The Weather Made it to 37 Degrees...Yippy.

I wanted to introduce everyone to my new Roller Derby Skating shoes.  They are really actually "hand made" in the USA. USA, USA, USA.  I love them so far.  No blisters and I can really make good turns.  There is a whole bunch of roller derby players in Bethel right now, and none of us know what we are doing.  So much fun, I can barely walk though. 

Moxy, Cole, and Jackson eating pizza.  Moxy woke up and said, "Mom I want Jackson to come over...Now. 

We went to a carnival and they were selling Yupik language t-shirts.  Moxy says "my mom loves me" and Ruby's says "My dad loves me." 

Greg in the Red Dragon with our children. 

Playing a little t-ball on the snowy tundra. 

Eddy and I hanging out.  He seems to love the cold weather. 

Waiting for the sled

Greg was giving Eddy a little bit of moose stew.  And Eddy was trying to slurp it down.  We have not started Eddy on solids, but greg sneaks in little "tastes."

January is the Coldest Weather in Bethel's History

 


From the National Weather Service:

KUSKOKWIM DELTA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BETHEL...HOOPER BAY...NUNIVAK ISLAND
742 AM AKST WED FEB 1 2012
...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM AKST THURSDAY...
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST
THURSDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM AKST THURSDAY. THE WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST THURSDAY.

* WIND CHILL VALUES...45 TO 55 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
* WIND...NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55
  MPH.
* VISIBILITY...REDUCED TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT AT TIMES.
  THE LOWEST CONDITIONS WILL BE INITIALLY ALONG THE COAST BUT WILL
  SPREAD TO THE REMAINDER OF THE ZONE BY EVENING.
* TIMING...PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL PERSIST OVER THE KUSKOKWIM
  DELTA THROUGH THE DAY TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT. WHILE
  ACCUMULATION DOES NOT LOOK TO BE SUBSTANTIAL...THE LIGHT
  NATURE OF THE SNOW COUPLED WITH STRONG WINDS WILL YIELD
  PERIODS OF POOR VISIBILITY. WINDS LOOK TO DIMINISH BELOW 25
  MPH BY THURSDAY MORNING WITH IMPROVED VISIBILITY. COLD
  TEMPERATURES WITH STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO SUPPORT BITTER WIND
  CHILLS THROUGH THURSDAY.
* IMPACTS...INCREASED RISK OF HYPOTHERMIA AND FROSTBITE. PERIODS
  OF POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO BLOWING SNOW MAKING OUTDOOR TRAVEL AND
  ACTIVITY OCCASIONALLY DIFFICULT.

Ruby's school was cancelled today.  They didn't want to cancel because of all 

days missed when the pipes were frozen.  The pipes froze again last night, 

which would not generally stop school from happening with inventions like 

hand sanitizer, Or sayings like"If it's yellow let it mellow."  But today 

the winds were too much.  This month the average temp.is -17 degrees.  I can 

handle even -37 degree weather but once that wind starts blowing...my limbs

feel like they will snap in two like a tree branch, a few seconds of having my 

hand out it starts to feel like frostbite. 

 Our car stopped working at some point and after refusing to take another cab ride, we bought this big heater.  Greg tarped the car and warmed it up in 30 minutes.  It worked, our car is up and running again, and continued to run in -30 degrees, currently with windchill our weather is -65.  There is no break in the wind currently.

Rapunzel getting a dose of cabin fever by Ruby.

Kefir for Ruby and I

                                           

Kefir with tundra blueberries.

 I recieved a box of Kefir powder recently from Susan.  Susan did you know that I absolutely love Kefir, even though it seems to make people disgusted.  Whenever, I leave Bethel I usually get a bunch from the grocery store (cost approx. 4-5 dollars a bottle).  So I asked the local yogurt maker about the kefir powder.  She told me about someone who was using and growing the Kefir grains, and I went and got some of his extras.  Thus- the kefir craze has started.  Here is the Wikipedia explanation of Kefir.

(Kefir  (From Wikipedia)
Kefir grains, which are a Probiotic that contain Yeast and live bacteria, are used to make kefir
Kefir (pronounced /kəˈfɪər/ kə-feer [2]) (alternately kefīrs, keefir, kephir, kewra, talai, mudu kekiya, milkkefir, búlgaros) is a Probiotic fermented milk drink made with Kefir Grains that originated with shepherds of the North Caucasus region, who discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat, or sheep's milk with kefir grains. Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway; the bag would be knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed.[3]

Marco Polo mentions kefir in recounting his travels.)

                                                Kefir Grains. Rubbery, they multiply.

Kefir with milk.

 I put milk on top of the grains and let it sit for a night or a couple days. The longer it sits the fizzier it gets (slightly carbonated, milk does not go bad).  In the left hand photo, the drink is ready, the milk whey is on the bottom. 

Ruby helps me strain the kefir.  She loves it!  Moxy literally spit it out on the floor.

straining the grains, we will put strained grains into clean jar and restart the process.

drink it up yum!

Hot Diggity Dog-Making History

Go Jen Peeks! This is from this morning, but she left last night.  She is the first woman to win the Bogus 150.  This is a 150 mile dog race up river and back.

We found Elenor and Sean above.   We went to eat at Main Street Restaurant before the dog race.  They put us in some  private room.  Maybe to keep us from the other customers.  Eddy exposed. 

Eddy wrapped up in my coat.  He was snug and seemed to like being out.

The left is Lance Macky and his team.  He is a 4 time Iditarod champion.  This year our K-300 interests are more sparked than ever, as there is a lot of dog mushers from the area who are competitors. 

Cars on the river facing the fireworks, we think the site is pretty.

 

Eddy looking cute.  Susan sent me a down snow suit and warm sweater.  Perfect timing Susan.  Eddy stayed super warm.  Still smiling after sub-zero degree temps.

Collards and Logs

 Andrew and Kristy were on our minds today.  Not only can you bake kale but collard greens bake into chips also.  I ate a whole head of collard greens today, and two weeks ago I ate a whole head of kale.  Recipe is as followed and given to me by Kristy.  Olive oil, tumeric, garlic salt, nutritional yeast and pepper.  I also add a little cumin because I am coo coo for cumin. I am more coo coo for the Nutritional yeast.  I bake them at 290 degrees and begin taking them out after 15 minutes.  Yum Yum Yum.  I am a little addicted and find myself very disappointed when kale does not come in our vegetable box. 

 Andrew, Greg wanted you to see that it takes three whole birch logs to warm our house right now.  Nice and toasty.  You guys should come back now...okay?

There You Go Dad -37.

 Moxy seems to really like Eddy.

Mom was not exaggerating about our cold weather.  Our vehicle will not start. All over Bethel building pipes are freezing.  Even I got the day off due to frozen pipes.  :) Weather report shows about another week of this kind of cold.

Happy New Year 2012...Where Did 2011 Go?

Happy New Year.  This is the temperature in the new year.  This is the real deal, no wind included.  It has not been cold like this in a while. Just in case you cannot see the thermometer it says -32.

Eddy looking cute.   What a special gift for Christmas.  

Ruby spent Christmas on the couch, feeling nauseated all day.  She did not even want to play with her toys.  That's sick.  She kind of has a green tint. 

 "I am optimus prime!"  The toy that gives me goosebumps. 

 Moxy got his gun, little dart gun.  He's been good with it.  We had concerns for what seems like obvious reasons.  But, we decided to let him be a full out boy from Alaska.  

Christmas holiday weekend spent in one big slumber party.  We were sick and tired for about three days straight. 

Lots of fun though. We are like hibernating bears

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.