Backwoods Home Magazine

Backwoods Home Magazine - practical ideas for self-reliant living
A Webcomic about Freedom

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Christmas Cookie Baking

Here are pictures from our Christmas Eve. We spent the afternoon at Miss Rose's house baking cookies and watching movies, before going to church that evening. Christmas Miss Rose came over to feast and watch movies.

Thank To Pop and Gmom from the Cool Dollhouse and Mega Blox
Thanks to Grandma Sue and Grandpa Jerry for the Cool Fleece and Other cool stuff
Thanks to Grandma Jan and Papa for The cool Castle
Thanks to Grandpa Briggs For The Cool Fishin Stuff.
Thanks to Rob Ken and Mhari for the Cool Puzzles.
Thanks to Grandma Bev for all the Clothes
Thanks to Mike Diana and the boy for the books.



Sorry for the late post. A Shake up at work. Sean the Chef is leaving. Jason will be takin on more duties and Jess will be getting more hours.

Love
The Alaskan Rivers

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Can we say cold!

- 41 Degrees

That is our current temperature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now That Is Freakin Cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At -41 Things that you do not think would freeze up. Freeze up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A warming trend for Saturday -20

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news Me and the girls got what mommy got. So another day at home while mommy works for me. We are not sure if it was food poisoning or viral. I am thinking a combo of both.

Love
Jason

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Colder than a Witches Boob in a Brass Brazier

That statement is severly underestimated.

= 30 f for the last three days.

Most or the United states coldest Temperatures are what we call "Unseasonably Warm".



This is a thinking mans or womens cold. You have to think before you go out in this cold. Trailblazer Barely started this morning. I got my first feeling of frostbite just trying to plug the truck in. Exposure in real. Believe it or not we still saw people out in shorts and and No Jackets. Can we say stupid. People need to rethink there ways.

Fortunatly we have not succumed to the stupidity. Beanies and Hat and ski bib and Jackets on.


But in all this we are staying warm and cozy in our little apartment. Jess had a Good bout of food poisoning from a restaurant up in Fairbanks. So we spent the day taking care of Mommy. We are getting ready for Christmas.

Peace and Joy to you all

Love
Jason

Friday, December 14, 2007

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!

Just wanted to send a big Birthday Shout-Out to Grandpa Jerry. So...... Happy Birthday Grandpa Jerry!!!!!!!!!!! Hope it's GREAT!

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Subsistence Diet 1899

Checkout this Article on Native Diet in 1899. Very interesting
Love
Jason

http://www.pbs.org/harriman/1899/subsistence.html

Friday, December 07, 2007

Ice Alaska

North Pole Alaska will be hosting an Christmas On ice.
This is a Warm Up(Pun Intended) to the *2008 World Ice Art Championships*
Feb. 26-Mar. 23, 2008
Check Out The Link and Pictures
Ice Alaska
Love
Jason

Something I have never had to think about before

( As published in The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Wolf pack strikes again in Two Rivers
By Tim Mowry
Staff Writer
Published December 6, 2007


A wolf pack that has been commuting between North Pole and Two Rivers for the past month, eating pet dogs as they go, has apparently struck again, this time at 16.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road.

Long-time Two Rivers resident Bill Blizzard said he discovered his 11-year-old Labrador/Chesapeake Bay retriever mix, Chesie, missing at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when he went out to feed his three dogs chained up about 200 feet from his home.

“All there was was a couple chunks of collar sitting on top of three or four pieces of intestine,” said Blizzard of what remained of his 70-pound pet. “Everything is gone. It looks like they ate her right there.”

He isn’t sure when the wolves struck but suspects it was early Tuesday morning.

“I think they hit around 6 a.m. (Tuesday) because my neighbor said her dogs went off around 6 a.m.,” Blizzard said.

Chesie’s two siblings, Buster and Banjo, who were chained up in the same area, weren’t touched and gave no warning wolves were in the yard.

“They didn’t make a sound,” Blizzard said. “How do they eat a dog with two other dogs in the yard and you don’t hear nothing? That’s how quiet they were.”

State wildlife officials with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game suspect its the same pack of wolves that have been roaming the area for more than a month and have killed and eaten at least two other dogs, one at 19.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road on Nov. 23 and one in North Pole on Oct. 31. The wolves have also been spotted several times by residents living along the first 20 miles of Chena Hot Springs Road.

After hearing of reports about the wolves in the area, Blizzard said he was laying in wait for the wolves when they evidently struck.

