The life of a Bee

You know, I never really thought of myself as an environmentalist.....or a "tree hugger" but I have always been in love with nature. I guess I straddle the fence on that. My dad has always liked to hunt and always made the most of everything he brought in but I could never do it. I mean, I went hunting with him on occasion and I saw the animals he brought home and prayed over them at supper.... "Dear Lord, please be with the family of this moose my daddy killed.......and thank you for this wonderful meal my mom cooked for us (cough!) Amen." LOL But when he actually gave me the rifle and helped me aim it at a grouse, I looked through that scope at it's dark black eye and watched it blink... and I couldn't shoot it. I tried to miss intentionally and ended up getting the butt of the gun slammed against my cheekbone. Ouch. I did manage to miss the bird but grouse are very dumb birds and it just sat there and blinked again as my dad aimed for himself. What can I say, I tried. But after that I decided that I wasn't a "hunter" like my dad. I never thought he was evil or anything because he was a firm believer in being a "true sportsmen". He made sure the animals didn't "suffer"....although, I'm sure it smarted to be shot even if his aim was true and death was quick.

Now, years later, married and with two kids of my own, I never really thought about hunting or fishing. We may live in Alaska but we live in town and if a moose happens to stumble through our yard we grab the camera not a gun. Now, if someone offers me a little moose meat wrapped in freezer paper I'd gladly accept. It's amazing how good it can taste when it's not burnt......oops! forget I said that.......but I am not going to be the one that looks into those big beautiful brown eyes and pulls the trigger. That's just me though, and I'd never tell my kids that hunting was bad. I never even thought about what they thought about hunting.....well, until the day my children mourned the passing of a bee.

The bee....a nasty black wasp that was at least 4" long and seething mad about being trapped in my curtain......had the kids terrified. If it were a spider I would get a cup and take the little fellow outside like a toddler being "turned around" to the proper direction. This isn't Texas; The spiders here are smaller than a fly. But this black vibrating and hissing menace wasn't going in any cup I was holding. I got "the spray" and hosed his scary-hairy butt down. The faces of the kids then changed from horror (at seeing the bee try to sting my curtain to death) to shock when it rolled onto its back and started "suffering" and then to remorse at being an accomplice in a murder. Riley said I should get it down so they could take it outside to get some air. "Then", Riley said, "He might make it". After I got a piece of paper and got the bee down the boys took it outside. I asked where they put it and Jared said, "at the park near a nice tree..."and a dandelion" Riley chimed in. Awww, how sweet. Too bad they don't have "Bee-Bee Guns" because I'd shoot one of those suckers in an instant!

Another one got in the house this afternoon and 4 brown eyes looked at me like "Don't kill it!!!" It made me think of the people who wanted the president to pardon Turkeys at Thanksgiving LOL So, the cool (and heroic) mom that I am, I got a cup and a piece of paper and set the little devil free. Free to sting again.... can't you just hear the Law & Order music now?

My occasional sad mood...

I am not sure what it is exactly. Maybe it's spring... I always start to miss the sun shining on the hard crusted snow and the cool but still pleasant air that circulates in that time before spring really hits - What I call "Spring's spring". It's the easiest time to breath without any allergens about but you still have to dig out your sunglasses. I'll have to dig up my poem I wrote about that and post it here.

This is also the month that makes me think of my precious little boy with the blond ringlets that used to cook beside me with his own plastic pot and spoon. That little boy that I used to read board books to will be 13 in 5 days. A teenager, I just don't feel that old. He passed the SAT 2 months ago and is talking about college courses during the summer and getting his driving permit in another year. Man I miss those board books and hearing him say "mommy read"....

Oh, but chances are I'm in this downcast mood because my grandmother passed during this time last year. I can't shake the images of her playing her guitar in her rocking chair on the front porch and singing "just a closer walk with thee". Her front yard was surrounded by hydrangeas, roses, and other beautiful flowers. She never had a hair out of place but worked harder than anyone. She was my inspiration and I always tried hard to impress her. After she died I had quite a crash.... but now I'm up again, just like she would have been. She, however, would have gotten up much quicker than I did. I remember how persistent and stubborn she was about getting what she wanted. I always wanted to be just like her and my mom used to scream in frustration that I was just that. I plan to use every ounce of that "spirit" to achieve my goal of becoming a nurse. I know she will be proud even from Heaven.

So for now, I'm going to go back to my room and paint my nails while listening to Taylor Swift. Her song's are sweet and make me smile. Here's that poem....

A Winter Farewell

I shall miss the winds that blow
Across the silent evening snow
And the lonely swaying of the pine
And the birch that move together in line.

And I shall miss the looming moon
And its silent moody little tune
That carries the whistle of the wind
And the dry leaves that tumble in.

I will remember the nights I walked
And my little inward thoughtful talks
Whenever my conscience bothered be
The moon was there to counsel me.

And I could not forget the stars
That seemed to play a little farce
As they danced across the moonlit sky
And cast their light back in my eyes.

But tonight there was a different chill
And the air was very warm and still
I knew that spring was on her way
And the gray quickly fading to day

As I slowly began to roam
Back again towards my home
The birds began to sweetly sing
For, they could feel the coming of spring.

