Dog Days of Summer - in More Ways than One

So here's the odd story a few of you already know: one of our neighbors is the sister of Sarah Palin, Alaska's Governor. Sarah lives here in Wasilla, and used to be the town's Mayor. Last year she became our first Governess. Anyway, she visits her sister next door from time to time. And up until Brandon finished the dog fence, our bulldog Emily used to visit her sister from time to time, as well. She had a habit of waddling off to our neighbors' houses, to the point of taking naps in their livings rooms and eating extra meals. Alas, Sarah and Emily were both visiting one day, and apparently hit it off, even taking photos together Here's the surreal portrait of our little Porkchop and the Leader of the Last Frontier. As a result of this strange encounter, Sarah stopped by our place one day to give us the picture and say hi. It's an odd feeling chatting with the Governor in your driveway like she's just another neighbor, but then again this is Alaska.

In other news, the kids have been enjoying dress-up days at school. Here we have a princess, Optimus Prime and a couple of pirates. Don't you wish high school were that much fun? Summer up here is slowly coming to a close. The days are getting cooler, it's raining more often and our nights are at a "normal" schedule of light and dark. In a month it'll feel like autumn, and there'll be snow on the ground before Halloween. But it's been a great summer.

Nothing groundbreaking to report; we just wanted to share a few extra photos with everyone. Take care of each other.

Love,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie, Brandon and the Governor's New Best Friend

Our Endless Summer

Hey everyone! With nearly 20 hours of sunlight at summer's peak, you can imagine how busy we try to stay this time of year. We've got 5 months of winter that will be here whether we're ready or not, so right now we're enjoying the sunshine and "hot" weather (it was 78 yesterday - a scorcher!), and trying to get out every weekend. Yesterday we returned from another camping trip. As has now become our custom, we rented a canoe the next morning and paddled around Byers Lake in Denali State Park, which is the smaller cousin to Denali National Park. It's perfect for us, because power boats are prohibited. This means clean water, no waves and no yahoos. As a result, we paddled out to the lake's center and floated about eight feet away from a big loon, who preened himself next to us and put on a good show of black feathers, before diving ten feet underwater and jetting off about fifty feet, like a penguin. Later we cruised up near one of the lake's two pairs of swans, complete with their three cygnets in tow. The sky was cloudless and impossibly blue, and we'd dip our hats in the water from time to time to stay cool. To the west lay what we assumed was Denali (Mt. McKinley). It was many miles away, and behind a nearer mountain range, but it was massive. We also picked about a pound of wild blueberries during our stay, and Sunday morning Brandon made a syrup from them for breakfast.

Malcolm starts kindergarten next month, and Chloe will turn three on August 31. They're still loving preschool, have made lots of friends, and have begun spending weekends with some of their new buddies. We spend as much time together as we can, sometimes to the confusion of our coworkers, and often outside. Our vegetable garden is starting to burst with corn, zucchini, peas and broccoli, and is serving as a great test run for next year, when we plan to get serious with it. We've continued bringing down a few trees on the property to build up our firewood supply (we'll need about 2 1/2 cords), and we've even purchased a used treadmill to stay fit without having to leave the house. The weather may be beautiful now, but it's not very easy to jog when there are two feet of snow on the ground.

Stephanie has made a huge effort to land her next job, and this week will attend three interviews and an orientation. Once she's in her new position, we'll get pregnant with either Molly or Calvin. Brandon's brother Ryan and his wife Heather just found out they're pregnant with their first baby too, so Heather and Steph will be able to commiserate together. Brandon's kept up his homebrewing, and currently has a tripel and a hefeweizen fermenting. In a few more weeks the raspberries and cranberries on our property will ripen, and he'll use them in upcoming batches.

The state fair is about a month away, we still want to visit the reindeer farm again, do some more camping, barbecue our brains out and generally enjoy every last second of summer while we can. We hope everyone "Outside" is doing well. We love and miss you all. Take care!

