Tons of Fun and Smiles for Miles Here in the Frozen North

It seems like ages since my last blog, and so much has been happening here that it almost feels like those crazy days of summer!  Perhaps it's because we have more sunshine these days...or maybe it's our warmer than normal temperatures. Whatever the reason, our season has suddenly turned "busy." We are doing our best to enjoy each of our new adventures, though they appear to be doing their best to come in as rapid a succession as possible!

Mud Lake - Feb 2016

Ethan's studies have blossomed into full-blown algebra, theories of magnetism, creative writing, participles, verb conjugation, and ancient world history.  History, is his favorite subject, obviously; and we have been having long, insightful discourses about Hammurabi's Code and how terrible it must have been having whole scores of people terminated for minor infractions.  For those of you who haven't cracked a book in a while (or surfed historical documents on the net), please do!  It's very enlightening...and sometimes frightening!  But our learning continues, and most days there is at least one new thing that we uncover, discover, or recover.

In addition to the good 'ole book learnin', we have also begun to add more life skills.  We did fire building 101 last year, complete with birch bark scavenging, ax sharpening, and wood chopping. Since we weren't fortunate in our fall hunts or any ice fishing ventures last winter, we decided to ante up this year, and really try to make a go of it.  I have "ice fished" before, m-a-n-y years ago; but mostly as an adult volunteer helping the kids at our camps bait hooks, take fish off hooks, scoop the ice holes, etc.  So I knew a little something, but not much!  Keep in mind, the only "real" combat fishermen in our families are Grandpa Beaver, Grandpa Bradley, and Grandma Bradley; and they are all far away. Text and Skype advice is a bit harder to decipher than if we were face-to-face, but we definitely appreciated the tips from the "pros."

A Small View of Lake Lucille -- nearly 100 vehicles finally topped the ice

But the real full-on "SHOUT OUT" this time has to go to Mr. Jerry and Mr. Rob.  They talked us into coming out for the 2nd Annual MDA Fishing Derby at Lake Lucille in Wasilla last weekend; and...they hooked Ethan up with ice fishing gear so he could "try it."  Well...thanks so much, Mr. Jerry!  Ethan is more hooked than that 20-inch rainbow trout he caught!  Never mind that you have to brave the ice (which by the way is still 24 inches thick), or that you have to drill a hole with an ice auger, or that you have to drive your truck onto the ice and across the lake to get to Mr. Jerry's "honey hole."  But what a honey hole it was!

Fishing Mr. Jerry's "Honey Hole"

Ethan's pole wasn't in the ice water more than 15 minutes before he had a trout playing with the shrimp scampi on the other end!  Voila!  Got him!  What a nice 15-incher he was.  Ethan decided early on we were keeping and eating whatever he caught, as long as we didn't go over limit.

First Ice Fish -- Rainbow Trout!

About the time we got that one off the hook, the flag on the tip-up we had set was blowing in the breeze, and the bell was ringing like the Polar Express sleigh bell!  Maddie and I jumped out of the truck and ran/slid to the tip-up and began pulling it to the surface.  That fish was halfway across the lake -- which was a great thing -- because Ethan had time to pull his pole out of the water before coming to help. Ahh...another keeper!

Another Keeper!

And just when things started to slow down, and we were going to call it a day, Ethan set his hook and caught the monster -- a 20-inch rainbow trout.  With ice pole bent almost in half, I helped pull the fish up before Mr. Jerry's pole could snap.  He already lost another pole earlier in the day; and since he was so gracious to allow us to use his gear, we were really nervous about the possibility of destroying it!  But no worries...fish off line and all the gear safely returned, we called it a day and took Ethan's fish to the judges at the derby table for measuring.  His fish tied for 5th place overall in the kids' division, so we may have another potential contender for "family fish pro."

Rainbow Trout for Dinner

If you catch it, you clean it!
And we eat it!

