A Plug for Family History Undertakings...

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This is a book I made with my Great Grandma, Melvina Leetham Cropper, while I was living with her the summer of 2008.  She was a dear, unique, amazing woman.  I am so glad I had this opportunity to get to know her better.  She passed away this summer and I miss her very much, but am so grateful I was able to record some of her stories and wisdom while I could.  We would sit together those days and I would ask a vague question to get her going and then type what she said word-for-word.  We looked through hundreds of photos.  She never had a lack of memories to share.  One of my dreams is to someday have a business helping people write their stories.  I know this sounds like a commercial for some publisher, but I am posting this because it is something I have a passion and love for.  There are many book-making companies out there, but you don't have to spend lots of money or make it fancy--you can always just print typed pages and photos and put them in a binder.  I recommend this kind of project to everyone-- it might seem daunting at first, but it's easy once you get going.  Invaluable wisdom and knowledge is waiting to be discovered in the minds and memories of our elders, and we can start with our own grandparents!  I hope to do many more projects like this as well.  And we better get going--time's a wastin'! 

Sad News. Hard Work. Sweet Little Faces.

This past week and a half has been very hard.  The Sunday before last, the day after Fatima had given birth, she was really not doing well--she had been panting very hard and looked so weak (I thought it was just the laboring process, but Keith knew she was really in trouble.)  Before church Keith saw that she was not in her house with her pups, but just laying outside under the house, too weak to get back in.  He stayed home and brought her to the vet.  I met him at the clinic and what I found out was such a huge shock to both of us--due to about five correlating medical problems I will not go into, Fatima had to be put down.  It was so hard to say goodbye.  If you know me well, you know that I am not a "dog person" in the traditional sense, but I loved Fatima so much.  She was very special--so brave, sweet, and beautiful.  We had brought her all the way from Iceland and enjoyed her wonderful presence for the few months she was ours.  Keith had known this particular dog for years and among the hundreds of dogs he had worked with on his sled dog teams, she is one of his very favorites, if not his favorite.  The problems, the vet said, had been going on for a long time, but hadn't really shown until the extra stress of having pups at her age--and it was just too much to fix.  Many tears were shed that day and the next few, for her, and the new-born pups now that didn't have her, and the weight now upon our shoulders of doing the nearly impossible task of keeping them alive--for her sake as much as ours.  We owe it to her. 

 

 Man and Beast

Rest peacefully you beautiful, sweet girl.

 

It was a miracle really that she had carried them to term in her condition--they were born exactly the day Keith said they should be--she did such a good job, doing her best to take care of them even when she was suffering so.  Her dedication was very inspiring, and heartbreaking.  We quickly learned how much a mom really means for the puppies.  She does everything for them.   Finding everything he could online, Keith read the statement of a dog breeder that raising puppies "by hand" (without the mother) is something he would not wish upon anyone.  We now understand that statement.

I now have to say, that it is because of Keith's super-human determination and endurance that four of these puppies are still alive (we did loose one on about the fifth day and it was again heartbreaking and added much to the stress as we tried not to loose heart).  He has sat with them continuously since Fatima was gone, only leaving a total of maybe five times for quick errands or showering while I sit with them.  It may sound excessive, but due to some unforeseen problems with the as orphans, they literally take constant care.  If we don't stop them, they suck on each other which leads to infections, but they need to be kept together most of the time for the closeness and development.  They also need to be "peed" and "pooped" a certain way, cleaned, and bottle-fed often--with five on what started out as different schedules, it had been exhausting.  Keith has slept only a few scattered hours each night for the last week and a half.

One solution to the sucking was to separate the sucker in a time-out box when there were multiple offenders so the others could be fed until we got to that one.  We have experimented with so many things, and there really is not much help out there.  Even the vet admitted to not knowing almost anything about raising new-born pups without the mom.  We have gotten lots of advise from a dog breeder in town and that has been wonderful--she let us know what is normal and what is not, what to expect, because we had no idea!-- but even she had never raised pups without a mom and raising Greenlandic Sled Dogs is a little different, we have found, than other breeds, and the literature on that does not yet exist.  I was  telling Keith we should make up a pamphlet with all of our new knowledge. 

