Christmas and Chewie

For Christmas Jeremy and I usually stay home, but not for a lack of invites. Many of our friends are not from Alaska and given that we are all far from family we often spend holidays together. Jeremy and I like to spend Christmas day at home, though. We start Christmas day with apple cider donuts with a special mix imported from Vermont. This year Jeremy's mom supplied us with the prized mix.

Here is one of the delicious apple cider donuts. (How about that hairdo?)

The day after Christmas we went skijoring with a couple of the sled dogs. Jeremy skijored with Chewie, our newest sled dog. He's a lead dog. In case you've lost track, that's 9 dogs. Someone needs to let Santa know we are full up on dogs.

This is Creamer's Field where we went skijoring. It is an old dairy farm that has since been designated a migratory bird refuge. This picture was take around 2 p.m. Another beautiful day in Alaska.

Annual Tolovana Trip

The beginning of December means a trip to Tolovana Hot Springs. There are a couple of cabins you can rent. We rented the log cabin with friends, Tom and Melissa. Tom took the snow machine, Melissa sledjored with her two pointer-huskies, Jeremy mushed, and I walked. I sledjored on the way out, though. It was much faster, even with Tommy, our fluffy, slow Serbian.

Here's a picture of Jeremy getting ready at the trailhead. Normally it's a little "breezy" at the trailhead, but not this year. It was really nice.


The day we went in was absolutely beautiful. This is a picture looking south along the trail. It's about 12:30 p.m. Those who live outside of Alaska often think it is completely dark here in the winter, but it is not. Although this is as high as the sun will get, it is not completely dark. The days are just short.

This is the log cabin with Tom outside.

(picture from last year)

The upper tub. I can't tell you how wonderful that water feels. I love it.

Tom and Melissa with Elka and Wader.
Tom used to work in Forestry with Jeremy and I used to work with Melissa in Lands within the Department of Natural Resources. Tom now works for the University of Alaska and Melissa works as a planner for the North Star Borough. A borough is the same as a county. They are originally from Wisconsin. I've never met a person from Wisconsin I didn't like. Good people.

Jeremy and I with Crash, who wasn't that interested in sitting still for a picture.

Jeremy mushing on the way out. The lead dogs are outside of the picture. Tommy, the Siberian, is beside Jeremy. At that point I took Tommy and sledjored out with him. It snowed the day we left. It was another great Tolovana trip.