Ok,
I know I have been remiss with my blogger new. Crazy busy as usual. Our family has been facing some medicals as far away as the big city of Anchorage, but all seems fixed for now. PTL.
Looks like last time I touched based was to talk about the craziness of HUNTING! Wow...
So here's some updates on what has happened since then...
After two weeks of tiny snowfalls and then meltage, this morning we have a couple of inches that just might stick. The current temperature is 33° with gray skies. The mountains are unseeable. Despite all that, there is an eerie lighting that makes everything look fresh and beautiful because of the new snow.
The hunter’s breakfast is this morning. I was asking for news on who won the antler derby but that news hasn’t been released yet. By the way, we “bagged” ten moose this year. The shooters were Tony, Chris Toby, Tommy, Jarred, Kerri (on the runway), Benjamin VanderHart, Jonnie S, Michael S, and Kevin. All the meat was excellent this year – no bear spoilage or heat spoilage and excellent butchering by the guys! It sure helps the flavor of the meat when it all goes well.
School has been in session since the start of October after we finished the tater harvest. Without the Fouse children gone, our elementary count is three – Angelina in fifth grade taught by Jeni; Ethan M and Julie S in third grade taught primarily by Jo Co. Robin spends a little time both schools and at home doing his online courses. The highschool has plenty of children! Ann, Sis Margaret, and Kathryn are the main teachers. Sis Margaret is still our faithful principal. I’m teaching two jr high classes and a photoshop class. We did school pictures last Sunday. I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to editing my photos so don’t hold your breath on any pictures.
Here's one of the BLOOD MOON by Sarah Jepsen
A good one of that eerie early winter light...
This morning, much to my shock and dismay, the temperature plummeted to -2°. Before going out to run errands this morning, I had looked at my thermometer, and it read 3° which I thought was plenty cold. This afternoon, when I took the official high and low from my important equipment at the highschool, it told me that at some point the temperature had reached -2°. Shocking!
Over the weekend, it snowed plenty. My calculations for that period equaled 8 inches. Now we have a slight breeze that is blowing it all over the place and possibly melting some of the snow. Pat is hoping for plenty more so we can hit the trails with skis and snowshoes.
Also, Jarred won the antler derby. I think his moose’s antlers were in the 65 inch range. The young girls made an inreadible spread for the hunters and we all went to it. Rob had a good time and even spoke about going hunting with his dad, with some embelishments!!
Recently, we had a nice, short visit from Keith VanderHart. It was pleasant to catch up with him again. Erica and Caleb have been home for a couple of weeks. Also, Wenda just spent a week with us. It hardly seemed like she was here a week and poof, she was gone. When Wenda left this spring she was very sick with something akin to pneumonia. It was great to see and to see that she was feeling better as well. We sure do miss her, I guess I did not realize that she had been with us for about 20 years! Wow...
Bradie took off for a Bible college in Homer a few weeks ago. They must be keeping her busy since we have hardly heard from her if at all. I guess she does call her parents now and then.
Miss Irene Grahm passed away at the beginning of September. Bonnie and Jim and Pam and Tom (from Delta) flew to Maine to meet her ashes to take care of them. Just this past week, Cody and Bonnie (with separate flight plans) have gone to the Bowen’s Mill convention. Cody is hoping to see Andy and Sarah Jane before coming home. UPDATE: Cody and Ani met at the BMC and they had a good time together, then on the way home Ani, Karenza and Mark Steiner stopped by to see Andy and Sarah Jane. That was such a blessing all around. :)
I haven’t mentioned that when Miss Val was here in August, we had a small ceremony at the gravesite to inter a little bit of Bro George’s ashes.
We’ve been having a cold bug and other infectious bugs running around. Hopefully all that dies out soon enough.
LATEST NEWS:
Hi folks,
Our temps have been dipping to 10 and 12 degrees each night, but during the day, the temperature rises to 30 degrees or so. Last week, we received three inches of snow after it rained and sleeted and melted all our previous snow.
School seems to be going well. This year, I’m taking Excel from Sis Margaret. It’s a very intriguing class.
Bro Andy had a scan of his liver last week and everything looked well. He is scheduled for a pet scan on November 5th. We await good news from that scan as well.
Craig and Hannah are pretty busy getting their house into a livable state – floor tile, painting, plumbing, garage, etc. Bonnie and Wendy and Jim have been helping them out too. Soon, I need to investigate for myself.
Cody is still on his states trip – he went to the Bowen’s Mill convention, saw Katie, sawChris and DeAnne, and should be seeing Andy and Sarah Jane soon if not right now. He’s been posting some fun pictures on facebook.
Hope went home to Maine on Friday; Chris flew out today. I heard they will be back sometime next year. For a week, Lindsey will be an only child.
Kels, Joe, and JJ were out for overnight. They took Erica and Caleb back to Fairbanks. Sometime this week, Erica and Caleb fly back to Tacoma.
Rachael and Grant Williamson wrote to say that Shane’s treatment has been adjusted, and it seems more tolerable now, and his tumor is shrinking some.
Mark Coy received word this morning that his father went out hunting yesterday and didn’t return. It appears that his father had an accident with a quad and a creek and passed away out there. Jay was found this morning by Kenny Gong and Ethan Coy. Mark is going down to Headwaters tomorrow. I don’t know anything about a service yet.
Also want to add that Robin has a full fledged curriculum and is officially in grade 9 as he will be graduating by the time he is 22. He has about 5 years to acrue 22 credits so we are working towards that goal. He does his core - Math, Science, Lang. World History - online. Then we do Rosetta Spanish, Life Science experiments, Handwriting, Typing, ART, PD and ARCHERY in the pm.
His sister May is taking his Archery classes and it looks like its going to be a great course for him plus giving him the required credit. We were able to get a very nice archery kit for a youth size and May is busy setting up the archery range down at the hangar. He will also have a class mate - his BB - Michael Squires. I will post photos as I get them.
He is also enjoying is ART classes and we are experimenting with diff. mediums, he does quite well and seems to like painting straight onto the white paper...
For Life Science we are doing the http://www.academyofscienceforkids.com/ and currently working on DISSECTION and making a volcano. The kits are complete and easy to navigate plus they save time since it is all together in a box...pretty cool! He took part in an experiment with the HS class on making a cell.
In order to document Rob's COMMUNITY SERVICE credits we are making an album of photos. So here's Rob with Michael S during our tater harvest, helping out with wood chores with the guys and taking part in the annual DRY CREEK CATTLE RUN in which the cattle are brought over from ATR to our side of the property and kept in smaller pens.
WOODWORKING 101
You all have a great week!!!!!
