Seeing Red

Jason and I were going to put my trap in a certain place, by dump. I didn’t’ think we would catch anything for a couple of days, but Jason thought it was just a matter of time. Ethan, Chris (Kevin’s son-n-law), and Dad went to check my trap. Jason came back to the house to tell me that I caught a fox. I reacted so excitedly that I couldn’t barely get dressed. We sped fast to my trap.

A black socked red fox was frightened of the sight of me. I shot it three times with Ethan’s .22 since I did not bring my own. Holy was its name. It had a white butt and a long black, white, and red tail.

It was my first fox. I am going to skin it (with help from Jason the professional), and stretch it. We’ll send it off, I’ll keep it and hang it in my new bedroom when we move.

Savage .22

WOW, This Christmas present was a huge hit with the kids! Secretly, afterall it seems that part of the prerequisite for parenting is how well one can keep secrets, Jay and I talked with our principal as he asked if it were okay to get the kids .22's for Christmas. Both kids have BB guns and figured the upgrade would be nice, therefore also, we began talking about boundaries to set for the kids. How to handle it and you know, you can fill in the blank with your standard gun safety training. Well, they arrived the 26th with Kevin's son in law. Kevin had cleverly crafted a mini-tresure hunt with clues that led the kids to a closet in His apartment, I enjoyed watching the hunt and anticipation growing with each successful step taken. So, when the kids finally pulled out the guns, I saw a look of utter surprise and one that seemed to say, "Ma, these really ours?"

Jay took the kids out shooting today, he estimates about 100 rounds of shooting each. Romay had read a biography on Annie Oakley and was dreaming of possibilities. I'm glad Jay encouraged her to stick to the basics. On our gun cabinet, since the kids guns are pretty much identical, there is a paper that lists the kids names and serial numbers under each name. Obviously, in it's entire importance, the guns are not to be mixed up and used by the wrong kid. There is something sacred about keeping possessions to one's own likeness.

Christmas Chain of Events 2007

Christmas Eve 6:00 pm: Jason makes a special bean dip along with wing dings. Although the Beerbower/Harris family in Michigan isn't present in the icy north, we feel close as we experience their traditional recipes. As if this weren't enough, he fries up some bacon fried rice. For dessert, Romay makes a plate of cookies from dough that Gram Slwooko sent. Before this, Romay and Ethan; with the more steady hand and pickiness of Romay, make a Gingerbread house. Berry, the dog we are sitting for Jeni, sneaks and eats some of the gum drops off the house. Never in her life has she seen such distaste for dogs that steal treats from a work of art.

8:00 pm: The family sits with content bellies, with anticipation of receiving their new pajamas to sleep in on Christmas Eve. Every year, new pajamas are presented to begin the festivities of Christmas and it seems to help with the figity fingers that are quivering with anxiousness to open those shiny colored packages. We retire to watching "The Christmas Story."

11:00 pm: Jay and I escape to Jeni's apartment and wrap the remaining gifts for the kids. A magical atmosphere is still present, although we are tired. Somehow, stories of past Christmas enter our conversation and the time seems to stand still, although our hands are busily cutting and wrapping.

12:00 am: It's officially Christmas and the village kid are now riding around town. Slightly annoyed with the engines roaring as they pass by, the peacefulness welcomes our fatigued state. "Merry Christmas," I whisper to Jay, who is barely awake and whispers back the same wish.

CHRISTMAS DAY...more to come later on....

A picture of mom making lattes for the family!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Ever feel like that? We're not exactly going through a revolution, except in a sense that the cycle of whether or not we really have a lot in Koyuk repeats weekly. Let me back up and explain a few things, afterall, this very event could determine our future; as to where that future may be, Koyuk, or someplace else; here are the details.

October: Jason finds a website called First Day Cottages. We look at the construction details and materials. We receive more information and fall in love with the layout of natural wood, both inside and outside.



November: We begin negotiating with a gentleman in town that "owns" (I'll explain the quotation marks later) a lot that is on bedrock, in the trees, and overlooks the bay...a spectacular location to put a house! Later on, we come to an agreement on a price and present this to the city for them to approve. We asked the city to approve the transfer of ownership from this particular gentleman to us. We begin to see Koyuk as a permanant home and become excited over building! Also at this point, we have talked with First Day Cottages quite a bit and even started discussing floor plans. We become known to the sales reps as "those people from Bush Alaska," which is a good thing, because the office workers all knew about the Harris' in Koyuk who want their product.

December: City Council meets and we learn how difficult the land game really is. It turns out that the city is unsure as to who the real owner of the lot really is. According to the recorders office, the city owns the lot...according to others, a particular gentleman owns the lot. Now, a gravel pad was laid down, which shows ownership (a rule states that laying a gravel pad is considered an improvement...current rule states that a building must go up within two years of sale in order to maintain ownership)....SO...the question in mind is....Who really does own the lot? I am leaving out a few other details, but this is it in a nutshell. We are waiting until the next city meeting, next month to find out if it's possible for us to acquire this land.

Jason signs his contract in February for a renewal as far as teaching in Koyuk...so, it'll come close to coming down the wire as far as major decisions. Our apartment is small for 2 adults, 2 growing children and an active Lab. Please keep us in prayer as we find out what the city decides next month. We are open to the idea of moving, possibly to a new district, if we do not get the land.

Anyways, we're just enjoying today...Jay and I escaped 23 miles out of town to look for caribou and got skunked. It was just nice to get out. Ethan and Romay went skiing 4 miles out of town. Okay, bye for now!

Science

An interesting hands on lesson about seeds captivated the kids this morning. The steps were simple, cut open a squash to see how many seeds are inside. Ethan and Romay have been learning about seed dispersal and all of the possible ways this is done: human, wind, animal, and even water dispersal. Ethan was reading "The Secret Garden" and read about one of the plants he's been studying. Just in case you're curious, the way the plant operates is fascinating. The plant's name is Gorse. It builds up pressure inside the pod where the seed is held (making it an angiosperm) and when enough is built up, the pod literally bursts making a popping noise. Thus, the seeds are scattered. Of course, the kids liked the idea of pods blowing up, Botany is cool!

Today's Quotes

Ethan (with a serious look): "I ain't going to get a latte tomorrow."
Myra (just trying to help): "You mean you aren't going to get a latte tomorrow."
Ethan: "I know, I'm just trying to make you think I'm dumb." (LOL! smiles afterwards)

Romay (to Ethan): "You're a chicken."
Ethan (to Romay): "I'm not a fowl."
Romay: "Okay, then you're chicken feathers."

I know I haven't posted in a few weeks, but we'll update you with the saga we've experienced with the land game here in Koyuk. We're doing fine and nobody's pregnant. (this rumor cycles around every month)