sagaya. Ginger has been staying with us, Seth and I adore her and spoil her way too much, even Spy has warmed up to her, eating Ginger's food and sniffing her when Ginger is asleep. Ginger leaves tonight, Dad is back in town and we are back to one feline and 9 birds.

Speaking of birds.... the chickens must be on strike, not a Wisconsin or Egyptian style overthrow power strike than I can tell, unless they are just getting started. maybe Money Penny is upset she can't unionize and Motown is feeling racial strife, maybe the Rooster is mad he still doesn't have a name and because he can tell I spend my free time planning recipes for his fellow brothers in the freezer; just an egg strike. One egg a day, ah I had to borrow an egg from Ashley yesterday so painful. Maybe they spend their free time organizing on twitter and making little signs, Seth and I do run a Autocraticy here, we have been in power for a long time and don't plan on stepping down, we do occasionally use lethal force in the fall and there is never talk of democratic elections. Maybe no egg is imposed sanctions........

The pictures are of Seth and Ginger walking to see the Fur Rondy celebrations, Ginger being a ham, Spy being a ham, the sprint mushers downtown ( $80,000 to the winner this year!) and the museum show I have been hard at work organizing for months.

I post this picture to show you what happened to our kitchen bathroom and bathroom, at the Old House. When I say the Old House I mean the house Seth and I now run, the one I grew up in, the one my dad grew up in, the fracken haus my Grandpa built in the 40s? or late 50s?. Turns out the rot was worse than one might have thought and everything thing had to be ripped out. With one dumpster full we are now ready to put the sub floor back in and wait for the electrician to re-wire everything. Chad is working very, very hard and man is he fast. Seth and I have picked out the new kitchen, bathrooms and carpet and paint, I like that part best. So here it is, just look at the picture below of the of the kitchen and bathroom, oh my.

Long Weekend

As I write this is the end of an excellent 3 day weekend. We started out the weekend by heading to Grams and Gramps for lunch, paper signing and dinner of beans and donuts! There was much to celebrate, we bought the "Old House", the family homestead and boy were the Grandparent's thrilled. Grandpa recounts not being able to sleep whenever he bought a property, we talked history and family, it was a nice afternoon. They also sent us home with a Steve McQueen movie, "The Thomas Crown Affair" not great like they said, Grandpa loves Steve McQueen but I have to say Seth and I were underwhelmed.

Despite -20 weather, Seth spent Sunday backcountry skiing with Pat and Caroline, most shocking they didn't run into other people. Ashley and I did the more sensible thing of walking to the museum to see the Andy Warhol exhibit and take in a movie at the planetarium. Afterwards everyone met up at the Van Hemert's for a big family dinner and blueberry pie, ah!

Today once again it was freezing, the eggs have been cracking again! Ashley and I went for a tiring ski at Kincaid and met Caroline and Kyra for coffee at Middle Way.

It was an excellent weekend, so sad to see it go.

Hope you had a relaxing MLK weekend!

Next up: Remodeling!!!!!!

We haven't signed the final papers so writing this is pushing my luck but no one is shoving their way to the front to buy this has so Seth and I become homestead owners. We walked through the house a month ago with Grandma, Gramps, Jane and Stephan it was fun to hear everyone's story, it seems everyone in the family has lived in the house and boy do my Grandparents have stories to tell. Grandma hasn't said much but there is a picture of her with a dead bear and a gun and the kids in the front yard, I bet this house could tell some stories. I imagine the house would be a little under the weather if it could talk, there is soooo much work to be done but Seth is excited and I have caught his enthusiasm so here we go. The yard has beautiful lilac and rose bushes that I am itching to cut back and a huge yard that is filling with little cotton wood starts that need to be clipped, perfect job for yours truely.

Maybe from now on this blog will be a do-over, a remodel story of one old house. The roof will be redone first, than skylight out and lots of sheet rocking, wiring, some plumbing, new floors, new kitchen, 2 new bathrooms and lots of paint. There are three shacks with 5 cars outside all up to my Dad to move and than the garage with what is now 4 apartments, to become 1 apartment and 2 garages. Writing all that feel cathartic and constricts my heart into my throat all at once. We measuring the POS today and than headed to Home Depot to do some cost projections, Seth is drawing the house on CAD as I write. The most exciting part to me right now is that we have a friend who has a custom cabinet maker that is good priced so the kitchen will look great, also costed out hard wood floors for the rest of the house that doesn't already have them and it should work? The living room was put in by Uncle Bob or Uncle Brig depending on who you ask. A potential contractor asked us who put this roof on, Grandpa told him "The best goddam roofer in the area." That fool didn't get the job, Seth did, as well as deed.

