Oh, so you heard! Yes, I’m moving to Alaska. Yes, I am sure. No, I can’t really work from there. I did hear something about the winters, yeah.

No, I don’t suppose I do know what I’m in for, but I am really excited. Did you see the pictures on Google Earth? It’s so beautiful. The creek runs through the property, the Alaska Range is right there, just stunning, and the tundra! It’s beautiful too, but what I really love is how squishy it is.

I should be there just in time for blueberry season, and Gary’s started a summer garden with chard and kale and cabbage, though I guess something ate all but two of the cabbages. We’ll hike and run and ski and snowshoe; I’ve never gone snowshoeing before, and I’ve never seen the northern lights! I’ll have lots of time to read and write and learn to weave and use my camera. We’ll see all kinds of wildlife. Porcupines live under the cabin—the other day Gary almost stepped on one on the porch, barefoot. I’ll be cutting wood and carrying water, and I’ll get to fish for our dinner!

We’re between Fairbanks and Anchorage, but off the main highway quite a ways. The Costco’s in Anchorage, and that’s four or five hours away. Except in winter, when our road is closed and we’ll park in town and take the snow machine to get to the car, which I guess adds an hour or two. Right, snowmobile, but for some reason they say snow machine. Gary keeps warning me that I’ll miss my fresh veggies in the winter, because even if you can buy them they freeze on the way home.

Well, the town there has a couple of gas stations and a Laundromat, but I think for real shopping we’ll have to drive from there. Oh, and there’s a vet, but no doctor.

It’s a cabin—a few hundred square feet I guess, with a loft for the bedroom.  I did see it once a long time ago, but I don’t remember it well. There is solar, and I think he’s working on adding wind, seeing as how there’s not a lot of solar in winter. Hmmmm…does the creek count as running water? He’s building me a shower—you heat water on the wood stove, run it upstairs, pour it in, and run back down to a hot five-gallon shower!

No, I’m not crazy about outhouses either, but I suppose I’ll get used to using one.  Yes, there are bears, but Ella’s a good guard dog. She usually gets a biscuit if she goes with you to the outhouse—Gary says that’s why she was always right there with me in the bathroom when they were living here.

There’s no cell service, but we did just get satellite Internet so we might be able to Skype. Anyway, I’m starting this blog to stay in touch. I’m calling it In Deep (Alaska):  I’m in love, I’m committed, I’m in deep. And I don’t know where this will take me, but for now I’ll be in deep Alaska.