Bush Food

BURRRRRR!

Winter didn't creep on us it pounced. The wind has been blowing and it's been in the 30's for the high. We have been getting firewood and food gathered and stored for the winter. It's amazing how your view of food changes when you have no refrigeration and canned goods can not be stored outside due to freezing. We have switched over to a lot more dried and canned foods. We're lucky that we at least have a freezer. though next year I would really like to do some canning. That will be a learning process I'm sure you'll hear all about it. We have a lot of Salmon in the freezer thanks to Joe and Pam Redington and moose meat thanks to Butch and Tanis. Butch and Tanis took what meat they wanted off the moose mainly back strap, rump, and shoulder. The rest of the meat we stripped and made into steaks, roasts, and ground. With the locals up here nothing goes to waist any scraps not good for us to eat got bagged for feeding to the dogs. The rest of the carcass bones and bits of meat still attached went to Joe and Pam's sled dogs. Here are some pictures of us cutting up the moose meat by lamp light.

Ken Cut and I bagged



We could really use some sharper Knives



Bagged and Freezer wrapped meat



We have also been gathering berries though that is a project I intend to hit a little harder next summer. I would really like to have more berries put away than what we do especially the low bush cranberries. It's just hard for me to get into the better picking areas with the kids in tow and they get bored and want to go inside before we have many berries picked. I only have maybe a couple of days left to pick this season before they will end up covered in snow.

Lisa After Berry Picking

Lisa's Berry bucket

Putting up wood is another big project that is coming together a little slower than we would like with Ken working but we can't turn down the work while it's available. Ms Connie Foster gave us some firewood that was pieces bigger than she wanted to deal with so that was a huge help. Here is a picture of some of what we have stacked and the wood that we got from Ms Connie. The pile that we have stacked actually goes under the house also so there is a little more than it looks like but still not nearly enough.

Lisa and My Shadow Holding hands walking up the drive

The boys are doing ok with potty training as long as their naked. If their naked they usually get to the potty in time or at least they try. As soon as I put any kind of underwear on them they forget and they pee them. They know how to pull them down but It's like they just forget. They are also eating well at the table like big boys I took a little video of them eating chicken noodle soup. I had been taking some pictures when we were berry picking so when we came in for lunch I still had the camera handy and figured I'd shoot a little video. I tried to add it on here I hope it works.

Oak eating chicken noodle soup

Wyatt eating chicken noodle soup

Update on the house. We still have a lot of work to do inside but that's on hold so that we (Dad & Ken) can work outside before the snow hits. Dad is working on the front porch. He built the deck and Ken built the stairs. Now dad is building the roof. Dad got all moved in and started sleeping on his side a few nights ago.

I need to take some new pictures inside the kids rooms as they are a bit more organized now. I made Lisa some Tinkerbell curtains and a pillow case. Her room is developing a Tinkerbell theme. She has Tink blankets and a little canopy thing too. She would probably like an "Avatar" theme, but that might be a little trickier. I need to do a lot more work getting things organized but a lot of it is waiting on Ken to get some shelves up so that I have places to put things. Slowly but surely things are coming together.

Thank You for all your prayers and I ask that you would keep us in your prayers as Ken and I are going through a stressful time right now. We will really need to pull together and work together as a family to make it through this winter. Also we are trying to find a piece of property for my Mom and Dad-D. Please keep them in your prayers as well that they would be able to get their affairs in order so that they are able to move up here next spring/summer. I really think that it will be a good move for them. It will be a good place for m,y niece and nephew that they are raising and it would be so wonderful to have them close again I miss them so much.

Blessings my friends

Sarah Sue

Lag in Posts

Hello All,

Sorry for the long lag between posts. My computer crashed and I had to send it back to Gateway to be fixed. Thank goodness for the warenty, they had to replace the main board.

Ken's trip was a bit stressful and disapointing. He wasn't able to fit everything on so we still have our rock crawler sitting in AZ. Soon after he got home we were able to move our beds into the house. It's much warmer in the house. A few days after that we were able to start using the wood cookstove which is good because we were getting low on propain. We are slowly moving stuff into the house and trying to get stuff organized.

We also had some visitors for a couple of weeks. Olen AKA "Uncle PaPa" and his son Kevin came up to go moose hunting. They didn't have any luck but we had a nice visit and really enjoyed their company. Another friend that they met up here Brian gave us a rebit hide that we are tanning. I need to start working it.

Driveway looking outPartial view from a window upstairs

Side door

The fall colors are in full swing with the bright yellows in the trees and the many shades of red in the underbrush. These shots don't do them justice. I'm hoping to get some better ones when we go into town on Monday.

Here are some shots of the kids. The one of the boys I found them sleeping like that. They are laying across eachother with one of their teddy bears. Oak has it by the scarf with his thumb in his mouth and Wyatt has the leg in his hand with his thumb in his mouth. Lisa is wearing the hat that I crochetted for her. I made it long so it could be tucked into her jacket. The picture is a cat that Lisa drew.

The outside of the house is done with acception of the porches. Now all the work that remains is inside putting in countertops and shelves etc..etc...

Lisa's Room

Boy's Room

Our room. The door leads to a long drop.

Stairs

Dining/Living area

Kitchen & Back door

Kitchen & Front Door

Front Entry I'm standing in the double glass front door. The door on the right goes to our side, the left goes to my dad's. The door straight ahead goes out toward the outhouse.

Outside with  the addition off my dad's side. There will eventually be an addition off our side also but not anytime soon. Now we need to put on the front and back porches and steps into the lower side doors. Each side has a heating oil tank. The large freezer is in the middle and the fridge will be also. We have a fridge on ourside that you may see in pictures but it is not plugged in. It's being used as a pantry. We also need to get up the wind generators to help out with the power supply. Running all the tools has been a real drain on the battery bank. We're getting there slowly but surely. We'll be settled before long.

We went into the village on Wednesday and picked up my computer as well as a box from Ken's mom with some pj's for the kiddos. We also stopped by Joe and Pam Redington's to talk to them about hunting and fishing licences and they sent us home with several salmon and some veggies from their garden. We are so blessed to have such a supportive community. Monday we will be running into Fairbanks to have the back windsheild in my car replased and the new tires mounted. Then Tuesday Ken is supposed to be starting a 2 week job for Big John Dart if all goes well.

Well I think that gets things caught up a little I know I didn't go into alot of details but with the huge laps in time I tried to summerize. I want to try to get some pictures from our trip Monday of the changing colors. I hope that all are well and I wish many blessings for all of those who have been keeping up with us on this incredible journy. We are truelly blessed to be experiancing this land in all of it's beauty, bounty and peace.