Christmastime in the Arctic

This close to the North Pole (not to mention the town of North Pole), Christmas is pretty serious business around here. We've been doing our part by decorating, shopping, cooking and general merrymaking, albeit all on a tight budget, as always. In two years, when our Permanent Fund Dividends start kicking in, things will be a bit different, but until then we're only buying a few things for the kids and just enjoying being together. It's a great way to spend the holidays.

Chloe and Malcolm were lucky enough to see Santa yesterday. Chloe was less than exuberant. And Malcolm rode a bucking bronco like a rodeo champ. Later today we'll go sledding, our favorite outdoor pasttime. It's about 5 degrees outside.

On Wednesday our good friend Chris is flying up to visit! Starting the day in Southern California and finishing it in Anchorage will be a refreshing change for Chris, and we're very excited he's adventurous enough to join us in winter. We're taking the latter half of next week off to show him the sights, from glaciers and mountain peaks to wildlife, nightlife and everything in between. I suspect beer will be involved at some point.

Long Time No Blog!

Man, it's been two weeks since the last entry. Shame on me. Anyway, before I get into what we've been doing, be sure to take a look at my good friend Kevin's new blog, www.artofsteel.blogspot.com. It's great.

The Tuckers have been busy and crazy as ever. Brandon is officially an old man, having turned 32. He expects his first Social Security check to arrive any day. The temperature right now is about 7. That's fahrenheit, if you're curious. We have about a foot of snow on the ground, which we've been enjoying, especially Malcolm and Daddy. We even have a cool snow mountain with a tunnel in the front yard. On the weekends we love to go sledding.

Last week we joined the other locals downtown for the big Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Santa was there with his reindeer, and this being Alaska, they were REAL reindeer, pulling the sleigh and everything. The next day we visited a local candy company that has the world's tallest chocolate waterfall, not counting Willy Wonka's. And this afternoon Malcolm and Stephanie built a gingerbread house. When it was finished, I politely suggested she attend architectural school. She was not amused.

Steph and I also took the rare opportunity to go out recently. We partied with some friends at Chilkoot Charlie's ("Koot's"), the most legendary bar in Alaska. And in a state that drinks this much, that's saying something. The best part was Stephanie drank more than I did. We danced, sang and generally made asses of ourselves. It was perfect.

These days it's work and school, with whatever time we have left spent together. The weather is full-blown winter now, with snow every few days. The temperature will range from 25/30 down to 10/0, though we've enjoyed it so far.

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Love,

Brandon, Stephanie, Malcolm and Chloe

Birthdays, Snow and the New New Job

So Malcolm is now four and Brandon is (wait for it...) thirty-two. Our birthdays were lots of fun. Malcolm had three celebrations - one with us at home, one at school and another at home with friends. I used the remaining slices of his Thomas the Tank Engine cake as my own, with a votive candle stuck in the middle. Necessity is the mother of invention. We both got lots of cool presents, but mine are drinkable.

We've all been playing in the snow every chance we get, and we've found a nearby park with a hill made specifically for sledding. Simon makes a great seld dog, and Malcolm loves to be pulled around by him. Driving in all the snow and ice is fun. You get a feel for sliding around without crashing.

Stephanie also started her new new job recently, a place called Immediate Care, which helps seniors and others with special needs find people to help take care of them. She loves it, and is very happy she found it.

It dropped to zero the other morning as we were heading to school and work, but has since hovered around twenty-five, which does not feel very cold at all. We're told there'll be a spell in January or February when it will dip to twenty below for a few weeks, though. We won't expect many visitors.

Here's hoping you're all healthy and happy. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Love,

Us.

Birthday Shots

Here are a couple from today. His party is on Saturday.

Snow, Halloween and the Big Four

We've been busy these past few days, and I wanted to share some of our most recent pictures. Today is Malcolm's fourth birthday! He got lots of cool stuff, including butterfly wings, Thomas the Tank Engine toys, a Fender the robot doll and a set of toy knights. Shown here are also some shots of us sledding and trick-or-treating (in 19 degree weather).

