Minister’s Musings

            I am just back from three days at the cabin at Caribou Creek.  We left the day after Christmas, with the entire day being dedicated to getting there – first the 232 miles of highway, with a flat tire on the pickup truck, (the under-bed spare tire being nearly impossible to get off, and the wheel of the flat tire being rusted to hub, so the simple process of changing a tire took about an hour and a half,) and then the mile-long driveway. The snow was drifted so high in the driveway that we had to stop and shovel the wheels clear several times.  Young trees, bowed down with heavy snow, formed an archway over the road.  Finally we were stuck, 100 yards from the cabin, and we sledded in the perishable food, the kitten and dolls, and then our bags, to the freezing cold, dark cabin in the woods.  Propane lights and candles flamed up and made a soft glow on the dark log walls, and the fire blazed up on request in the old barrel stove.  We melted the ice in the kettle to make hot cocoa for the kids.  There was leftover Christmas turkey, homemade bread, and fresh pears and Mandarin oranges for dinner.  Bliss. 

             The next day I shoveled a path to the outhouse, while Elizabeth, Mauri and Erin played in the snow.  Jim got his Caterpillar tractor running and began plowing snow, freeing the vehicles in the driveway.  We made cookies, played a board game called Labyrinth, dressed the dolls, and straightened the cabin.  Jim’s brother and nephew came for dinner and then we all tried snowshoeing around the cabin.  The snowshoes were too small for the deep powder, but it was fun anyway.

             On Tuesday, Jim was still plowing snow, and took time to make a sled run beside his sawmill yard.  The girls and I went sledding, with Erin being quite good at “snowboarding” on a plastic sled.  The kids played card games and listened to books on tape.  Mauri collected and melted enough snow to make warm water to wash hair, so I set up the ‘beauty parlor,’ and washed and conditioned Mauri’s and Erin’s hair over a metal basin on the kitchen table. 

             Wednesday was the day we had to leave.  Jim spent the morning cutting wood and plowing snow, after repairs to his 50-year-old CAT.  The girls packed, and washed dishes, and hauled logs to the cabin.  We drove out without any difficulty, and left Mauri in Palmer with her other grandmother. 

             Dinner in Anchorage and a consultation with a fish expert at a pet store were the only breaks in the trip home.  Then we were back in Seward, with five goldfish to look after, four cats and a dog, and all the Christmas clutter to clean up.  I love it.

                                                    Beatrice

Birthdays

             1           Mike O’Connor

             5           Bonita Turner

             6           Richard Turner

             8           Maryam Norton (10)

             10         Sharyl Seese

             24         Evaline Martin

             30         Melissa Stone

             30         Jenne Danzl