The mountains are calling


“I do believe in an everyday sort of magic -- the inexplicable connectedness we sometimes experience with places, people, works of art and the like; the eerie appropriateness of moments of synchronicity; the whispered voice, the hidden presence, when we think we're alone.” 
― Charles de Lint

We are home. We finally moved onto our land in Tok this past weekend and it feels just as good as I've been imagining it would feel for the past two winters. We moved Saturday night. It took us about 45 minutes to back the 5th wheel onto the property without hitting any trees, but we did it. No damage was done. A few choice words were shared between the two of us, but we've moved on. 

Waking up and walking outside with the dogs, outside to our trees, rocks, flowers, and the mountains looking down on us, reminded me why I am here, why I want to be here. 

We've been having a wonderful time, we have wonderful friends here, better than wonderful, the best possible kind, and there has been plenty to do. We've had a great place to stay at our friends house, and we certainly haven't gone without anything. However, I felt my spirits getting low recently. Low only because it felt like something was missing.... like something was out of place.

It was me, I was out of place. From the first time we set foot on this land I felt that connection, the same connection I feel at the farm. Just that feeling of being home, of peacefulness, of security. Obviously not security in the sense I can't be eaten by a grizzly bear coming into camp to check out the steaks I'm grilling, but the sense of security you feel when you are exactly where you are supposed to be, and you know it. 

I do miss my critters back at the farm. It's there, in my heart. However I am reminded that there are many reasons I am here - and not just few. This is exactly where we are supposed to be right now. It's funny how I've always found myself wishing I was at the farm when I was here, and wishing I was in Alaska when I'm at the farm (at certain times.) I realized recently the lesson that there is to be learned there - the lesson of not always wanting the opposite of what you have, and the lesson of living in the moment, being in the moment, and enjoying the moment. 

The sun has been shining, the mosquitoes have been biting (are they bigger than I remember?), the beautiful bright pink fireweed blossoms are growing. It's perfect. It's quiet out here. Our neighbour has about 30 sled dogs, but amazingly they hardly ever bark except when they get excited about company or feeding. The most noise we have out here is from the Raven's who are sometimes annoyed we are here, and other times, trying to steal from us. 

We were planning on three more weeks before we got power in to the camper. No big deal, we have a generator which will run everything we need, and we had been planning on not getting power at all this year, until things fell into place. However Sunday we noticed our battery wasn't being charged in the 5th wheel, meaning when you turned the generator off, the camper was dead, fridge, water pumps, everything. Kevin left the generator running that night, all night, and we saw some improvement, but even still the battery was barely half way charged this morning. 

As we were sitting having coffee discussing our next move on Monday morning - the power company pulled in with our pole and started hooking up our power! It was a complete surprise - and within a few hours our battery problem was solved. Once the pressure was off (or the worry) we discovered everything was alright with the battery but for some reason when we moved the camper from our friends yard, it had zero charge. It had been plugged in so we are not sure why, but after running the generator long enough, the charge did come up, so it's working, which is all that matters.



By 5 PM Monday, we had power hooked up. It was amazing. Now we just needed to get our water situation sorted out. We had less than 1/4 of a tank of water left. We bought a 275 gallon tank from a friend this week, which we planned on hauling water in smaller containers in the back of the truck from town to. But in the meantime, we were getting low. 

Monday evening after dinner, I planted my herbs that survived the frost we got Sunday night. Yes, that's right, the frost. It was 28 degrees Fahrenheit. My basil bit the dust. It was the most damaged. Pretty much everything else survived well, my peppermint was damaged but only a little bit.

This year we will not put up the green house here, that will be a project for next year. We just hope our grape vines at home are thriving, and that maybe we'll manage some apples this year from our trees at the farm, if the frost didn't also get them. I noticed this spring there were hardly any blossoms on the trees at all. Sigh. Mother nature... you can't control her.

After I finished planting, it started to rain. Thankfully in a moment of blessed clarity we decided to move our water barrels under the down spouts on the camper to catch water, and just see what happened. Tuesday morning we woke up to heavy rain. When I went outside with the boys for their morning pee, I quickly saw one of the barrels was full, another half full.

We managed to collect about 60 gallons of rain water, which brought our tank in the camper to full. It allowed me to have enough water for dishes, and for us to shower, which was perfect. Now we still have to haul water from town, but the pressure that was there because we were almost out of water, is relieved for a bit.


We bought an electric water pump just for this reason, which we brought with us. It worked like a charm!

water being pumped out of the barrel 

the little pump

This morning, it wasn't raining so the dogs and I went for a little walk while I sipped my first cup of coffee.

hello mountains... hmm.. why are you so white this morning? 

oh... covered in powdered sugar again, and quite a bit of it


Last night I wasn't feeling great, so Kevin went into town to pick up a couple things by himself. When he came back, he told me I should go look because the termination dust was coming down the mountain.

Termination dust is what you call snow that is the harbinger of winters arrival. You watch the snow coming down the mountain until it's at your level.

It's a little early for that, but the mountains have been getting fresh snow pretty regularly.

On Friday we've got a local guy coming to have a look at the camper and give us an estimate on putting a roof over it. We really think we should leave it here, and not bring it back down the Alcan and the 4,000 miles home. Certainly not this year. However with the amount of snow they've been getting here in recent winters, we really should have it protected. We'll just have to see, it depends on the estimate.


The boys have been enjoying their vacation, and since they want to make the best of it, they have been as lazy as possible.

Today we'll hook up and set up our sewer connection, always a fun job.

Comments

IanH said…
It sure sounds like things are coming together for you!
I second the motion to leave the beast behind. It would sure make your comings and goings a lot faster and cheaper if you weren't pulling it behind (both ways)! Don't forget to factor in the fuel savings (both ways) when you look at the roof estimate. I know what I would do!
The JR said…
goodness hard to think of snow when it's been in the 90's and close to a 100 here
Wow, things are coming along nicely. I am envious. :) Enjoy your time and give the boys kisses for me. Bobbi
Power, water and sewer all in one blog entry! Exciting!
Are there snakes in Alaska?
Mary Ann said…
The boys look VERY happy, but I would be missing home so very badly by now.

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