I have family in Alaska. Mostly they live on the Kenai Peninsula – in or around Soldotna area. Each Christmas, I look forward to receiving an Alaska themed calendar from my cousin Michael and his wife Alison. I don’t know why I love it so much, I think it’s all the photos of the Aurora Borealis; they truly fascinate me. I’ve never seen them the couple of times I’ve been in the northern regions, but it’s one of my bucket list things. Anyway – this year’s calendar also includes the names of the months in different First Nations’ languages. January is Irallull’er, it translates to ‘the bad month’ in Yup’ik but only in the Bristol Bay region. I find it interesting that tribes in different areas can use the 
same name, with the same meaning, for differing months. It is completely dependent upon the weather; some months could come before others. I suppose, as we look at our weather this month – compared to others – this could be our Irallull’er. Or perhaps our month is more Kanruyauciq, meaning “frost”, like those of the Canineq area (lower coastal). No matter what its correct name is, we’ve been calling it “cold.” Continue reading
irallull’er
04 Friday Jan 2019
This morning, my folks walked into the house at the same time I walked out of my bedroom- that doesn’t generally happen when they visit; it was the morning they were planning to leave. Unfortunately, we woke up to another 3 inches of snow. Dad was a bit nervous about hitting the road during a pretty good snow storm, but we cleaned off my car and his truck and they followed me into town – at 25 mph. The roads were so icy. Mom and Dad had already elected to leave the 5th wheel with us and come back in the spring to tow it home. So glad they made that decision! Have you had enough of snow photos from us??? Too bad, we’re gonna show you some more. 
She has dropped her blanket of white over the hills and left her fleece behind in the draws where the sun never quite shows his face. Spent pomegranates hang from the trees like so many forgotten Christmas ornaments. The little dinos leave their tracks behind in the snow where only perspective can show how large or small the threat may be. Winter has come. 
It’s always fun to give at any time of the year, but it’s doubly fun at Christmas… at least for me. My co-worker feels the same way and she told me she had a blast shopping this year. One of the gifts she found was for us to use on the farm and she could not wait to give it to us. So, Wednesday she made me bring home something to try out. I was kind of afraid to use it, but today it was time to put it to the test. 
Hey y’all! It’s Wednesday and that means a short post day. Just a quick update for now. I guess our biggest news is that my folks have arrived for Christmas. They rolled in around 3 pm this afternoon. We’ve been slowly getting ready for this visit, but we’re never completely prepared. I suppose we’re good enough for puttin’ the feet up and relaxing. Witness the patriarch in his normal position after driving for around 6 hours today. With a rum and coke already polished off by the time I got home from work. Guess we’re all ready for the holiday. 
Last Saturday was the day we had set aside to move the RCW. I had mentioned this was an interesting, if difficult, process and I’d take some photos of the more interesting segments. You know, when you have plans they never really go the way you think they should. I didn’t take any video, and I kept forgetting to take photos until after the fact; but I still have a fun fact to share with you. It’s about the most difficult way to thread the needle. 
Does that title bring to mind any song from the 80’s with specific dance moves attached to it? Electric Slide anyone? Well, if you’re not too sure exactly what I mean and you make through to the end of this post today, “I’ll teach you, teach you, teach you; I’ll teach you the electric slide.” Anyway… what Sue suggested I write about today is the visit from our two math-physics-engineering friends Ron and Kathy. See this graphic to the right? It’s all just nonsense to me, but these two super bright people get this kind of stuff. So, before we ever embark into possibly difficult or dangerous territory, we ask them to take a field trip and impart magnificent words of wisdom unto our ears. Continue on, if this sounds interesting. 
Wing and a Prayer 