Veterans Day

Cooper and Otis want to remind you to think of our Veterans today.

Arctic Circle

I had a DUH! moment yesterday. I suddenly realized that Bettles is in the Arctic Circle.

Does this change anything ? Not really, but when I hear Arctic Circle, I envision EXTREMELY cold and snowy conditions. I am mentally prepared for Alaska cold, but not Arctic Circle cold.

I read that the coldest temperature in Bettles is -70 degrees below zero. Maybe crazy is an appropriate description for this adventure.

Wilton Center

A Bus passes us.

One Month

Jeff said to me, "We'll be in Alaska next month". My thought was, I'm NOT ready! I need to get my shopping list together and start visiting all the outdoor sports stores.

Wendy then sent me an email, saying her friend (the 4th member of our party) had just broken her ankle. The good news is that the cast will come off 2 days before our trip.

I am hoping that this is NOT a sign of things to come.

We are staying in Bettles (the red star on the map). If you thought Fairbanks was in northern Alaska, travel another 180 miles and you will reach Bettles with its population of 42 people.

I have a feeling I will be wishing that Coop and Oti (aka bed warmers) were with us on the cold arctic nights.

Zero

We usually do not get many trick-or-treaters at our house. However, since Halloween was a Saturday, I thought we would get a larger than normal amount of visitors.

I put the full size candy bars in a covered (dog proof) bowl by the front door. Oti pranced around in his pumpkin colored collar, ready to greet anyone who rang the bell.

We spent the morning cutting up the fallen trees and creating a pile of limbs to be shredded and wood to be split. After lunch, I expected the first kids to come by, but no one wandered down the driveway.

At 4:00 pm, I put on all the outdoor lights. I wanted to make sure everyone knew we were open for business. At 9:00 pm, we turned the lights out.

NO ONE, ZERO, ZIP kids showed up. What happened to the spirit of Halloween ?

Surfin' Safari

Otis went to the Doctor on Monday and they decided that he just had some sort of intestinal distress.

As part of his recovery, we are supposed to give him small amounts of Science Diet I/D until he can eat a half can and keep it down. We started out with about two tablespoons for his first meal and he gobbled it right up. Sixty minutes later, we saw it again.

Since the first night he's been able to keep it down. We've been slowly increasing the amount we give him and he inhales it right away, so it looks like his appetite is back.

Another clue that his appetite is back is the increased amount of "Counter Surfing" activity. We know Otis can get up high, because he frequently steals the dish towel hanging on the top rung of the oven. But lately, nothing is safe on the counter top. On Wednesday, Otis came bounding into the bedroom with a package of Lemmonheads candy that he grabbed off the counter.

This morning, we left Otis and Cooper alone while we were getting ready for work. The two biscuits Valerie left out for their morning snack was down to one by the time we got downstairs.

Of course, neither dog admitted to taking it.

Windy Days

Coop always has a spring in his step when he walks. On windy days, the spring becomes a bounce.

The instant that Coop steps out the door, he raises his nose and breathes in deeply. Coop's nose begins to twitch and he turns honing in on something I cannot smell.

Coop then leaps to the end of his leash, ready to take off after whatever is being carried on the wind.

I often wonder just what it is that Coop smells. Coop's view of the world must be so different from mine. Perhaps it is a better one, for Coop seems to find never ending delight in sunlight and shadows, blooming flowers, falling leaves and stone walls.