#there's no paw prints in the snow anywhere around the house that i can see

[neverthrive]

Life really has a way of accumulating all the worst possible events together in a very inconvenient span of time. Just a whole overwhelming procession of fat fucking Ls

[purplesurveys]

1185

survey by xflirtykaosx

Alphabetti Spaghetti (3/3)

Please believe. - P

How many pages did the last book you read have? I don’t even remember the last time I opened it; but if I have to guess, it’s probably anywhere between 600–800 pages.

What do you like on your pancakes? Soaked in butter, with peanut butter and maple syrup on the side. My dad will also sometimes mix bacon into the batter, and it always turns out delicious.

Do you like small parties or large parties more? I love going to any kind of party, but I like large ones just a little bit more just because it’s easier to blend in and go unnoticed for the most part. I usually feel pressured at smaller parties.

What was the last exam you passed in? I have no idea. Maybe a history exam? I remember taking a Rizal exam right before the pandemic started and I never got the results for that since classes were canceled shortly after. I’ll never know if I actually passed that test haha.

Do you think paw prints are cute? Yesssssss.

How much would you pay a neighbour to do your lawn? We have someone in the village who does that, and my mom usually gives him a tip of I would guess around ₱100.

Ordinary pens, scented pens, gel pens or felt tip pens? Ordinary. The other ones write horribly.

Are you a people person? I’ve grown to be one over the years. I do like my alone time, but I have the most fun with a person or two or ten around me.

Do you put pepper on your scrambled eggs? No. I never use pepper myself, actually.

Who, except yourself, has the nicest pet? Angela’s, at least one of her dogs are. Hailey is super nice and she doesn’t really care what you do with her hahahaha.

What's your favourite piece of clothing? Right now, probably my IVP sneakers since they’re my newest purchase. Other than that, my mom jeans are always super reliable.

What place have you gone to that you never would again? Police stations that I had to visit to cover stories for my journalism classes. Maybe it’s other people’s passion – and I thought it was mine at one point, too – but once I found myself in places like that I slowly realized that I didn’t have the fire for journalism I once thought I had.

What do others seem to have plenty of and you have little or none? Nice photos of themselves. I’m very camera shy.

Is pink a nice colour, an okay colour or icky? I personally love pink, so.

Give me a description of a great film plotline? ...I don’t feel like it :(( I also haven’t watched/rewatched any films in a while, so my memory is a bit rusty.

What do you have in your pockets? Nothing I’m wearing right now has pockets.

Do you listen to podcasts? Not really. I’m part of the minority that finds podcasts a little boring.

Have you ever played Poker? I’d guess I’ve tried playing it one or two times, but I’ve never understood the rules and I probably just did some random moves when I did try it.

Do you have a pond in your garden? No.

How about a swimming pool? We don’t.

Do you like Poptarts? I loooooove Pop Tarts and I wish we had more flavors here :( and that they weren’t so expensive.

Do you write notes on post-it notes? Sometimes; but lately I’ve mostly just been making to-do lists on my laptop. Writing takes too much time considering how hectic my job is.

Quiet darling, shh. - Q

Do you ever use the word quaint? Very rarely. I never really get into situations where that word would be most fitting to use.

Do you know what quantum physics is? I know of the term from watching The Big Bang Theory, but I don’t know what it refers to.

Are you a quiet or loud person? Depends on the people I’m with, my general mood, and my level of comfort.

Do you usually ask a lot of questions? I never do. I feel like that’s a weakness of mine, too. My mind never wanders too far, and I’m only able to recognize good questions when someone else raises them.

What's your favourite quote from a film? “Rome. By all means, Rome.”

Favourite quote from a song? “Now I’m told this is life, and pain is just a simple compromise so we can get what we want out of it.”

Are you quick witted? In what aspect? Not always; but yeah, I guess it comes out sometimes. I’m pretty good at witty or funny comebacks, especially with people I’m comfortable with.

Do you find the word queer offensive? Er, no?

