To Our Dearest.

Our wonderful Aunt Laura died a week ago, and this has been the hardest week we have ever gone through. She was more of our surrogate mother than our aunt, and the reason we came to Alaska three years ago. Everything I could say about our emotions right now would be a cliche- our hearts are broken, we're shocked, we feel numb... but I now realize why those phrases are overused in the first place- because they are accurate descriptions of how people feel when something tragic happens.
And so we dedicate this day, June 24th, to Aunt Laura. We chose this day because it is Adalie's birthday as well as Aunt Laura's funeral day, and so we will always remember her and how she was one of the greatest people we have ever known.
We love you, and adore you, and will always remember you.

A Portrait for the Ages.

Alaska has been good to us.

Noteworthy Events.

Many exciting events have been taking place in the lives of the Von Beckleys. First, we went to a plant nursery and saw a real, live banana tree, growing actual bananas! And we live in Alaska! Look at the ripening bananas:
Secondly, Taylor built a raised garden bed so we can have an organic garden. Here he is surviving hordes of mosquitos in the quest for perfect dirt:
Thirdly, and most importantly, I finally noticed what a funny sign our local gas station has:
But the clown isn't lying- those ice cream cones are huge! Here I am (or rather, here my knee is) with a SMALL ice cream, and I've already eaten HALF of the cup! The audacity of those people! Who do they think they are?! Crazy, that's what I think.

One Joyous Activity Down, Many More to Go.

Our glorious days of hiking in along the scenic power lines have come to an end. The water in our mighty river has now risen to acceptable levels (meaning, 4 inches deep) and our mighty, Louisiana-born Go-Devil boat can slog it's way through mud and silt to our place.

Here are some selected scenes from our last day hiking in to our lodge:

Please note the petrified animal droppings gracing the edge of this classic mix CD. This was found near a rubber boot with a bullet hole in the side. The locals here are a real classy bunch.
After seeing all the trash and the general unkempt character of Nature, I decided to really go for it and cleaned the hell out of the messy, dirty land.

A New Car Will Soon Be Yours

Taylor and I are thinking about buying a new car, and we have found a several that we really love. Taylor thinks we should go with the blue one, but my heart is set on the one in the middle!

On a more serious note (C? B Flat?) for all of the moms reading this, we are finally getting to open up our lodge, even though there is still no water in the river- which means we have to hike in 3 miles to our place, through a crazy land filled with teenagers with automatic weapons and really big, hungry bears. We like it, mostly because of the AWESOME DANGER around every corner and the HUGE ADRENALINE RUSHES we get! Here's a picture demonstrating the riskiness of this hike:

Our Anniversary

Yesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary, and it was swell. We went whitewater rafting with our company, and then spent the day with the newest member of our family, Chickenscratch #3 (pictured above), who along with his adopted brother Sir Weevily Wheat (the bird), sang us a rousing rendition of 'Oh, He's a Jolly Good Fellow.' We kindly overlooked their poor singing abilities and clapped loudly at the end. This year was much better than last year, when we spent our 1st anniversary in the hospital because Taylor almost got paralyzed by a crazy falling door, and had to be airlifted out of Bear Camp. The following picture is Taylor right before the accident, blithely unaware of the danger and pain about to befall him:

Taylor and Adalie's Adventures at Bear Camp

(The following is in third person. Read it as if you were reading 'Dick and Jane Go To School.')
Taylor and Adalie traveled by tiny plane to their company's Bear Camp, where they go each summer for a while to help out the friendly folks who work there. They love going to Bear Camp, and are so happy that their company sends them there all the time. This time they helped set up the tents so all of the lovely tourists will have a nice place to sleep. There are lots of big brown bears at Bear Camp, and a friendly old homesteader named Wayne. Wayne is a nice man. He has lived on this land since 1967, and right now Wayne owns a dog named Boots and a goat named Sugar Something. Taylor and Adalie smile big at Wayne's stories! They are so happy!

Adalie was ganged up on by the fierce goat dog duo. They demanded she play with them for hours, and when she wanted a break, the goat dog duo headbutted her.

Taylor participated in the annual Moldy Mattress Rodeo. He won.

Snapshots from Our Life

This scary lettering on the inside of a typical building here (notice the unfinished loveliness of the wall) is written by our Gary, who is known for his friendly smile and blackened teeth.

Our new pet bird, named Sir Weevily Wheat. We rescued him from a glacial beach- he was half buried in the silt and very lonely. Now he's safe and happy, living with us.

Our children will always be Junior Rangers on Alaskan fjords cruises. These concerned citizens are taking the pledge of undying loyalty to the National Park Service and all she stands for. It was a very moving experience.