10 Mile Life

Rose Petals

2010-06-08T16:57:00.001-07:00

I have always loved wildflowers. I'm not the kind of person who swoons over a bouquet of flower shop roses, but I love photographing wildflowers. This time of year, especially with the lovely filtered light we had the last couple of weeks (some sarcasm there as the wildfires are burning early this year) the flowers look especially bright. Soon, on my other blog I will share some of the recipes I made with this ingredient, but today I just wanted to share a little beauty of the season.

Yes, I consider rose petals to be an ingredient. They really are quite versatile and can be used in their many different forms. I have used dried petals in ice cream and as a garnish. Last year I made rose water which adds rose flavor to a variety of dishes and cocktails. Many times I just add the fresh rose petals to compotes and jellies as they cook down to nothing and add just the slightest hint of rose scent. This time of year when the Roses and Rhubarb are the first fruits of the season I like to blend them together in tarts and muffins.

Down in the Dumpster

2010-06-02T17:28:00.001-07:00

I was washing dishes a couple of weeks ago with all the kitchen windows open. I kept hearing this fluttering sound and was wondering what the dogs might be up to. It was a super hot day and every time I looked out the window they were just laying there in the cool spot in the flower bed on the side of the house. I kept hearing the fluttering and then all of a sudden I panicked. I thought one of them had caught a bird. I ran to the back door to see what exactly was going on when I saw a Robin fly in and land on Brody's side. She picked and pulled and filled her beak with his soft and downy white fur until he lifted his head and made a half-hearted attempt to snap at her. All I could think is those baby birds are going to have one very soft nest.
We have been watching another nest of Robins on the loading dock at work the last couple of weeks. They chose to make their nest in a very unfortunate place above the dumpster. Luckily there have been many eyes keeping watch over those babies the last few days as they have made their way from the nest. As we suspected the one in the photo above landed in the dumpster today and two co-workers jumped in to save him before the big truck showed up to empty the dumpsters.

The Storm

2010-05-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

In some parts of this country they have large tropical storms that they give names like Hurricane Rita or tropical storm Andrew. Sometimes, these storms are so severe you find people's deck furniture in the middle of their lawn.

Then you will find large chunks of wood from the wood shed and the dog dish from the pen clear across the other side of the property.

Then there is the brush from the woods, the garden stakes, and the burned bits from the fire pit sprawled everywhere.

Since we don't have any tropical storms here in Fairbanks, we just call it Arrluk. Sometimes, after he has scattered debris from one end of the property to the other and dug up the garden he feels fulfilled and actually takes a nap.

Sorry sir, did not mean to wake you!

Does he sink or swim?

2010-05-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

We still aren't sure yet. We will let you know when we find out.

Evening Light

2010-05-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

Winter Again!

2010-05-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful summer here in Fairbanks. Almost two weeks long, although it came a little early this year. Today, we are going to start waxing our skiis and making our Christmas lists.

Incredible Shrinking Dog Bed

2010-05-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

March 14

March 22

March 28

April 12

May 2

First Spring Rain

2010-04-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

For the first time since we have lived here we might actually be able to say, "April showers bring May flowers".

An Experimental Farm

2010-04-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have always thought the Experimental Farm sounded kind of creepy. I imagined three headed chickens and strange hybrid animals. I was in the neighborhood today. Well, all I saw were reindeer, lots of new spring fuzzy ones. They sure are cute.

Fabulaskana

2010-04-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year when it seems like there is a new show in the Art Gallery every week. This one really catches your eye and it is nearly impossible to just walk on by. To learn more about this show and see the photos they took at the Musk Ox farm see this article in the News Miner.

Lily Pads on Smith Lake

2010-04-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went on a walk with a couple of friends to Smith Lake on the University trail system. It was unseasonably warm, an absolutely beautiful day to be out. As we walked along the edge of the lake we noticed that the area around the lily pads was melting at a much faster rate than the rest of the lake, leaving them exposed to the surface. I am wondering if this is one of those unique adaptations that only occurs in Alaska lily pads. It was really cool looking, but I have no idea what causes these areas to melt so much faster. Is it just light, or is there more to it? Any of you smarty pants out there know the answer?

