Five more days & it is Holiday time!

Life keeps rolling along fast this month and all I want to do is say SLOW DOWN! Five days of work this week and then a long Holiday!  Yahooooo!

It is that crazy time of the school year with general business and the Christmas season.  Class art projects, Christmas music, and glitter.  "How many ornaments can be made out of popsicle sticks!?"  Let me tell you a lot!  This years family gift is ornaments all of which are made out of popsicle sticks---so glad a hot glue gun and pinterest have been invented.

*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*

Early season trail work.  We use this palettes as mini-snowfences to help build drifts to groom so we can ski.  This is the top hill above our picnic area.

Ms. Sadie in full winter ski gear.  This combination of harness, jacket and booties keeps her safe and warm.

Tundra trail work

We have been skiing for some time now and I call it tundra cursing.  It is rough but the tundra is not rocky so the skiing is just fine.  Yesterday we started to get real snow or meaningful snow basically it is staying here and we are getting great coverage.  We have some big old super storm rolling our way on Monday and Tuesday.  We will see what we get out of that warning.

Now it is all about getting close to 70 kids on cross-country ski gear and our ski program up and skiing.  I have gotten gear out to about 30 kids so far and today is the ski crazy masses of grades 1-4. On Monday ski practices start and we will be off and skiing until April!

Sadie and I out on the trail having a tea break. Out of the wind at the picnic spot.

Christian with the girls as we head in from a tundra ski.

Our sun is low in the sky these days and we have about 4 hours and 25 minutes of daylight now.

Winter a Few Highlights from 14_15 Season

I really like this photo. I found it on a google search. I found the site but can not the find the artist to give him/her credit.  If anyone knows who the artist is please let me know. 

I love both the winter and summer solstice.  Here in Alaska, where we live, the shortest amount of daylight is 4 hours and 17 minutes.  I enjoy the yearly journey to darkness and the climb out of darkness to the light filled day of the June solstice.  There is something magical about this epic natural journey that I adore and embrace yearly.

Winter Solstice Ski 12/21/14

My girl Sadie and I on the wind blown tundra.

Sometimes skiers fall!  I took a wicked crash skiing on 1/31/15.  It was one of those horrible standing on your skis and your feet go out from under you falls.  I slammed onto hard packed snow/ice.  The brunt of the fall was on my butt and right wrist.  The wrist got the worse of it!  Sprained badly but grateful that was it!  

2/25/15 one of our more desperate attempts to find skiable snow.  Really hard packed drifts on the beach.  You have to admit it is stunning!

Sadie letting it rip!  All 4 paws airborne!

Christian skiing away on the stone grinding surface.  People pay good money for this in ski shops!

We love our Ruffwear dog harnesses!

I love the sea ice . . .

Biking and Paddle Boarding

We had a great day yesterday!  We all need to get out and enjoy what Montana has to offer during the summer.  We are right on the edge of a heat wave for Montana and luckily for us we have not gotten the higher temperatures that others have been recording.

Single track riding in the green.

Sadie cooling off as she always does-she will just lay right down in the stream and chill for a bit.

Christian cooling off as well after he fully submerged himself in the creek.

Sadie in her Ruffwear vest and I enjoying a hot afternoon on the river cooling off.

Tally sporting her wonderful Ruffwear life vest.  This great fitting vest has a handle which makes  it easy to get her onto the Versa board.

Heading home at the end of a great day outside in the sun!

Cooling off with Versa Boards and Dogs in Whitefish River

Recently we purchased used Versa Boards from my brother in law.  These boards are designed for fishing.  We love them as they are stable and can be used both while standing or sitting.  Plus, they have these wonderful seats we can use which raise us up a bit off the boards.  Right now our dogs and us are getting used to paddling the boards.  These boards are made out of very tough plastic which stands up well to the dogs claws.  The dogs are learning how to get on and off easily or at least in theory.  We were out on Whitefish River yesterday and we had a BLAST!

Sadie loves to just swim and spends most of her time in the river.  Tally is in and out of the river and goes from one board to the next non-stop in between chasing sticks!  They are using Ruffwear Life Jackets.  I highly recommend a life jacket for your dog(s)!  They can swim slowly in they want and don't need to be concerned about staying a float.  Like Sadie she just paddled away swimming here and there checking out the ducks.

Tally riding, and Sadie swimming away.

Whitefish River Sadie hitching a ride.

Sadie swimming along at her own relaxed pace due to her life jacket.