Gone to the Dogs

So, I ask you ...

2009-06-21T21:54:00.003-07:00

Family, Fine China & Foot Rubs

Does life get any better??

wildlife!

2009-06-15T07:33:00.010-07:00

Yukon Wildlife!!

Pacific Coast Wildlife

Vancouver Island Wildlife

Exploring Old Growth Forest Wlidlife

Rattle Pup Wildlife!!!

We're BACK!

2009-06-04T22:10:00.004-07:00

We've had a long break from our

usually up to date blogging...

but NOT with out a good excuse...

First we were on a family holiday :)

(TONS of photos to share with you on THAT topic :)

Then Mummy had to go back to work full time :(

(it feels like we barely see her any more!)

& then the silly computer stopped working !

(now THAT was truly harsh...)

SOOOOO

finally...life is starting to settle down.

We are back in our Northern mansion,

Mummy seems to be getting a handle on her schedule,

and the computer guy came to visit today & fixed all of our woes!!

In the mean time I've been busy collecting rocks for Mummy!

She saves every single one!

She just LOVES the spruce cones too :):):)

My sister Sarah is a great rock picker upper too!
Heck between the two of us,
Mummy will never have to look for her own rocks again! Oh won't Daddy be happy that HE won't have to
pick up the big ones for her any more...
Nope...
We can do ALL of the rock collecting from now on

while Daddy just sits back & relaxes ;)

!!!

On the rarest of breaks from rock picking...

I've been visiting with

our new puppies...

Well...

They aren't exactly OURS but they live with us

& we just LOVE them to bits!

Sarah & William Cat are great buddies...
After a long day of hunting bugs & rocks,
they often take a nap together...
I join them too,
but only when Mummy & Daddy
make me!!

SOOOO
As you can see we've been busy playing
outside this summer!
& now that Mummy can get back onto the computer...
you'll get to read all about our adventures!
Just remember to be easy on her when
there is a bit of a gap in the updates...
This full time working thing
seems to have her more tuckered out
than my sister & I have ever seen her before!
*********
Well,
that's it for now!
Stay tuned :)

Spring is in the air!!

2009-04-02T21:51:00.006-07:00

Finally...

(purple the colour of the wild crocus)

With the mercury rising into the PLUS zone the icicles are growing on the cabin eaves.
This one is 56 inches already with no sign of shrinking !
...
In another 5 weeks,
we might even see our first wild Crocus,
that is, if the snow ever melts.
...
Remember, last June,
we had a fresh foot of the
white & not so fluffy stuff
fall on us!

...

But this isn't the time to remember such things,

thinking of Spring is far more pleasant

Soft and Gentle Sarah Grace...

2009-03-31T21:17:00.013-07:00

Some say she is shy...

I say she is soft & gentle.

This little wonder LOVES

to dress up
in Mummy's things...

Be that a beautiful scarf or

a practical down vest...

& Mummy's bright red hat is perfect

for dress up too!

Her own hat is fun to put on

& she even gets it on straight

once in a while!

Ahhhhh... at 16 1/2 months old,

Sarah is SO much fun!

She plays dress-up

and give hugs.

She shares toys

and laughs easily.

& when Sarah isn't summitting something REALLY tall, she is typing on the computer when I turn my back to pour a morning coffee!!

,,,,,,23,....../mml;'''''lmllllllllllllll//////////,,,,,,

(translation: Love Sarah Grace)

Burwash Bound & Back!!

2009-03-18T14:44:00.014-07:00

The days are getting SO long now

and the sun is SO strong

that

I couldn't bear to be indoors
for one more minute!!

So...the girls & I

were Burwash bound!!!!!

No matter what time of year it is,I never get sick of these mountains!It's like they have a life and personality of their own!

I could live with out the ice on the highways though...

At one point I almost turned back

but chose to push on, I'llbeit, at a snails pace!

It doesn't look so bad from this photo, but trust me,

the ice is slick & not a whole lot of fun!!!

Views like this one made the trip
worth it :)
Hummmm....and to think,
THIS is my backyard!

I promised Courtney, Sarah & William,
to do my best to get Santa's autograph when I
arrived in the North...
As it turns out,
he's not an easy fellow to access!
but here IS proof that Santa & I
share the same neck of the woods!
Christmas Creek is only about 20 minutes
north up the highway!