Granite Tors Trail

2010-04-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

Beat by Beethoven

2010-04-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

Alpha Dog

2010-04-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

Arrluk has been exerting his dominance quite a bit lately. He has become very vocal if we don't get him out of his crate or feed him quickly enough. He has taken to biting Brody's ears, and stealing his food, toys, bones, sticks, and bed. It seems not even a tree is safe from Arrluk's dominant ways...

Going Green

2010-04-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing I have learned living in Fairbanks, it is that you have to be adaptable. This theory does not apply only to humans, but all living matter in the tundra. This was quite obvious this weekend on our hike as everywhere the snow had melted there was already bright green in its place.

To See What We Could See...

2010-04-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a walk over Twin Bears...It was a glorius spring day. Much different than our Easter Walk last year.

Arrluk has quickly learned to drink from the Camelback.

Brody is looking lovingly at David. (Did I mention David is eating cheese?)

The view was spectacular from the top.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday Morning

2010-04-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Last Full Moon

2010-03-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

The days are getting longer. Soon the stars will be gone until fall. Last night on the way home from work I couldn't help but take a minute to enjoy this full moon.

Snuggle

2010-03-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

International Ice Art Championships 2010

2010-03-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

Searching for Spring

2010-03-20T00:29:00.000-07:00

All this week I look for signs that spring was really coming. Besides the fact that we still have light at 7:00 p.m. the field by our house did not convince me spring would come to Fairbanks today.

Finally, yesterday the temperatures increased. In small amounts we can actually find water flowing outside.

To me the surest sign that spring will come soon was finding the first pussy willow of the season.

Then there were two...

2010-03-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

Can we come in?

Please?

I'm being followed by a Dog Shadow...

2010-03-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

Naming Our New Pup

2010-03-12T13:58:00.001-08:00

We get a lot of questions about the name of our new puppy. His name is Arrluk and it means "Killer Whale" in Yupik. How we managed to get to that name is an interesting story.
When I was a kid the only pet I ever had was a goldfish and he never really had a name, well not until the day I came home and found him sitting in the hot sun of the window belly up! We would bury him in the garden and I needed to put a name on the Popsicle stick grave marker. I decided to call him Speedy because he would swim around in his bowl really fast causing a whirlpool effect and then when he tried to stop he would get swept around the bowl a few times in the current. The poor fish never got a name until he died though. I always felt bad about poor Speedy.
I mentioned this story to a friend in college once and she told me the story of her friend B.G. who got her name because her parents actually never were able to come up with a name and the name on her birth certificate was B.G. (baby girl). I knew if I were ever to have children this would be their fate!
When David and I decided to get a dog I hoped that he would be good with this whole name thing, but it turned out that he struggled just as much as I did. When we picked up Brody from the shelter we talked about changing his name. We actually gave it a few attempts, but it turned out he would barely come to Brody, so changing his name didn't seem like a great idea.Our new pup did have a litter name (Morelli), but we knew this time we would actually have to come up with something. We started with Dr. Seuss names liked Lorax and Horton, but those soon fell by the wayside when we discovered Max, the dog from the Grinch. We were set with Max until we discovered it is the second most popular dog name in the country! This did not help me get over my naming anxiety, how unoriginal can we be? So, we started looking at Alaska place names: Barrow, Yukon, or how about Chicken? Yikes! Something Alaskan would be nice, but David was pushing for Orca due to his coloring and markings. I kind of liked it, but wasn't sold. I threw out Orca names such as Keiko and Willy with not much excitement. Ugh!! Then I came across the Alaska Native Language Center's Dog Names web page. There it was: Arrluk, Killer Whale in Yupik. Perfect, an Alaskan Orca like name. We had one last deviation as I jokingly called him Mukluk one day. David really lobbied for that one, and though it is a super cute puppy name, in the end Arrluk is a better dog name and we all know he won't be a puppy for long!

Arrluk 8 Weeks Old...

2010-03-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

It was super cold last Saturday when we picked up Arrluk. He was a pretty mellow dog and let me put on his new collar and booties with no complaint. Although I can't say he exactly looks happy about the situation!

He was a good sport about it though. He walked a whole mile on his very first day.

He was very tired though.He snuggled up to Brody by the fire.
Things have warmed up outside. Arrluk is now finding his own sticks to chew.

