Rain Maker.

Kodiak rainfall is legendary.

Maybe not to the rest of the country, but for the folks here, it sure is. We have been here since October, (will it really be 6 months soon?!) and one of the most common topics during initial conversations we have had as we meet new people, is the weather. When hearing we are from California most have let us know we are in for it with the climate around here. A really common response is, "Ha! You like rain? Hope so!" That kind of thing.

I have heard all the historical records of how many morning-til-night, straight days of rain Kodiak has had too. The records are all different. I have heard everything between 29 and 45. I will go with 37 or so. The point being, Kodiak gets loads of rain.

Coming from Northern California where rain is mostly an end of winter, beginning of spring phenomenon, I vowed not to let the weather forecast rule how I felt about my new town. That is especially important now with the real rainy season still ahead. I even went so far as to write a "Damp Island Life Manifesto" inspired by this manifesto over here. I won't post it until I need it. Maybe I never will.

We went to a toddler story and craft time (for free!) at this sweet shop. Minna and her new friend got to listen to two stories, have a snack and do a fun little craft. The stories were rainy weather themed and the kids made rainmakers out of paper towel rolls, rice and wax paper. Fun!

Mother Nature didn't need any help from Minna and her rainmaker. The girl sure shook with gusto though!

I tell ya, with Minna having a fantastic Einstein hair day, and dressing herself in bright orange, polka dots and purple stripes...

...the weather is anything but dreary or gloomy. It's all about the gusto.

A New Week And Some New(to me) Crochet.

Happy Monday All!

Minna and I will be here practicing some Filet Crochet.

This book taught me all I needed to know.

It was a well loved b-day gift to me, from Jeff's mom. :)

Of course we started with a heart. Minna loves it.

She is always a fan of my work.

I am so lucky.

Have a great day!

sunday

saturday

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

Happy Friday!

Out With A Bang and Out The Window.

So, I don't know if I have mentioned that we all took up ice skating or not. Well, we did, and as usual the boys took to it as though they were the children of a pro hockey player and Olympic figure skater. The out door rink here is free and has times scattered throughout the week for free skating.

We took advantage of that lots. Even Minna got out there with her teeny double-blade figure skates. Next year she will get a pair of big girl skates and will probably be able to skate by herself. She is almost there now anyway.

I had been bragging about never falling. I was getting brave. Picking up some speed. Doing some slick turns. Daring to go backwards. I was having fun with all these laps around the rink with the family. Usually having the whole place to ourselves. Fun times.

Until yesterday when I was flat on the ice and being checked for broken bones before I knew it. None broken, but severely bruised and swollen. No more bragging here.

These are being packed away in defeat. Just for the rest of the season. The rink will be shutting down soon anyway. Maybe I will be ready to lace 'em on again next winter if this knee ever gets back to normal size.

In other news-we are seeing mud and melt out the windows and on our walks. We are also seeing sun coming in our windows at new angles all around our new house.

As usual there is no shortage of monkey-business and nonsense to entertain out those windows too.

I'd say the signs of our first Alaska Spring are subtle, but there.

Have a great day!

New Vocab Series-WHIP FINISH.

Welcome to the next installment in our New Vocab Series!

It's a fun one!

Below is a cell phone video of Sully performing a WHIP FINISH on a fly he was tying. Tying flies is the other half of fly fishing where you create artificial bugs to use as bait that mimic the real thing when under, or resting on top of the water.

The cinematography is very poor so you can't really see how neat of a move this is. If you know any fly fisher-folk, ask them to show you up close sometime. Can you tell how careful and precise he was being though? I am amazed. Amazing. Marveling out here...

Anyway, the WHIP FINISH is the preferred method of finishing a fly and creating a head that is secure. There is also a HALF-HITCH finish which I read is not as reliable.

Some folks perform the WHIP FINISH by hand which I want the boys to try at some point, but for now they love using that little, twisted metal do-hickey. Sully was happy the video cut off when I asked what the tool was called because he didn't know. It's only been referred to as a "whip finishing tool" in our copy of "The Art Of Fly Tying". Cool book.