Overwhelmed and stressed, but releived to have made it this far.  Still trying not to get too attached to any one of them, knowing their existence in the future is still in question.

Oh, but they are SO cute.

This is the only female of the litter.  The neat thing is she has just the exact same coloring as her mother and is very sweet, so we are calling her Fatima, to honor her mom.

Look at that.  Just look at it.

They have graduated to a wading pool.  They seem much happier out of the box--with plenty of room to drag themselves around and get strong.  They are also happy to be able to get away from each other.  One thing we have learned is that they do not need to be kept quite as warm as other puppies as they already have beautiful thick fur--made to withstand cold temperatures (with mom's help) from a very young age.  That's enough about the puppies for now--it is taking up almost our whole life right now so there is much that could be said on the matter.

I guess I'll post some more pictures of their development later, 

but just know this blog is not all about dogs.  I'll try to post more things about our life too : )

Pioneer Puppies--The Start of Our Sled Dog Team

Something exciting happened.  I guess lots of exciting things have happened since I posted last--in a few sentences, I, then Keith a month later, moved back to Sitka, Alaska (my home town).  We both got jobs.  My brother returned from his mission, my sister graduated from high school and we've had some other fun adventures--I just haven't been very good about blogging about it.  But here's one piece of our lives that may be interesting to viewers like you: Keith brought with him back a full-bred Greenlandic Sled Dog, Fatima--one of his favorite dogs, a sweet and beautiful female he has known for years--finally being able to make a long-term dream/idea a reality.  The idea was to bring back a pregnant Greenlandic Sled Dog from Iceland from his friend Siggi's kennel after breeding her with a big healthy male.  There are no other Greenlandic Sled Dogs in the country that we know of and, as sled dog teams in Alaska have been "watered down" over so many generations by non-husky breeds, this makes this breed of dog quite a commodity.  Greenlandic Sled Dogs are very much larger than an "Alaskan Husky" mutt, have hair so thick and supple, and are extremely strong and tough.  We hope to have a small dogsled tour business on the side of whatever it is we end up doing, and these dogs would make it special.

We have enjoyed having Fatima here in Sitka with us, Keith has made her a wonderful home area in the backyard (below) complete with a front that opens on hinges, a separating wall inside for when Fatima needs to get away from her puppies for some peace, custom built poop scooper, tool hanger shed, wooden steps, water-bucket holder, and a play-house for the puppies.  I am excited to have kids with this man :)   We think Fatima has enjoyed her adventure too, exploring this new place.  Anyway, she gave birth to five living puppies last night--a rainy, rainy night.  Keith checked on her every few hours--feeding each of the puppies with a bottle some formula before she finally started nursing.  Keith was hoping for more, but we are so relieved that it was a successful pregnancy and that we have some healthy puppies.  There are two black males, two white males, and one female colored blonde and black like her mother.  They are SO cute!  I was emotional seeing them for the first time, what a miracle!  Tiny little claws and tails!!  Hand-held sled dogs, they'll be so big and strong some day!! This is the start of something that will hopefully grow into something special for our future--the pioneers, and ancestors, the explorers.

Geysir

 We took a small side trip to "Geysir," since we had sometime before the pool opened for our weekly shower.  Tourists flock here and it was our turn to do some touristing since I had never seen it.

 

 "The Bubble"

 

 This one goes off about every 10 minutes.  Quite impressive.

 No wishes of any kind.  Not European wishes, Not Japanese wishes, Not American wishes.

 This is the site of the geysir actually called Geysir... this is said to be where the word "geysir" came from.  It only (erupts?) once a year, and on special occasions for visiting dignitaries... (with the help of a little soap).

One Fine Saturday Afternoon on the Stokkseyri Shore

"Sunbathing" in Iceland...

Lyngdalsheidi

Well, because of a lack of snow down at Holmasel--the farmhouse in Southern Iceland where we were living--the boss has moved headquarters here, to a place called Lyngdalsheidi.  The five of us (Siggi--the owner, Claire--his girlfriend, Mirko--the German musher, Keith and I) now live in the one-room cabin pictured above with no electricity or running water.  The place has it's inconveniences (pooping in a bucket and breathing propane all day), but is really a much more beautiful location and I have enjoyed taking many panoramic pictures lately of the valley--I tried to upload, but the files were too large.  We have arranged to take two days off a week to freshen up and attend church, etc.  So I am making use of the internet while I can to give this update.

