ArcticArtique

It’s early by camp standards. I woke about 6:00. We don’t go on shift till 9:00 and breakfast is still an hour away. The kitchen staff is up and at the dining hall. Other than them, I’m the only one moving around the barracks.

Things are progressing on the store down in Houston. Cleanup and construction are moving forward. Kitty and I need to get more of our art and merchandise to the store. Since I’m in Galena, I’m stuck as far as helping. A U-Haul truck was going to be rented by friends but would cost almost 800 bucks for us to move about 300 miles. Not cost efficient and nobody has that kind of money sitting around these days.

I will get home on the 7^th for my next two-day break. We made the decision last night to load the truck as soon as I get home and start driving. Anything we can fit in back is going to Houston, Alaska. It’s going to be a packed weekend but must be done.

I still have a few touch ups on the furniture we painted last break but everything is going to look great! It sounds like I’m going to have to put Loki down before we leave. He’s no longer holding down food and is just laying there. It looks like he’s starting to hurt quite a bit. This is always something I don’t look forward to but it has to be done.

Kitty’s not doing too well either. She sits in pain all day. She can’t paint anymore due to the arthritis in her hands and wrists. It hurts too much to hold the paint brush. I don’t envy my wife’s position. She tells me she feels like a burden just sitting and basically waiting to die. Even with her illness and injuries, everyone still comes to her not to help but to pick her brain and get her help. My wife is psychiatrist, doctor, mentor, and everything else to everyone else that can’t or won’t do for themselves. She’s stuck at our cabin day after day by herself. We have one devoted friend that sits with her every day. Thank you, Brian. You will never know what that means to me.

The time will come soon that I can’t work in the field anymore. I need to be home with her now. This store has to work otherwise I don’t even want to think of what will happen. All I can do for now is keep doing what I’m doing and continue to try and move us forward. It’s tough but as Kitty has told me over and over…God never gives you anything more than you can handle. We’ll make it. She’ll get her boat ride somehow. We will get her bucket list taken care of before she goes.

One of my ideas for generating income is a combination of my photography and woodworking skills. I’m in the process of picking out and printing pictures I’ve taken the last couple years. I’ve got lots of scrap lumber at home. I plan on making my own frames, putting it all out there, and see what happens. It can’t hurt. You never know unless you try.

Excuse me for a couple minutes. Old Foghat just started playing. It’s time to turn the music up, boogey a bit, and wake the barracks!

I could keep going on and rambling but it’s time for breakfast! I’ll leave you with this thought. To all the men and women who have served our country and to those and their families that gave the ultimate sacrifice…