Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Same as last year, with Halloween only a few days away, the snow started falling. It hasn't been above freezing since, with the lowest temperatures getting close to 15 below a couple mornings. The Lower 48 was recently in a heat wave, and our friend Phil in San Diego reported 86 degrees while it was about 10 up here. Naturally, we're loving it, spending every weekend outside. Today we went sledding, as we do whenever we can, and we visited nearby Lake Wasilla. The cracks and bubbles in the ice were at least 8 inches down, and we had the whole lake to ourselves to slide, slip and throw snow around.

Speaking of Halloween, Malcolm was Spiderman and Chloe went as a tiger this year. We drove over to the Senior Complex, a collection of apartment buildings for "pioneers", as they're called in Alaska. Each building decorated differently, and kids were out in the 20-degree weather running between them, collecting candy along the way. Malcolm and Chloe had a blast, and so did the seniors, too. Malcolm thought "the old people" were very cool. We also visited a haunted barn this year, which some family puts together on their farm. A lot of locals showed up, and as we've noticed is the trend around here, many of the teenagers were outside milling about just in t-shirts. One girl was sitting before a bonfire with bare feet. It was about 15 degrees and breezy that night.

We had a couple birthdays, too. Malcolm turned 5 on November 3rd, and Brandon marched stoicly toward middle-age by turning 33 on the 7th. Malcolm's party had a dinosaur theme, hence the awesome dino masks Stephanie made, one of which you see Chloe modeling. Scary stuff. Brandon had to bring some of the kids in from sledding during the party, when mama moose and her two babies showed up in front of the yard. The photo's a little grainy, but you get the idea.

So, while you're all strolling along the beach enjoying the warm weather, we'll be slipping on the ice of the frozen marsh below our house, avoiding moose, sledding till we're pink-cheeked and sipping hot chocolate at the end of the day. We miss you all and hope you're enjoying the season as much as we are. Take care!

Cooling Weather, Construction Projects and the World's Prettiest Ugly Dog.

Hello all. As usual, it's been a couple weeks since our last posting. And also as usual, we're as busy as ever up here. Working full time jobs, raising young kids and getting over an acre of overgrown Alaska under control, not to mention normal household chores, tend to keep us on our toes. The weather has definitely cooled off, with "Termination Dust" now settled on the surrounding mountains. It's the local term for the first snows that signal the end of another spectacular Alaska summer. This morning it was 27 degrees on the now weekly trip to Home Depot. True North Country kids now, however, Malcolm and Chloe spend much of their time outside, wearing only light jackets. Those days are numbered, though. By Halloween last year, there was snow on the ground.

Speaking of Halloween, we're getting set to go trick-or-treating at the Senior Center, where they decorate the interior and hand out tons of goodies. That's nice when it's 15 or 20 degrees outside. Chloe is a tiger this year, and Malcolm is a "ghost" (we bought him a skeleton costume, but he maintains it's actually a ghost). Soon after Halloween, we'll have Malcolm's fifth birthday and party. This year's theme is dinosaurs.

The pictures show a southcentral Alaska well into fall. Snow will arrive any day. There's the Scout, tarped off for the winter, and the bookshelves Brandon just built and stained. You can see the carport Brandon built, too (can you tell he's been anxious to stay outside before it's too late?). It's wonky but strong, and will keep the snow off the cars. You'll also notice the Saab has been evicted in place of a car that starts. Recently we bought a new Chevy Aveo, which is actually a Daewoo built in Korea, then rebadged. So much for Buy American. It gets about a thousand miles to the gallon, and received shiny new studded tires last week.

Finally, there's the wild boar we've adopted. If you look carefully, however, you'll actually see she's a dog, albeit an extremely homely one. In a cute sort of way. A friend bought her as a puppy, but ultimately couldn't keep her, so we took her in. Her name is Emily, and she immediately became a favorite with the kids. She also snorts and roots around like a pig, so Brandon lovingly refers to her as Porkchop. She's a sweetheart. We also welcomed Anna's cat Beauregard into our home, after she passed away. That was rough at first, and resulted in him getting literally thrown out (hissing, growling and lunging at the kids is a great way to get kicked out). After Beau was gone for over a week, we figured he'd become a tasty bear snack. But he returned, a little skinnier, and with a much improved attitude. Now we're all a happy family again, only bigger.

Stephanie interviewed for a dream job last week, and we're crossing our fingers for her. Oh yes, and we would be amiss if we forgot to tell you the kids' school burned down. Or rather, was torched. No one was hurt, not even the school's goldfish, but fire investigators (the ones Brandon works with) are calling the fire "suspicious". It came after a series of poor state reviews for the school (the review process is the job Stephanie interviewed for), unpaid staff and while the owner was "vacationing" in Canada. Hmm. Anyway, Malcolm and Chloe start their new school on Monday the 16th. A lot of their teachers and friends ended up at the same school for the same reason, so they'll be in good company. Malcolm says he's glad to start a new school, because his old one is "such a mess".

