thanksgiving day -- gathering

This is the photo I chose for our Christmas card this year.  My family is scattered all over the world and this was our idea to include them in our family photo.

 She loves it when I take pictures....not!  I think she is beautiful and so I cannot stop nor do I ever want to.

It is has become a family tradition to gather the lost souls of thanksgiving.  We always host a dinner with individuals who have to work or are away from their families for various reasons.

One of these guys said something to make everyone laugh and made the one on the left blush.  Thank goodness I did not hear. 

One year we had a man, he was a lawyer, over for Thanksgiving dinner and he was from India.  He said he was raised as an American so he participated in all our traditions....actually they were his traditions too.  This year we shared our dinner with a man from Germany (the one on the right).  He was in Berlin as a 15 year old boy when the wall went up.  I was in awe.  He said that they never thought it would become what it did.  Years later when he was in America his mother held the phone receiver out the window of her apartment so he could hear the wall come down. 

It was a great day.  I hope your day was wonderful as well.

traveling alaska -- anchorage

The moose ran off as soon as we stopped so I only captured pictures of their butts.  The roads are covered with moose all winter long so I promise to post better pictures later.

I'm not sure why I am so intrigued by taking pictures as we pass cars.  The sun haze and the trees all came together in an interesting scene.

Another beautiful sight on our trip was all the steam coming off the rivers and streams.  It always makes me swoon.  All the temperatures converge to make absolutely beautiful scenes.

This is what I have to deal with.  I take pictures and he decides he needs to clean our dirty windshield.  Ahhhhh the nerve.  Love that guy!

My husband had killed a caribou and we had the meat processed in Indian Valley.  It is my favorite drive in Alaska.  I love driving the Turnagain Arm.  When we were thinking of moving to Alaska from Wyoming.  We flew in for a job interview and the very next day we rented a car and drove this drive.  I remember looking at my husband and saying we had to move here.  I had just fell in love with Alaska and I knew it was not going to leave my system.  We took the job and have not looked back.  Now we are dreaming of where to go for our retirement.  I recently fell in love with Portland, OR and I did not even have to say a word he just looked at me and said "we are going to retire here aren't we?" Yes! we are.

It's a beautiful day

The Jack River winds through our area and up into the mountains.  My husband's father was named Jack and so we have adopted this river into our hearts.  It doesn't hurt that it is always beautiful from every view.

We had to honk our horn several times so the caribou would not be hit by the semi coming down the road. 

 

It is training season and dog teams are a common sight.  I love it.  These dogs are so beautiful and their owners adore them.  Spending countless hours taking care of them and keeping them ready for the days they get to run and pull their owners in a sled behind.  These guys were so excited to run and things were not moving fast enough for them.  

training day

We received a lot of snow this week and that brings sled dog teams to our area by the masses. They are so beautiful and so eager to go.  I love just taking it all in.  Jeff King's truck was up there but his team was already out.

chickpea tacos

 In a bowl combine all ingredients and coat the chickpeas well. 

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.  

Assemble your taco how you like

Chickpea tacos

1 can chickpeas--drained
1 teaspoon southwest seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
drizzle of olive oil
salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. In a bowl combine all ingredients and coat the chickpeas well.

3. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

4. Assemble your taco how you like.  I added guacamole, salsa, and spinach.

Delicious.  

summits play day

first thing this morning summit wanted to play in the snow.  the plows were out so he had to wait patiently.  his version of patient is looking out the window and crying, literally.

the branches of the trees were heavy with this wet white stuff pulling them to the ground. it was beautiful.

i need better snow boots these were just not cutting through but my toes were warm. what more could a girl ask for.

sonya was putting snow shoes on the boy so he could blaze his own trails without getting taken over by mounds of snow.

summit was dragging the other boy around and covering him with piles of snow in the process.  they were both having such a great time that i don't thing either of them noticed much.

raquel did not get the memo about the white stuff being cold, apparently.

our german friend

meet our postmaster. she is from germany and we just love her. she has lived in alaska for a while but her home will always be in germany and we have had several talks down memory lane about her home.  she makes you want to jump a plane to germany today.  my son went there last month and he has me thinking the same thing. he said it is a wonderful place.

i always share the treats that i get in the mail with her. we open my packages to see what goodies are awaiting and then visit. the other day she had received a loaf of german christmas bread and she was so excited. she says that our crazy banana bread is for the birds.  we tried it and loved it.  it is different but delicious. she says there are different kinds but this is her favorite.  so now i am on the search for a recipe to try at home. 

northern lights

I have a lot to learn when it comes to shooting the northern lights.  This is my first 'real' attempt to do it.  I hope to learn and improve this winter. I will keep posting pictures to see my growth....if there is any.