He helps Brody with the digging!David said it best today "Every time that puppy takes a nap he grows even bigger". Arrluk is certainly holding his own in our household. Brody has no idea what he is in for...neither do we!

Chena Dome Trail

2010-02-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

Not Even Freezing in February

2010-02-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

Yukon Quest: 10 Mile Style (990 to go)

2010-02-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

In the time we waited for mushers two skiiers and a cyclist came by.

We had to keep Brody far from the trail for fear we might have to pick him up in Whitehorse.

In this photo there are seven teams.

Yukon Quest: 10 Mile Style

2010-02-10T06:23:00.000-08:00

As you may have gathered from previous posts, we went to the starting line of the Yukon Quest last Saturday. The weather was about as perfect as it can get for Fairbanks in February. We watched most of the mushers take off from downtown Fairbanks. The best part of the day was hurrying back home and walking out to the big field by our house to watch the mushers cross the area where we walk almost every day. I am always struck by the quiet beauty of this sport.

Yukon Quest: Other Characters

2010-02-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

Yukon Quest: More Teams and their Mushers

2010-02-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

Mike Ellis

click here for a list of all the teams and their mushers

Yukon Quest: The Dog Teams and their Mushers

2010-02-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

Click here for a list of all the teams and their mushers.

Yukon Quest Starting Line

2010-02-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Quiet Night on Campus

2010-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Jumping for Joy

2010-01-25T05:09:00.000-08:00

The sun is out.

It's 15 degrees above zero.

Oh glorious day!!

Sunny = Happy

2010-01-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

An old summer love pays a visit...

2010-01-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

Denali from Fairbanks
What were you thinking?

Sweet Feet

2010-01-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

Can I come in?

2010-01-18T12:11:00.000-08:00

Did you forget someone?

Can I come in?

Please?

Down in the Valley...

2010-01-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

This is Fairbanks...

2010-01-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

There are some days and some moments that just feel like Fairbanks. Today is one of the days of cold quiet beauty. This is the answer to the question "What is Fairbanks like?".

All Natural Peanut Butter

2010-01-09T23:59:00.000-08:00

I was hoping the peanut butter would freeze up a little quicker. The chickadees don't seem to mind.

Bootie Shot

2010-01-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry Brody. I know you didn't want your picture taken. Luckily it was dark out and none of the sled dogs saw you looking so silly.

Moonlight

2010-01-05T03:57:00.000-08:00

Winter Light

2010-01-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

A little something under the tree...

2009-12-29T12:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Christmas was days ago and we have already put all our presents away...but I did find something under the tree today!!

Our Fall Colors

2009-10-04T12:27:00.001-07:00

The light is fading...

2009-09-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

Brody couldn't be happier. His nose tells him good rolls in the snow are not too far away.

Winter's Coming...

2009-08-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Where there's smoke...

2009-08-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

Red Green River Regatta

2009-08-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

Beer Fest at Silver Gulch

2009-08-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

Georgeson Botanical Garden

2009-08-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

We have been busy. For the next few days I will post the things we have done this past month in Fairbanks.

Fairbanks Governor's Picnic

2009-07-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

TANSTAAFL

The things you see driving home in Fairbanks...

2009-07-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

City Dog

2009-07-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

The mosquitos are thick at home, but I still needed a walk. With my new found manipulation techniques (see previous post) I was able to convince David and Nicole to take me for a walk in town.
We stopped to smell the flowers.

I absolutely refused to pee on the fire hydrant. Public bathrooms, yuck!

Nose down, Eyes up

2009-07-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

I have heard that there is a new book out called Nose Down, Eyes Up, it is about Jimmy. Jimmy is the Tony Robbins of the dog world, giving inspiring speeches about how to manipulate your owners. Jimmy lives in Los Angeles, so I doubt I will ever get to meet him. But, I have been practicing his one piece of advice I have heard. So far it has worked very well (results in post to follow), if only I could read...I wonder what else that book says?

Brody Paddle

2009-07-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon...

2009-07-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

A Hot Day in Delta, AK

2009-07-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

In the Cloudberry Forest

2009-06-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

Dog Days of Summer

2009-06-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

While Nicole was away at Yukon Flats, David took me on a long, hot, dusty hike. We struck up a deal, as long as I didn't eat anything gross he would let me drink from his Camelback (I'll be eating off the dishes in no time!). Still...it was really hot, I would have done anything for some relief from the heat. But, wait could it really be?