So long to you my gentle friend
After all we will meet again
After the last gray goose does call
And the show of snow warms us all.

A soldier's memorial

Please go and read this story link I think I will enlist the help of my two boys for this challenge. Even if they no longer need anything from Alaska it would be good to them to feel they could help in some way. We will get out shovels out later this afternoon and send out a package. My youngest son Riley has always loved rocks. In the summertime you'll find them in all his pockets, his dresser, and in little piles around his room. I'm sure he has a few he wouldn't mind sharing and would love to help in this mission. I can't wait to tell the boys. Jared especially is interested in helping out. He wore a yellow band around his arm in support of the troops until it finally broke one day. I'll have to see if I can find him another one.

Garfield

Denali Slideshow

Finished!

That was actually very easy. Now I just have to figure out if I just snip off the ends or if I need to weave them in...
Below is a picture of the wool I bought in Denali. They only had one skein of the variegated so I bought one complementing color. They were pretty expensive I thought at $14 each!

More to love about Denali

I loved everything about Denali. Of course the mountains are beautiful and the fall colors spectacular but I found many other things to enjoy about Denali, especially the great coffee and gift shops! I found a store where a local artist named Tok Hwang was selling some beautiful prints. They were paintings of the Denali area. I had an awful time choosing but finally selected two different mountain scenes, "Seward Glacier" and "Hatch Pass". They both have a little green in them so they will look good in my house after I have them set into matching green frames and mats. Next on my wishlist is "Walking in Denali", a picture of a moose walking in snow. Tok is the only artist I know of who was truly mastered the art of painting realistic looking falling snow! In this picture I had stopped to admire the beautiful view with my wrapped art in hand.
At the hotel, there was this neat round room surrounded in windows. There was a little coffee place in there with great deli type snacks. On our last morning there I found a cozy little table in this room to spend a little time doing my newest hobby. I enjoyed knitting while taking in the view with a great Mocha and some various cheeses and grapes. The cute little shop outside called The Denali Glass Studio is where I found some great "Alaska grown Shepherd's wool" from Spring Valley Farm in Talkeetna. I also found some nice bamboo knitting needles. I was fortunate to find that shop since I somehow lost one of my needles! I had to move up from a size 6 to a 7 but I really can't tell any difference. This is the start of my first washcloth! Aren't the greens beautiful?!

Denali National Park

Well we're here and having a great time. We rented a couple mountain bikes and toured the area that way. It is such a beautiful place. Everywhere you look is beautiful!

Today and yesterday

Wow, it's only -22° today. The sky is clear and bright. I almost feel like breaking out the swimming suit! It's so nice to see what my neighbors house looks like again. I couldn't remember what color it was. The ice fog was so bad that it was impossible to see the back of the car in front of you. Now it's so bright and clear that my eyes are watering so bad I can't see. I'm like a vampire that disintegrates in daylight! I better get out more....or go to a tanning salon!

Yesterday I refinished my kitchen chairs. My husband helped me (thank God!). I don't know what I would have done without him. After the seat is recovered you can't find the original screw holes so he had to make new ones. It really looks so different...... which is not so bad. I really liked the way they looked before but this is good too. Now they have a pattern to them that shouldn't show stains as bad but they still look classy. I think I'll make the kids eat under the table as an extra precaution. Now that I know how to do it.......I never want to do it again!

BRRRRR!

What, is it January or something? It's 30 below Zero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


My youngest son's birthday was today. He's been a little butthead too. I rushed my butt all over town to get him a few gifts since what we ordered online will be coming late and he seemed very ungreatful. He seemed disappointed that he didn't get any new video games. He may just be tired. He had a busy day. I think he'll really enjoy his gifts if he takes the time to check them out. His birthday party is Sat but I'm not real sure we will get many people to show up. It's been soooooooooo cold and people dust don't want to go anywhere they don't have to. The cold is supposed to last for a while too.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I guess we can have another party later if no one shows up.

I got my butterfly watch that my husband bought me on QVC today. I love it! I just wish it didn't say it was almost midnight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fairbanks, Alaska Forecast : Weather Underground

Fairbanks, Alaska Forecast : Weather Underground: "Tonight
Snow diminishing to flurries after midnight. Another one to two inches accumulation. Patchy fog. Lows 20 to 25. Light winds.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog and flurries in the morning. Highs around 30. Light winds.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy. Lows around 20. Northeast winds 5 mph."

It's really nasty out. Driving today was awful. It's snowed pretty much all day except for when it rained. The roads were like skating rinks. I'm starting to catch a cold so I wasn't too excited about venturing out. We did have a nice time though and a great lunch at Boston's.

My husband bought a laptop and he's pretty thrilled with that. He has wanted one so badly. I'm so glad he finally got one he likes. My mission for the day was to find 2 large planters that I like for my large plants in the living room. It was difficult to find something I liked in the size I needed and then even harder to find two that matched. The two I found look like old urns in a nice neutral shade of fake stone. They cost me $70 for the two. Yikes! I ended up spending $80 counting the extra soil I needed. It's worth it though, the plants look great in them and really needed the room to expand.