So here are a few pictures to start us off, it is mind boggling that we will pull this off...............

Next Up: The Cabin

I don't know that I have mentioned it but Seth and have come across a little piece of Bear Island across from Homer, Alaska. Seth, Pat and Scott spent a large amount of down time discussing cabin plans and so I thought I would share them with you. I must be a little enthused with the Pagoda ideas because our cabin is taking that shape and our lovely hen is named Pagoda as well.

Seth has been doing a little research on the art of Wabi-sabi. We might try the Japanese technique of sho-sougi-ban. You lightly torch the wood of the exterior of the house than scrub with a wire brush and oil. This process protects the wood from rot and is supposed to be fire resistant, perfect for a lovely couple building their pagoda in a dead spruce forest.

Below is a few pictures of our property, Seth's pagoda sketches and a little sho-sougi-ban propaganda. Two of the more modern, square house photos are done by a local architect here in Anchorage and the house happens to be owned by none other than Martin Buser, the Iditarod champ.

First things first.... Hawaii

Returned last night from Hawaii, just over two weeks and was it great. The first week was spent just south of Kona in a town called Captain Cook. We ran and swam in the mornings, ate breakfast on the deck and searched out new beaches by day. There was the best snorkeling in that area, we swam with dolphins that might have been attracted to the bright yellow, red and blue packrafts that Seth, Caroline and Pat brought. There was a small pod that we followed to the Captain Cook monument, where the Capt. finally bit the bullet. There was shave ice, evening cocktails, eel and shark sightings and cooling evening rain showers. We spent Christmas there than the 9 of us packed up the two Ford Focuses and moved to Puako just North of Kona. This house was not as nice, a bit older with cooler quarks but the entire back yard was grass than sand than lava and ocean, sea turtles beaches themselves daily and we spent much time just watching the Humpback whales breaching, tale slapping and throwing their entire bodies out of the air. The beaches were great fun, much body and boogie boarding was done as well as dodging of very slow sea turtles.

Welcome home, it's dark, pretty cold but Spy is happy and snuggled on the coach next to Seth and I as I write, we are getting 3 chicken eggs a day and there is much to look forward to in the new year.

Merry Christmas,
B

Bonny,Bonnie, a maiden fare.
With a winsome smile and golden hair.

Oh pretty tot,i plead,i beg,i do imply.
Persuade of Seth to sign the deed and satisfy.

your old Gram and Gramp are waiting all in vane.
What is the hold up, perhaps you can explain.

The old homestead is awaiting, time is short my dear.
If old Seth needs prodding ,kick him in the rear.

One must strike while the iron is hot.
No stagnation, up and off the pot.


An email from Grandpa Harold, it makes business interactions so much more interesting when everything is in rhyme.

Miracle of life

That's right. I was watching the chickens tonight to see if any of the fools learned how to use my chicken ladder. They can't fly very well because we trimmed their flight feathers so getting up and down from their nesting boxes and high roosts is a real challenge, hopefully my latter, former trellis will help. Well, while I was watching I saw Momma Chuck otherwise known as Motown squatting, I noticed she was pushing out an egg, it looked like a lot of work, she finally beard down and out plopped an egg! It was so warm and it won't role, must only role with when they cool down. Really good interesting times those chickens, to think, I thought this was just a regular relaxing Sunday.

Now to go watch Fantastic Mr. Fox with the projector Aunt Bonnie gave us, oh and eat bean soup.

** the large eggs are from Grandma and Grandpa's meaner than spit geese. Grandma said she cracked one into the pan and the gosling was already formed, I just don't have the heart to risk it.

Letter to a fence sitter

It's 5 a.m I can't sleep thinking about how I can change Aunt Bonnie's mind, than it occurs to me Erin is voting for the first time...... what is a lunatic to do?

Rant on the internet!!

I'm not sending this to family, just letting them know I am trying to change their minds through crazy online dribbling.


The best crazy is obviously captured in the passion that is a good 6:30 am internet post:


It has come to my attention that there are a few fence sitters out there the last few days of this election cycle. Your choices have been narrowed down to Lisa M or Scott M. Thing is, are you really going to vote for Lisa because you have never heard of Scott, because of his slight double chin and dorky mustache

Here is a little insight,

1.) Defense of marriage act- Lisa voted for it, slap a gay or lesbian person in the face, if you vote for Lisa you are siding with someone who has voted for bills that discriminate against an entire portion of the United States population, cool you are voting for Lisa because she is not Crazy Cakes Joe Miller, hope you feel better for supporting this bill.

