ArcticArtique

So, now that the smoke has cleared, my helicopter has started its journey from New Mexico to Alaska through Canada, and Kitty visiting friends in Wasilla for a few days, what do I do with myself?

Since I live in a cabin in the woods with my wife in the beautiful state of Alaska, there is no time to take a break. I did sleep for one day. I had a surprise and honor waiting for me when I arrived home. A friend had thawed some large pieces of moose and asked me to can them so he could lurn. He provided the meat. I provided the jars. We split it in half. We ended up with a full canner. 14 big mouth pint jars. Big mouth is the only way to go!

Now that I'm back the doll house is still waiting for me. I've been splitting and gluing a cedar shake roof. It's going to look cool when this is done.

If you have been visiting my blog for a while now, you may remember Kitty and I having to move a few times over the last several years. Hey, that's life sometimes. We're clawing back and Kitty is getting better! We were worried for a while earlier this winter. Anyway, when we made this last move, I didn't have the time to get my shop set up in the tent. I stored things best I could but it looked like a bomb went off in it. Crap was everywhere. If somebody had tried to steal from me they would have broke a leg in there. Yeah...it's that bad.

Since break up is here and the weather is nice I've been in that nasty ankle breaker for two days now. Throwing stuff away. Getting my tools semi-organized (I finally know what I've got in tools again). Packing totes. Sweeping, cleaning, you name it. I've still got more to go, but it is getting presentable now.

Kitty and I think we are going to have another move coming soon. She has been nurturing a business relationship for a while now. I think she's finally going to get her own store. That's what she has always wanted. It's going to be a feel good, good vibe, hippie chick herbal and curiosities store that celebrates unique as well as historical vintage finds. We think we are going forward!

With that being said, we will be saying good by to Fairbanks and hello Wasilla area. Stay tuned. More on this later.

Today is a sunny day. It's 50 degrees, the sun is shining, and the snow is melting. Break-up is here. There is a lot of snow and our cabin is in a low spot. Don't be surprised if I make a post about our cabin floating away.

I have kind of a smelly subject to talk about now. I've been gone for a month. We live in a dry cabin. We haul our own water. We have no indoor plumbing. You know what that means, right? We have an outhouse. This is Alaska where men are free and butts are cold. What we use during winter is called a honey bucket. Yep, you sit on the bucket inside where it's warm and do your business. As the man but not necessarily the brain of this couple, it is my job to empty the honey bucket when it is full. The only way to do that is to pick it up, trudge it to the outhouse, and hope you don't splash outside the hole when pouring.

Since I've been gone a month and Kitty has still been recovering, the full buckets sitting outside the door was overwhelming. She wasn't able to carry them to the outhouse so I had her pile them outside until I got home to do my manly duty. Like I said before...break-ups here. It's been in the 50's for a while now. Ice is melting. Big buckets of poo that had been semi-frozen is melting in the sun. When poo melts and sits in the sun for a few days, it smells. It smells bad. I carried bucket after bucket to the outhouse. Turn your head, lean back, and listen for the plop.