“I was laying next to the door with my 18-inch barrel Mossberg with a flashlight and my bunny boots; I was ready,” said Blizzard, a former dog musher who has lived in Two Rivers for more than 30 years. “The wind was blowing, and I didn’t hear nothing.”

Blizzard reported the incident to the Department of Fish and Game but spokeswoman Cathie Harms said at this point there isn’t much the department can do because the wolves are gone by the time anyone gets there and they don’t know where they will strike next.

“The chances of us being in the right place at the right time in the hundreds of square miles this wolf pack roams is near impossible,” Harms. said. “The people that are going to have a chance to take action are the people that live there.”

The department is trying to work with trappers to catch the wolves but that’s tough to do in a residential area where loose dogs can also be caught in traps, she said.

There is a rumor that a trapper in Two Rivers caught or shot three wolves in the area but department officials have not been able to confirm that, Harms said.

State wildlife officials initially thought there were five or six wolves in the pack, but no more than three wolves have been seen at a time, Harms noted.

Even if they were able to find and tranquilize the wolves, which is unlikely, Harms said relocating them is not an option.

“We don’t have any place to move them,” she said. “Our only option would be shoot them.”

So far, the wolves have carried out their attacks on dogs under the cover of darkness and have not approached people, Harms said.

“Every report so far indicates these wolves are pretty leery of people,” she said.

Harms advised residents to take precautions by keeping their pets in a fenced-in area or inside a house or building. Even plastic fencing like the orange mesh used at construction sites might keep wolves away, she said. Another possibility is stringing rope around your yard with rags attached that can flap in the wind. Soaking the rags in something with a strong scent, such as Chlorox, ammonia or urine isn’t a bad idea, either, she said.

“Something that holds a scent for a long time,” Harms said.

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

Now this was not meant to scare anyone, I just thought I would share on what's happening up here. Just thought I better put that in there.

Merry Christmas!!!! Jess

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Sunrise From From Sunshine

Sunrise 10:30 AM
Sunset 2:51 PM

Short but beautiful days

Love em

Jason

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Weather

Well, It is getting cold here. It's either -11 or -14 depending on where you look. I am in the process of adding a weather widget on here. But haven't quite figured out how. So here is a link to the Artic Cam as well :http://arcticcam.com/cam/
We haven't had any new snow for a while. But the old stuff has never left. Most of the main roads are clear though. The rest are a nice ice rink at this point. And did you know that we can't use salt on the roads here, because it gets too cold for it to work? I didn't even know that was possible. So there is sand and small gravel used instead.That's all for know folks!

I know it's early but, Merry Christmas! With Love, Jessica

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Sunrise Sunset

Sunrise 10:15 AM
Sunset 3:00 PM

The Sun has become a precious comodity as of late. Today the low was -9F. Way Chilly.
Still enjoy seeing the Sunrise
Still enjoy seeing a Sunset

Makes me think of my life as of late.

There is always a Sunrise
There is always a Sunset

But the best part is.......

There is Always another Sunrise

Love
Jason


Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I know I am a Dork,..or would Redneck be more fitting????

Okay, SO maybe I am a dork or a Redneck. I don't really know exactly what to call it or I guess me.......

For weeks now Jason has been trying to fiqure out the perfect Christmas gift for me.But has been having trouble.(This seems to happen every year) He asks me and I end up listing off things for him, the kids, the truck or our little apartment.Very few things for me , just me. The one thing I can think of that would be just for me would be a nice, rather big diamond ring. My dream ring. Somehow I don't see that happening anytime in, like the next 5 years. Spending 2 grand on a diamond ring not really logical at this point in our lives.Surely not worth going in debt for.

So, we had been out doing some shopping at Fred Meyer's for groceries and some Christmas presents.(We picked a good time to leave, it was about 5:30pm and starting to get insane there) After some of our daily errands. And decided to stop at Frontier Outfitters on our way home looking for ideas on a good jacket for me.(I want something nice and feminine and warm, very warm....not the ones I currently have that are well mens, mens coats seem to be the only ones out there to fit me correctly or be in my price range. But I look well, Butch for lack of a better word)

Okay, back to my story.No luck. But for a few months now we , especially Jason, have been looking for the perfect rifle for me. Something I can take a moose, bear, caribou...whatever, down with and still handle. Not too heavy, too much recoil,etc.All the ones we have now are well his. And mostly too powerful for me.(Women hunting up here, suprisingly common.And I have always enjoyed target shooting.)