As always, everyone up here is great. We love living here more than ever. And with snow just around the corner, we have sledding, ice skating and playing in all that white stuff to look forward to. You can be sure we'll have take lots of pictures.

Love,

Brandon, Stephanie, Malcolm, Chloe, Simon, Jolly, Beauregard and Emily. Whew!

The Alaska State Fair!

We took these shots a few weeks ago at the 70th annual Alaska State Fair. State fairs are cool anywhere, but there's something special about it in the Last Frontier. Needless to say, we had a blast (just like we did last year).

The weather is starting to cool down, and the snowline is coming down the surrounding Talkeetna and Chugach ranges. Today it was beautiful, but a little cooler at around 45 degrees. Fall is definitely here, and winter isn't far behind. We'll probably have a colder winter than last year, and snow will surely be on the ground before Halloween.

The moose have started coming out again on our property. It's funny how we had so many more moose at our house in Anchorage than we do now living out in the woods. But a few have graced the property lately, though Simon's attempts to befriend them still haven't panned out.

We've also discovered all the cranberries on our property. They're sour raw, but cooked with plenty of sugar and butter, they make a delicious pancake or ice cream syrup.

Chloe and Malcolm are as happy as ever. Malcolm's 5th birthday is coming up in a month, and we're preparing his dinosaur-themed party. Chloe is out of diapers and is a proud potty-user, and we're all gearing up for colder months ahead. It was 25 in Barrow yesterday, and 37 this morning at our place. Hot chocolate, anyone?

Anna Lauyse Markheim, My Beloved Mom

Many of you know by now that my mother, Anna, passed away about a week and a half ago. She died of apparent natural causes in her home in York, Maine. She was 54 years old, and would have turned 55 the day after Christmas.

I have never known such pain as I do now. Mom was not only a brilliant star in my night sky, but cast a beautiful, loving glow to everyone who knew her. My brother Ryan and I were raised with bountiful, unconditional love in our lives because of her. And while in her later years she struggled with hardship, doubt, and decreasing health, her love for us and our new families was boundless and uplifting. She relished her role as Nana to Malcolm and Chloe. Our friends also came to adore Anna, and were welcomed into our family regardless of background or means.

She radiated a passion for life I have never seen in another person. Born Anna Lauyse ("law-eese") Moran in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mom and her brother Vernon were raised by their mother Bobbie, who held three jobs and succeeded in operating a well-known radio station in New Orleans. When Mom met my father Sandy, she was 15 years old. She told him she was 18. They separated shortly after I was born, and Anna remarried a few years later to Chaim Markheim. Ryan joined the family in 1978. Over the years, Mom wrapped Ryan and me in layers of love, curiosity and compassion. As testiment to that, though she divorced Chaim, and our little family moved to different corners, the bond between my brother and me has been unwavering for nearly 30 years, and was only strengthened by her recent passing.

She will be remembered for her soothing smile, her grace, her irresistable Southern charm, her unequaled cooking, her impeccable taste, her sharp wit, her striking beauty and the selfless, unending love she shared with so many people. She positively touched the lives of countless souls fortunate enough to have known her.

Her wishes never included a funeral or other formal remembrance. Nor did she wish to be buried. On Friday, September 22nd - Ryan's 28th birthday - he and I quietly planted her ashes with a bed of perennial bulbs along a secluded bank overlooking the picturesque York River and harbor. The weather was breathtaking, and the sunrays felt like the warmth of a mother proud of her boys. Beside the flower bed is a painted sign quoting The Garden by Thomas Campion:

"There is a garden in her face,
Where roses and white lilies grow;
A heavenly paradise is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow."

I love you with all my heart, Mom. I miss you. I will always miss you. And Malcolm and Chloe will always be reminded of Nana, who left us all too soon. Maybe I'll see you again someday.

Always,

-Your Peanut.

Friends, Family and our Two Year-Old!

It's been a whirlwind past few weeks, with Chris and Maureen visiting from California, Ryan from North Carolina and finally Joe and Barbara from the Golden State. It was wonderful seeing everyone, and we're so glad they were all able to make it up here. In that time, we've partied at Tuckerfest V, enjoyed the 75th Alaska State Fair and celebrated our girl's second birthday. The weather has been RAINY. But the sun finally came out again, and it's been bright and beautiful for the last couple days, with temperatures in the 60s. Brandon is building a carport in anticipation of winter, we've been picking lots of wild raspberries on our property and generally loving these dog days of summer. Notice the classic Wallace and Gromit reference. :) I'll let the latest photos speak for themselves.