Skip navigation

Category Archives: Outdoors

Dad’s Estate

DSCN0040

Dad’s Cabin while he was enclosing the porch to make the sun-room.

One of the things that was and is important and influenced my move up here is my Father’s estate. It’s important to me that my Dad’s last wishes be fulfilled, the way that he wanted them. My Dad had talked to a lot of people about his wishes, and I feel that they are pretty well-known. But no matter, someone always has to feel differently in these matters.

Dad didn’t have much, but what he did have was his life’s work: his cabin and his garden. He poured his blood, sweat and tears into building his place. These two things were so important to him. He wanted them cared for, lived in, loved the same way that he did. I get that.

Dad’s way of life doesn’t appeal to many people. The isolation, the remoteness, the rugged outdoors, it’s all foreign to most, and difficult to obtain for those who do desire it. In a way Dad lived a dream that many people will only ever dream about and never realize. With each trip out there I find myself more and more drawn to the quiet solitude, the beauty, the peacefulness that is my Dad’s cabin. I can see why he loved it so much out there.

It is a different way of life to be sure. After spending four days out there, adjusting to no time restraints and no draws of civilization, coming back to town is a shock in some ways. I can only imagine how much so it was for my Dad. Each time I’m out there it gets harder to leave and come back to town.

But a hot shower sure is nice!!

Full Moon

 

The full moon this month was glorious. Being out at the cabin and seeing it rise over the tree tops, and shine brightly in the ever darkening night sky was simply breath-taking. It also brought with it the highest tides of the summer, a 32 footer! We nearly waited too long to get off the beach Tuesday when we came back from the cabin. We had a few moments of driving in the sea water, which was nearly over our seats… yeah. I’d like to avoid any more of that! 😉

 

 

We are loosing light steadily now. You can tell the difference after about 9 pm. It’s getting more “dusky” at night now, and around midnight, you really could use a flashlight to head to the outhouse. It’s amazing how quickly it happens actually. In another couple of months we’ll be seeing plunging temps and much darker nights. We might actually need these headlights that they make us drive “on for safety” with.

 

Related articles

Pictures!!!

 

Finally, yes finally, I have uploaded some pictures. My laptop wont allow me to download photos, something is messed up with my program I guess, anyway, I have to go to Wal-Mart, download from the camera, access the photos via CD then I can upload them to the blog. It’s quite a process…

 

 

So I’ve updated some past posts with photos and then of course my new posts have their pictures with them. Scroll through and look at the old posts if you want to see some great scenery shots and see us on our grand adventure in The Great Land!

Taken at Homer

Taken at Homer

 

A Hair Raising Adventure

 

I knew coming up here would be an adventure of epic proportions. But you just never fully appreciate that until you are in the midst of the adventure! Know what I mean??

 

 

We drove up the beach and then at the half-way point (Leif’s Creek) we went up the trail called Jacob’s Ladder to reach the main trail. Let me tell you a bit about Jacob’s Ladder. I’m not sure how it got its name but I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that its is a very steep incline. You just go straight up, up and up. Right along the edge of a bluff, probably a 60 foot or more drop in places. So just like Jacob from the Bible, it seems like you’re going straight up to heaven at certain points. Once you get to the “top” you find a muddy mess of a trail. It’s bumpy with tree roots, logs and rocks that others have thrown into holes to try to make it passable. Last month when we came up, this was the first place we got stuck, so I did have some apprehension about going up that way… some.

 

 

I was driving a borrowed 4-wheeled rig called a razor. It’s a cute little thing, drives like a car, has seat belts and window restraints and a roll-cage. Well I understand why now… the thing also has very low clearance underneath. So you high-centered easily and it’s a wee bit tippy.

 

 

We were following Dean and Thing 1 who were on his wheeler through the fist muddy hole mess (and the mud really stinks, I call it the “bog of eternal stench”. Thing 2 said when we got up there, “it smells like someone had horses up here”. Horse poop in other words. I’d say pig poop is more like it though.) I was trying to watch where he went through and follow him exactly. He went high around this big mud hole and I followed him. The razor is a bit wider than the wheeler, and my passenger side wheels went off into the hole…. then the rest of it went off. Right over onto its side… in the mud. Like an old mare who just laid down on her rider. It was slow motion, and we just watched as we tipped over. Thing 2 and Little bit were safely belted into the seat but let’s just say they were a little freaked out over the “turn of events”. 😉 Once I ascertained if they were alright, and they were fine-just scared, I released their buckle and put them out on to dry land. Then Dean and I went to work with the wench to get me out of the mud. It took two wenches (the wheeler’s and the razor’s) and a lot of “get on the gas” to get out, but we did. Then we were on our way again.

 

 

We have never seen such adventure before! 😉 But this is the reality of life at Gray Cliffs. You get stuck, you wench out. You wear mud boots and rain gear to keep the mud off of you, and believe you me, I was glad to have my rain gear on that day! You learn how to get through the mud if you can’t avoid it. I’m learning.

 

 

Ashes to Ashes

 

Dust to dust

 

 

We had our memorial for Dad at the cabin yesterday, (Tuesday 7/23). He is finally resting where he wanted to be, well mostly anyway.

 

Dad's ashes and the photo Tami took.

Dad’s ashes and the photo Tami took.

 

We had a nice gathering of close friends and family. Mike, Tami and Allie, Skylar, Scott and Deni, Dean, Aunt Char and Uncle Ray, Aunt Dee and Uncle Eugene and of course myself and the kids. Tami and Deni arranged the food and brought us a wonderful array of local flavor: moose burgers, elk sausage, deep-fried zucchini and cauliflower (one of Dad’s specialties), salads… so much food. And all so good.