We had been going to all our local stores, the many outfitters up here, sporting goods stores, (EVEN FRED MEYER AND WAL-MART sell rifles and hand guns up here) looking at them, holding them, talking to many people. A woman from work even let me take hers out to the range to try it out.One she had taken a moose with.( I have mainly shot pistols in the past.) So we had a good idea what I/we wanted.

We had seen it there before a Ruger 44 Magnum lever action. http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=6301

And the down payment for the lay-a-way plan was in the price range we had planned. So I filled out the necessary paperwork.(This will be our first rifle in my name). Made the down payment.And that's my Christmas present from the family.In a few short months she's all mine. This rifle is a joint Christmas present for me and Jason. So I will let Jason use it of course. No really, I will. Anyhow Jason plans to buy a Rifle for himself with some of our Tax return. 30-06 or 270 I think.

I have never been so excited before over something like this. It is really rather scary. Seriously scary. So what does that make me? A dork, a redneck or something totally different entirely?

With Love to all, Jess

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thankgiving and Sausage Making

Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to Mom and Jerry, Dad and Sharon, Rob, Ken and Mhari,Mom and Craig,Dad and the rest of our extended family. To all are friends. Peace and Love to you.

Moose has become a new house favorite. We have eaten more moose than I thought we would eat the first year here. Moose is a very easy game meat to work with. We have done Moose Meatloaf (Super yummy) to Chicken fried moose steaks to Green Chili with Moose. So making sausage was pretty logical. Made two batches stuffed in Casing and all. One was my Chorizo Recipe.

8 Ancho Chiles soaked in water
1 Medium Onion
12 Cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon Curing Salt
1 Tablespoon Groung Black Pepper
1 Pound Ground pork
1 Pound Bacon
7 Pounds of Moose

Grind Vegatables all together. Grind Bacon and Brunoise(1/8 Dice) the Moose. Stuff in Hog Casing. No Casing? Grind all the meat and just Bag up and Freeze. No Moose? Use Venison, Lamb, Beef or Pork. ALL YUMMY.

The other was a REALLY HOT Andoullie Sausage
Same Recipe Except:

2 Cups of Red Pepper Flakes for Ancho Chilies
1 Cup Paprika for Color

Need to find a Supply of Beef Middle Casing so I can do some traditional stuff.
Check out this Traditional Smokehouse in Louisana. http://www.cajunsausage.com/ProductDescriptions.htm

Anyhoo. We are off to our friend Roses to eat and relax.

May God Bless You
Love
Jason

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Miss Magoo is 2!





Meghan turns 2 today! Yeah Meghan!!!!!!!!!!!!

And a Happy Birthday to Uncle Ken as well!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Snow Angels




Check Out the street sign Grandpa and Grandma Rivers. The sign is a street right behind our house.

Anyways. We have been doing some winter exploring. In one word Beautiful. Wish people could see it first hand.

Anyways we are off on adventures again.

In our Creators Grace
Love
Jason

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Quiet and Aware

Snow is an amazing thing.

The Beauty is in the Awareness that come on with the first flake.
So many people say I hate the snow. I hate the cold.
People need to stop look and be aware.

To see life in the those little flakes. Amazing

Thank you ABBA for Creation. Thank you for this Life

Love
Jason


Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Chefs Rivers


Greetings from Alaska,



Sydney is now becoming one of the greatest chefs around. She watched as our friends Mike and Jen had us over for the first ever joint dinner night. Load of fun and fostering new relationships.

In weather news. The threat of snow continues. But no new snow as of yet. Cloudy and 23 today.


Love
Jason

Saturday, October 13, 2007

2 new blogs

Here are 2 new blogs I enjoy:

http://jyohnka.blogspot.com/

http://www.dooce.com/

I know there is a better way to do it, then that way but oh well.;-)

To God be the Glory, Jess

Sydney is 4!!!!!

The older of my 2 daughters Miss Sydney turned 4 today!

Gosh, I can still remember seeing that first postive test.I had to have my Mom look at to make sure I wasn't seeing things. And then calling Jason at work, because I just couldn't wait to tell him I was pregnant. My how our lives have changed in the last 4 years. We of course added Meghan to the clan 2 years later. And made a HUGE move to Alaska last April.
Wow, Time sure does fly.

Happy Birthday baby, I love you

Momma