September in Alaska '07

Alaska life in Sept.

So the first 2 days we were home from our trip I didn’t drive anything but the couch. As many miles as we covered, I was exhausted! The kids were excited to be home, to see their dad and Thor, the dog.

We have picked up ALOT of activities here. For those who know us, know this is the way we roll. We just finished a 6 week archery class. The kids got to shoot with a compound bow and aim at a variety of targets. One of the targets was a stuffed foam monkey, so of course Kenzie had to intentionally miss that one.

On Saturdays the girls are taking Irish dance lessons. Both have become addicted to the dance steps. They practice EVERYWHERE! When they try at home it makes the RV shake as if we were in the middle of an earthquake.

Sundays are reserved for NASCAR and football of course!

Starting this month will be part of a Homeschool 4-H club. The children will be doing the rabbit project. Each will be getting their own rabbit to show in 4H.

Mondays and Tuesdays we have a homeschool computer lab class. The kids love it! Lego robotics, digital photography and tons of computer games are just a few choices they have to play with. Zac is building a little brother out of the Lego robotics.

Tuesdays Zac has Boy Scouts and Tuesdays and Thursdays he has basketball. He is enjoying playing a team sport. He is signed up with the Boys and Girls club on base. His team’s name is the Nuggets and he is really learning a lot.

Zac also wanted to try out Civil Air Patrol. I found a squad for him so he could see if it is something he likes. Well after 2 meetings, he decided he was not ready for the strict regimen the military life requires. At least he knows what they offer and I don’t have to worry about any flights as of yet.

Wednesdays we meet other military homeschoolers at the library for educational classes.

Thursdays we have Girl Scouts. Both girls are meeting together. It is a small troop but we are still looking for a more active troop to join.

Fridays we have a homeschool PE class. Each week we try out different sports at the B&G club. There is even a rock climbing wall so the possibilities are endless.

I have been having issues with my neck and back for years and finally was referred to have an MRI to find the source of pain. Let me tell you how fun it is to lie flat on your back, perfectly still while a loud machine swallows you and spits you out about 5 times through the course of ½ an hour. I am not signing up for that fun ride again anytime soon! They were able to determine that I am getting old and falling apart. Brad has been telling me that for years. So for a few months I have been doing physical therapy 2x a week. I swear they are going to start charging me rent there. Next week I start pool therapy. Just as soon as I can find a wet suit to enter the pool, I’m in.

I will be teaching scrapbooking on base and in Wasilla this month. I’m hoping to make enough money to pay for my habit (at least that’s what I lead Brad to believe). I am excited to meet some new people and to get back to something I truly enjoy.

We are just getting ready for the winter. Here, the trees are dropping leaves faster each day. You can sit and watch the leaves spiral down to the ground one after another like snow flakes in a calm winter storm. The roads look as though sheets of gold have fallen from the sky and layered the tops of anything in its way. As we drive along the highway, we follow the mountain ridge in which we see the merge of colors sprawl up the mountain side.

This weekend we went for a drive and the mixture of colors reminded us of ‘70s vinyl that would decorate the newer homes in those days. Splotchy patches of burnt mustard, sherbet orange and florescent yellow weaved between the black spruce. Some trees are slower in the turning process so we still have a few vibrant green trees trying to out last the avocado green shades. The undergrowth is a deep pomegranate red that pops out at you as you scan the road side driving by.

Our temps are dropping into the 30s at night and reaching the 50s during the day. Each morning when we rise, the snow is stretching farther and farther down the mountains. Now the nights are dark. By 8:30pm we are shadow less as the black fills in all areas. The mornings are slow to raise the sun so by 8am it seems overcast but light.

The moose have returned to daily visit and have gained much weight over the summer months. The calves that were so small when we arrived now seem the size of a large shadow against their mother. The bulls antlers are growing in a rich espresso velvet and are more visible each day.
If you visit AK in the summer it is safe to assume that everyone is gone. With 22 hours of sunlight and plenty of fishing, hiking and camping to be done after a long dark winter people make up for that lost time.

I am debating what to do if/when Brad deploys. Should I stay here in the dead of winter by myself? Go back to CO to stay with a friend and work at Archivers again until he returns? Go to AZ to be close to my parents? I guess it depends on how long he is going to be gone and where he goes. There is talk of other bases to deploy to, so we will see. He started the NCO academy September 26th.

We are still looking to buy a home but as winter sets in we started looking to staying in the RV and have also begun looking to rent a furnished apt through the winter. Who knows, we will just take it day by day.