The Dog Who Came One Day

Zoey in the snow

One day last week when I took the dogs out in the morning there was a 50mph wind storm. I grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures. There was a strange dog running up the road towards trooper housing. He looked like he was on a mission, but when he saw me and Zoey and Shorty, he decided to stop and visit. The first thing I noticed after a closer look is that around his face and neck he was covered in blood. I went inside my house to get some treats and before I even noticed he was there, the strange dog had let himself into our home. It was as if he had done it a thousand times before. I gave him chicken jerky and checked his neck for injuries but it looked like he had simply eaten something very bloody earlier and gotten it on himself. It is pretty standard practice for many Kotzebue residents to feed their dogs whatever is left over from the latest kill so I wasn't concerned. I left him outside and watched as he and Zoey played for awhile.





When I heard a car pull up later that day, I peeked out the window to see if it was Aaron. It was another trooper on a lunch break. He saw the bloody dog (who was still outside our place) running towards him and he freaked. He sprayed the poor beast with pepper spray and stood guard on the porch to keep it away. His wife was trying to yell to him that the dog was nice but it was too late. The husky's face was burning; he was pawing at the offending area and rubbing it in the snow. The trooper gave me a look through the window that said, "I'm sorry- I didn't know!" His wife called me later to say that she wanted me to examine the dog because it was all bloody and I told her I already had. She said it was an extraordinarily friendly dog and had let itself inside her home! I laughed. After the attack, none of us wanted to check on the dog for fear of retaliation so we left him alone outside our housing. He stayed for quite awhile but at the end of the day was gone. I just can't shake the feeling that the dog who came one day was there for a reason. Is it possible that this dog represented something that is going to come into our lives? I haven't seen him since that day. I hope he is okay and he comes back to visit someday. I can only say that I will keep you posted....





The dog who came one day

Eva's First Wheels

Babies grow up so fast! One day you are helping feed them Cheerios and the next day they are doing it themselves. It seems like the things you buy for babies only last for a short time. So some of the toys we bought for Eva for Christmas were given to her a little early this year. They seemed to be going to waste just sitting in a box under the tree and she's too young to understand Christmas this year anyway. You can see from the look on her face how much fun we had giving this car to her! Babies are the greatest... how many times do we get this look from giving someone a present?

Halloween...sharp fangs and R.U.S.'s (rodents of unusual size)

Much to her daddy's dismay, Eva is wearing a panda bear costume for her first Halloween. Since I have been obsessed the past year with keeping track of Mei Lan, the cutest panda cub at the Atlanta Zoo (see http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_panda_cam.php4), I just couldn't resist this costume. Aaron thinks pandas are just "big rodents" because they are more closely related to the raccoon family than bears. He is seriously twisted sometimes.... As you can see from the picture, Eva doesn't know a panda isn't really a bear from the best baby bear growl with clawing action I've ever seen. This is the only picture of her razor sharp bottom teeth. Those babies are probably going to put an end to the breastfeeding soon...ouch!

Eva did the cutest thing the other day I just have to tell you about. It melted my heart really even though it involved her crying. Have you ever played the game with your dog where one person pretends to hit the other one just to get a rise out of the dog? Well, Aaron jumped on top of me in front of Eva and pretended to be beating me up. She didn't seem to mind until I pretended to cry and then she became hysterical. I felt so bad for tricking her like that but at the same time, I have to admit it was a wonderful feeling. This little person, not even seven months old, already loves me so much. I love it! Those of you with kids probably understand what I mean. For those of you without, it was one of the best feelings I've ever had in my life. I guess that makes me a little twisted too.

Walkabout

Now that I'm a mom, I probably get more exercise than I did when I was going to the gym religiously. Eva weighs in a little over 20 pounds at her six month checkup which is a substantial sack of potatoes to carry around all day. She is recently more active, sitting up by herself and scooting around the floor on her belly. Everything within reach goes directly in the mouth! Gone are the days when she could be left unattended in a chair or on the floor.


Trooper Housing

Eva and I go walking most days. Not for exercise but just to get out of the house. We take the usual loop from trooper housing to the post office, around the airport, trooper post, hospital, grocery store and back home. That is about one mile. The time it takes to bundle up is usually longer than the walk lasts. There are some great things to see though.


The ocean DOES freeze over here. The ice is almost to Kotzebue, about a mile out now, and the seals are very close to shore. We saw at least 100 within 20 yards from the Bayside restaurant this week. We've heard that hasn't happened in years.



A seal peeking his head out

Shore Drive in Kotz. The white house on the right is the grocery market and further down the beach you can see where the barges bring everything in that isn't flown.

First Snow

Alaska is full of beautiful scenery. Tired of being cooped up indoors, we took a four-wheeler ride on Aaron's day off. We bundled up Eva in her first snow suit and hit the trail which travels North on the Kotzebue peninsula. First we travelled the beach, passing the set-nets trying to capture a few more fish before the ocean freezes over (which I'm told happens around Oct 15). Then we crossed the bridge and took the ATV trail through the tundra. It was quite wet and boggy in a few places and I was sure we were going to be stuck out there, but the razor did just fine. After a few tense minutes, I was having fun! We crossed the tundra covered with blueberry, cranberry and crowberry bushes. Our mission was to see some local wildlife. Aaron spotted a caribou off in the far distance but no ptarmigan or artic fox which are also abundant in the area, and luckily no bear. Our companion on these rides is usually Zoey. She is very good about staying close when we let her run free. As soon as we start up the vehicle, she is right there waiting because she is terrified we are going to leave her behind. Her nervousness creates a lot of smashed blueberries when you are trying to get a snack out there.

Zoey running behind the RZR

It seems that winter has finally arrived in Kotzebue. Headed outside to the let the dogs out, I was totally ambushed by it. It has been plenty cold for awhile but its always surprising to walk outside after the first snow and see the ground covered in white. I think Eva was intrigued, taking in how everything looked different and sticking her tongue out for the snow. It scares me unlike it did back in Anchorage. Alaska has long, dark winters to be sure. The difference in Kotzebue is that there aren't a whole lot of options to break up the monotony. You check the mail, you go to the store and maybe for a walk. I'm wondering when I will officially become bored. For now, exercise and socializing keeps me happy with the routine chores and the life cemented in a place where traveling more than 9 miles from home means taking to the air or sea.

Prologue

My life has changed quite dramatically in the past year. Since May of '06 I got married, moved with my best friend, Shorty, to Alaska, started a new job, had a baby and adopted a puppy at the same time. My family says I should write a book about my experiences, but for now will have to settle for a blog. Alaska is a great place to start a new chapter in your life. Its big, beautiful, wide-open, a little dangerous, and almost everyone here came from someplace else. In Alaska people refer to the other states as "the lower 48" so you almost feel like you're in a foreign country. Its a little bit Green Acres (can you picture Zsa Zsa in mukluks?), a little bit The Simple Life, and sometimes just the boring life. If I shared this blog with you, I thank you because you are someone special to me. "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, And the other gold" I hope you enjoy sharing this across the miles.