Moving 3K Miles with 3 Dogs

A place to write about our experiences moving from Southern California to Fairbanks, Alaska. Me, hubby, and our 3 pups.

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Actual rain!!! 😍😍

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Sometimes, things don't work out quite as planned. And, ya know, sometimes that is better!

Impromptu White Mountains trip today with the WHOLE family and an absolutely lovely hike at Table Top!

We honestly weren't sure how far Simon would make it, but I really wanted to bring everyone! He actually did really well!! We finished the hike! 😁

There were snow patches, running water and creeks, wildflowers, and even some of last year's berries which the dogs really enjoyed! There was absolutely no one else out hiking the trail! When the wind blew, we could hear the strange howling noises it made blowing through the plants and trees. ❤️

It was a fantastic outing, and the whole pack is quite tired now. And I am centered. 🙂

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And pics! Enjoy!!

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Today we reorganized the garage! We got some work benches from a friend! We put like things together, easily accessible, and against the wall to free up LOTS of garage space!

Before video below, and I'll make a separate post for the in progress pics, break time bonus pics, and after video.

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Off to a good start for project season! We opted to go with the seamless gutters, mainly because they require zero maintenance. We can leave them up all winter, and all we have to do is move the rain barrels before it starts freezing again.

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1- I really enjoyed doing these videos when we were building, and I enjoyed the one a couple days ago, so why not!

2- The drainage is flowing!!! We still haven't found it on the uphill side of the driveway, BUT the puddle there is going down and the flow on the downhill side means it's going where it should be!

3- We've obviously learned some lessons! We're definitely marking our drainage this summer, and possibly adding heat tape that we can plug in at the start of spring.

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The puddle is looking better today! I even spy some bare ground! 🙌 We'll see how it does as the day progresses! 🤞

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Soooo yeah. Not super ideal, but we're doing what we can to drain the water. 😬 Alaska problems!

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I'm feeling accomplished and grateful this Sunday evening. We bought our first pair of skis Thurs, & picked them up Friday with bindings on. We went out Friday, Saturday, and today for a ski. I learned new skills each day and built my confidence and kick/glide speed!

I'm grateful for winters that last, exploring and learning new outdoor activities in my favorite season, a home base where we can store all the new toys we're collecting, and for new and fun ways to get outside in the sunlight and snow. I'm grateful for a place that feels like home, and feeling accomplished for learning new things.

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Simon. ❤️ The most handsome old man. My ride or die, my OG puppo, my very good boy. We had our regular vet visit today. The good news is, his lungs still sound/look good! The bad news is, he's developed a bit of arthritis in 2 spots on his back. He had blood drawn and labs look normal, so we're going to start him on an NSAID. I'm feeling some kind of way. 😭 I'm confident that we're making the best call for him to continue to live his best dog life, but it's so very tough to watch him grow old. But, the meds should also help with reducing his lung inflammation! Spring/summers are hardest for him, when it's wet outside, so I'm hoping for a double benefit from this.

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Today we finally tried a new thing- cross country skiing! Things we learned:

1. It's definitely type 1 fun!

2. Ski boots don't make my toes nearly as cold as I'd thought they would.

3. Gliding feels really weird at first 😂

4. It's all about balance

5. We both need a LOT more practice haha, but the basic motion is pretty intuitive

6. Also for funsies we tried with the pups to see how they'd like it. Simon would prefer to herd the skis! 🤣

Happy to report we both only fell once on our first outing! 😂 I suppose the question now is whether we buy skis now so we can use them a few times this winter, or shop the end of season sales.

[3kw3dogs]

Pluto isn't quite sure yet if he enjoys bikejoring. He knows he loves being with the people though! He's always most interested in what I'm doing, so we hooked him to dad's bike and I rode in front so he could follow. Seems like he really enjoyed that! A short ride is better than no ride, and it was a lovely day to be out on the Tanana!

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I had to go into the office, so I took my fat bike with me and treated myself to a lovely solo ride after. 🥰 I actually got to see the orb of light in the sky post 4pm, and enjoyed the perfect "golden hour" lighting and the last of daylight.

[3kw3dogs]

Growing up, my dad was a photographer. I whip out my phone and take a quick picture as an afterthought. We used to drive to beautiful places, and then… just sit... for hours, him trying to line up that perfect shot. I've always thought the "two kinds of people" are those that photograph life and those that "do" life. There's great value in both, and I have a love of good outdoor photography (of any genre, really). But I'm the "doer" type of person.

I'm sure there's some in between, some sweet spot in the middle. Sometimes I wind up with a good picture, but mostly I want to document the things that make me happy in the spur of the moment.

And this picture sums up yesterday's adventure. Slogging through windswept snow, falling in up to our waist randomly, laughing all the way. Dogs finding moose nugget piles and rolling around in the snow. Perfect sunlight on the hillsides. A good walk, and a family full of tired pups and humans alike afterwards. An adventure done, and sort of photographed. 😉

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The face and gait of a very happy boy! Simon and I went on a solo adventure today, just because. 🥰

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The top is always windy and always beautiful. A lovely afternoon jaunt with pups!

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Cheers to six years of marriage! In our fifth year of marriage, we built a house together. Holy shit, we actually did it! This year has been such a wild and always busy ride, but I'm so glad to be on it together! Happy anniversary to us, and Happy New Year to all!

Bonus tidbit: when we got the go ahead to rough in, the FIRST thing we did was drilled a 2" hole for the shower ABS… in the wrong spot! 😂😂 Initially it threw us into a bit of disarray, but we figured it out and got the job done!