On this trip I even saw his reindeer tracks!
I would have stopped to take photos of them but
the road is really icy & curvy there...
NOT a great spot for stopping!!

Kluane Lake is frozen solid!
She's the largest body of water in the Yukon.

And across the road from Kluane Lake is,
Sheep Mountain!
That was my office
(the tiny green dot at the bottom of the photo)
my first summer with Parks.
& what a summer it was...pregnant with the twins
and working in a remote setting like this!!

This old place was the home of one of the original
gold miners in the area!
He is buried at the foot of Sheep Mountain.
I remember peeking in through a broken window
one day...something moved & I was out of there
before you could say "Jimmy Cricket"!
Must have been an Ermine...

Now THIS fellow was far too friendly!
I'm not sure if he was watching over
a sheep carcass in the ditch,
or if he was hanging around
because people have been feeding him...
I really hope it's not the ladder!

He was so beautiful that I had t stop & take
a photo or two or three or four...

Too bad I cut off his nose in this one :(

After he circled the truck three times,

I was back on my way...

but not before I got the next shot!!

In the Yukon,

I'm always struck by the beauty of a Coyote!
I've never seen an Ontario Coyote

look so healthy!

Perhaps it's the colder weather...

a thick coat can do

wonders for any dogs

appearance!!

After a long drive the girls & I finally
arrived in Burwash Landing!!

Buddy & Ips

were there to great us!!

& Brenda was more than ready for a twin

snuggle :)

It's been SO long!!

Our visit wasn't as long as I would have liked it to be

but I needed to get home in the daylight

With the slick conditions & Dahl Sheep low on the mountain

& crossing the highway,

I'm leery about doing this trip in the dark!!

Besides, it's nice to be home in the evening

with family :)
.......

After a friendly hug & good time with my dear Friend,

and with the girls played out, feed & changed,

it was time for the long drive home!

Funny, a trip to Burwash is all it takes to

remind me that the Junction trees are

lush...even with 90% taken by Beetle kill!

The scars of fire have left this place looking

lifeless!! The trees that DO exist here, are also

tiny in comparison to ours 100 km south!
Burwash is also lacking any volume of snow...

It's amazing the difference between

the two communities!

My mountains back home!

& around the lake we go!!

an old dilapidated motel along the route!

A better look at the Old Minor's Cabin

I'll have to look up his name again...

I once knew it...

that & the dates that he lived

& died there...
What a life of adventure he must of had!

More lifeless building

along the Alaska Highway

Two cabins close to home

that have sat for some years

with out inhabitants...

There is a strange beauty & quality

to these old

structures!

Finally, over two hours on the road home...

we arrive in the Junction
The Muffin is there to welcome us

It's an interesting sculpture, not overly liked by locals,

with a dark & mysterious history

perhaps I should write about that one day...

I always laugh at the tipsy sign

over the local bar...

DaKu is a beautiful building

it's one of the admin buildings of the CAFN
It sits about 3 km from our cabin

Ahhhh...our cabin at last!

I love to go visiting &

playing elsewhere but...

like Dorthy said,

"There's no place like home"

I'm getting so big that...

2009-03-17T10:11:00.006-07:00

I can put on my own hat!!

I LOVE hats!

They are SOOOO much fun!!

Mummy's old Tilley is just the right fit :)

Well, not quite...but I'm still growing!!

& this knit hat she found at the thrift shop...

SO fashionable...I'm ready for Tofino!

Twin friends came for a visit...
Their hats were rather small
you see my friends are only 7 weeks old...
but trust me
I got those hats on too!
Mummy just wasn't fast enough to get the photo!

Mummy's hat is fun to play Peek-A-Boo with :)

Now this is how you wear

the pink hat from Aunt Maureen...

Mum & Dad just don't get fashion!

They keep putting it on sideways!!

When worn properly, it looks SO pretty!

But then again...

my ears are cozy warm this way...

Maybe Mummy & Daddy

know a thing or two ?

This putting on my own hat thing

is REALLY fun :)

Ready for a hike in Kluane?

:):)

If only I hadn't grown out of

my very own Tilley, the one Mrs D gave me!

Oh well...my Daddy said,

"When a little girl

grows out of her favourite hat

it means that her brain is growing"

and Mummy said

my brain is SO big already

that it scares her!!

Do you know what she meant by that?

I got thinking ...

2009-03-10T13:55:00.010-07:00

I got thinking about

the fact that ...

most of you (my family)

spend a major portion of your day on the 401

commuting to & from work, or

driving to your favourite galleries!

While your cars are heated &

built for comfort with stereos,

they serenade you

through the stench of traffic...

Though crash tested, with airbags

and padded leather interiors...

I couldn't help but think

Hair Hair & more Hair!!!

2009-03-10T12:55:00.007-07:00

Here at the Fastdogs Kennel

we pride ourselves on

our innate ability to meet your

every need!!

For example...

Having a bad hair day?

We're your team :)

Come in and have a seat in our cozy cabin!!

First Adelaide will wash your hair...

and then your face...
Then she'll pass you on to me, Sarah Grace!

Once you are feeling completely refreshed,
I will de-tangle your
wayward mess!!

Then, I'll show you how your locks can be
with the magic of Twins and our TLC!!

(as mother sighs...
"Hummm...suddenly she looks all grown up"!)

But be advised...safety glasses are a MUST

when you visit OUR salon!!

Any takers

Note:

Cuddles are accepted in place of tips!!

Another snow filled day!

2009-03-06T09:44:00.014-08:00

Our road has been horrible this winter!

There has been so much snow that we've

been down to one lane

& people have been getting stuck!

Once they are stuck, there is no way in & no way out!!

SOOOOOOOO...

Martin (not "Their My Martin", another one)

came & graded the entire road!

We decided to walk down the drive way

to take a look at the
new & improved road!!

WOW... I never realized just how LONG
our driveway actually is!!
Notice the "You want us to walk HOW far??" look
on Little Adelaide's face?

Nothing like a little break along the way

to cheer you up :)

and a much happier little tyke usually makes for a
much happier adventure ;)

Off we go again!
Sarah is looking for the trail!!

"I found it! It's this way gang!!"

"Just follow MEEEEEEEEE

Tired little feet after a long trek down the drive
deserved a ride:)

Besides, not only did the grader clean
the road up substantially,
it also groomed the big hill for kick sledding!
No time like the present to check it out!!
Sarah was yelling, "Let's GOOOOO!!"
Well if she was old enough to talk,
I'm SURE that's what she
would have been squealing!

I'm glad Daddy took them for the first go around!
Holy Cow...it's almost TOO fast now!!
You should have seen how far they went!
& there are no rope-tows or T-bars
to get you back to the top!!

The little hill was big enough for me :)

We should get Martin
to groom our hill every weekend!

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...."

Even Wellington was having a blast,
thought I think he was
having a hard time keeping up..
Heck, even speedy Duchess
wouldn't have been able to
out run us on this slick stuff!!

With bungee cords for a seat belt
& Courtney, Sarah & William's old snow suits
to keep them warm...
a ton of freshly groomed snow
and toasty -15'C temps...
It was another successful Yukon adventure
at the Fastdogs Kennel!!

Stay tuned
for our next update!

Fun with blocks!!!

2009-03-05T16:39:00.003-08:00

Aunt Karen & my cousins

sent up these really cool blocks for our birthday!

It was a long time ago....waaaaaaaaaay back in November last year.

We were still to small for blocks...

but look at us NOW!

(well look at ME anyways :)

Here I sit, all grown up now...

In 5 days I'll be 16 months old!

Can you count with me?

ONE, TWO, THREE !!!

ORANGE & BLUE

FOUR & FIVE!

& now there are SIX !!

Hummm... can YOU count to SEVEN??

No? Me either!!

Oh well plenty of time for learning our numbers, right?

I just LOVE my new blocks!

Sometimes I even share with Sarah & Mummy!

Gee Whiz...

Blocks are fun but they are a lot of work!

Time to put them away & find a good book :)

Would YOU like to read to me?

I haven't learned my letters yet....

The Yukon's version of Snow-Men!!

2009-03-04T22:49:00.011-08:00

When the sun finally returns to the North...we celebrate!

And what a celebration it is :)

To wonder through a garden of Snow Creatures

when the sun is shining,

is enough to warm the spirit of even

the most frozen soul :)

(remember, all you have to do is click

on any of the photos to make them bigger

if you want a closer look!!)

Team Skagway, Alaska

The tired old minor is oblivious

to the bever who is chewing his wooden leg off!

Team B.C's
Snow Princess is almost as beautiful as my girls
& her palace is perfect!!

Team Manitoba
made me smile :)
Must have taken me back to my TSC days
with paddle in hand :)

Team Ontario
So would those be kittens or pups?
The jury is out but
they are cheerful critters nonetheless.

Team Whitehorse
Whether in flight or on the ground,
it's hard not to love Raven!!

Sundog Carving Centre

Team A

Now here is a beauty queen :)

Perfectly human & all woman!

I think she was my favourite!!

Team Yukon

This bear is cute, no doubt,

but what the heck is he doing?

Team Finland

WOW!

She is stunning!

I wonder what the Sea Creature will do

if she picks HIS lily?

******

Now,

wouldn't these snow creatures

put a smile on YOUR face too

after a long cold winter?

Surprise!!!

2009-02-26T10:32:00.010-08:00

Daddy is the best Daddy!

He's been taunting Mummy with tails of a surprise for three weeks!

Adelaide & I (Sarah Grace) knew about it all along...hehehe

Now, it's important to know that Daddy's great at

coming up with surprises but not so good at

surprising Mummy (she's just too smart) !!

THIS time things were different...

Mummy just couldn't figure out what he was up to!

Forgetting all about his taunting,

last Thursday She went off to her Search & Rescue (SAR) meeting.

Upon her return, only 45 minutes later,

there was a strange vehicle in the drive.

Upon entering the cabin,

there were a strange pair of gloves on the table...

In a million years Mummy never would have guessed that

that vehicle & those gloves were the surprise!!!!!

Well not until she peeked around the corner

& look into the living room...

You see, the gloves fit the hands of the driver

of that strange vehicle...

and the driver was

AUNT MAUREEN!!

It didn't take long for Adelaide & me (Sarah Grace)

to snuggle in & make Aunt Maureen feel welcome!!

Too bad we didn't have the camera ready

when Mummy walked through the door to find her surprise!

WOW WEE, was she ever happy !!

It took no time at all for the FitzGerald's

to make the most of the weekend!

We bundled up, & out the door we went!

Luckily,

the sun was shinning & the mercury was rising...

rising just enough to make it possible to

play outdoors...

Can you believe I actually

fell asleep on the kick sled??

I was having fun but the fresh air got the better of me!!

Then it was time for Aunt Maureen to hook up a dog team!

A bit cooler out but WOW...

SO worth bundling up for!!

actually my sister & I

were sound asleep when THIS was going on

but it's easy too see just how happy

Aunt Maureen looks in these photos!!

Look at her form!

Look at her speed!!

Banking the first turn like a PRO!!

& isn't that smile worth a million!!

& oh those mittens!!

I'd say that, that Aunt of ours

has the heart of a true Northerner ;)

Sadly,

all good things must come to an end...

& this weekend was no different :(

or, so say our parents!!

We love you completely Aunt Maureen!!

We think you should just move into our room ...
Adelaide & I talked about it &

we are certain we have room!!!

....................

Enough of these last dinners & tearful goodbye's...

Oh well...We will be reunited soon:)

when ALL of the FitzGeralds come together,

gathering from far away reaches...

Oh, what a day it will be!!

............................

Daddy & our family, from the Yukon

Aunt Maureen & Uncle Ian, from BC

Aunt Margaret & Uncle Jean, from France

Auntie Eileen & Uncle Marcello, from Italy

*********

We can't wait to hug you ALL at the same time!

Hay Daddy....

Great job surprising Mummy !

Lets do it again NEXT weekend!!

Today, He's our HERO!!!!

2009-02-17T13:20:00.018-08:00

Adelheid & Sarah's

"My Martin"

did it!!!

He trained all winter long

(heck, he trained all summer long too!!)

He packed his gear... He loaded his sled...

He double checked his list...

and, like any good handler would,
Gene triple checked his list!

Then with a chuckle & a hug...

& his biggest fan (Adelheid) there to send him off...
the final count down was heard &
Martin was mushing down the trail of the
Yukon Quest 300

Together, 12 beautiful dogs
& their loyal Musher
:)

Soooooo...how did he make out??
Well...

23 teams signed up
22 teams started
8 scratched
11 have finished

&
3 are still out there

----------------------------------------
POSITION -BIB # -MUSHER -LOCATION- DATE- TIME IN

9 -59 -MARTIN- FINISH -FEB 17 -18:31

-----------------------------------------

Ahhhh...dear Martin,
We can't wait to welcome you home
Well done Friend!

Yukon Quest Adventures...

2009-02-15T16:31:00.007-08:00

Wow! What a weekend!

Sean & I managed to get into Whitehorse in time for me to

volunteer at the

Yukon Quest Vet Check!!

This didn't happen easily, I might add...

NO! We started out making good time

(which is ALWAYS an accomplishment with two little ones in tow)

but then we came across a truck that was not only ditched & abandoned, it was blocking any access down our road!

Thank Goodness for OnStar!

One press of the OnStar Button & the RCMP were dispatched!

Chris (one of our local officers, & darn nice guy too) came to our rescue!

Not only did the OnStar Advisor get us the RCMP,

she called the Quest office & patched them into the truck too so that they wouldn't be worrying about us!...

hummmm...I LOVE my truck!

It took over an hour before we were on our way again,

no thanks to the drunk

that had left his truck across the road!

(who later got a good tongue lashing from BOTH Sean & me)

Then there was this little snow storm...

Come on folks, we're in "the Great WHITE North"...What do you expect??

Oh ya...we're also considered SEMI-DESERT and tend to have very little of the white fluffy stuff on an average snow year!!

Well THIS day, the snow fell until it hit an all time record in Whitehorse!

(I'm thinking it was around one foot)

The drive was rather slow going...with blowing snow, visibility on that highway can get mighty sketchy!

FINALLY, we made it to town & the drive was totally worth it!

THIS dog my friends, is an athlete!

She will be on Colleen Robertia's team,

running the 1000mile Yukon Quest

That would be me in the fancy brown dog-yard jacket!
The vet (Helen) is going over the dog's general physical condition
while I take down the information on a check sheet...
Tony is handling the dog for us!

There is Colleen in the back ground in blue!
& it's my turn to snuggle with this beautiful girl :)

I can't remember what we were laughing at her but
we were totally bonding with Colleen's dogs!

Good thing I didn't have any room in the truck...
I could have easily taken this one home!

Not only did I get to spend the day with
TONS of beautiful furry four legged people
and learn TONS of great things from the different vets that I got tow work with,
the girls got to visit with their faceless Auntie Laura!!
(ONE of these days I'll get her with my camera,when she least expects it!!)

******************************

Apparently Sarah was paying attention to the Vets & Mummy because...

On the way home...we stopped at Auntie Stacie's where

she got to put her new found skills to work on Poo Bear!!!

Final Evaluation

Female-White-Teenager

Body Condition: 2.5/5 (perfect squeezable score)

Skeletal-Muscular: Teddy Bear-Cuddly

Lungs: Inflated with delightful squeals

Oral Exam: Kissable

Heart: HUGE

signing vet: Sarah Grace

The Summit!

2009-02-12T10:29:00.009-08:00

For weeks, Sarah Grace has been

climbing everything in sight, while

Adelaide Anne, has been persistent in her efforts!

Well, the moment finally arrived!

THE SUMMITTING OF

GRANDEE'S ROCKER!!

Adelaide has the gumption to do anything she sets her mind to!

(must have gotten that Gene from her MOTHER ;)

I just LOVE her positive attitude...

...not to mention her enthusiasm when she succeeds !!

(Yup, that's my girl !!)

Finally, Grandee's rocking chair has been conquered!!

Heck, this little tike even applauds herself for her accomplishments :)

How can't you fall in love with her...ahhhhhh

This would be the
"Oh Daddy, look what I just did!" giggle,
(I usually get the "I just fell on my noggin" cry or the
"Mummy, my sister just took my toy" scream!)

and the
"Humm....I think I'll savour the moment

before my sister gets up here" look

Not that THAT moment could last for very long around THIS cabin!!

Oh well, things are ALWAYS better in TWO's :)

Way Way Up!!

2009-02-12T10:23:00.004-08:00

Good morning :)

There is a school teacher that lives in Nunavut, Arctic Bay, & he has a Blog called Way Way Up...I've enjoyed a number of his entries. He is about to interview an elder as part of his professional development time with the high school & will be writing his stories on his blog!!! I thought you might like to read them too!

There is a link to his blog along the side of my own so that you can access his very easily by simply clicking on it! The link is under Blog Buddies on the right side of my blog page!!

http://waywayup.blogspot.com/

Or, simply click on this link above & then add it to you favourites!

Hope you've all had a good start to your day! The girls have slept in again & are now playing quietly in their crib! I think It's time to get them up though...
It's about -35 out and is as clear as a bell! Thank goodness the sun is shining again :) It feels amazing on my face as it pours through the windows of the cabin !!

Happy reading!!

Kick Sledding!!

2009-02-09T13:26:00.021-08:00

On the weekend we decided that it was time to take advantage of the spring like conditions (above -35'C) & the tons of fresh powder that fell!!

On went the sweaters

On went the snow pants

On went the snow boots

Then, it was time to practice walking in the living room!!

(use your imagination as there is no photo capturing that moment)

Then,

On went the coats, hats & mittens!!

What a workout! I was sweating...had to change my shirt even!!

Finally it was time to play in the snow!!

Little Sarah wasn't too sure about walking in her winter boots!

Little Adelaide was amused that we were foolish enough to think she'd even try!

Sean bought this kick-sled for me when the girls were 6 weeks old...

I thought I'd NEVER get to use it!

The wait was well worth it ;)

The two agreed that Mummy's kick-sled looked like a lot of fun!

Well sort of...once on board, they were not 100% sure...

Sarah (pulling up the rear) hung onto her sister for dear life!

Actually, it was rather cute!

Adelaide was ready to keel over just before the hill...

Good thing Wellington was there standing guard!

A close up of there faces, as they started down the hill,

would have been priceless...

Once Dad had his fun, it was MY turn!!
This was a blast! And being the honey Sean is,
he pushed the girls back up the hill for me!!
Did I pick a great guy, or what?

Are these not the cutest kids ever??!!

Even Wellington was joining in on the family fun!

The snow was so deep in the bush that he got stuck!

Can you imagine a Springer, of all dogs, getting stuck?

I think I had just as much fun watching the girls playing in the snow as I did

watching my dear dog!!

When it was time to head back to the cabin,
Adelaide took a face dive right into a massive pile of fresh snow!

She wasn't totally impressed but, managed to hold it together

and, in fact, pulled through her first snow job with flying colours!!

Well, that's it...Our kick sledding day was a total success!!

Hay, by the way, did you notice just how much the girls have grown? It must be all of that clean Yukon air:)

Breaking news!!

2009-02-08T12:30:00.016-08:00

There is a concert happening in Tofino

some time in April!

Or at least that's the hottest gossip

in the music industry these days!

I've heard it said that Cherry & Marmalade will be backing up the Mystery Lead with their unmatched talents on flute, tambourine, keyboard & drum!!

The town is all a buzz...& the bog is bubbling with the news!!

Our Undercover Agent scored these exclusive shots of the pair jamming away in some backwoods den...

in the Yukon of all places!

How this skilled photographer, found them,

we will never know as these are the only

photos of Marmalade & Cherry on public file!!

A stranger turned in our Agent's camera (intact) after they found it while

back-country hiking!!

To date, we have had no contact with our Agent!!

Cherry on flute...

Marmalade tapping the tambourine

Marmalade on the keyboards!!

& Cherry kickin' it up on the drums!!

It is unclear at this time just WHO the Mystery Lead is...
but we hope that our AWOL undercover man is still
undercover trying to find the answer !!
In the mean time,
we are all holding our breath, anticipating further breaking new about additional shows &

just WHO Cherry & Marmalade are backing for!!!!
(and of course news on the whereabouts of our #1 & currently AWOL man!)
*****************

H.A.F reporting

Don't Delay - Vote TODAY!!!

2009-02-06T23:02:00.007-08:00

A fellow Yukoner & friend, "Meandering Michael" has applied for

The Best Job In The World & I think he is just about crazy enough to get the position!! Heck, if this job isn't his...well, it just won't be going to the right person!! In the meantime, while the judges are doing their jobs,

we can all give Michael a boost &

VOTE FOR HIM TODAY!!!

Michael is cleaver enough in his campaign to win "The Greatest Job In The World" that he has been gaining a fair bit of media attention!!

Even the CNBC picked up the story!

*************

All you have to do is click on Michael's underlined name to learn more & click on the underlined "Vote for him today" to see his video!!

Now remember, Michael is worth a 5 * rating when you vote!!!!

*************

Now, Michael is bribing all of his friends to write a posting on each of our blogs to boost his efforts... I say, again, "Cleaver Michael" !!

I don't NEED an ipod, nor does Sean...

I fully planned to post about this anyways because it's fun to follow & who knows, I just might KNOW the AWESOME family who gets to move to some exotic island of the coast of Australia for 6 months to PLAY & earn HEAPS of money in the process!!

I say, GO for it Michael!

You show the world that no one can beat a

true blue (frozen) North of 60' Canadian!!!!!

4 things to do when it's cold outside!!

2009-02-04T13:26:00.006-08:00

1) Terrorize Mummy by climbing onto anything we can!! Her responses really are fun! You should see her run & jump over the baby gates to get to us before we tumble!!! She really is an athlete!

2) Dress up in identical outfits & pretend you are the OTHER twin...
(only thing is girls, you don't LOOK alike!)

3) Get Daddy to build a railing !! Yippee!! More room to play in!! Now Mum won't have to worry about us climbing over the couch anymore!!!!!

4) & Help Daddy with railing so that Mummy can go to quilting & make Adelaide's Christmas quilt! Better late then never!!

Hay Daddy, has it warmed up enough to go mushing? I'm all grown up now, heck I even fit your mushing hat!

Bits & Bites

2009-01-31T22:19:00.006-08:00

There are SO many things that I have planned to post and yet life seems to get in the way...sooooooo

I thought I post some Bits & Bites

A few weeks ago (or so) we were off to Whitehorse for something or other
and as usual we stopped at Auntie Stacie's on the way home for...

...a quick diaper change,

a yummy snack & a much needed friendly visit!

I do I mean "friendly" !!
Sarah was ready to take the entire team home with her!
That girls is DOG CRAZY!!

******************
Some time before that...

We had some snowfall mixed with RAIN!!

All of the weakened trees from the summer snow storm

were in crisis again

Sean walked a few kilometers,

banging the heavy snow off all of the trees

in hopes that they would spring back to a height

allowing our vehicles to pass

I drove behind him with the girls in the truck

and got out to help where ever I could!

Oh the joys of living in rural Yukon!!

***************

Ahhh, then there was a moose!!

Isn't she beautiful? or was that a HE?? Not sure...Regardless...what a wonderful sight along the Alaska Highway!!

*************

I think I'll have to post some more bits & bites later...as for now, I have two little critters to feed :)

The finished product...

2009-01-29T15:44:00.008-08:00

Do you remember WAAAAAY back on November 1st, when I posted about a baby quilt that I had asked "The Thread Bearers" to make for a friend...
I showed you a photo of me working away on my block & what it looked like when I was done with it! It was the first block that I ever made!!
Well...I never did show you the finished quilt did I?

13 women worked to put this together!!
I was SOOO excited to see just how beautiful it turned out!

Here it is!!

My bug is the blue butterfly in the bottom right corner in the photo above,

and the top left in the photo below!!

If you click on the actual photo,

you can see, in better detail,

just how well it turned out!

Since then, I've completed my FIRST QUILT, which you might remember seeing on my Dec 31st Christmas Post:)

I now have TWO more on my plate...One will be started & finished this weekend (I hope) It's another one just like the last...for the girls...

The other quilt, well...I can't tell you anything about it because it's a surprise...Heck, I can't even tell you who it is for!!

SOOOO...somewhere between family chores & twins, I've got my hands extra full these days!!

***************

Have you ever known a quilter?

They really DO suffer from an obsessive condition don't they??

And another thing...

I'm always amazed at the people that live up here...

It seems that 99.9% of the Yukon residents are brilliant closet artists!!

I am SOOO lucky to have an opportunity to learn from these extremely talented individuals!! Perhaps some of their skill and creativity will rub off onto me one day :)

***********************

Hay Mum:

Not only am I learning to quilt but I'm also learning a few new Blogging tricks! If you click on the underlined words in this post, they will take you back to the posts that I was refering to in the script! Isn't that nifty?? Then all you have to do is hit the back button in the top left corner of your computer screen to take you back to this one! Go on...give it a try!!

Traffic jam ...

2009-01-27T09:50:00.007-08:00

First off these are NOT my photos...I took them from the Internet!

I don't even know who was so fortunate to take them!

BUT...

...this very shot could easily have been mine last night...

On my way to the local store for a loaf of bread & some bananas,

I found a cow & calf on my road!

Because the snow is deep & capped in an ice crust,

Mum didn't want to give up the road!

Once they are in deep snow, they can't move quickly enough to escape the wolves, and even if there are no wolves around at the moment...their shins can be ravaged by the hard crust!

Instead, she took her calf, that was about the size of this one,

down the road in front of my truck!

I was SOOOO glad that I was driving my new 1/2 ton instead of my tiny little car...especially when she turned around and looked right at me!!

You see, a Mama Moose KNOWS she is big & powerful & for her to challenge a mere vehicle is NOT unheard of! Heck... a few summers ago one kicked a Grissley to death for killing her calf!

Anyhow, the two sauntered in front of my car for a good long time.

At one point I stopped to see if she'd look for a safe place to leave the road.

The two just stopped & stood there in front of me!

I really needed that bundle of bananas for the twins & the store wasn't going to open it's doors after hours just because I'd been held up by a moose or two...

With this in mind, I tried, gently, to nudge them along!

With icy roads, I was careful not to send them into a frightened run for fear one of them would silp & break a leg...I also couldn't help but worry that I was sending those two magnificent creatures straight onto the Alaska Highway (as it was only a stones throw up the road). Suddenly their saftey was far more important than a bundle of bananas...I stopped again.

Finally, once in the residential area, Mum found a break in the snow & bounded into the bush, taking her child with her!!

So...I ask...

Who has ever watched the TV show "North of 60' "?

Well, for a very long moment, I felt like I was in the middle of their filming set!

Really now, I know I live in the Yukon & all, but...a Cow Moose & Calf in

down town Haines Junction impeding my efforts to get to the store before it closes? THAT, friends, doesn't happen every day!

Not that this has anything to do with last night's adventure...

I just have this thing about Mummy's with twins...

no matter what the species.

****************

Wishing that all of your traffic jams

are as fabulous as mine ;)

It was a big night!

2009-01-23T23:29:00.006-08:00

There was Music in the Junction tonight & Daddy took Mummy, and Sarah & me out on the town!

It was our first chance to wear our new dresses

that Grandee & Grandad bought us for Christmas!!!!

Given the fact that Mum & Dad think my sister threw up on me earlier,

Mum opted for a sink bath :) I wasn't too sure at first...

and I think I still like the big tub better but,

I really did smell & I really wanted to wear my dress !!

Sarah, (the one who did the throwing up)

didn't have to have a bath because

she threw up on ME

instead of on herself!
She's looking rather sheepish here, don't you think?

It did feel good to get all cleaned

& dressed up though :)

and Sarah IS looking rather apologetic!
O.K...She's forgiven...Besides, what's a bit of spit-up between sisters anyways??

I just LOVE my new dress!!

And my woolen booties just look SO fashionable with it!

As you can see,

We were all ready for the big concert !!

Riveted to our seats (actually to Mummy's lap)

the music began!

My sister Sarah was absolutely engrossed

in the performance tonight!

I couldn't stop dancing all night!

or clapping my hands or singing along...

I just LOVE going to concerts!!

And with "My Martin" as my surprise date,

the night was a total blast!

The singer tonight, Tamara Nile,

was not only wonderful,

she really liked us too :):):)

SHE asked if she could get her picture taken with US!!

Then we bought her CD & she signed it for us :):):)

We are working on a stellar music collection...

Uncle Ian's CD is still our very favourite though!!

************

Well time for bed, because Mum & Dad are just exhausted!

My Sister & I could go for another round & party all night long...

Oh well, we'll have to put away our party dresses

and dance booties till another night...

I can't wait till the next concert in the Junction!!