As is "The Encyclopedia Of Fishing", and all these other tools and gadgets that are strewn about the living room most days. And nights. We are short a vise or two now that we have three flytiers in the house. Must remedy that promptly. (Is it "flytier" or "fly tyer" or what? I see it all different ways and I don't know which is correct. Smart friends out there, input?)

The only thing I don't love about the new hobby/art form/sport, is all the animal fur and little pelts and stinky, sneezy things that are used to create the mini masterpieces. Unfortunately, the boys like to hold up small sections of deer skin, complete with fur, and yell "deer butt!" while chasing me or holding it up to my face.

Mothering boys never gets old.

Ahhh, but how can I argue when these sweet fuzzy, bright colored bugs are the result? And when it's my young sons (and daughter soon, I am sure) that are creating them.

Most of the bugs that are made right now are just out of Sully's head. Soon they will be asking around and chatting it up with other local fly anglers to see what works and what doesn't out on the rivers.

BONUS -The completed flies are so much fun to photograph! Look at them all tightly finished, thanks to the trusty WHIP FINISH! Sully has them so beautifully organized and ready to be taken out for that first cast. I will have my camera ready for that too.

I am off to sweep up feather bits and fur clippings.

Have a great night!

thursday, friday, sat...uh, the past several days.

Here is our wordless weekend a bit late. We had lots of busy fun with many of our new friends. Such wonderful people on this island, I must say.

Anyway, after an eye-ball exploding headache last night I am recovered and will be back tomorrow with a new vocabulary word. This time, not related to Kodiak history, but fascinating just the same. (Down right amazing if you ask me, as it involves my boys' newest obsession and extreme, magnificent talent. If I do say so myself.)

See you then and happy Monday to you!

PS-Welcome Spring! Is it feeling Spring-y where you are?

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

We will be soaking up our last 2 days before school resumes. Feels good to have the weekend ahead to top off our great snowy, spring break.

Happy weekend to you too!

Gone Green.

We are green from head to toe out here!

The face paint has traveled to our hands because we can't let a St. Patty's Day go by without quickly drawn or painted clovers for luck.

Minna has a few scattered on her face but the boys and I are going subtle with them on our hands.

See? The dudes are thrilled. Really.

There are the smiles. They love my antics.

We are off to a birthday party today, hooray!

So, with a touch of green from back in Two Rock...

Happy St. Patrick's Day friends!

Snow Business.

Just a few shots of some snowy fun out here.

Many are tiring of the snow at this point. We are not.

Though, I must admit that I took most of these shots through the window,

very near a warm wood stove.

Not tiring of that one bit.

Happy Wednesday all!

Wall Hanging Thing.

Here is that finished project and the embroidery I had mentioned earlier. My first bigger sewing project brought to completion in my new sewing nook, and in our new home for that matter.

I drew the design right on the fabric. It is not my own. I wish. I expanded on an idea from The Embroidery Companion. Love that book. I just did some black, stitched in a longish split stitch on some heavy weight cotton I found in the stash. I am trying to use what I have on the shelves as much as possible. I even started another quilt with bits and pieces from my messy fabric pile. That is for another time though.

For this guy, I sewed some strips alongside the embroidered piece and backed it with a pretty brown linen. The three topper fabrics were part of a bundle I bought from Sew Mama Sew, so I had help putting those together too. I am loving orange right now and that shows. I used the brown/grey because I thought it was a little manly. Best of both worlds and I hope Jeff doesn't hate looking at it.

I really hope he doesn't because here it is front and center in the living room. It almost ended up above our bed but I love it near Sully's sunset painting so much that it makes me jump up and down.

It is also next to my favorite painting by my very own sis-in-law that she gave us as a gift. A wall of family art! I need to hang it properly. I promise I will, somehow. I know thumb tacks are, well, tacky. I will do that tomorrow because I think it has found it's place.

Hanging anything new around yours?

sunday. monday.

sunday

monday

Back tomorrow with a completed project!

See you then...

By the way, it's spring break.

Can't you tell? :)

saturday