Roses are Red and Romance is dead. - R

Do you listen to the radio often? I used to, since I once drove to school everyday and I liked having the radio on - especially in the morning, since there was a morning program I was hooked to. But now that I’m at home 24/7, I don’t really tune in anymore; I don’t even have the slightest clue what songs are trending rn.

Do you prefer rain or snow? We only get rain, so.

Have you ever ran into someone and injured you or them due to it? Fortunately no, for both circumstances.

Do you listen to rap music? K-Pop groups always have their own rap sub-unit, so yeah I’ve definitely been more exposed to rap these days.

Do you find pet rats gross or nice? Why? I guess it’s cute when they’re pets, since I’m sure they’re harmless. Not so much when they’re big black filthy rats that are house pests and probably carrying a lot of diseases.

Have you ever been to a rave? No. I’d love to experience it once.

Are you somewhat of a rebel? Nah.

How about reckless? Now this hits the spot more, especially when it comes to money lol

Do you prefer red, black or purple dresses? Black, then red, then purple. I don’t wear a lot of the latter to begin with.

Do you know how to reload a gun? I don’t; I’ve never even held a real gun before.

Do you remember your first best friends Mum's name? I don’t think I ever met her mom. Our friendship was super short-lived and didn’t go beyond preschool.

Do you have a good or a bad reputation? Idk, you’d have to ask other people for this I think.

What song do you request most often on the radio? I’ve never requested a song to radio stations.

Do you prefer rice or tofu? I need rice for literally every meal, otherwise it won’t feel filling. I like tofu too, but I only have it occasionally when it comes with some dishes.

Have you ever held a rifle? Nope.

Do you know a Robert? What's he like? I have an uncle-in-law named Robert. He’s very nice, and super intelligent; he’s from New Zealand but currently lives with my aunt and their family in Vietnam. Since he’s from a different country, he has lots of fun stories and different perspectives to share at family reunions, which makes me always want to sit at whichever table he’s at so that I can be part of interesting conversations.

Do you like rollercoasters? No.

Been to Rome, Italy? Nope.

Are Roses your favourite flower? They’re one of them.

So sweetheart, lets fan. - S

Do you feel safe in your neighbourhood? Yeah, I mean that’s kind of the whole point in living in a gated village. I’d be pretty alarmed if I ever hear of a crime happening here.

Whose the Patron Saint of your Country? St. Lorenzo Ruiz. I actually didn’t know that for a fact, so thanks for the Google search and impromptu lesson!

Do you put salt on your fries? Yessssssss, I need my fries to be very salty. Unless it was already seasoned with something else, I’d find it boring if it wasn’t salty enough.

Do you think we are all born the same? In some ways, yes; in some ways, no. I know everyone is born as humans worthy of love and respect, but when it comes to factors like privilege then that’s when circumstances start to get all different.

When did you stop believing in Santa? I never bought it. I used to always get frustrated that I was never allowed to meet Santa (none of my relatives ever played as him), and that he apparently just likes to leave gifts at midnight. Not seeing a Santa made me doubt and eventually I just kinda stopped buying it by the time I was like 5.

Do you think the name Sarah is pretty? Erm, it’s fine but I find it a little common.

Is Saturday your favourite day of the week? Fridays are, but Saturdays are a very close second.

Have you ever watched Saved By The Bell? Opinions? Nope.

What about the Saw films? Opinion? I haven’t, but I know they’re my eldest cousin’s favorite so it must be a good series.

Are you easily scared? In certain ways. I hate jumpscares for one, and I easily get offended by them.

What's your secondary language, if any? English.

Name all the things you can see from where you're sitting? The entirety of my bedroom.

What's the last sentence you spoke out loud? “JAY KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY”

Have you changed your default settings on your computer? Some of them just to change some aspects of the appearance, but I didn’t do a complete overhaul.

What year did you turn seven in? 2005.

How important is sex in a relationship how important is sex from 1-10? For me, probably like a 3 or 4.

What is your favourite shade of blue? Sky or royal.

Shade of Purple? BTS purple, I guess? Hahaha.

Favourite shape? I don’t have one.