Yes! Snow! Oh how I missed you...Dig, Dig, Dig...

and roll...

Whoa, I'm sliding...

Still sliding...

That was fun, let's do it again...

Can't we just stay here?

Farewell to Yukon Flats

2009-06-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Yukon River.

Here are a few parting shots from Yukon Flats. Brody says I am hogging the blog, apparently he and David did some fun things while I was away that they would like to share.

Yukon Flats Part VI (How to catch a Rusty Blackbird, or not)

2009-06-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

First you get up really early...
Then you look in some willows...
Then you set up a net...
and take some notes while you wait....
and then you catch some Myrtle Warblers!

Yukon Flats Part V (4:00 a.m. Sunrise)

2009-06-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yukon Flats Part IV (Willows of Interior Alaska)

2009-06-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Interior Alaska is home to 29 species of willow.

Yukon Flats Part III (Nests)

2009-05-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

A Rusty Blackbird Nest...

and a Robin Nest.

Yukon Flats Part II (First Day in the Field)

2009-05-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

April checking for a nest...

Our terrain...
I wonder why they call it Yukon Flats?
Frigid Coltsfoot...
Things are looking brighter...

Our first day was a little drizzly, but the temperatures stayed cool and the mosquitos were kept to a minimum. I was surprised how easy it was to travel across this area, whenever I look at Interior Alaska from a plane it appears to be a horrible swamp that would be impossible to travel in summer. This area was surprisingly dry (nothing above mid-calf) and the tussocks although plenty were not nearly as daunting as I originally thought. There are some advantages to being a field biologist. Our day was done at noon, just as the sun started to come out.

Yukon Flats Part I (The Flight to Camp)

2009-05-27T19:50:00.001-07:00

Leaving Fairbanks...

My Office is in the upper right hand corner of Creamer's Field...
Creamer's Farmhouse and Barns...
White Mountains...
Yukon Flats Rusty Blackbird and Scaup Crew Camp...
The plane I arrived in...

2009-05-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

Spring takes its sweet time to arrive, but when it does it is though it has happened overnight. I found this Pasque flower blooming in our yard last weekend and our birches are beginning to leaf out...

Also, Nicole is off to Yukon Flats for five days. Get ready for a brief return of Nicole on the Go!

Early A.M. Visitor

2009-05-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

David found an American Kestral sitting on our deck this morning. He went off to sit on a garden post for a while before he determined our yard didn't have much for breakfast and moved on.

The News...

2009-05-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

We got a new floor. Brody got a trim, and he made the front page of Latitude 65, Fairbanks weekly entertainment paper.

Signs that spring is coming...

2009-04-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

We can now see water in the river...
There are bare patches on the ski trail...
Brody is wearing the latest spring fashion accessories including a green bow from an Easter package...
and well...yes, part of a rose bush he found while looking for dead things in the yard!

Brody says, "Quit laughing, put the camera away, and get this thing off of me already".

Easter Walk

2009-04-12T22:04:00.001-07:00

Moose tracks on the little Chena.

Brody is in over his head!

The only flowers we will be seeing for a while.

A lovely blue sky day.

Some Fairbanks Color...

What's Happening?

2009-04-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

We attended the sled dog races...

Brody and I spotted a large creature in the woods. When I got home and blew up this photo I discovered two creatures in the woods.
David went to Anchorage to pick up a new truck for work.
He is still baking popovers on Sunday,
and still blowing snow from the driveway.
I'm still baking scones.

Brody, well...

he is just hoping someone will take him for a walk.

Mine...

2009-03-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

I couldn't figure out what was going on outside on Saturday. Brody almost never barks, even when we ask him to "speak" he just lets out a wimpy little squeak. When he does let out a full bark his Great Pyrenees comes out and the whole house shakes. Brody was outside with David and there was a lot of barking going on. Something exciting must have been happening. When I looked out the window I witnessed Brody retrieving a chunk of ice that must have been nearly as big as he was.

Our dog is obsessed with snowballs. This weekend David chopped up all the ice in front of the garage and threw it over the edge of the hill. Brody tired himself out trying to retrieve every last chunk.