1.5) Now Lisa m. is Pro Life, (for now, while she is courting the conservatives) if it ever fell into the Senate's hands she'd be able to tell Seth and I when and how we can procreate. Cool, thanks Lisa I always wanted another person making my personal decisions.

2.) Legislation restricting the EPA in Alaska; if you even paid attention to how Lisa voted before all this dust rose you might notice she was really intent on helping the "economy of Alaska stay strong" by creating legislation that would restrict the Environmental Protection Agency's reach in Alaska, ask Fairbanks how they like their dirty air,ask the kids at Fairbanks Elementary how they like having indoor recess on cold days (every day) because of poor air quality. EPA, hah we Alaskans are smarter than you and all your degrees, we'll do your job, they are just a bunch of highly trained scientists anyhow.

3.) Endangered Species Act: Murkowski wants Belugas, Stellar Sea Lions and Polar Bears off the endangered/protected species act, they are hampering our development of Alaska's natural resources, "think of our future, I have sons" says Lisa, "they needs good jobs here in ALaska" we can't have our natural resources tied up in National red tape because of animals, federal biologists just don't understand our unique Alaskan animals.

B.S, these animals are on the list so we can't drill/ develop in their habitat, seems like short sided thinking to take them off the list so we can develop depletable resources now and in 30 years have no animals and no resources. Lisa's sons need jobs, put on your Polar bear parka and grab a shovel, we are working!!!


Take Uncle Bob's political advice for once, he really doesn't like career politicians, Lisa Murkowski is one, blam! Ever heard of Scott Mc Adams? Nope.

A vote is never wasted.

Lately

I've been slacking off on the blog intentionally. It's not that I don't have the time, I do. It's that I feel self conscience for even having one (a blog) the name is ridiculous and it seems like if you are on face book you can share pics with friends and fam easily. Regardless I update tonight because I have hopelessly let coworkers be friends and I just don't know if I can let them into the life on Harvard, the farmstead is buzzing along and it only feels right to share with the fam.

So here are some updated pictures of the chickens. My first batch are now Poulettes, it seems french for teenage chicken. There seems to be two little roosters with terrible sense of time and crowing abilities. Seth thought someone was hurt about 5:30 am the other day, it was just Tonto. Now Fluffy is in on the game crowing terribly (sounds like he is choking on something) too. And because Seth and I are simps we now have another family of chickens, a beautiful crazy mother hen named Courtney Love and her 8 delinquent chicks. The chicks are very young, maybe a few weeks and when we put them in the cage with Mo Town and crew there was a giant fight, many fights I eventually tried to break up with a hose than Seth stepped in with gloves! We now have two chicken coops and one giant unfinished fence to house the chaos in. I have put some pics up.

Besides fowl farming we went blueberry picking with Scott and Ash and have 4 gallons in the freezer now.

I include a picture of a salmon or sleeper shark we found on the beach in Haines, I took a trip with Rose and Ashley to see Pat and Caroline, very beautiful.

Also included is a few pics of M & G's trip here and my birthday dinner at the Saltry, so lovely in the sun. We stayed one night in Halibut Cove than roughed it one night at Bear Cove. Also took a day trip to Whittier and saw whales, glaciers, ice bergs and caught lovely shrimps with Melissa. Overall a memoral summer.

ANCHORAGE HAD 31 DAYS OF RAIN! When I hear mention of heat complaints it comes to mind that Anchorage isn't very ideal for summer activities like swimming or laying in the sun, it was 50 something for a month!!!! O.K, enough of that, it was sunny all weekend and of course it has been lovely sun since the first day of school last Wednesday.

Hope your last month has been exciting in a good way too.

RIP Harley.

Chickens outside!

Well, all of the eggs that were going to hatch, hatched and we now have 9 chickens! How? I borrowed a mother hen and her three chicks from Grandma and than Grandma called and said she had incubated on in the oven! Now we have:
Momma Mo Town
Tonto
Wayne
Ranger
Fluffy
Money Penny
Tia Peppe
Fool # 4
and fresh from the oven: a beautiful silver breath stealer: Garret Silvermen

Two will soon be going to Kim and Andy, the rest will peck out their days in our outdoor coop until the fence is finished and they are all big enough to weather the Ravins and free range.

Family was all in town for Jessie's wedding which was fabulous fun and now it is so quiet, just me and the chickens.

Until next time, bock bock bock