Kill the Wabbit!

Over the weekend, SBF and I took Charles out to murdalize some bunnies.


This is the Matanuska glacier, as seen from the road.


The Matanuska river runs down that valley.


Perhaps I take too many photos?


Check out the feet on this snowshoe hare!


We got four bunnies. They make it kind of easy, since they've turned white for the winter, but the ground is still brown.


A neat hill in the sunset.

Caturday!

Happy Birthday!

Hey baby, how YOU doin?

Ohai there!

Someone please tell me, where'd September go? And half of October? Did I blink? I sure as hell haven't slept through it. I know it got colder, and all the leaves turned pretty colors and then fell off the trees, but I swear... wasn't it just August?

Anyhoo.

Holy crap, I've been doing things. Let's play catch up, I'll go first.

SBF and I went to the State Fair for a second time. We had a ridiculous amount of fun eating porkchops on sticks and making out on a bench in a garden, and we disgusted dozens of teenagers by groping each other in the line for the ferris wheel.


This is what I spent all my mad money on. Pony rides YES PLEASE.


I kicked SBF's ass at a game of skill and won him this! Then we walked around and I shouted "Hey, mister, where'd you get that great big bear?" so I could giggle when he answered "My girlfriend won it for me."


Clematis?


Turning hairy.


Would this robe emit the same mojo as the Three Wolf Moon t-shirt?*


I laughed myself silly when I first saw this, but in hindsight, I wish I had bought it. It's tacky and I've fallen completely in love with it. If this jacket is at the fair next year, it is so gonna be mine.


In other news: I'm looking for a new Chez Jen. This quest is kind of a pain in my ass, because apparently there aren't a lot of landlords who like my six cats as much as I do, and are willing to rent to the Crazy Cat Lady. I don't want to find new homes for the kitties... how would I even choose between them? And I'm not sure I can convince anyone to actually sell me a house with a...oh, let's say 2% down payment. So, yeah, the housing search is going swimmingly.

Here's one I actually said no to:


Do you see that chain running from left to right? THAT'S TO HOLD THE HOUSE TOGETHER. And dig the post! Nothing sez "structurally sound" like a 4x4 balanced on scrap wood and cinderblocks. Behind that shining example of carpentry wall are the world's scariest water heater and shower. Trust me when I say "You're welcome" for not taking photos of those. YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW.



Me: NOM! NOM! NOM!
Jasper:I are not amused.


*I own this one, which is a combo of the Three Wolf Moon and Keyboard Cat memes. Because yes, I totally AM that cool.

Autumn Ahoy!

I'm writing this at 5am on Saturday. I don't wanna be up so damn early, I've been averaging about 4-5 hours of sleep per night, which has me exhausted. I should be sleeping in, and the bed does look inviting.* But this time of year in Alaska translates to "Jen runs her ass off" because of all the summery activities that still need to be squeezed in before it's too late, and the ever-growing list of winter preps that's lurking at the edges of my brain. There's not enough time for ANYTHING lately, how can I waste it sleeping?

(OK, also, I have some kind of pinched nerve or something by my shoulderblade and yet another ear infection.)**


This picture is blurry, but such pretty colors!


The Chugach mountains, from a hillside in Birchwood.


Jasper and Smitty, still geigh for each other.


I want to write more about SBF, but it's so difficult. I don't want to get all mushy and disgustipating, and I've deleted huge chunks of babble already that OH MY LORD, SOMEONE STOP ME, NOBODY NEEDS TO READ THIS DRIVEL. I'll summarize the big stuffs: he's wonderful and treats me like I'm special and I. can't. get. enough. But it's the little things, the tiny surprises that pop out of rambling conversation (he gets obsessed with the Olympics too!) and the way he prepares supper, and how he walks with me through Target, and every day is like a new adventure and I wake up excited to talk to him some more, and SEE, OMG I'M GOING THERE AGAIN.




*


**Stupid Q-tips, looking so damn inviting. I broke my addiction for the most part, but every couple months, I am compelled to grab a couple and DDDDDIIIIIIIGGGGG around. And then I get talked into a shower, where water ricochets into my ear, and I ran out of ear drops last night, on a stupid holiday weekend, so yeah. It's making me cranky.

The State Fair v1

Finishing out August

The past couple weeks have been crazy busy. The boys are back in school and work has me hopping around with a million tasks.

In the summertime, my commute is always in daylight. But now the sunrises have dwindled, and I leave Chez Jen before "official sunrise." I try not to (pessimistically) look ahead to the darkness, but I know it's coming. Summer is thisclose to being over; winter will be here any minute.


A neat cloud formation near the Knik river bridge.



Mr MT made this for lunch last week; it's a convenience-store brat and a can of tamales all on buns. I should get hazard pay.


SBF knows how to make bows and arrows, old-school style. He's making a bow for Charles.


We celebrated Caturday.



Charles sez "Is it done yet? Can I shoot with it? When is it gonna be done? Is it done now? How about now?"




Generally, Squirrel is a standoffish cat. She barely tolerates me, and pretty much hates everyone else. But with SBF, she follows him around, sits on his lap, and purrs her head off. I'm not the only one warm for his form.

The fair started yesterday and runs through Labor Day. SBF is taking me and the kids this weekend, and I plan to snap a million pics of them eating a variety of sugary treats and riding spinny rides.