Another long hike lugging a bow

We still do not have enough snow for skiing, and so this past weekend I went for another glorious hike carrying a bow.  When I first asked Philip if he wanted to go 'hunting goats' with me he declined.  Later I asked him if he wanted to go on a 'long hike with a bow' and he said, 'sure'.  Adelia later told me that Philip may not like to go hunting much but he'll never turn down a chance for a good hike.

And so off we went at the crack of dawn.  The good thing about hunting is that you never know where you are going to go - you go where you see game.  We saw the goats in a far off bowl on the other side of an alder and salmonberry choked valley.  Ordinarily, on a normal hike, you'd never attempt to cross the valley like we did.  But the chance to hunt goats on a flat surface with no cliffs around was too hard to resist.

It was a perfect opportunity and I did get within 60 yards or so of the goats.  Unfortunately they had already caught our scent and we were ambling away towards the cliffs behind the bowl.  The ones I approached were at the tail end of the migration away from the bowl.  How did they catch on to us so quickly?  Anyhow that's bow hunting - an adult version of playing with your food.  With a rifle I would have had an easy goat.

And so after a quick recce up into the cliffs to see if all the goats had really left, we headed back home. Down the steeps, through the brush and back up the mountain on the other side.  On our way home.

Another hike that would never have been planned like it ended up.  And what a glorious day!  Patrick

Looking for goats

Glorious in the early morning sunshine

The goats are in sight - now to cross the valley

It got a little thick. . ..

And then it got a little steep. . ...

It's go time - time to stalk the goats

Stalking goats

No goat - so time to go home and recross that pesky valley

It gets steep, and then it gets brushy . .. .

On our way home

Knots with the Brownies

Its my second year as a girl scout leader and I'm slowly learning the girl scout promise, law and songs. Scouting is relatively new to me, as I wasn't a girl scout growing up. My Brownie troop is nearly finished with first level of a Chesapeake Bay Council Outdoor Skills patch, where the girls have learned about some basic first aid skills, dressing for different types of weather and yesterday we learned how to tie square knots.

Yesterday on our Fort Abercrombie hike, a longtime family friend, Dan O. was present with his granddaughter, Coral, who is in my troop. Dan taught us how to tie square knots and the girls had some successful knots!

I'm slighly obsessed with scouting- thinking about outdoor adventures, patches we can do, skills to learn, places to explore. But more importantly, on Saturday afternoons, I really treasure the time our troop has together. They are enthusiastic, curious and hard-core. They don't mind hiking in rain and high winds. 

Dan O. demonstrating how to tie a square knot.

Square knot success!

The girls insisted I take this picture! :)

Zoya

Thanksgiving 2014

This year, Thanksgiving dinner was  prepared by the men. Mike prepared the Roast Sous Vide style, Gregg baked 2 pies in his cast iron pans and Patrick cooked up garden mashed potatoes and sting beans. I feel fortunate-what amazing chefs they are!

We gave Thanks to Lisa and Gregg being part of the day, as they are typically in Anchorage at Art Shows for this holiday weekend. 

This year our new small TV was on in the kitchen on low volume with various football and basketball games playing. I like the special feel it gives to the holidays...to have some sports for people to enjoy in and to see Stuey's love of watching basketball grow....

 Cranberry-orange-walnut and pumpkin pies baked in cast iron pans-by Gregg! Yum

A pre-meal game of Sorry! 

Nora wrote out the place settings and put in her seating request "To sit next to Cece and Daddy"

An Elk Roast prepared Sous Vide style. Cooked 12+ hours in a bag.  So tender. 

Cheers! Lisa's first thanksgiving in Kodiak in 25 years! She typically is in Anchorage at an art show selling her jewelry. 

Lisa cutting into the cranberry-orange pie as Gregg and I look on. 

Zoya

Stuey's First 5K

"Was my hair blowing in the air?" Stuey asked me as we drove home after this mornings 5K Turkey Trot.

"Yes, it was."I replied.