The cabin life offers few distractions and I spend much time curled up in my blanket reading.  I am currently reading "Travels in Alaska" by John Muir.  What a phenomenal writer/thinker/being.  I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys history, philosophy, and the wonders of the natural world.  I wish we had more writers and scientists today that see and are awed by God's hand in everything, as he does.  Keith and I are also reading together "Walden, or Life in the Woods" by Henry David Thoreau.  Interesting to read the two together--both from about the same time, wonderful observers, thinkers, and writers. One focusing on the natural world with humans as a part of it, one focusing on human attitudes and behavior with the natural world as a part of it--especially at a time when we are living as if it were the 1800s, seeing by candlelight and boiling water for the rare washing of some dishes.

Anyway, there's the update.

Keith's first "Time Lapse"

Keith set the GoPro outside on a snow bluff next to the farmhouse at Holmasel where we are living.  Here is a nice day in Iceland with "Walking in the Air" from The Snowman (what's kind of funny is that this shot actually reminds me of the beginning of The Snowman where that weird guy is talking by those trees...)

Our Cross-Canada Video Tour!

Using the footage Keith shot with our GoPro camera mounted on our handle bars (he would turn it on at various times throughout each day for a few minutes) and sped up 64 times to a condensed Cross-Canada tour (our perspective this summer) in 17 minutes!  Every bit of it brings to mind memories for us--we had some amazing days and love looking back on it.  Enjoy : )

Our depiction of the Republican Race for President

 

Joking last night Keith called Newt Gingrich, whom we truly despise, Jabba the Newt, and we proceeded to decide who each of the candidates would be in Star Wars-- Darth Obama, the good guy gone bad--a matter of troubled ideas--must face one of these four challengers.  And since we have quite a bit of time on our hands, made this.  With Keith's super Paint skills, it turned out alright!  Sarah Palin has happily chained herself to Newt, with her recognizable... name she irresponsibly throws her influence in his direction, having been promised a cabinet seat if he is elected, some say.  Why else on earth would she do that?  Anyway, we tried to capture the caricatures of these candidates--real or media-imposed.  We have been tuning in to all the debates (here in Iceland at 2 A.M.), watching the polls closely, and reading many articles--trying to be good American citizens from way over here. 

Strange Eats in Iceland

 Southern Iceland received a unusually large quantity of snow last week-- here's the view from our bedroom window, though it may be misleading because it is not very far from ground level.  I walked out of our front door and there was a huge drift of snow almost completely blocking our entrance.  Now the snow is completely gone due to incessant rain.

 This is a bucket of "Salted Horse Meat"--a delicacy in Iceland, mostly eaten in January and February--a celebratory season when most traditional foods are eaten.  Siggi presented us with a special dinner : )

 Pictured along with the Icelandic horses we were watching out the kitchen window.  Cruel?

 DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!  Here's the chef.  Recipe: dump horse meat in pot of water, boil for about an hour.  Served with Siggi's special "diet potatoes" seasoned and fried in butter.

 It was SOOOOOOO good-- tender, salty, rich, wonderful.  The Super-RED meat.

 We got to use the car to go to Selfoss and buy some wool (Keith's knitting a sweater) and explore a bit.  We went to a thrift shop, and bought some of our favorite Icelandic foods at the grocery store and had a picnic in the car.  This is a fermented shark sandwich Keith put together.  The shark smells AWEFUL--I begged Keith not to get it (I won't touch it--I Have tried it--Never again), but we are in Iceland after all-- you have to let your husband eat rotten shark SOMETIMES.

 Brie and Shark on Baguette.

 I DO love the moist smoked herring you can buy for very cheap.  Why don't we eat this at home?! It's great!  We sell all of our herring to the Japanese or use it for bait, but they're really on to something here.

 Skyr-- a definite favorite.  Like yogurt, but thicker--like it holds it's shape--and richer.  This one is melon and tropical something flavored.  Really good.

Our housemates and family for the time being at our usual meeting place.