Always,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Midnight Sun Madness

Hello all. As usual, it's been too long since the last entry, but inevitably life's little details keep preventing it from being updated much more often, sorry. Summer is officially here (it arrives a little later 'round these parts), and we're loving every bit of it. Last weekend was downright hot in the mid-70s. Mercifully, it's cooled off again to the 60s. :)

Chloe and Malcolm are as wonderful as ever. They're both in their new preschool now, and have really become a favorite with the teachers and other kids. Every day someone is remarking how polite, smart and creative they are, and who are we to argue? They've been spending every possible moment outside lately, especially on the weekends. The sun doesn't set till well past bedtime now, and the sky glows till the early hours of the morning. Darkness only lasts a couple hours before 5am, so we get to enjoy twice the Summer.

Next weekend will mark our camping season. We still don't have a canoe yet, which we hope to remedy by next year, but we still have plans to visit some great campgrounds, trails and lakes. Brandon's long-standing dream of owning a sailboat may not be as far off as previously thought, now that we've discovered the Alaska Sailing Club, just a few minutes away on the shore of Big Lake. Brandon plans to begin sailing classes there next year, and we'll all start using the club's sailboats, picnic areas, beach and campground. One of these days we hope to have a cruising sailboat in Seward, about 2 1/2 hours south, at the mouth of Resurrection Bay. Despite what you may see on Deadliest Catch, Alaska is actually great for sailing.

Malcolm starts kindergarten this Fall at Cottonwood Creek Elementary, about a mile down the road. We're both excited and a little wistful that he's growing up so fast. Naturally, he can't wait to go to the "big kids" school. Chloe will turn 3 about the same time, and they'll still be at preschool together before and after kindergarten.

Stephanie is pounding the pavement for a new and improved job, and has had several interviews so far. It won't be long before she's snatched up somewhere, and once she's in a new position, we'll start working on baby #3!

Brandon was lucky enough recently to see his brother, Ryan, and sister-in-law, Heather, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The boys had the difficult task of watching movies, playing video games and telling rude jokes. It was the perfect vacation. We'll also be flying down to San Francisco in October to visit Stephanie's parents, Barbara and Joe. While there, we'll show the kids around the City by the Bay and take them to Monterey Bay Aquarium. We'll also have a chance to see our old Lower 48 friends, culminating in a rowdy party called Baytoberfest (only click the link if you're not easily offended). We're really looking forward to the whole trip.

Otherwise, it's fun in the sun these days. The weather's warm, next winter's firewood is already stacking up, the grass is green and we're loving life. We miss everyone down there, and we hope you're enjoying your Summer as much as we are. Take good care.

Love always,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Spring has Sprung in Alaska!

It's been about four months since our last post, which is terrible. Sorry. The good news is we've been busy! And now that Spring is here at last, we're out of our Winter clothes and enjoying every ray of sunshine. The temperatures now get into the 50s during the day, which is t-shirt weather up here. When Summer truly hits, we'll be sweating in the 70s, but for now we're loving all the "warmth" we can get.

So what have we been up to lately? Believe it or not, we've been doing a lot of swimming. Despite a March cold snap that saw temperatures of 20 below, the community pool is a happening place year-round, and the only place for now where the kids can really learn how to swim. We made the Easter Bunny welcome, of course, and have for a few weeks now been working like mad outside: felling trees, cutting firewood, building a dirtbox for the kids, digging out the garden from last year's weeds and putting up a dog fence. The kids love to run around the yard and woods while Stephanie and Brandon work, sometimes lending a helping hand.

We took our first fishing trip of the year last weekend, just a short practice session at a creek down the road. Malcolm has an excellent cast, and Chloe is already excited to reel in Daddy's line. They'll be much better anglers than either of their parents. With the snow and ice gone, the moose have been more active around our house again. We think there's one female in particular who brings her "babies" by for choice eats. It's great until you have to do something outside, and are faced with a wild animal the size of a horse standing in your lawn. But they make for good photos.

The dog fence should be finished by the time you read this, which will allow us to go camping, our favorite weekend pasttime. This year we're also doing some traveling. Brandon is flying to North Carolina in May to visit his brother, Ryan. And we're all heading down to San Francisco in October to see Stephanie's parents, Barbara and Joe, as well as the rest of her family, plus a few of our good friends from California and Nevada.