Do you know a girl called Sharon? Nope.

How about Shari? Nope.

Do you shave your arms, legs, pubic hair and/or somewhere else? I shave, but not all of these areas.

When was the last time you were sick? May 2020 was the last time I felt like death.

What's the worst side effects you've had due to a medication? I’ve never gone through side effects from a medication.

What does your signature look like? A very lazy scribble of the first and last letters of my whole name.

Do you like silk? What do you own that is silk? It’s okay, but I never actively search for it. I have one set of silk pajamas but that’s it.

Do you sip or drink hot drinks fast? As much as possible I don’t like getting in contact with hot beverages. I wait for them to cool down considerably before I take my first sip.

How about with alcohol? Sure, I like to take them fast so that I don’t feel the nasty burn on my tongue.

Do you have sisters? How many, what ages and what're they called? Nina is turning 21 this year.

Is your grandmother older than sixty five? Both of them are, yeah.

Do you slam doors often? Nope.

Have you ever slapped someone in the face? For what reason? Yes. Because he had slapped me first. I was in so much shock that my first and only instinct was to hit back.

Do you snack a lot or just eat big meals? I like letting myself go hungry then reward myself with a very generous serving to eat in one go.

Do you smile more often, or frown? Smile.

Are you wearing socks? No, I haven’t worn any in a while.

Do you say sorry too often? Yes.

What's a sound that always soothes you? This. I always play it before turning in, or when I need to calm down.

Do you carry a lot of spare change? How much is on you now? Not so much anymore, since I’ve been increasingly going cashless.

Do you own a swimsuit of the Speedo brand? I don’t think so.

Do you like sunflowers? They have a personal meaning to me, so yes. It’s not my ultra favorite, though.

[kristallioness]

Home alone

Summary: Aang is called away to help a small Earth Kingdom village struggling with a group of thugs and he doesn't keep in touch with Katara, leaving her on edge.

Word count: 2,897

Author's note: @fehnandas - this is my submission for the 2nd prompt of this year's Kataang Mini Week (Christmas special). The story is inspired by the movie "Home Alone 2", where Kevin McCallister gave the nice pigeon lady a gift in the end. Imagine a scenery on Air Temple Island that's similar to this (where Korra and the airbender kids put food out for the lemurs) or this (where she gazed at Aang's statue near the edge of a cliff) or this (where she was frustrated about what councilman Tarrlok had done). The winters in Republic City must've been marvellous.

----------x----------

Katara groaned as she waterbended the last big pile of snow off the wooden platform. She approached the back of the meditation pavilion and wiped the railing clean with her mitten, releasing a sigh while she stared at the endless ocean facing the back of their little island. At least her husband would have a clean place to go meditating once he returned.

The clock on Avatar Aang Memorial Island struck four times, calling the waterbender to the other side of the island. Katara spun around and continued to bend the fresh snow away, clearing the paths that connected various parts of the temple. It'd started snowing shortly after midday and the slight snowfall didn't seem to come to an end any time soon.

She could still see her own footprints left deep in the snowy ground by her winter boots from all of her previous walks. She tried to take new routes each day to avoid it becoming a routine, but the grounds were practically covered with them by now. A smaller pair of paw prints accompanied hers every now and again.

She'd left Momo to sleep in their bedroom while she went outside to get some fresh air. The winged lemur liked to stay close to the stuff in their house that had a stronger scent of the airbender on them. Aang's pillow was one of his favourite places to seek comfort from. And at night, he could keep Katara company, with his low purrs soothing her, so she wouldn't have to sleep in an empty bed.

She rubbed her arms and huffed out a warm puff of air from her mouth. The problem wasn't in her thick, fuzzy parka. Nor was it in the mild cold degrees that'd reigned over the United Republic for more than a month, allowing the surrounding areas to become a winter wonderland, close enough to remind her of her home tribe.

The problem was in the empty space in her heart. The last time she'd seen Aang was almost a month ago. He was away from home due to his Avatar duties.

