2,376 Miles The Reverse Migration

The sea ice I said good by to on May 21st!  Yahooo let the migration begin!

If you are a smoker this is your lovely smoking area outside the waiting room in Unalakleet. 

Once the school year is done, we head south to a land full of green trees, colorful flowers, lakes, mountains, family and friends.  This year we drove back down and had a great trip. The drive from Anchorage to Whitefish is 2,376 miles The driving overall was easy and relaxing, the camping was great with out many campers, and the four hot springs we visited were very relaxing. The drive took us 9 days and we obviously were not in a hurry we aim for about 300-350 miles a day.  Traveling with "The Girls" we need to stop and let them stretch out their legs as well.

"The Girls" traveling in the luxury of the back seat.

A note on camping since we are still tent campers:  in several camp grounds hardly anyone is outside next to their fire pits.  They are in their RVs.  So my question is this:  Is there Wii camping?  You know you split wood, make a fire, run from smoke, swat bugs, run to the outhouse, set up your tent . . . a sad statement I think.  To go camping and then spend all your time in your RV!  It makes for nice quiet camping for us tent folks!

Camping at the Columbia Ice Fields an area I really love full of long ago climbing memories.

Our tent which we love is made by Mountian HardWear.  Our first new tent in about 15 years.

That sign says "1982" as that is where the ice/glacier was then.  I was there climbing in 1983 and 1984.  I would have been putting on my crampons at this site and heading up the glacier.

Nice glacier striations on the rock.

We of course have a good selection of photos but here are a smattering of our trip south. As we drove south we would be in places with green leaves on trees and others with no leaves at all yet due to elevation mostly.  The drive down through the Yukon and British Columbia is spectacular.

Tally enjoying a cold swim after the ever popular stick!

Pretty Sadie!

Christian enjoying a photography break.  Many of the lakes we went by where still frozen.

Animal Sighting List:

Wood Bison-you see these in southern Yukon northern BC and they are HUGE!
Black Bear-way to many to count we gave up
Grizzly Bear-one
Dale Sheep-several
Caribou-a handful
Elk-a few
Moose-a few
Stone Sheep-several

That is a Stone Sheep.

 

We bought this great tarp at REI and it is perfect!  Fits nicely over the back end of our 4-Runner and if needed we can get our tent opening under it to have dry cooking.

One of our many camp sites.

Relaxing in the morning sun before the day of driving starts.

Nothing like a nice tail rub!

 

Morning dew . . .

Spruce Grove Camp Ground is a nice privately owned campground in Fairmont, BC.  We bought some firewood and in the bag was kindling wrapped up in newspaper---what a nice touch!

 

At last we arrive home to Whitefish and can enjoy our break nothing like summer time true bliss!

Sea Ice, Fog, & Bláithín Sweater

It is May here in my remote spot in Alaska and spring in the rest of the world.  We are transitioning to spring with many small hiccups along the way.  I think it is a bit ironic, I am working on a sweater in Irish that means "little flower."  The sea is once again covered in sea ice, it is cold, damp, and foggy---I mean thick pea soup fog  due to the sea ice.  The winds have been coming in from the southwest causing the sea ice to be blown back our way.  My tundra walks with the dogs makes me feel like I am in Ireland or Scotland walking the hills with my flock of sheep as fog rolls in and out.

Here is the first flower I have seen out on my tundra walks. It is known as the "woolly lousewort " or "bumble-bee flower."

My Bláithín sweater which I have been calling Ol'Navy now has the sleeves joined to the body.

Color Work yahooo---lets hear it for some color work finally!  These center stitches will be for the sandwich steek.

Color work schematic--my first round will be orange flowers, the middle round will be blue flowers, and the last round will be yellow flowers.

I love working a color yoke after hours of one solid color it is such a treat to really be able to see your progress as the color work motif changes.

