Yay For Jason!

So as some of you may know Jessica has been working at Harley's Diner here in North Pole just shy of a month now. Well, Last Saturday Jason started working there as the new breakfast/lunch cook.(The diner is only a few months old and they hadn't been doing breakfast yet, Just lunch and dinner). Anyway......

They recognized Jason's skills and he has already been promoted! So Jason is the new sous chef at the diner. How cool is that? They had one at the diner all ready, but thought Jason would be better suited for it.So the basically switched places.So he is back in management again and salaried as well.But it is slightly more money then he was making.(Plus since we don't have to drive into town everyday to work, we are using way, way less gas- Another bonus) He had only been there a week!

Alaska News

Just thought I would share a link to the Alaska Report. It's a website dedicated to news and information on Alaska.

http://alaskareport.com/index.htm

Pictures

I am putting a slideshow on here of pictures Mom and Craig took on our visit to see them in March, On our trip up here. There are some of the family at dinner and others of family hanging out at Mom and Craig's. Enjoy....

March 2007 Visit HERE ARE PICTURES OF MEGHAN.....

Meghan 2007 AND PICTURES OF SYDNEY....

Sydney 2007

Welcome

We just wanted to give a big Congrats to our dear friends Brian and Natalie Hammond! Who welcomed Joshua Jeffrey Hammond into the world May 31st!!! He was 8lbs 2oz and 21 inches long.Congrats guys, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! And welcome to the family Joshua!!

Playground = FUN!!!!!

Sydney is starting to really enjoy climbing on the equipment and going down the slide. And Meghan is all about the pebbles. She loves playing in the dirt at our place as well.

Meggers

I took this at 5am after taking Jason to work.I loved how Meg had covered herself up and fallen asleep.

Here is a pic of Meghan, I took the other day. We think it's cute because she looks( for lack of a better word) Stoned. We were outside, and it's so hard to get her to stop for even a second to take a pic, so I picked her up and got this one.

These are taken with the cell phone as the other camera has broken to awnser POP's question. I do really want to get the playground shots up, But 1 post at a time. On a side note is is beautiful up here, sunny and 75.;=)

Grandpa Devine In Memorium May 22 2007

Once again we Pay Hommage to one of Elders of our Clan,

Grandpa Devine was one of the kindest men I have ever met. There were always cards at the Holidays and Special events.

We send our prayers to the family. May Gods Spirit Guide you

We Mourn his passing and Know that he is beginning a new Life.

Yet To Mourn Such a Man. We will celebrate His Life. A life with Heart

Love
Jason, Jessica, Sydney and Meghan

A Man and His Bow

So One of my Favorite magazines is Wilderness Way http://www.wwmag.net/ . It has lot of good Articles as well as how to on Primative Skills. So they had a great article on how to make a quick bow. so off to find so straight staves and a few zipties and some Paracord and I now have new tool. Now to learn to make arrows. Yes it shoots rather well and they are rather easy to make.

Moose Moose I Like Some Moose I Never had anything quite like a Moose

Well we have been here 6 weeks hope all is well. Here is some pics of one of our resident Moose as well as the Chena River

So much for the 24.95 digital camera

Okay, So it broke already.Major Bummer. So we are back to the cell phone thing for now.I hope to post some pics from the cell phone later today/tomorrow of our trip to the park yesterday.I need Jason's help with that.

Things are going all right otherwise. The girls and I are having a bit of trouble adjusting to the , it never gets dark thing. It's only been doing this about 2 weeks, so I know it will get better.And I seem to be getting bit the most by the mosquitoes. Big surprise there seeing as I have always been a magnet for them.

We are seeing lots of Moose, Rabbits and Birds these days. And the weather has been great.Only rained on 2 occasions since we have been here. A big change from Washington springs. We have also noticed the sun is way more intense here. Just seems a lot brighter.