Hopefully it won't take another four months till our next post. :) Till then, we hope you're all enjoying the beginnings of Summer!

Oh, almost forgot one other important piece of news: WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY! Stephanie's not pregnant yet, not until she accepts one of the new jobs she's currently interviewing for, but we expect to start "working" on it in the next few weeks. And if Malcolm and Chloe are any guide, she'll be pregnant very soon thereafter. Naturally, Chloe wants a baby sister, while Malcolm keeps asking for a baby brother. The names we chose some time ago are Molly Ellen and Calvin Islay (pronounced "eye-luh"). We won't know until he or she pops out and greets the world. But we'll definitely keep you all posted! Take care of each other. We miss you all.

-Love, Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Emmonak AK, pop. 767

An infrequent part of my job is testifying as a witness on behalf of the State. If John Doe is charged by a district attorney for failing to register as a sex offender, I may get subpeonaed to testify against the defendant. I've done it only once before, by telephone. Not so this time.

On Monday morning I drove out to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. I pulled up to the offices and hangar for Grant Aviation, as instructed by the DA's office in Bethel, who was conducting the trial. It was dark, about 8am. The doors were locked. I saw a bored guy sitting at his desk and roused him at his window. He stuck his head out a door and directed me up a flight of frozen exterior stairs. I walked through a nondescript door, along a darkened quiet hall past empty offices. A light in a connecting office and the rustle of paperwork told me there was indeed someone here. There were also two large dogs who didn't hear me come in. They were less than pleased. The friendly lady told me I needed to head back to the airport proper and check in at the front desk for the air carrier. The dogs made sure I left. Thus began my trip to Emmonak.

Emmonak is a Yup'ik Eskimo village of 700-900 people, depending on fishing season. It lies halfway between Bethel and Nome, along the Lower Yukon delta, where the Yukon converges with the Bering Sea. Believe me when I say "Emo", as it is called, is about as far away as possible while still being in the United States, exactly in the middle of nowhere. In other words, I couldn't be more excited to go.

I enjoy flying in small aircraft, which is good, considering you don't have a choice when traveling to rural Alaska. The twin-propeller plane we took doubles as a mail carrier. Dozens of packages, boxes and crates of mail sat next to me, awaiting delivery to the far side of the tundra. I shared the cabin with four other passengers, all Native.

Arriving at the airfield (airport would not really apply) I was immediately thrust into a third world country, complete with spoken Yup'ik. It sounds somewhat like Hebrew, only spoken more slowly, and with more hard "K"s. Kuskokwim. Koyukuk. Alakunuk. Kotlik. I milled about the office of the air service for a bit, being, along with the pilot, the only White person in the building, before gathering up the courage to do what I was told I would have to - ask for a ride into town. Immediately those running the show helped me like a visiting dignitary. I was chauffered by David, in a Grant Aviation Ford pickup that had permanently lost its tailgate, its bed filled with snow and ice until late spring. David gave me the grand tour as we drove down the one road, pointing out the river and how it coursed on to the Bering Sea. Of course, in winter the rivers freeze, becoming highways. Later, the State Trooper in Emo would tell me he drives his Expedition to neighboring villages, sometimes 50 miles away, all on the frozen Yukon.

The next three days were terrific. True, the shared shower in the "city hotel", the rooms the city lets out above its own meager offices, put out less water than the sink. And it pushed below -30 during the day, which made going outside an adventure. And the only means of feeding myself was buying microwavable meals from the freezer of one of the two stores, there being no actual restaurant. I was amazed to see avocados for sale, though their freshness was in question. And the TV only broadcast PBS, and then only on the first night. After that it was snow, like outside.

But it was wonderful all the same, thanks to the people. I didn't mind washing my hair in the sink, or bundling up more before heading out into the tundra winter, or sustaining myself on frozen pizzas. Most locals, many of whom speak only the barest English, still had a smile or a wave for me. I was even allowed to sit in on dance practice for the big potlatch Emo was preparing to host. The community hall was packed with 200 residents, from infants to elders, most of whom joined in singing, drumming and dancing. I was invited to join, but was too terrified. I sat, feeling welcome, the lone Caucasian in a room of Eskimos.

