Company's Here!

 I looked out the window this morning and saw these two lying in the snow about 20 feet from the house.  With the deck rails between them and me, I wasn't worried about getting too close not that they even cared that I was busy snapping pictures of them.  I guess they don't feel too enthusiastic to go anywhere at -18 either. 

Back to my Yooper Roots

As pretty as it was today, I couldn't quite summon enthusiasm for doing anything outdoors.  When I woke up, it was -10 degrees. I thought maybe if it warms to zero, I'd think about a ski or a run.  But by midday when the thermometer still read -10 and my energy level felt about the same, I decided to go back to my Yooper (Upper Peninsula of Michigan - U.P) roots .  I made pasties (past-ies); a combination of meat, potatoes, carrots, onion and burger that is baked inside a crust.  

The Cornish tin miners brought the meal with them when they immigrated to the U.P. in the late 1800's when the copper and iron mining were booming.  The pasty was a hearty, cheap meal that could easily be heated on a shovel over the miner's head lamp candle.  While mining in the U.P. has dwindled, the popularity of pasties have not.  Go through any town in the U.P., and you will see a sign outside mom and pop type stores saying, "FRESH HOT PASTIES" or the nearby grocery store sells them in their deli section.  I know because when I head back each summer, I notice those signs more now than I ever did growing up and I always make sure I buy the kids at least one meal.

Even though, I grew up watching or helping my mom make pasties, I can count on one hand how many times I've actually made pasties in the last 24 years.  I usually go for the shorten version "pot pasty", all the filling thrown in a casserole dish and baked at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  I'm not big on taking a lot of time to make meals, unless it is a special occasion. Well today turned into a special occasion and I started chopping potatoes and mixing crust.  I can't have kids with a Yooper mother who can never remember their mother making pasties for them.  Can I?

In the middle of my pasty making, Wyatt asked me to drop him off at his friends house down the street, but reminded me to save at least 2 pasties for him.  I looked at my big batch of pasty mix and pie crust and wondered how much does he think I can eat.  Just as my last batch was about to come out of the oven, Gus, who had been snowboarding all day, called me to pick him up from Palmer.  I turned off the oven and headed to town.  Knowing he'd be starving, I said, "There are hot pasties in the oven when you get home."  His reply, "Ah, I was craving a big plate of spaghetti."  And as an afterthought he kindly added,  "But a pasty sounds pretty good too."  I opted not to snap back with, "They better be good because you'll be eating pasties for the next week."
For more information about pasties - http://www.hu.mtu.edu/vup/pasty/history.htm

Our Boat . . .

I talked to Bryant tonight, as he's still in Mexico visiting the boat.  The initial plan was to keep the boat in Mexico for a year, but sailors always say, "sailing plans are made in sand" and we are learning how true that is.  We started out on the mainland side in San Carlos, Sonora (Nov. 2009), visited it in January and March (2010) and then came across the Sea of Cortez to Mulege (Summer 2010), then north to Santa Rosalia.  We never boated back to the boat trailer and vehicle in San Carlos due to weather, but Bryant flew across and drove them back to Santa Rosalia.  We trailered the boat to Loreto where we were able to store it at an RV Park and launch it 2 miles away, and drove the truck back home. In November of 2010 and March 2011, we explored the Loreto area.  Last summer we boated from Loreto down to La Paz and back again to Loreto, and came home feeling a little small in such a big sea. 

Then we lived with indecision, vacillating between bringing the boat home or bringing it to La Paz, and always contemplating the time, money, family, and desire for exploration equation.  Finally, we figured if logistics work out for Bryant to drive the trailer and boat to La Paz with a rental car, one with a hitch, Mexican insurance, and find storage, we'll do that.  Otherwise if it gets to be too much hassle, it would be homeward bound for the boat come June, which would mean starting with a truck leaving Alaska in May.

I guess the final answer is, "Hello La Paz sunsets. . . . "

It's still snowing!

Looking at the house from the road

This is our 7th winter in this house and today after removing 6" of snow from the drive for the 2nd day in a row, I am feeling quite certain it is the most snow we've ever had in our yard at one time. Fortunately, it is light fluffy snow and it is falling on a weekend.  Unfortunately, Bryant is in Mexico visiting the boat, so that leaves me to deal with the snow if I actually want to leave the house come Monday morning.  Just figures that the winch cable that allows the plow to go up and down on the four wheeler breaks as I started cleaning up the drive late this morning.  Luckily, the snowblower was available to finish off the job. 

One of my friends came by for dinner, and of course we got to talking about the snow.  She told me her plow driver charges $35.00.  I think if I wake up to another 6", I plan on getting his number. 

You'd think . . . .

 . . . that Ollie would've found a more comfortable spot than the camera bag to take a nap!  

Ringing in a New Year!

We made our way to the cabin to ring in 2012.  While I was packing up to go, I didn't realize that the trailer wasn't securely attached to the truck so when I loaded the snowmachine, the trailer tipped up and slammed the  hitch against the rear tailgate of the truck.  Obviously a pretty good scratch and dent was left behind. I was reminded of my New Year's Resolution from 2009 to be nicer to things.  Maybe I need to reinstate that resolution for 2012 to remind myself to slow down and be more careful.  

There is a lot of snow at the cabin. Upon our arrival we had to snowblow and shovel our way to the front door. It wasn't long before we unburied the wood and had a nice warm fire in the woodstove.

The 3 1/2' snowbank and path heading
out the front door to the grill.

Before I knew it, I was packing up and going home, and it got me wondering where the long weekend went. We managed to get in some snowmachining, reading, relaxing, fireworks, visiting, and of course a few pictures. The weather was clear, cold (-20), and pretty on New Year's Day, so I dragged Gus out for a walk so I could capture a few images.

Moose tracks coming out of the woods
onto frozen King Fisher Lake.



And the moose who's making the tracks!