The 24.95 Digital Camera

Yes That is right,. A digital camera for 24.95. As you can see the picture quality is just ok but It will kep us updating with more Pics




This is Casa De Briggs-Rivers














This is Ester Dome Road South of town. Ah the Road repair begins....This is where I had to turn around. A WEEEEE bit Hairy

Pass The Pipeline

It has become our weekly Ritual to go for drives on Monday. This week we went North out of Fairbanks and stopped at the Chatanika(Said CHA-TAN-IKA)River. I have to say that even 20 Mile outside of Fairbanks is like being in the middle of Nowhere. Oh, Ya It is the Middle of Nowhere. I have to say that there is a stillness that would shake The most venerable Bhuddist Master. Its is and Unsettling yet liberating feeling of aloneness that one can ever feel. Standing on the edge of a vast wilderness. Ya We are there. Yet that fragments of mans dependence is also there. The Alaska Pipeline starts in Prudhoe Bay, AK and end in Valdez Alaska. It Runs along the Dalton / Elliott highway and can be seen upclose from several rest stops. Oil is EXTREMELY important to Alaskans. It is the main source of revenue for the state. Second bieng Commercial fishing and Third Tourism.

Moose Running

So we have had a great time trying to take pictures of our Friends the moose. Here are the best pictures of da Mooses and The tired Moose Runners. Can You find the mooses?

Wow

So on our way to drop Jason off at work this morning, we saw 2 moose right next to the main road we take to get into town. Only about 1 mile from our house!Then sure enough as the girls and I were driving back by 20 mins later, to go back home, there they were in the Chena Slough drinking water. It was so cool!

Creamers Migratory Waterfowl Refuge

Today before we picked up Jess from her new job at a local spot called The Cookie Jar. www.cookiejarfairbanks.com The Girls and I checked out the Local Ducks Fresh back from a visit from GMOM and POP In Flordia at Creamer's Field
Migratory Waterfowl Refuge . It was about 8:30 at Night. It is light out till about 11:30 at Night. Love It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Simple Life

It is week 3 of our Frontier adventure. The Temperature is a balmy 59 degrees(No Kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Skies Are Clear and The Mountain to the West of us are out. One Word..........................Beautiful.

We have had the fortune to meet the state bird. MOSQUIOTES. Yes they are that big

Alive In Alaska

Well its is week two in the great Brown North.Break up has started which mean the snow that once was has now become MUD. There is actually a Flood warning for the Tanana River due to Ice Jams. The Weather here has been really nice. 29-30 in the Evening and 55-60 during the day. The area is really diverse. It is Like living in the 1950's with 2007 Tech. The people in the area for the most part have been really helpful in Guiding us CHECHAKOOO. With mean anyone who has spent less than a year in Alaska. Guide us where to get drinking water as the Aquifer that feeds the Tanana River Valley is Orange and Awful smelling from the high Iron Content. It is not that its is undrinkable. It Just tastes terrible. So the Gal Next store puts a water softener that help with the color. But not the Taste or smell. Thank God that the Apartment came with a water filter. it atleast make it paletable for cooking. We did find a church to go to. It is part of the same group as the one we went to in Seattle. The pastor is kind of a folk hero in North Pole. He and a Hunting Partner Actually survived a grizzly bear attack. I will post a Link if I can find one.

Love
Jason

We made it!

We made it to Alaska! We have been here a week now. Things are going alright. So much adjusting to do. We will post more later. Toodles ;-)

In Memory Grandma Rivers

The Rivers Clan Today,

Today we Celebrate the life of Eva Rivers, My Grandmother. I cannot mourn the loss of such a Great women. Only remind Sydney and Meghan of the example that my Grandmother showed in life. She was an exceptional women. We will remember her as always bieng one of the Generous and loveing people in the world.

I know she walks with Grandpa now.

Today I rededicate this Blog to My Grand parents. For they opitimize the strength and courage that is guiding us though our new Journey.

I send a prayer to our creator that we might be 1/10th the person that Grandma Rivers was.

I am only sorry that she never met her Sydney and Meghan. But I know that she and Grandpa are watching and Guiding us.

In Loving Memory
Jason Rivers
J,J,S,M

Getting there

We leave in less than 2 weeks now. Lots to do still, But I think we have gotten a lot done. I think the thing I dread the most is the cleaning. Our last days of work are Saturday. We still have our usual Wednesday and Thursday off though. So we are really excited about that. Grandma Sue arrives Wednesday morning. So that will be a big help. She will be doing some much needed girl watching for us. Plus it will just be GREAT to see here since it was almost a year and half since we saw her last. She leaves the following Wednesday.That Thursday we pick up the trailer and that Friday we leave. Wow. That's all I can say is Wow. It's so hard to believe it's almost here. Anyway, Better go. Love to you all!