May 17th sea ice, with a nice low ceiling for visibility which makes it is hard for planes to fly.  This photo is looking north up towards Blueberry Hills.

Jumbled up mess of sea ice that  has returned due to the winds coming in form the southwest.

Cookies & Pizza

Cookies

I am always searching for a killer cookie recipe.  I love cookies that are crunchy and chewy, and not over the top sweet or gooey.  Yesterday, I baked up these wonderful Molasses Ginger Spice Snap Cookies from the blog FarmGirl Fare. She great recipes and I will be trying more of her ideas. If you use Weight Watchers or one of the point tracking programs this recipe has 176 points. However don't freak out!  I used a small scoop and made 5 dz cookies yesterday and froze the rest of the dough. I am pretty sure I will be able to bake another 2dz cookies which will bring the cookies in at 2 pts. each.

Pizza

For dinner last night we had Christian's wonderful Pizza.  We used a white/whole wheat flour for the crust and his secret ingredient is to add a dark beer to the dough.  For toppings we have used anything and everything from pesto sauce and salmon to a more traditional pepperoni and cheese.

We also use cast-iron pizza pans which really help to bake a great dough.

Some of the toppings.

A work of art!

This pizza slicer is the best we have ever used. It has a rocker so you place it on the pizza and rock it back and forth for a great sliced pizza. 

Bláithín Sweater (Bláithín is an Irish name meaning "little flower") AKA Ol'Navy

Bláithín Sweater is designed by Kate Davies who I think is just a brilliant knit designer.  This project was started a bit ago and interrupt often by my inability to stay focused on just one project.  Since knitting is my way of relaxing, in my world, that means you knit what every want when you want.  Over my knitting years I have come to accept that I jump from project to project and back again---why fight it just go with the knitting flow!

I am excited to say I am back knitting my Bláithín Sweater!  Today, I will be finishing up the second sleeve, steam blocking both sleeves and body.  This way I will get an accurate measurement of all the pieces before I join them together to start my favorite part the yoke colorwork.  I did modify the design a bit as I didn't want any pockets or the sweater to flare out on the sides.

Off to knit!  I will be steam blocking this sweater to try on before I continue with the yoke work.

Mittens, Dog, My Tundra World

I just blocked a pair of Snow Ghost mittens last night.   As I casted on my second mitten this is what I told my dear friend and fellow blogger Wool and Words:

"Knitting, I did cast on my next mitten and started the rather rhythmic color work which is a relaxing little jaunt.  It is nice when color work just flows and pours out of your needles!  Plus, the yarn I am using is such a dream to work with so nice on your hands and it invites you to keep knitting."

My completed Snow Ghost Mittens which will go into the gift box for some lucky person.

Photos and more information on the Snow Ghost Mitten 

DOG!

I have this wonderful dog named Sadie.  She is a very unusual mix of a Weimaraner and Akbash.  Sadie was a rescue dog from one of those wonderful shelters who has no shelter but rather houses all their animals in foster homes.  I can never say enough great things about Rim Rock Humane Society in Billings, Montana.  Sadie had quite a story as she had a destructive nature, she is rather big, and a bit stubborn.  We have now had Sadie for 3 years and she is such a love.  Our two dogs get along wonderfully, and we can not imagine a world without them by our sides.  Sadie has had one heck of a year with injuries.  I have learned this year dogs heal very fast!  We live in a rural, off road village in Alaska.  What does this mean: we have no vet, no doctor (until about 2 mos ago), and if you need serious medical attention you need to get on a plane and fly out of here.  This means you hope you don't die on the plane or some other major issue occurs.  We basically try not to think about it until you or your animal get hurts.