Sledding in the Chugach

Like an idiot, I took the camera with us yesterday when we all went sledding in the foothills of the local Chugach mountains, but forgot to take any actual pictures. At any rate, Malcolm is a fearless sledder and Chloe enjoyed walking (with help) in the white stuff. We all had a blast. And when we were finished, we checked out three moose having lunch a stone's throw from the road, including one bull with massive antlers. So far, we've collectively seen about ten moose, four bald eagles, one black bear and an assortment of Dall sheep, spawning salmon and other birds and small mammals since we arrived in Alaska.

It's almost 8 am at work on Monday, and 15 degrees outside, with an inch of snow on the ground. Happy Halloween.

ps. We're going to brave the weather tonight and try trick-or-treating at some houses. Wish us luck.

Winter's Getting Closer

It's about 20 degrees as I write this, at 11:30 on Saturday morning, with a bright sun over the Chugach mountains. A thick carpet of frost is on the lawn today, so we took the kids out in their snow suits for the first time. Malcolm loves the fact that he can roll around in the ice and not feel a thing. Chloe complained. But she looks so cute, like Maggie Simpson in her "star suit". So we let her complain for a bit. Call it tough love.

When we're not out freezing ourselves, we do tons of different projects inside, like art. Chloe enjoys drawing more than Malcolm does, but he's getting into painting now.

Tonight we're headed to Trick or Treat Town for some early Halloween fun. Tomorrow it's sledding in the Chugach.

Check out the awesome weather in store for us. Hopefully we'll start seeing the aurora soon, which I will definitely post pictures of. And in case anyone's wondering, the Iditarod doesn't start until March. But we will be there for the kick-off.

We hope everyone is doing well. Love always,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Our First Day in the Snow

Sunday Malcolm and I took Simon to a trailhead of Chugah State Park that overlooks Anchorage. As we drove up into the foothills above the homes, we hit the snowline. By the time we reached the park, we were in a few inches of snow. We got to throw snowballs, slide down hills and climbed a steep, slippery trail to the top of a windswept hill with amazing views of Anchorage, Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm. We're heading back there this weekend with Steph and Chloe, plus our trusty sled.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera with me, so no pictures. We'll post some this weekend. We're also gearing up for Halloween, which we'll be celebrating at one of the malls, where kids fill the entire mall and go trick-or-treating at all the shops. We'll share pictures of that, too.

NEW PHONE NUMBER!

Stephanie and I are simplifying by ditching our cell phones and going back to our home phone. As of today, we can now be reached at:

HOME: 907-569-2858
BRANDON'S WORK: 907-269-5511
STEPHANIE'S WORK: 907-677-7031

Sorry for any confusion. And remember, we're an hour behind Pacific coast time. Thanks!

The Newest Tucker

We've added a new family member, and an important friend for Malcolm. For reasons known only to him, our new kitty's name is "Jolly". It could've been worse; my brother Ryan once named a cat "Razzle", only to be replaced upon expiration by none other than "Razzle II". We can only hope never to have a sequel for a pet.

Anyway, he's great. Malcolm and I adopted him yesterday at the Humane Society, and he's already a loved addition to our home, as you can see. Included here is also a great shot of Chloe that Malcolm took. Those are his fingers framing the composition. He's such an artist.

Fall's Here, Winter's on the Way

We had our first guest recently when Brandon's mom Anna flew out from Maine. She even survived the frostbite and bear attacks to tell about it. Everyone is doing well. Stephanie and I just celebrated 11 years of togetherness and 6 years of marriage, and she isn't sick of me yet (I think). We also discovered a Belgian beer bar here, with about 100 varieties - just more more reason to make your summer travel plans now.

The four of us took a drive to Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula, and saw two bald eagles on the way (once when Malcolm had to make a roadside pit stop and accidentally peed on daddy's shoe). It was a gorgeous trip. We took a hike at the National Wildlife Refuge center to walk off our oversized lunch.

Do yourself a favor and go see Wallace & Gromit.