International Ice Art Championships 2009

2009-03-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

A winning bag of dog food...

2009-02-24T09:41:00.001-08:00

On Sunday in attempt to get me outdoors and out of the kitchen David suggested we take a hike "somewhere new". Those of you who know me well, know that I can never resist the suggestion of going somewhere new. We didn't want to travel too far, so we decided to head 20 miles down the road to Twin Bears Camp for a hike up Twin Bears Mountain. It was a beautiful sunny day and the temperatures were mild. As we arrived at twin bears camp it was a center of activity, families on snowshoes and snowmobiles buzzing around the lake. It seemed unusually busy, but with Brody attached to me on his lead our main concern was to negotiate him through all the activity without incident. It wasn't long before we got to the other side of the lake and were on our way up a little used trail to Twin Bear Mountain.

It was a beautiful hike, we spent most of the day appreciating the light streaming through the trees.

I forgot to bring dog treats, so the dog was totally not willing to participate in any cute dog pictures. He would sit looking sweetly into the sun, but as soon as David or I got the camera into position he would sink his head back into the snow.

The best we could get was this shot where we double teamed him with two cameras...

So now you know the secret, all those cute dog pictures always involve a treat in my hand. Our dog does nothing for free and has us trained very well!

The view from the top of Twin Bear Mountain was spectacular and there was lots of untouched snow for the dog to romp, dig, and chase snowballs in.
As we headed back to the Twin Bears Camp we had Brody tied in as we weren't sure how much activity would be going on when we returned. The camp was pretty quiet, but we were still glad to have Brody clipped in as we found this waiting in camp...
Yes, that is what several hundred pounds (if not a thousand) of dog food looks like. Apparantly, Twin Bears Camp was the final mandatory rest stop for the Yukon Quest. As I write this post the racers have already left the bear camp and at this moments many are passing within a mile of our house on the trails we walk each and every day. The photo in the post heading home is part of that trail the mushers will take today. Literally, in a matter of minutes the winner of The Quest will be crossing the finish line and according to reports this guy is in the lead...
*Update: at 10:45 NPR announced that Sebastian Schnuelle was indeed the first to cross the finish line of the Yukon Quest. I told David on Sunday that he was going to win! I told him make sure you get a picture of that bag! lol

The funny part is he was in around 3rd or 4th place at the time! What intuition!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

The New Landscaper...

2009-02-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

When I returned home from work tonight he was working on the rose bushes.

Then went on to take care of those sunflowers we never cut down last fall.

Finally, he suggested we do something about the birches behind the wood shed as well.

His rate was cheap, so I didn't argue.

When all else fails...

2009-02-01T02:02:00.000-08:00

You can always post yet another picture of the dog wearing his orange booties!

Heading Home

2009-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Did I mention...

2009-01-07T18:02:00.000-08:00

It is really cold here...at least David has a nice hand knit hat to keep his ears warm.

Getting Colder..

2009-01-05T15:29:00.001-08:00

A sad dog really wants to go outside and play...
as the ice fog thickens and temperatures drop even further.

40 Below

2009-01-03T00:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day!

2008-12-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

Last year we took this same walk on Christmas day and found a fully decorated tree on the musher's trail. We decided to see if someone had done the same this year...

David and Brody were skijouring while I walked behind (and ran ahead to take photos).

Solstice

2008-12-21T21:27:00.001-08:00

View from our deck at 11:30 AM.

Morning coffee.

Ready to play! Notice the new orange booties.

JUST TRIM A LITTLE OFF THE TOP!

2008-12-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

FETCHING A TREE...

2008-12-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

It's 11:10 am is the sun rising or setting?

Is this our Christmas tree?

This looks like the one!

FROSTY DAY

2008-12-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

AN UNUSUAL FEEDER VISITOR

2008-10-19T22:13:00.001-07:00

Three-toed Woodpecker

SNOWFLOWER

2008-10-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

MAKING JELLY

2008-09-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

2008-09-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

PICKING BERRIES

2008-09-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

STOCKING UP AT THE MARKET

2008-09-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

VACATION?

2008-08-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

BIKE COMMUTE

2008-06-29T15:48:00.000-07:00