This year Sadie slice a pad on her front foot open.  We learned to use super-glue, moleskin and a dog bootie to heal this injury.  Shortly after this was taken care of she was bit by a sled dog and had a hole in her side.  This was healed by sticking a kotex pad on the inside of a dog jacket.  The hole got air and was able to drain and she could not lick it.  Then is March she broke or dislocated her outside toe on her rear foot.  Again rest and a dog bootie helped to heal this injury.  The last and I really hope it is the LAST was she fell out of the 4-wheeler.  I was going a bit fast but I hit a few bigger than I thought bumps and she fell out of the back.  I was devastated! Her high center of balance tossed her out and I could not throw on the brakes as the other dog would have gone out too.  Once I got her back to me she was limping, but had a good size gash under her right eye.  Poor girl!  Dogs trust us so much and then this happens which was all my fault!  I was so angry with myself and so scared for Sadie.

Here is our poor girl in recovery.

Sadie doing great and ice hopping for fun this week.

Knitting!

I have been working on several small projects as a nice distraction from a larger project that I really need to get back too.  Fingerless mittens are coming along great.  I am almost done with the last small pair.  I have to knit a larger pair and will be casting on that one soon.

Snow Ghost Mittens

I love this well written pattern!  The mittens are wonderful and fit perfectly.  I did change the inside cuff a bit but other than that I followed the pattern as it is written.  I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca which is a dream yarn in my mind, soft, luscious colors and just a joy to work with!

Provisional cast on which I really like and don't use enough.

The back of the Snow Ghost Mitten
The pattern includes a color scheme in both a dark and light main color.

Palm side and thumb 

One completed mitten

The red/pink inside is Blue Sky Suri.  This was added to help keep drafts out.

Completed Snow Ghost Mitten and one more to go!

Felted Baby Booties

This pattern may be purchased at the Knit 'N Needle and you may have to call them to have the pattern mailed to you as it is not yet in a PDF  downloadable form.  A friend of mine designed this great simple pattern.  I have made countless pairs of these booties.  I use a 100% wool and like Malabrigo for this project.  It felts up wonderfully and has a wonderful feel to the finished felted item.  Toss in a little blanket stitch with embroidery thread to jazz up the finish bootie.  I have used sock weight yarn for the blanket stitch detail as well with great success.

The blue and yellow theme is for their Swedish heritage.

Polka Dot Sheep Hand Dyed Yarn

My favorite local yarn shoppe if you haven't notice yet is the Knit 'N Needle which has a online site based on the shoppe's logo the polka dot sheep.  Below is some of the yarn I have purchased lately.  I have been knitting with this yarn and can highly recommend it as having wonderful colors, great stitch definition, a nice lofty feel once blocked.

I have not figured out what all of this yarn will be knitted up into yet.  I can say mostly hats, mittens and smaller items are on the plate.

Spring

Sea ice melting and shifting around in Norton Sound on yesterday's beach walk.

My girl Sadie being the half Akbash she is overseeing everything to keep me safe.

Sadie exploring the sea ice hopping around the melting water.

Update Completed!

The update is complete! I will be imposing the ban on FaceBook  for the spring/summer.  I will be focusing on Wool-n-Ski which I enjoy far better as it is my space.

From yesterday's beach walk, an old fart selfie to join the all-about-me generation! 

Sadie sums up yesterday's activities!

Spring Time: Coming Up For Air Saying & Good-Bye to the Race Season!

The ski season has ended!  Lets rephrase that to say "The ski season has ended as far as racing, traveling, and sleeping on school floors."  I am still hoping to get a few more days of skiing here on the drifts that are slowly melting.  As far as skiing with kids that part is done!  Our season is long (since winter is long this far north) but we enjoy skiing with the kids.  We especially love getting kids outside, away from the TV and electronic devices.  Simply being outside with kids skiing is a lot of fun!

Some of our younger skiers with our new groomer.

Our wonderful groomer and his side kick Tally.

One of our skiers competing in Arctic Winter Games 2014 in snowshoe biathlon.  Katie brought home 4 Ulu medals!

Sadie and I enjoying a break from our tundra walk.  We were actually sitting in a hail storm.  The snow in the background is where we are still skiing.