This blows!

The adventures never fail to come here in Alaska. We have had a gorgeous fall and as of Tuesday...first day of fall, we turned on the heat.I was afraid that when we moved I would only get two seasons, winter and winter, but Alaska did not fail me.Eagle River is beautiful. As you know, per our photo's, we live at the base of the Chugiak mountains.We have so many trees that are in fall colors.It looks like someone patched together a quilt on the side of the hills.It has been sunny and crisp. Just the other night we had a hint of smoke in the air that was from the burning fireplaces.I love that fall smell.The leaves have collected in small wet piles of color. With a slight breeze of just a walk will make them scatter up into the sky.
September is a slow month in dentistry.Seems everyone is busy getting back to school and a work routine that we get put on the back burner.As some of you know, I have sleep apnea and I sleep with a c-pap machine. Now, it is a love hate relationship.I have struggled with it off and on now for 3 months.After this struggle, I went to an ear,nose and throat Dr.He informed me that I was not breathing with my nose and that that was a major issue since the c-pap works with your nose.After meeting our deductible this year and all our medical is covered at 100% Tony decided that I should get my nose fixed.Good for Tony. I am sitting here typing with a pack on my nose and 5 of the most annoying painful days I have had in several years.I have these 3 inch plastic splints in my nose (To keep it from healing)that are nothing but trouble.I can't breath,sneeze,cough,talk or move without a nose muscle.Good job Tony! I know that this will all be worth it in the end(hahahah) but right now it just blows! This is what September has done to me. Dr. Guy went to New York for 6 days and I got to stay here and have my nose done. It is HUGE.Karter and I went to see "The Lion King" at the Atwood center in Anchorage and I swear I had the biggest nose in the theater. He LOVED it. I was so pleased.I now have a friend to go see musicals with. Culture in this boys life!
Tony is doing well. Got all his projects done for the summer. He has some slight sinus issues this week that required medication, but we will just add it to his other meds. Who's counting! Karter is fitting in well with his new class schedule and sorry to say out of 50 kids running, did not get voted class president. He was sad, but 50 kids? He was pretty broken up about it, but after a pizza and diet coke...he is good. He is down to 133.5lbs and needs a belt! I am very proud of him! Nanoock and Barkley are good. Running the back yard. We are planning a trip to Fairbanks in October to go fishing and see James. YUCK! I really don't want to go, but James has been bugging me for a year.I hate Fairbanks. But, maybe just maybe the fact that I can leave will make it better. I do hope to get to church when I am there....that will be great to see my old church family. SO, you are up to date on the home front! Hope this finds you all well!
We love you!
The Eskimo's

Fall & Football

Yes, Fall is upon us here in the frozen north. The leaves are changing and it stays around 60 for the most part.I smell the fires starting to burn at night.We have allot of trees here, but I don't think it will be as beautiful as it is in Idaho. I love fall. It is my favorite season. Not to hot and crisp at night for cozy sweat shirts. I can wear fluffy socks and my seal fur slippers and not get hot. Come to think of it, I do this year around.
Karter has football practice 5 nights a week and I watch from time to time in my hat and beaver mitts.A couple of more weeks and maybe I will get out the fox & wolf mukluks with the matching silver fox ear wraps.If that doesn't work, I have the beaver earmuffs. I have to laugh at myself. Last year there was no way I would wear fur.Wanted no part of it...I have seemed to come around.Now that I have found this shop here in Anchorage and they have a wonderful layaway program, I have the fur. Plus I know that the fur is donated by the animals. Linda like when we donate bllod. I am sure that is the way it works.
Little by little it has sneaked into the house. Sometimes my wonderful husband will look at me strange and ask where I got that and I cheerfully reply "This old thing" "I must have gotten it in Fairbanks" Yeah, It does not always work.It keeps me happy and that makes everyone else happy.I would love to invest in a beautiful fur parka, BUT that is the price of a small car and they don't layaway small cars.Someday who knows.
We have been so busy with all the sports that I lose track of time and days.Hard to imagine that a year ago this month we were starting the moving process.It has been a good year.Lonely, but good.We have been blessed with jobs,a roof over our heads and have not felt the recession to much up here.I would like to make life simple again, so I am going farming! We have several veggie u-pick farms and markets over the next few weeks and I have that freezer waiting to be filled.I would like to can a few things and enjoy them in December. I miss the fruit from Idaho the most. That and the fresh tomatoes! What I wouldn't do for a fresh peach and a garden fresh tomatoe. The tomatoes are $6.99lb here.I bought one when my parents were here and it cost me $7.00. Crazy! Enjoy your gardens!
We are all well and taking care of each other.Karter has slimmed down to 136 and I am getting him to 130. He lost his last baby tooth last night. Hard to believe he is in the 6Th grade and will be in middle school next year. He is growing into an exceptional young man. I am so proud of him.
Tony is also well and busy with work.He takes wonderful care of us and puts up with me when I am a not so nice person. He should be sainted.
We think of you all so often and hope you too are all well.
Love to all
The Eskimo's

Mom's day out!

The parents are here and things are a little crazy. Loud,running around and trying to see all the tourist things we can get in.I have 3 days off and will enjoy that with them. Here are a few pictures.They leave on Sunday the 2ND and life here in Alaska will be calm once again. I like the craziness for a little while, but do enjoy the calm.
Hope you are all well and staying cool in Idaho!I see that you have all had hot days.He are comfortable in the 60's.
Love to all!
The Eskimo's

Busy weeks!