Chloe is great (albeit impossibly loud) and Malcolm is turning the big 4 soon (complete with yet another Thomas-inspired birthday party). She's going to be a unicorn/Pegasus for Halloween, and Malcolm is dressing up as a knight. We're going as sleep-deprived parents. The weather is sunny or partly so, with highs in the 30s and 40s. We get plenty of frost in the mornings, but no snow yet. We did buy our first sled, just to be prepared. And the Scout has been parked and tarped on the side of the house for the winter, to be rejuvinated when breaking down doesn't mean freezing to death.

We hope everyone down there is happy, healthy and safe. Take care of yourselves. We miss you all.

-The Tuckers

Family Pics

House Pics

SNOW!

Alas, not at our house, but in the Chugach mountains that border Anchorage and loom outside our windows. This morning was the first to show snow-capped peaks, as you can see in the photo. We imagine we'll have snow down here before long. Halloween will be interesting as a result - all the families pour into the malls for trick-or-treating instead of going outside. By the end of October, we'll be well into winter.

I'm adding a few new pictures of our house, too. Sorry I forgot until now.

The Dangers of a Free Society

Some of you may have noticed a disturbing (though admittedly funny) image in the "My Profile" section over to the right recently. Needless to say, I did not put that image there, nor would I ever, considering younger members of our families (hopefully) take a look at this blog from time to time. If you haven't seen it, and are wondering what in the world I'm talking about, send me an email. Otherwise, I apologize for the offending visual, and can only offer this: in a free society, there's no telling what you may come across. Just be thankful it's not communist China.

-b.

The Weirdest Town in Alaska

Today we drove to Whittier, a small coastal town about 45 minutes south of Anchorage, and separated by mountains. The area is one bowl after another, all surrounded by mountains and glaciers. The views are spectaular, though the only photos we got were on our 35mm camera. Sorry.

Anyway, Whittier was cut off from the rest of the landlubbing world until recently, when a 2-mile long tunnel was blasted through the offending mountain (which, by the way, is a one-lane tunnel - cars and trains must share the lane, which means Anchorage-bound cars, Whittier-bound cars and the Alaska Railroad vie for time slots every fifteen to thirty minutes, and the road and the rails run together). The town was built in the 50s as an Army base with an ice-free port. One big apartment building housed all the personnel, which today houses nearly all the residents. Small shops, a pharmacy, doctor, etc., are found in the building, and tunnels connect different areas of the town. During winter, much of the activities are done underground or in the one building. It's crazy. But it's encircled by massive mountain peaks, glaciers, waterfalls and Prince William Sound, so the backdrop is stunning.

We also hit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, kind of like the San Diego Wild Animal Park, but with moose instead of giraffes. We got to see our first grizzly bears, who played right in front of us, with only a fence between. There were also elk, caribou, a bald eagle, a porcupine, rare wood buffalo and musk oxen.

And while Brandon was out grocery shopping at the end of the day, Chloe and Malcolm were having a blast with shaving cream, as you can see.

Getting Ready for Winter

We put new winter tires on the Subaru, readying it for our first Alaskan winter (which in Anchorage, we're often told, isn't much different from a New England winter - Fairbanks, however, is another story). And because the Scout hasn't been as leak-proof or as willing to start as one would hope, I've ordered a cover for it so it can sit out the winter. Which brings us to our new car. We got a black Saturn Ion Red Line, which was also shod with ice tires this morning. We're happy to be driving a Saturn again, and the supercharged 205-hp engine doesn't hurt.

We're going to sign Malcolm up for skating lessons soon at an indoor rink in one of the malls. We think he'll really love it. Chloe is a terrific crawler now, and has mastered "bye-bye", "Malcolm", "Mama", "Daddy" and a few others. She also does a spot-on horse impression. Steph starts her new job on Monday, and is very excited. I should be moving into a new and much cooler office soon, working with photo line-up stuff, background checks, licenses, etc.

