Climbing Mountains

This is the time of year in Talkeetna when it seems like everyone is climbing mountains. Something like 1000 people a year attempt to climb Mount McKinley, or Denali as it is more commonly known in Alaska. Most of those climbers start out from Talkeetna, flying in small airplanes to base camp at 7,200 feet. I believe the average success rate for reaching the 23,000 foot highest peak in North America is around 50%.

Personally, I have no interest in climbing mountains of this sort and just don't really get it. However, I have been to the tops of many smaller ones, both literally and figuratively. The one I am trying to climb right now seems monumental.

To Oliver, every hill, pile of rocks or sand, snow berm, or grassy slope is a mountain. This month I am feeling quite sure that he is absolutely right.

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The Front Door

Flying Squirrel Bakery Cafe. Come on in. Well, not just yet. But at least now we have a front door.

Doors are good; they keep mosquitoes out. Hopefully soon I'll have time to paint this door brown or really any color other than primer white! Throughout this whole construction project no one has ever used the front door. Thus the wheel barrow's parking spot I guess. To me, it looks like the wheel barrow is about to walk right in though. It almost looks like it's waiting for the open sign to light up. Me too.

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Certainly Spring

It may only last one day in Alaska, but most certainly, today is spring. By next week, these new little leaves will be fully grown and a definitive, robust, summery green. If only some other life endeavors could happen with such confident swiftness.

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Milestones

It seems like almost everyday there is a milestone around here. But some milestones hold more significance than others, like pouring the concrete slab for the wood fired masonry oven. These photos from last week demonstrate that strange human need to put our mark on everything. A little like Oliver's new found need to pull down his pants and pee on the snow bank or on a specific stick, but quite a bit more permanent! The hand prints look really cool - Oliver's in the middle, then mine, then Brian's on the outside - with two paw prints from Penny. Stop by Flying Squirrel Bakery Cafe sometime and check it out. The hand prints will be able to be seen by anyone who sits at the counter near the oven right by the ash door.

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Shrinking

Wow. There was so much snow one week ago. Four or five days of 65 and sunny, and it seems like most of it has disappeared. The good news about that is that there is a kind of electricity in the air, a new found energy that comes with bicycles being pulled out of crawl spaces and sunshine at 9:00pm. The other great news is that the three rather large lakes that were becoming major obstacles in our driveway shrank to mere puddles in the course of one day. Oliver is still, however, going through at least two sets of clothes per day.

Another kind of shrinking has been occurring over at the bakery construction site.

Anyone who has ever built or renovated a house knows all about this one. We had this amazing, big, open, brightly lit space. Then came the sheet rock. Then came the interior walls. Now, it's starting to feel a bit like a cave. Especially what with the drab gray of the wall board and the white streaks of fire taping that's covering up even the most interesting screw pattern. Now, instead of being blinded when we walk outside because the snow is so bright, we are blinded by the dimness when we go in.

Oh well. It may seem smaller inside, but interior walls also mean that plumbers and electricians can come which means pretty soon we'll have water, telephones, lights...camera...action!

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