"Like up really high?"  I smiled to myself. "Yes, up really high" I thought to myself and his self image of a being a cartoon character with hair spiking up towards the sky.

                                                      ~

With my beet red cheeks and Stuey's short persistent strides, we made our way to the finish line. I made sure Stuey finished a few strides ahead of me.

"Go Stuey!" a few people from the crowd cheered on. Stuey was pleased to see the gatorade at the finish and helped himself to a cup before we headed to the car.

We decided to make the Turkey Trot our annual tradition...what a good way to start our Thanksgiving Thursday together.

Zoya

A Dip in Winter Waters

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea I"d save Tank's life.

The day was a cold frosty one, and several friends and a small pack of kids walked down to Fort Abercrombie. When we arrived at the beach, the kids were ahead of the grown ups, excitedly throwing sticks to the dogs in the calm ocean.

Within a few minutes Nora called me over and brought to my attention that she was worried about Tank. I called out to him, and he wasn't coming. He had a piece of bull kelp in his mouth and was going around in circles.

"Lets walk up the beach and pretend we're leaving" I suggested, hoping that Tank would see us leaving and come out of the water. He still didn't budge.

"I'm really worried about Tank." Nora cried, with her eyebrows furrowed and becoming even more   concerned.

"I know, Nora. Hmmm…I wonder if he is stuck on that kelp." I replied. I was worried too. At that point he had been in the water nearly 10 minutes and seemed to be tiring. 10 plus minutes in warm waters wouldn't be a big deal, but cold Alaskan waters could be a different situation.

I turned to Marias and Tasha and conferred with them.

"I have to swim in. Theres no other way." I said. My girlfriends were anxious for me, the winter cold water that I would have to face. "That water is cold, wow. I've been in it in a wetsuit and it was even super cold then" Marias reminded me.

As I looked across the way, with Tank swimming in circles, I knew I had to go in. No, it wouldn't be fun. yes, I would be cold after. Noras crying increased.

I had several layers of shirts on so I peeled off an outer sweater, took off my shoes and socks and walked into the ocean. Boy it was frigid. Very quickly the bottom gave away and I breast stroked out to Tank.

The head of the bull kelp came right out of his mouth and he took off to shore very quickly and I swam behind him. WIth haste, I took off my wet shirt, put on my reserve dry one on and wore two jackets back to the house (mine and Marias'). My jeans were soaked and legs felt cold, but I knew that a warm bath would be available within 30 minutes.

And it was. And I warmed up. Very slowly throughout the day. I'm still not completely warm. Another bath before bed will hopefully help.

Tonight I'm especially I"m thankful for  sweet Tank. And thankful that I didn't hurt myself saving him.

Zoya

Desperation sledding

Over breakfast this morning I casually mentioned that after work I could take Nora for a hike up Pyramid Mountain.  The kids are on Holiday and Stuey had a horseback riding lesson planned for the afternoon.  So I thought maybe a hike up Pyramid was in order for Nora and I.  And Nora was excited at the prospect.  Still I did not really expect that we would actually go up the mountain.

But when I got home from work Nora was all packed and 'rarin' to go.  And she announced that she wanted to bring along a sled and go sledding once we got to the top. At first I was a bit skeptical, and I did tell her that there was very little snow, but she was adamant. And so off we went.

We carried the sled 1300 feet up from the parking lot to the snow.  Nora got in a few runs, and we even did one run together.  As you can see from the photos it was sort of desperation snow, but hey it was snow on the ground.  And the sledding was fast.  Patrick

Monopoly

Add caption

Emotions run very high during recent Monopoly games here in  the Saltonstall living room.

I dare say, I've never seen Patrick quite so competitive as when he plays Monopoly. He starts sweating and there is an intensity to his voice when making trades and taking turns. He is notably serious.

Patrick says he took Monopoly very intently as a kid and he can't help but play it hard core version. The kids love it. Stuey gets mighty competitive and at times during the game, he has to step away from the game with tears in his eyes.

