That's Audie, but that doesn't look like spring, does it?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Construction in the SPRINGtime!
Spring fever
This is the time of year I love most in Alaska. It's not just the snow melt and the coming of spring. It's not just the awakening from the (seemingly eternal) sleep of winter. It's the ENERGY! There is a madness and rush to the air around the compound. We're in a constant buzz, a constant state of creative frenzy. I am energized by hard work, by manual labor combined with a creative vision, so I am positively a-glow this time of year. Leg, arm, back, and brain muscles are flexing, growing, and strengthening. There is always so much work to be done to get the compound "un-winterized" and back to its summer glory. We have many exciting things in the works for this summer, some new ideas we're working through, some new design elements for the cabins (which is necessitating that I learn how to manipulate a sewing machine. My mother may have designed her own clothes in her youth, a sewing and fashion whiz, but that talent never rubbed off on me. And Jessica, if you're reading this....yes, I'm getting better, but I could still use some help!) We have some new tours we're developing, a young man with an environmental background joining us this summer as our naturalist intern, and some exciting new construction (which is necessitating I learn about installing electrical wiring...who woodathunk?)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Proud Parent Puppy Photos
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Puppies, Paxson, and blogs do not mix!
...as can be seen from this blog, which is sorely neglected. As I've said to many, two puppies are double the fun, but also double the trouble! We've been kept occupied almost (and I exaggerate slightly) 24/7 with the darling furballs since our arrival here in Paxson. Puppy socialization has been our number one priority, and there has been a stream of neighbors, visitors, and guests, as well as their doggies, to the Denali Highway Cabins compound. And our little ones are doing great! Aurora was going through a bit of a shy period, but she has now emerged from her shell and is bursting with enthusiasm to meet anyone...human or canine. Borealis barely needs socialization lessons at all: he is Mr. Cool, happy to meet everyone, giving a paw to all dogs and ready to play with everyone. In fact, the first dog they met here in Paxson was a horse-like dog of almost 200 pounds who ran over to our tiny 30 pound ones, jumping all over them, ready to play in the snow. Aurora was quite overwhelmed with this; Borealis thought it was great! I have taken to calling him My Little Buddha because as social as he is, he is also the most relaxed, laid-back dog I've ever known. He will lie down in the middle of a party, roll over on his back, just happy and peaceful.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Back in the States!
After a long and joyful romp through South America, Audie and I are now back in the homecountry. Safe and sound....sano y salvo. We had a wonderful time exploring deserts, beaches, high mountain altiplanos, the Amazon jungle, Quechua-speaking villages, convents, mercados, emergency rooms, horse pastures, glaciers, and....on and on, all to be detailed soon, with lots of pictures, in our trip journal: theperipateticpaxsonites.blogspot.com
Yes, I had high plans of posting to the trip blog on our journey, but I should have known myself, and South America, better! Myself, because it's hard enough in the States to get my body to sit in front of a computer, and especially when I'm traveling and just want to soak up as many sights and sounds as possible. South America, because while there were more interent cafes than my last visit there, we were usually too busy to stop in, too tired to compose when we finally did sit down, and too scared at the exorbitant prices: at our Amazon lodge, $5 for every 15 minutes!
Audie will be back in Alaska very soon, and I'll be back shortly thereafter, after a quick visit in Arizona to pack up more of my books and precious things to ship north. Mom has very patiently guarded my things for years as I've been quite the gypsy, and I've slowly been bringing more and more to Alaska, but I finally want all my stuff in ONE place. So I'm making daily runs to the post office. Thank goodness the USPS hasn't done away with the still economical book rate!
AND finally...
We wish best of luck to the Iditarod mushers who used Denali Highway Cabins to train from this year: Sebastian Schnuelle, Rudi Niggemeier, and Rich Corcoran. We'll be rootin' for you guys! Iditarod starts March 1...just a few more days! If you're coming to Alaska for the first time this summer, learn about this important race, and who the mushers are, before you get here: www.iditarod.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Just as busy without us
Audie and I are now Outside (you can still reach us for chatting or reservations by email.) But the chickens are fine! Seven mushers and handlers and almost 90 dogs have taken over our compound. With the constant buzz of activity, the chickens are surely not lonely, and are well taken care of! We'll be back a little later in the winter.
To read about life in Paxson, keep scrolling down.
To find out what Audie and I are doing now, visit my other blog: theperipateticpaxsonites.blogspot.com