Mike grilling up some awesome moose burgers and elk sausages!

Mike grilling up some awesome moose burgers and elk sausages!

 

Good food!

Good food!

 

We spent about 4 hours together out there. Looking around, laughing, reminiscing, taking pictures. A true final good-bye.

 

All of us, Mike was behind the camera.

All of us, Mike was behind the camera.

 

Then we took his ashes to the garden. Dad had told others that he wanted to be next to Fritz and Okie (his dog and cat who are buried there). Aunt Dee and Uncle Ray scattered some of his ashes in the wind over the garden. We buried some next to Okie, and then Aunt Dee took some back to Linda.

 

 

Mike dug a small hole next to Okie for Dad’s ashes, then we planted a Forget-Me-Not over the top. A fitting plant I’d say. Both Alaska’s state flower, and true to its name, we will never forget the man they called Chuck, and I called Dad.

 

 

The finality of it. Both full of sorrow and yet good knowing that to the best of my ability, I was doing what Dad wanted. Dad’s wishes are what matters.

 

Sums it up well...

Sums it up well…

 

Baruch b’shem YHVH. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

 

 

Fireweed

English: Fireweed – Epilobium angustifolium

English: Fireweed – Epilobium angustifolium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The fireweed is in bloom, has been for
a couple of weeks now. I’ve longed to see it since I was here in ’94.
The Northern Lights are the only thing I still long to see here in
The Great Land now that I’m enjoying the fireweed!

 

The flowers are vibrant, bright pink
and tall, my Seester would love them! I hear tell there’s a place
down by Homer that has hills that are simply covered with the it and
it looks like the hills are on fire. I hope to see that soon.

 

Fireweed is our signal that summer is
nearing its end. Our daylight hours are already starting to wane.
This time next month we will really be noticing the difference.

 

Important

If nothing else, the last month has reminded me of some of the most important things in life: family, friendship, faith, fun. And why do they all begin with the let “F”?? lol

 

 

Family: I miss my family greatly, my Mom and Richie. It’s hard not being able to jump in the van and drive down for dinner or just to say “Hi”. I miss those fuzzy mustache Richie kisses. My Seester is missing from me. Her vibrant love of life, her sarcasm. Her flamboyant style, hot pink and all. 🙂 And I miss John too, and his cooking. Don’t miss his farts tho. Nope. I miss my buddy Ace too.

 

 

Friendship: Elizabeth. Yep, miss her greatly. Our weekly visits and kid’s play time. Her brownies… 😉 Her smile and gentle spirit. I miss Teresa and Greg. Our Monday night Bible studies, our “Like-mindedness” in so many areas. Miss our fellowship times and camping fun.

 

 

Faith: I haven’t lost my faith by any means, but being here sort of isolated at the moment, I feel a little lost. We have tried to keep some semblance of routine with Torah readings and blessings, but with working long hours and being gone so much, it is really hard to do. I miss our fellowship and Bible study times with our friends. And I miss having the internet so I can watch/listen to weekly lessons. I hope that’s remedied soon.

 

 

Fun: ha. All work and no play makes Brandi a dull girl instead of a “fine” girl. Hiking, fishing, camping, 4-wheeling, bike riding… all these things I’d hoped to do A LOT of, well, we’ve done a bit of it, but not near enough here lately. Gonna have to work on that! More beach trips, and hiking trails are in our future. 😉 With only about 2 ½ months until freeze-up, we’d better get a move on! Then we’ll be ready winter fun activities. Snowmobiling mostly… more trips to the cabin, lots of cabin time I hope! A toasty fire and some hot cocoa.

 

 

If you’re mentioned above, I hope you know how much I love and miss you. If you’re not mentioned above, I hope you also know how much I love and miss you in my life as well. Just had to limit it to the highlights you know? 😉

 

Alaska through the eyes of a child…

Kids are funny. They are perceptive and observant, they don’t miss much. You can ask them one minute what they like and you’ll get a “eh, I don’t know” but the next minute they are exclaiming how wonderful or awesome this or that is. I asked them what they liked so far about living in Alaska and this is what they said:

Thing 1’s favorites things: Going to the beach and playing in the water, making sand castles, playing with friends, eating (fresh canned) salmon patties, spending time with “Uncle Deano” (who is just a big kid himself), being at Papa’s cabin, and I love 4 wheeling! (she’s quite good on the 4 wheeler too!)

Thing 1 in the loft, reading of course!

Thing 1 in the loft, reading of course!

Thing 2’s favorites things: being at Papa’s cabin, playing with new friends, going to the beach, climbing the bluff, eating salmon and halibut – Yum!

Thing 2 in his "pirate ship"

Thing 2 in his “pirate ship”

Little Bit likes to: go to the park, play at Jake’s house with his kids, going to the beach, watching moose and moose babies.

Little Bit on her teeter totter.

Little Bit on her teeter totter.

The big kid, Mama likes all of those things too, but gazing at the mountains in the early morning or late day sun is my favorite. Being on the beach in the evening with the light reflecting off of the water is a close second. Being at the cabin, where it is so peaceful and relaxing is beyond my wildest dreams. I really get it why Dad lived out there. There are days when I just long to be out there. Unfortunately reality set in and keeps me from spending too much time at the cabin. Hopefully that will change soon. Until then, I’ll enjoy every little minute I get out there.