We are all well and been very busy with work,school and taking care of my father. We have not been doing any fishing as the salmon have out-smarted all of us and seem to be swimming some where other the Alaska. I am done with fishing for the year I think. I want to do "catching" not fishing.
We had a great 4Th out on the lake with Dr. Guy and all the crazy family and co-workers. Karter forgot to replace my battery in my camera so all the photos are on my phone and I can't get them to down load. I was bummed!He got to swim and ski do and hang out with the grown ups. No sun burns so that makes it an even better day. Things have cooled off her and I am thankful for that. 70 degree's here feels like 90.No air conditioning and 5 box fans later. Can't keep the windows open because it is still light all night. I know fall is right around the corner. No snow, just cool ,crisp days. Mom will be here on the 24Th and then she and Dad leave on August 3.I love my father, but I REALLY need my life back. It has been a struggle.
We are taking a fjord cruise when she gets here. A fjord is a glacier. The tall ones that you see fall into the ocean on the postcards. I hope to have some great pictures for everyone.
Tony and Karter are good. Tony has been very busy with work and Karter is finishing up summer school. He really enjoyed it.He starts football on the 27Th. Need to get some of his weight off.To much sitting and sleeping with Dad.
Hope you are all well and know we think of you often!
Love to all!
The Eskimos

Summer Solitice

AHH the warmth of summer, if we had any. I love this weather. It is a comfortable 66 degrees and then it rains at night. I can do this kinda summer.Forget the 100 degree temps. Dad,Karter and I went into Anchorage on Saturday for the outdoor market and some downtown walking.It was a beautiful day.All the flowers and baskets are in bloom.Wildflowers are all along the highways and mountains. Mom will be here in 3 weeks and by then it will be even more beautiful.
James and I went to Soldotna last weekend to fish for kings and we did not get one. I was really sad.I am really thinking about giving up this so called fishing!. I am going to try dip netting this weekend.Maybe that will work. I am not a patient person, so I want my fish now! Forth of July will be an adventure. Dr. Burk has invited us all out to his cabin on Big Lake. You can only get to it by boat or plane.We are going to spend the day and hope we can escape before the beverages get to out of control! Stay tuned.
Some times, I have an issue from time to time with hitting my head.Today, I hit it again. I had a dental device called "Electroserge" fall on my head. Some stitches and broken glasses later, a scar. Where is Dr. Nelson when you need him? I attach a photo of the new scare on my forehead! I need a helmet! I am fine and again I got to use my coffee cup with my name on it at the hospital...lol
Love to you all
The wounded
Eskimo

The long drive...

I wake up everyday and still wonder how I got here. It is hard to believe that 9 months ago we were packing and trying it again. I still catch myself thinking I am in Boise and driving to Cobby's for a sandwich. A long drive I might add for a sandwich. Today I got a dose of reality.
I leave work about 7 am everyday with a short drive of 15 miles into Anchorage. I see the same cars almost everyday and the same people on their cell phones.I watch for moose and look at the snow topped mountains without a care. Today was different. As I crossed over Eagle River and up a hill, I heard an empty thud that still sticks in my stomach.With a sudden jolt all the cars stopped and a cloud of dirt followed. I knew in my head what had happen and dreaded the sight. I was sure a moose had just got hit by a driver and I was not prepared for this. Boy was I wrong.As the traffic began to creep I saw a man get out of his truck with a large rifle and walk back towards me. I looked over and on the ground layed a HUGE bear.He was very still and I knew he had been hit. I also knew what was next. I turned up my radio as loud as it would go and plugged my ears and screamed as loud as I could.It did not help. The only comfort I had was that he was out of any pain.
As I drove to work, I cried.I hate to see any animal in pain let alone a beautiful wild animal just trying to survive in the forest we took over.I also realized I was not in Boise anymore.I live in this wild country of bear and moose.I have wolves,fox,caribou and eagles that fly by my house everyday.Dall sheep up on the mountains by my house that stand on the peaks. If I drive 30 minutes any direction I have whale,seals,otters and beaver. I have views that are amazing and make you feel small in comparison.I will admit it is hard to be away from family and friends, but I live in this amazing place and sadly it took me seeing this poor bear to really understand the wild I do live in.I hear allot of people say that this is still God's country and I will agree. He took his time with Alaska.
Love to you all
The Eskimo's

Summer !

It looks like our summer is here. We have had several nice "HOT" days. Hot to us now is 70 to 75 degrees.Alaska does not have central air and we live with the old box fans.It reminds me of when I was a kid and Chad and I would lay in front of the fan to sleep. Simple but effective.As most of you know we went out on a salmon charter and was lucky enough to have caught 2 big salmon. I was happy that my Dad had that chance. He caught the first one and then Tony pulled in the second. I had one on line and then it was gone. I am bitter, but maybe it was to small and I deserve a bigger one. The fishing has been really slow this year.They seem to be coming in now better but we have a few rivers that are very slow.I hope to catch one this summer, but the odds are slim.
Karter is in summer school and seems to like it. He was low on his math scores so in order to prepare him better for next year we put him in. He was not happy in the beginning,but enjoys it now.He will be starting football next month and hope he comes around to living here. He has been so home sick for several months. Almost everyday he says he wants to move back to Idaho. Reminds me of someone else when we lived in Fairbanks.
NaNa is still fighting the fight with his health.He still has two small bumps on his stomach that we watch. He has perked up and I am very happy for that. He does play and bark more now. He is to smart for his own good. Since we have to trick him to take his medicine in bread, he would just gulp it and it would be gone...not now. He will pretend to eat it, turn his back and then spit out the pills.He eats the bread, but now pills.We need a new trick.
Hope this finds you all well and enjoying the summer!
We love you!
the Eskimo's