As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Would Say . . .

Autumn

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thou comest, Autumn, heralded by the rain,
With banners, by great gales incessant fanned,
Brighter than brightest silks of Samarcand,
And stately oxen harnessed to thy wain!
Thou standest, like imperial Charlemagne,
Upon thy bridge of gold; thy royal hand
Outstretched with benedictions o'er the land,
Blessing the farms through all thy vast domain!
Thy shield is the red harvest moon, suspended
So long beneath the heaven's o'er-hanging eaves;
Thy steps are by the farmer's prayers attended;
Like flames upon an altar shine the sheaves;
And, following thee, in thy ovation splendid,
Thine almoner, the wind, scatters the golden leaves! 

Eklutna, bench 1

me, Jen Garrick, Jacque Alejo, Laurie Eason

view from Eklutna ridgeline

me, Laurie, Jen, Jacque, & Tacha

Eklutna panorama

Alaska Fun Facts: Eklutna Lake provides drinking water for the Anchorage area.

Blacktailin' It

Today was a beautiful day here in Eagle River.  I pulled myself out of my pajamas and headed to the mountains.  Sadly, my hiking friend was toiling away at work so I had to strike out alone.  I did have my faithful furry companions though.  There was significantly less snow then my last hike (thankfully!) and amazing views.  Here is a little peek of the beauty that surrounds us.

view from Baldy

view from Baldy

trail to Blacktail Rocks

peak of Blacktail Rocks

view from Blacktail Rocks

selfie from Blacktail Rocks

Blacktail Rocks, been there, done that

panorama from Baldy

I was about 10 feet from these guys before I noticed them.  They blend well!  At least I got some good pictures before the release of the hounds. 

I live in the most amazing place. 

Alaska Fun Fact: Alaska's state bird is the willow ptarmigan.

Autumn Snow

You may be wondering, what's with the winter snowy scene?  Prepare yourself.  Welcome to South Fork Eagle River trail September 24, 2013.  Though a stunning view (that is Denali!), I was not prepared for this on the hike today.  Yes, it has been snowing the last couple of days but I was imagining some patchy snow in shady areas not the glistening whiteness that greeted us.  Alaska is not for wimps.  Not to be deterred by a little frozen precipitation, Jen and I embarked on our journey to Symphony Lake. 

Starting out there was a nicely packed path.  There was a child sledding, some hunters packing their gear, and dogs frolicking in the snow (see below).  However, this dream did not last.  Soon we were wading through knee deep snow.  Being the explorers we are, we made it about 1.5 miles away from the lake before loosing the trail and having to head back.  Jen managed all of this in ankle high mucks!  Though I am not prepared for winter weather, it was beautiful and fun.  Are you ready for the snow?

Alaska Fun Facts: Earliest measurable (0.10" or more) snow fall in Anchorage Alaska was September 20, 1947.

How Very 'Pinterest'ing

So I have been a very bad blogger.  Despite some very bloggable moments in the past few weeks, I have taken no pictures and written no words.  Today I remedy that . . . with my first crafting blog :)  Now, for those of you who are not aware of my crafting, I am by far the world's best starter of projects.  You need an afghan, I will start knitting one.  Reviving an old piece of furniture, I'll grab the sandpaper.  However, if this project will take more than a couple of hours or requires some sort of super crafty skill, I have learned to go buy it at Target.  I can cook/bake all day long but give me a glue stick and some beads, you get 10 minutes.  Due to this flaw, I have many well meaning crafts that have gone to die never having achieved their completion.  On rare occasions, I am able to see my crafts through to completion and even be happy with the results.  This is one of those times.

While taking Tacha on walks in the neighborhood, I have been noticing that most of the homes have some sort of decorations on their front doors.  Mostly wreaths but some trinkets or even bells.  My front door . . . bare.  I decided to fix this.  Hello Pinterest!  After browsing a vast assortment of wreaths far above my skill level, I found one that appeared doable.  Let the games begin!

