Thanksgiving and 30 years

Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday. It has been 31 years since I last enjoyed this holiday with the family I was raised with. Yes, the holiday I am remembering of would of been that of my senior year in high school. Ouch!! Since that year I have had 7 Thanksgivings in Colorado and will now have my 24th in Alaska.
My how times have changed... Growing up in New Jersey I remember having turkey and stuffing at 52 Division Avenue. Sitting around the dining table with a turkey on the platter and holding hands to give thanks before the meal. At that time the leaves are still on the ground and some are still falling. It is truly fall.
Today I looked out and saw a pretty sunrise at 9:15 am that was rising up over a frozen river. We have a light dusting of snow and the distant hills are covered.
The temp today said 5 below zero. Yesterday's high was about 10 above and there was a little breeze.
But as I stood in the doorway to take the picture I listened and heard.... not much... I could hear someone splitting firewood across town, I could hear a light wind. There was not any other sounds I could near, no cars, no trucks, no trains.


So what brings all this on.... on the 25th of this month will be the Summit High School Class of 1976 30th Reunion!!! Wow! Is that even possible. I guess so when I settle on the fact that I have a daughter who is turning 21 soon.
I had a great day Oct. 11th when I received an email from a high school friend who had found me by doing a google search. Thank you Eric Dagradi. It was great to hear from you and you started my mind on this journey of time. Since then I have heard from others as well and also gotten the details of the reunion. I so wish I could make the arrangements to attend.
I have yet to go to a reunion due to calendar issues and logistical ones. Although I think it would be a very fun time. They always seemed to fall on times when we had family gatherings.
So here I am this morning... in all my glory 30 years later... this is what I look like right at this instant...Yep, that is me.... this week anyway. For some reason my hair is growing out and have let it keep going. Seems like I do this now about every 3 years or so. When it is not long I usually wear it in a crewcut/flattop . The goatee seems to go every year or so as well. As seen in this picture from fall of 2005.







So, 30 years later and here I am ... still going to a high school every single day and actually spending many more hours in the building now than I ever did when I was 18.
Oh well, life is moving on and we are too whether we want to or not.
But winter is almost here and I do have a new rig to ride so it should be a good one. I hope everyone is having a super fall. I am so thankful that we have the technology to keep in touch with each other and keep people posted on what is happening in our worlds - because truly we are not that far apart. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wintertime is Approaching

Our temps have been in the low single digits lately. Today was about 8 above zero and there as a light breeze about 8 miles an hour.






















Two days ago we got some light snow and Becca decided to take some pictures. These were taken behind the house.
We have about 5-6 inches on the ground but not enough to really go riding about.
We did have the fun of accepting the arrival of two new snowmachines the other day.
An 06 Supersport and an 07 Trail RMK.

Moose Hunting

I have lived in White Mountain for 8 years now and had yet to shoot a moose until this fall of 2006. We have looked and looked every year. We have spent lots of enjoyable time running about the river hoping to find a moose that would stay still long enough for me to shoot it.


Finally this year it happened. Holly and I were coming home about 10:15 pm and it was getting dark. We saw a moose and it had antlers. Our season was only open to bull moose so we were in luck except that it was dark... But we decided to go for it anyway and the moose was kind enough to let me shoot it three times :-). The unfortunate part was that he decided to die in the river... so it was decided to let him sit over night and then we went back in the morning for the butchering. We managed to roll him onto a piece of plywood that sat on top of two logs to lift him out of the water.

Some evenings you are out until the sun has set and you make it home in the dark. Coming home by dwindling sunlight or beginning moonlight is always an adventure. Here is Holly bundled up against the cold wind.
Moose hunting is an activity that we do every fall. It is an annual event and a lot of fun. We go out on the weekends and also some weeknights depending on how long the hunting season is. This fall the season was 13 days long. We get lots of fresh air and spend time out in the sun (or the rain). This fall Holly and I had the great fortune to eat a few suppers as we hunted.
One night we enjoyed a baked fish on the river beach with our friends Kim and Eric.

The fish was delicious and the weather was fantastic.

As we left there was a wonderful sunset...


A great time.... and he tastes so good.