Mr. Jerry assumed Ethan's spot on the ice, and ultimately went home with a 2nd place finish thanks to pulling out a 23-incher before the end of the derby!  Included in his prize bucket was a new ice rod -- a better one than the one he'd broken earlier in the day!  Ethan is gearing up to go again...in another youth derby on Finger Lakes in Wasilla this weekend.  He's trying to finish making his own pole for that one! (Ahhh...yet another life skill)!

Shaping his own ice Birch Ice Fishing Pole

After the derby, we headed into Palmer for the gun show and the art walk.  The guys hit up the gun show and the girls hit up the art walk.  Gun shows, I think, are self-explanatory; however, an art walk is something totally unique.  The premise is this...several businesses pick a weekend and showcase a particular art piece, practice, etc.  Patrons go from business to business to participate, and enter special raffles, contests, etc.  The whole "walk" typically covers 2-3 blocks and lasts about 4 hours. We were pretty bushed from being on the ice for most of the morning, so we only made it to about half of the businesses featured.  I will take full responsibility for that because I got us "stuck" at Fireside Bookstore coloring.  Yes! Adult Coloring!

Adult Coloring is Such a Thing!

It was amazing...particularly since I met one of my future selves there.  Maddie knew we were in trouble when we were greeted by a trio of older soprano voices cooing, "Did you come to color with us?"  Three of the most fashionable, extroverted senior ladies sat in the middle of the store, crooning to everyone that entered like sirens.  So, without the proverbial cotton balls for our ears, it was impossible to say, "No" to them!  We sat for awhile and colored, all the while soaking in their intellect, the benefit of their years, and their fun loving spirits.  One particularly brazen gal said, 'Next time we do this, I'm bringing my flask!"

Imagine for a moment, if you will, your grandmother, sitting amid other ladies her age, coloring "art" on fanciful pages, having "proper" conversation...then busting out her flask!  I had a great grandmother that dipped snuff so I guess flasks and Prince Albert in a Can could go hand in hand (or tongue in cheek, as the case may be).  It was a hoot just sitting there listening to them.  When we were finally included in the conversation, they made no small to-do of Maddie's southern accent. Poor thing!  I thought they were going to don her with pearls and tuck a Honey Ham up under her arm before they let us out of there!

I was most intrigued by a new phenomenon that has become popular here called art journaling.  I tend to keep a journal, but this was more than the written word and included collage, painting, sketches, poetry, etc., all gathered inside of a painted book.  We may try it for play time one day just for kicks and giggles!  By far, the grandest adventure of the day was courtesy of the Palmer Museum.  In honor of Valentine's Day, they were hosting "The Art of Love" contest.  Maddie entered this photo of her reveal to her Daddy on her wedding day and won first prize!

Included in her prize basket was a museum t-shirt, Giardelli chocolates, handmade soaps, and a gift certificate for a date night at the Wasilla Chepos (not cheap-os!) Mexican restaurant!  Yay, Maddie!

As if all of that weren't enough, Ethan and Ahtna have hit puberty together, and we are having a time! Ahtna spends most of her day talking back, turning her back, or in "time-out."  I feel certain she is rolling her eyes at me when I'm not looking, and she would do it even if I could see her!

What a teenage dog looks like in the midst of a tantrum!

Ethan spends most of his time in front of the mirror fixing his hair and shaving.  Yes...you read that right...shaving! He has a goal to have a mustache like Mr. Jerry's or a mountain man beard at age 13!

How do I do this again?

Beyond that, Ethan and Maddie have been hitting the watercolors, and we have spent some time at the new range in Palmer (more life skills) and sight seeing at Mud Lake.

Water Coloring AK Forget-Me-Nots

Range Ready

You Go Girl!

The views remain spectacular here, with bright, warm mornings that are starting again at about 8:15. Thank you for letting us share our adventures with you!  Until next time, God bless you all!

Mud Lake

"Now the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Romans 15:13