Step one: gather supplies.  I was off to the craft store.  I think a lot of my failed crafts have originated with trips to the craft store.  Walking into a crafter's paradise, you are confronted with dozens of potential projects, most of which are far beyond the average person's skills.  If it has Martha Stewart on it and  requires more than a single fold or piece of tape, avoid it!  Her sparkling hanging star that perfectly reflects the sunlight will look like a dull wadded ball of paper on a string when you are done.  Know your limits.  Write a list and stick to it.  Your husband will thank you and there will be fewer tears. 

Step two: measure twice, cut once.  I have had many failed crafts due to poor planning.  A good set of directions really helps with this.  Following the directions is also an important step.  Many of my "shortcuts" have ended in the trash.  Live and learn. 

Now, in full disclosure, I will admit to making a small substitution in glue type but it worked out in my favor.  Sometimes you get lucky.  Generally, this is not the case.  In the end, the glue had its revenge!  Felt rosette wreath, here we go.  (To make your own felt rosette wreath: http://theprettypoppy1.blogspot.com/2010/07/pretty-little-rosie-wreath.html)

supplies: wreath, felt, glue, scissors, CD, ribbon

cutting the flowers

An easy start, I had to cut the felt into circles and then spiral cut it.  After a few hand cramps and questionable lines, I was able to finish this.  This project is very forgiving, thus my success.  After rolling and gluing the spirals, you are left with these cute rosettes.

evil glue

rosettes

I accidentally cut the cap of the glue (rather than the actual opening) and spent quite a bit of time working through that near project-ending mistake.  It's the little things.  With my rosettes completed, I arranged them on the wreath and then began gluing them down.  Halfway through gluing the rosettes to the wreath, I noticed that the glue was dripping through the wreath onto my table making a huge mess.  After frantically cleaning the ridiculously sticky glue and then gluing the remaining rosettes, I allowed the wreath to dry overnight.  Honestly, it only needed to dry for about an hour but sometimes it is best to walk away.  

The next morning after my coffee and some motivational thinking, I returned to complete my masterpiece.  Thankfully, the ribbon did not require glue :)  I am quite happy with the results and was proud to display my accomplishment on the front door.  The Kottsicks have joined the neighborhood!

Later, I returned home from a great hike with some friends only to notice that my wreath was no longer hanging on the front door.  Hanging in its place . . . the sticky section of the hook used to hold up the wreath.  Step three: buy a wreath hook!

Alaska Fun Fact: Bennie Benson designed Alaska's state flag in 1926.  He was only 13 years old at the time.

Just Playing in the Puddles

Over the holiday, I joined my husband on a little camping excursion.  Each outing provides a different experience and new revelations.  For instance, 2 people camping in the back of a Hyundai Santa Fe with 2 wet dogs in the midst of pouring rain = damp, tired, achy, edgy campers.  This was only improved by the previous hours of driving on a pothole-filled gravel road while towing a ATV trailer only to find the creek too swollen from the rain to cross to get to where we were going thus necessitating our backtracking over said gravel road.  Alaska 1, Kottsicks 0.  On a more positive note, I will say that the landscape was gorgeous and the company unrivaled.  I also rediscovered my joy in ATVing.  There was something thrilling in the stinging rain pelting my face as I splashed through the mud puddles with just the push of my thumb.  Negotiations have already begun to get me my own machine :)

Some of the leaves were beginning to change and the mountains where painted in yellow, oranges, and reds from the changing grass and foliage.  In a couple of weeks, full autumn colors should emerge.  Here is a little look at what we saw.

We also came across a little duck family.  They did a little posing for me.  At least someone didn't seem to mind the wet weather!

Soaked to the bone but with smiles on our faces, we returned home.  That is what adventures are made of.  In the words of C.S. Lewis,

“Make your choice, adventurous Stranger,
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.” 

Alaska Fun Fact: Ketchikan, Alaska is nicknamed the "Rain Capital of Alaska."  Its wettest year on record was 1949 with 202.55 inches of precipitation.