Houston High School softball opening night

It was a blustery, but absolutely beautiful May Day. It was the start of the softball season for my daughter, Nicole. Nicole is a freshman at Houston High School in Alaska. A small school of just about 400 kids and home of the Hawks. A big change from where she was just last semester in Littleton, […]

No Flare Jeans Allowed!

Yesterday I got an education in teen fashion. I thought I would be nice and head to the local Kohl’s–only 150 miles round trip–to buy my 14 year old daughter, Nicole, a couple pairs of jeans. Paying little attention to anything but size I picked up a couple pair for less than 40 bucks. I […]

Enter Sandman: Silky Soul

Last night’s music experience at the Fort was channel 843: Silky Soul. Okay, okay, I am a total METRO! I turned it from Full Metal Jacket hard core rock to something that’s–let’s just say a little silky… We are trying to sleep for goodness sake! Save the head bangin’ for the weekend. I’ll be 41 […]

Enter Sandman: Honky Tonk Tavern

Last night’s music experience at the Fort was channel 811: Honky Tonk Tavern. It’s hard to believe that both Michele and I actually enjoyed this. It started off with a gospel tune from the great Johnny Cash and ended somewhere with a rocking, twangy tune by Dwight Yoakam. He was excellent in Slingblade as Dale […]

Enter Sandman: Malt Shop Oldies

Last night’s music experience here at the Fort was channel 802: Malt Shop Favorites. This was the music I most remember growing up and taking road trip vacations in the Family Truckster. I have such fond memories of those summers with my step-dad, Mike singing North to Alaska by Johnny Horton. This song even played […]

Enter Sandman: Coffeehouse Rock

It was day two of our music experience at the Fort. Last night it was Michele’s pick for our music perusal. She chose Channel 848 Coffeehouse Rock I know exactly what you are thinking: Girl Music. You are right! I entered the room to John Meyer and fell asleep at some point during Lady GaGa. […]

Enter Sandman: Bluegrass

We started something new at the Fort last night. Before we lay our heads down to sleep, Michele and I are going to pick a new channel on DIRECTV to listen to before we fall into slumber. There is such a wide variety to choose from and I think it will be cool to wind […]

Bells Palsy at the Fort

We had a scary incident last night at the Fort. One that caused us to drive all the way to the emergency room on some of the iciest roads that we have seen this winter. Our son, Tyler (17) had been sick for the past week and a half with a really nasty bout of […]

Snow…

Yes it is true, we have had a snowy winter in Willow, Alaska. Not quite as much as the folks in Valdez and Cordova to the southeast of us on Prince William Sound. But we have had our fair share for sure. Today, Tyler and I ventured out on the snow machine in -22 degrees […]

Icicles have been known to kill people!

Today was a holiday. At least for people that have “real jobs”. Here in Alaska we worked around the Fort. We stacked a cord of wood. We checked the propane tank in waist deep snow and even fixed a clogged vacuum.   In the middle of it all Michele managed to dang near slice off […]