They do it all with buying, selling, trading, and mortgaging. Stuey has the prices on the properties and rents memorized.

It wouldn't surprise me if Stuey was dreaming of Monopoly.

Zoya

Skinned knees

In my Brownie scouting group, we're working towards their Outdoor Skills patch-level 1. 

Yesterday morning it was raining hard but right as our meeting began at the public library, the skies parted. We hiked over to the far nooks of Near Island and found a soft mossy spot with lots of cozy tree roots to snuggle into. After each girl had a handful of almonds and blueberries, we worked on outdoor skills.

First the girls practiced basic knife handling skills-How to hold and pass a knife. I showed them some real camping knives, but we practiced with a plastic butter knife. Then the girls had a chance to show their medical selfs, as they took care of eachothers skinned knees. They role played the steps of how to treat skinned knees and (as you can see from the pictures below) there was lots of laughter and role playing involved! 

As the sun was dipping behind the mountains, we walked back along the bridge. Girls naturally paired up and talked as we hiked back. I can see new friendships forming over the course of the past 2 months. Girls from different schools, grades, experiences. 

As the girls left with their families, several said some sincere "Thank you for taking us hiking Ms. Zoya". They had such an appreciative sparkle in their eyes. 

Zoya

You Know the Skiing is bad when . . . ...

Year-in-year-out on my annual round of activities, hunting season generally ends around Halloween and ski season begins soon after sometime in November.  And this year for a while there it was looking good for an early ski season.  I did go skiing for 7 of the first 8 days of November, and then, soon after I posted on the blog about my 'Daily fix of Vitamin D' (click here for post), it started to rain - And Rain, and Rain, and Rain.  And there went my 'daily fix of vitamin D'.

To keep in shape I have been climbing Pyramid in the rain.  And yesterday with Gregg I went bow hunting for mountain goats.  Bow-hunting is sort of like playing with your food - you almost never actually harvest a goat.  But at this time of year close to home it is the only way you are allowed to hunt for goats.

When we left in the morning Zoya asked me about our chances of success and I replied, 'pretty close to nil'.  But the funny thing is that once Gregg and I got up in the mountains we both went into hunting mode.  Suddenly it seemed our odds of finding a goat were very high - we got hopeful.

And so we crept about in the rain and snow and peeked into various bowls and ravines looking for goats.  And each time we peaked we had high hopes of finding a goat.

But of course we did not find any goats.  And back at the car we laughed that we were ever even hopeful.

Still we did get in a great hike and we both admitted that we probably would not have done that hike if we did not have the excuse of 'going hunting'.

Patrick

A Scouting Outing

Last Saturday, the winds were blowing 30 with gust projected up to 60mph. When I looked out the window here at Mill Bay, there was spray hitting it and the waves were rolling in one after another.

The question I asked myself, "Should I still have my Brownie Troop meeting outside?" The plan was to meet on Near Island to hike, make a snack and work on our Chesapeake Bay Council outdoor Skills patch.

Patrick's answer was vehemently "YES! You'll be sheltered in the trees" he re-assured me.

He knows how I am slightly obsessed with keeping the OUTING IN SCOUTING.

My worst fear? That no one would show up, or very few. That I would get e-mails from families saying how they didn't want their brownies out in such conditions.

3 pm arrived, the weather had worsened. It already felt slightly dark, very stormy and drizzly.  I pulled into the Near Island parking lot-and sure enough--the girls were ready and geared up. 9 out of 10 of them!

The girls raced ahead on the Near Island Trails talking of how spooky it was with the afternoon darkness and winds ripping through the tress. Not one brownie said they were cold.

We stopped mid way and they made Ants on a log. We talked about proteins, carbs and sugars and how they fuel us. We learned about hypothermia, dressing in layers, and why its important to stay dry.  They girls drank hot cocoa from the cups they brought and we cleaned up and hiked back.

My troop loves being outside. On the return hike they asked me if we could build a lean-to, if we could do a salmon patch..their outdoor questions were endless. I was in heaven.

Zoya