In the end, I didn't do anything remarkable other than venture to a tiny outpost on the edge of the continent, the people unknown to most Americans. The area is simply a vast swamp, a delta the size of southern California. Few mountains or hills, and fewer trees. A couple facts, though: the King Salmon run up the Lower Yukon is thought to be the biggest in the world. The Yup'ik still hunt seal every summer. Igloos are from Canada, not Alaska, and those living in the Delta area build their homes on stilts to avoid being flooded every year. Even the trooper post, city offices and courthouse were propped up on massive struts. Finally, everyone, with few exceptions, drives four-wheelers and snow machines ("snow mobiles" in the Lower 48 - don't ask me why). Bingo or dance practice results in snow machine rush hour every night at 6:30.

They were incredible hosts. The only regret I have is I was too nervous to take any pictures of the people. They dress like anyone else in twenty-below weather, only many of the women and girls wear kuspuks under their coats and parkas. So I apologize there are no good photos of the locals. But you get the idea.

-Brandon

Fun in the Snow and a New Visitor.

By now you've all realized our weakness for cute, fussy things. Well, our English bulldog Emily is not exactly cute, but she is endearing. Anyway, when a free yellow lab puppy comes along, we're suckers. To that end, please meet the newest member of our family, Penny. The kids, naturally, are in love with her. She comes from the owners of the kids' preschool, where Stephanie will soon begin as the Administrator. We're happy to have Penny, and we're really happy for Stephanie. It's great for her to be back in childcare, and it brings her closer to the kids.

Southcentral Alaska was pounded with snow after our last entry. At one point we received 12 inches in 24 hours. At its peak, we had three feet on the ground. It's begun to recede a bit, and the temperature the last couple days has even risen above freezing (it had dropped to -30 one night), which made for great sledding today when Malcolm and Brandon went out. All the snow has also been perfect for the tunnels and passageways Brandon built for the kids. He used to do the same when he was a kid growing up in Pennsylvania with his brother Ryan, only these are a tad more elaborate.

Finally, Stephanie and Brandon, along with a few friends, are excitedly attending the upcoming beer festival in Anchorage. Nothing like a few barleywines to keep you warm in an Alaskan winter!

Malcolm and Chloe are wonderful and happy, as always. Especially now that Penny has joined the family. Tomorrow, it's more sledding! Woo hoo!

Take care.

Winter is Here at Last.

Hello all, and Happy New Year! As usual, it's been too long since our last post, and we've been busy as ever since then. The holidays are especially fun in the Last Frontier, and Christmas was definitely a white one this year, with nearly two feet of snow on the ground these days. The trip from the North Pole isn't very far, and Santa was good enough to stop by on his way to the Lower 48 and beyond. He gave us all ice skates, plus a couple hockey sticks and pucks, which Malcolm has already taken to. Our family knows that Santa prefers a good rich beer to boring old milk, and this year's Christmas Eve snack was no exception. The reindeer had a selection of vegetables, naturally. Even our tree was truly Alaskan - a little Sitka spruce from the woods behind our house. It was scrawny enough to make Charlie Brown proud.

We've been playing outside a lot, sledding and jumping in the snow, which we've received much more of this year than last. We're also beginning to see a snowblower as a wise investment for next winter! With the extra days off for the holidays, we all went to see our first movie together at the theater, Charlotte's Web, and yesterday we drove into Anchorage and visited the Imaginarium - always a treat for us.

Stephanie will start soon at her new job, preparing to administer the kids' preschool! It's an exciting return for her back into childcare, and it gives her and the kids the opportunity to spend more time together. Plus, it will bring a welcome raise, and will allow Steph to do something she's really passionate about. The promotion march goes ever on for Brandon, who at least should be running his office within a month or two, now that he's favored to take over his old supervisor's position. The kids love their school, and have made many close friends. Alaska has been very good to all of us. We just wish we weren't so far from our family and friends. Then again, the tourism industry here is superb (hint, hint)!

We've included several photos, so enjoy. The kids are growing up too fast. And who knows, with a little luck, we may be planning for another Tucker in the year or two ahead... Take care of each other; we love you all.

-Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon