Farming in the far north takes a lot of…..trial and error. Just when you think you know the ways you can improve your crops, your yield, your soil, your organization and tools, the next year is so wildly different. Take this year for example. Every single person you come in contact with in Alaska thisContinue reading “We Almost Named Our Baby Wendell”
Author Archives: secretgardenalaska
The Rat Race/The Road Not Taken
Despite living off-grid in the middle-of-nowhere, Alaska, I still succumb to the rat race on a regular basis. A daily engagement of battle between what I need, what I want, and what everybody else has. A daily struggle to find contentment with where I am, to learn from past decisions, and to make wiser decisionsContinue reading “The Rat Race/The Road Not Taken”
13 Things We Are Working On
13 Homestead Happenings
Floating on a Pink Cloud
My daughter Primrose is asleep in her bed all by herself, which is very rare. Her sister, Marlena, is upstairs asleep in the Pack n Play. Their mother, Savanna, is asleep in her palace upstairs. Both dogs are asleep on the ground. The cat is outside hunting rabbits, birds, and mice. The quiet sounds ofContinue reading “Floating on a Pink Cloud”
Dead Duckling
My innocent daughter, Primrose, killed a duckling today. The poor kid. It brings her so much joy and excitement to hold them, to feed and water them, to sneak into the house to touch them and pet them, to be near them. But today, we made mistakes as parents by letting her stay inside theContinue reading “Dead Duckling”
A Sandhill Crane and a Gravel Pit
It’s been weeks since I saw it. I was biking in my neighborhood. It was raining a bit. I was pulling my two daughters in our brand new Burley bike trailer. My husband and I had been researching for weeks. I had settled on a Thule, we have the Thule child bike seat after all…IContinue reading “A Sandhill Crane and a Gravel Pit”
Wrapping up the School Year
Today is Tuesday, May 16th, and in only three days I will be finished teaching my first ever school year. It has been a wonderful opportunity to grow, learn, connect, and earn money for the family. However, to teach in a classroom setting is not my passion in life. And while I understand that sometimesContinue reading “Wrapping up the School Year”
Growing Food
The time is upon us! The excitement is apparent! From Sandhill Cranes walking down the dirt road only twenty feet ahead, to visits to the creek to toss in sticks and watch them drift down stream. From watching pairs of squirrels hop from branch to branch, to calling the dog back as she chases rabbitsContinue reading “Growing Food”
The Visit
Ever since the movie Sixth Sense came out, I make it a point to watch every film directed by M. Night Shyamalan. When Signs came out, it was confirmed that M. Night was my new favorite director. But then came Unbreakable, The Village, and Lady in the Water, all of which were disappointing. He triedContinue reading “The Visit”
The Arrival (Of Spring)
I will start this post by saying that I am not an abstract man. When I see a Jackson Pollack painting I think, “Now that is a waste of paint.” When I start a book that jumps between characters and times and uses abnormal punctuation and non-linear story development, I typically quit reading. When IContinue reading “The Arrival (Of Spring)”