The weather has been steadily getting cooler, and we expect snow within the next few weeks. We'll have heavy showers and bright, crisp blue skies several times in the same day. Our respective drives to work aim toward the nearby Chugach mountains, and the sun rising up from behind them is a beautiful way to start the morning.

Brandon's mom is coming to visit in a couple weeks, and we expect more family and friends to do the same. We're making new friends here, but we're always thinking of you all, and would love to have you up for an extended stay. If you're ever considering it, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Take care, and keep in touch.

Love always,

The Tuckers

ps. There's nothing like a little laundry hamper indoor slalom session on a rainy morning, hence the great photo from today.

Riding the Alaska Railroad

Sorry I've been lax about updating our adventures here. Every weekend we try to get out and see something new, but with that and our new jobs, it's tough to find time for blogging. Last weekend we visited Fairbanks, about six hours north by car. While at a construction stop, we saw some ground birds called spruce hens by the side of the road. They looked tasty. The scenery is beyond beautiful, as the Parks Highway cuts through literally a sea of forests, mountains and rivers for as far as the eye can see. And because the birch trees are changing colors, it paints a dramatic backdrop of oranges and yellows, sliced up with the dark green of spruces. I can't exaggerate how big and picturesque everything is.

Fairbanks is nothing special, though the little downtown part is cool. The university has some nice architecture, too. Otherwise, it's pretty boring. But we took the Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Denali National Park, which was awesome. The ARR has the last "flag stop" in the country, where you can flag down the engineer to pick you up when you're out in the bush near Talkeetna. It's also very popular with tourists, kind of like the Orient Express of the North. We saw dall sheep clinging to a river gorge wall. Denali couldn't be seen thanks to the clouds and mountains in the way, but the park there is great. We went for a little hike and checked out the terrific visitor center there, complete with a big movie theater showing a documentary about life at Denali.

Speaking of new jobs, I've mentioned that I'm the newest employee of the State of Alaska Department of Public Safety. It's fun, and I'm excited to be there. Stephanie has done me one better (as usual), by getting her newest new job as a teacher with Denali Family Services, helping special-needs kids and making crazy amounts of money. Her schedule will also be much better (home before 5:00 instead of 6:20). She starts on the 19th.

Other than that, we're one big happy family. Chloe is crawling like a champ, Malcolm is officially pacifier-free and doing great and for the first time in our eleven years together, Steph and I aren't broke. It's very refreshing, to say the least. And if all continues to go well, we'll start trying for another baby probably within the next year.

We love and miss you all. Take care of each other.

-The Tuckers

OUR GIRL TURNS 1!

Chloe turned one year old yesterday! It's been a fun time lately up here. Yesterday we enjoyed the usual birthday festivities - she got a new birthday outfit, took special muffins for her baby classmates, listened to her teachers singing to her, ate a delicious chocolate birthday cake (with help from Malcolm to blow out the candle) and rode her very first birthday present, a car/walker thingy.

We also went to the big State Fair this past Saturday. The weather was gorgeous (sunny and in the 70s), and we had a blast. The fair is the largest annual event in Alaska, and they have all the rides, food, booths, shows, music and animals you can imagine, including the obligatory 70-pound cabbages and 3-foot zuchinnis. We even saw huge tomatoes and chiles on display. The Donnas performed, but we didn't think the kids would have appreciated it as much as we might, so we skipped that.

In other news, Stephanie has her latest interview tomorrow for the dream job of the universe, so wish her luck (not that she needs it). Brandon just started his new job today with the State Troopers, and so far it's great. I'm making more money, earn 24 paid days off and 11 paid holidays off a year and can look forward to a ridiculously good retirement package, if I decide to stick it out that long (and if they don't kick me out).

I've also been working on another website. I'll save you the details, but if you're curious and have a few minutes to spare, you may get a kick out of it.

The weather is starting to turn, but slowly. This morning when I got to work it was 36 degrees, but this afternoon it was in the mid-60s and brilliant. We'll have snow before Halloween.

We miss you all. Take care of each other.

Love always,

Brandon, Stephanie, Malcolm, Chloe and Simon