The little man helping out around the kitchen.
Here is a video of K playing in the snow which fell at the end of September, but subsequently melted. First sledding of the fall.
Once the snow melted, I was able to get going in earnest on Deck Construction: Phase 2 "The Wrap-around". First you start with some beams, and some digging. Luckily the foreman was on site to prevent shoddy workmanship.
Snow held off for the entire month, which was great for me, working on the deck, but not so great for all the nordic skiers in town.
I had some help from neighbor Keith and friend Hank to lay the joists.
16" on center with double rim joists....this thing ain't goin' anywhere!
Daddy got to buy some new power tools instead of hiring a contractor to do the work. Not the quickest way to get it done, but I ended up with some nice equipment for the next big job: interior trim. Can you say "PFD"?
I seem to have poorly documented the process of putting up the rail posts and Trex decking. Linda helped me put on the railings one afternoon. I spent several evenings just screwing down the planks. Here is a view of the final results taken in November, after winter set in for good.
The other angle. It's pretty sweet to have access to the whole deck from outside now. We don't seem to use it too much in the winter, but it'll provide a place to grow tomatoes and to bask in the warm sun on summer afternoons. This is the warm, west side of the house. Having a deck gives daddy a place to sweep snow and feel useful in the winter.
He's showing off our haul of cherry tomatoes, picked green off the plants before a hard frost in Sept, and ripened indoors in a paper bag.
7th inning stretch.
Helping out with the vacuuming. Always wear your ear protection!
Here's another video of our boy, the Dancin' Fool.
We are grateful for the kind gifts K received, to help keep him happy while mom was up in the ice. Thanks Auntie Helen for the Ramp racer: city edition....
And thanks Rachel for the absolute classic Hammer and Pegs. K was totally ready for this and delighted in wearing his Bob the Builder hard hat while he whacked away. Note the level of concentration....and the lip.
woodstove + nearby_couch = lazy cats
Grandma Linda arrived to bail me out, and we took a little road-trip down the Richardson Highway to do some sight-seeing and spend a night in a cabin in Paxson. Kieran is a great traveler, but it's a steady job keeping him in dry pants. He loves his juice!
Denali Highway Cabins of Paxson .... cozy private cabins on the upper Gulkana River.
We had a nice visit with the winter caretaker Mary Ellen who had spent a winter at MacLaren Lodge and also worked for TAT in Talkeetna. K met Audie's seriously shaggy husky there. Mette likes buying stripey clothes for her son, apparently.
Back at home, K had some quality time with Grandma Linda, reading stories, cooking, and generally horsing around.
In mommy's absence the little guy managed to bash a front tooth on a stool, get a black eye, fall off the high chair, and crash several other times. He seemed to be a magnet for disaster, but he survived mommy's absence, which was the key.
Rachel and I took Linda and K to their first Nanooks hockey game, which ended in a 3-1 victory for the home team! Woohoo! What could be better than bleachers, popcorn and a Zamboni?
Mette's home now and will post wonderful pictures from her expedition in the icy Arctic seas.
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