A few days ago, Rod Boyce from the Fairbanks Daily News-miner emailed me, and asked me if I objected to this blog being featured in the newspaper. Of course I didn’t object; in fact I was quite honored to have been asked!
Today, in Section C - the “Our Town Plus” section - there is a photo of me and Sedona (the one that Steve took of us up on Murphy Dome) with an excerpt from my blog. The link to my blog is also included. Since this morning, I’ve been periodically checking the stat reports to see if there’s been an increase in traffic - and there has been.
So, if you came here by way of the News-miner, I’d like to welcome you. I hope you enjoy my writing and photographs, and will continue to stop by. My husband and I are soon approaching our sixth anniversary living in Alaska. While 6 years is only a drop in the bucket when compared to a large majority of the population, I believe that the love we have for Alaska is just as strong.
I have been privileged to meet many wonderful people since our arrival. I have never lived in a more friendly and welcoming community, and this is one of the reasons we decided to make our home here when my husband’s military service was complete.
New readers:
My writing here is about the day to day life of living in Interior Alaska. I don’t profess to be profound in my writing, and I rarely write about anything controversial or political. There are plenty of writers out there who do a good job of that already. Instead, my focus is on my family (to include my furkids), our travels, local activities and events, and the beauty that surrounds us.
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I can’t believe it’s been 5 days since I last wrote. Besides the usual excuse that I’m enjoying the sunshine and keeping busy - which I am! - Steve and I have been busy the last two days with a huge landscaping project.
When we bought our home back in late 2006, the only outside landscaping was a gravel driveway. The yard in the front and back were dirt. This isn’t out of the ordinary for new homes in Alaska. Putting in a lawn takes time and care - the time and care most contractors just don’t have, especially when they’re putting up a half dozen houses at a time. And the dirt here isn’t the best for growing grass either. Our soil is mostly silt and clay. The only thing that grows well is moss and other wildflowers that are native to Alaska. Oh, and of course the occasional sunflower, sown by my bird and squirrel guests.
In addition to a lawn, Steve wanted to resurface the driveway, and widen and lengthen it for RV parking. Up until now, the RV has been parked on dirt, which turns to mud every spring. We also wanted to extend the driveway back to the tree line so that we have a level pad for building a storage shed eventually.
We talked to several landscapers before hiring Bren Contracting LLC. Jeremy (the owner) came in with a fair estimate for both the lawn and the driveway, and listened to what Steve wanted to do. After discussing the costs, Steve asked Jeremy if we could get a price reduction if the two of us raked the topsoil, rather than having him do it. He was open to the suggestion, and Steve and I knew we’d be working our tails off. A little sweat equity never hurt anyone! Besides, the exercise would do us good.
Yesterday, Jeremy brought in 5 dump truck loads of topsoil. He used his bobcat to carry loads to different areas of the yard. Steve and I took over then, with rakes that Jeremy supplied. We spread topsoil for about 6 hours. What a workout! My arms are aching a little bit today, and yesterday my back was sore - but we did a good job as a team, and I’m proud of us.
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I finally accomplished the main thing I wanted to - I painted the living room accent wall, and swapped out my photo prints for more cheerful spring/summer prints. I also hung a grouping of my black and white prints on one wall. The living room looks so welcoming now, and I’m quite pleased with the outcome.
Now that we see the paint on one long wall, we’re thinking of continuing it onto what we call the ‘island wall’ - which is the three sided “box” that sits in the middle of the living area, kitchen, and dining area. These three walls enclose the pantry, powder room, and under stairs storage. By painting those three walls, we’d have an extra wall of color in the living/kitchen area, and also an accent wall in the dining room. (more…)
Today, in Section C - the “Our Town Plus” section - there is a photo of me and Sedona (the one that Steve took of us up on Murphy Dome) with an excerpt from my blog. The link to my blog is also included. Since this morning, I’ve been periodically checking the stat reports to see if there’s been an increase in traffic - and there has been.