It'd been a quiet afternoon when he'd received an urgent message from an officer located in the Western Earth Kingdom, begging him to come to the village that was being terrorized by a mob of skilled earthbenders that not even his officers could face head-on.

Aang promised to send her letters via messenger hawk to keep her updated about the situation, like he'd done several times before during any other diplomatic visits. But this time, there'd been nothing but silence from his end. No word about how things were going, of his whereabouts or whether they'd captured the criminals.

Katara missed him terribly, and as the days went by, she became more and more worried. After two weeks had passed, she'd asked Sokka to send a messenger hawk to the village to ask the local police for news. A reply never reached them.

She'd sworn to herself that if her husband didn't return within a month, she'd travel to the Earth Kingdom to find him, and find out what's happening. Three days remained until the deadline.

The waterbender walked past the lit up tower of the temple and heard a group of acolytes chatting near the dormitories, but paid no attention to them. She ignored the three sky bison munching on some hay near the caves.

They used to be a part of a larger herd that Aang had discovered and brought to the island a few years ago, to serve the acolytes when they needed to travel between the air temples. Recently, she'd stopped noticing each growl that emanated from those bison as well. She didn't wanna get her hopes up only to let them right back down again. Her husband was gone, and so was Appa. If they returned, she'd be sure to notice.

The sun had set half an hour ago, with it being the shortest day of the year. The stars that twinkled between the cirrus clouds lighted Katara's way to a secluded corner of the island. It was one of her safe places to go to when she needed to be alone.

She brushed the snowy twigs of the bushes away to sneak past them until she reached a small opening with a marvellous view to the western corner of Republic City. Having dusted some snow off the edge of the cliff, she carefully sat down and her eyes fixed on the huge statue in front of her. She glanced behind to be sure that she wasn't followed. She released a heavy sigh.

"Aang, I know you're out there somewhere.."

After clearing up the snow from a small patch on the ground, Katara removed the mitten from her right hand and laid her palm against the cold stones underneath.

"..and I hope you can hear me. I'm okay. I've been busy working at the hospital and everything's well at home, so no need to worry about that. There hasn't been a day when I haven't thought about you or missed you. But.. it's been almost a month."

Her fingers skimmed over the hard surface of the rocks. She clenched them into a fist and pressed her palm strongly against the ground to ensure that he could sense her speaking to him from halfway around the world.

"The thing is, you still haven't sent me a single letter. And I can't help but wonder.. What's going on, sweetie? Are you in trouble? Do you need help? Reinforcements? Do you need me there?"

She had to pause for a second so she could scratch her nose. A snowflake fell on it and it started to itch.

"Ah-aahh.. Achoo!"

Katara accidentally lifted both her hands up to cover her nose and mouth. She realized her mistake and quickly landed her bare hand back on the ground.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to break the connection! I just-"

She sniffed and rubbed her nose into her other mitten.

"-had to sneeze. Aahh, that's better.."

Her face dropped again once the same view greeted her. There were thousands of citizens swarming the streets of the capital and minding their own business, tens of acolytes running around on their little island. But she was the only soul who seemed to truly care about his well-being, and the state of that small Earth Kingdom village hundreds of miles away from their home.

"Please, Aang, give me a sign. Something.. anything, that you're alright."

A gentle breeze caressed her flushed cheeks and tossed some of her long loose hair around. The winds had turned southwards, bringing some warmer air into the bay and along the coastline of the city. As much as she would've liked to think that it was his airbending trying to offer her some warmth, she dismissed it for what it really was - a simple gust of wind.

Katara pulled the mitten back on and stood up, crossing her arms as if she wanted to give herself a comforting hug. She turned around one last time to look at his statue before climbing back into the row of bushes.

"I'll see you soon, sweetie."

If she was going to travel to the Earth Kingdom, she was going to need some supplies. Hence she headed back towards the temple to pack her stuff and prepare for the long journey away from home.

Katara wished that she didn't have to leave at this time of year. The emergency room usually became a lot more crowded due to people slipping on ice or getting into accidents on the slippery roads with their ostrich horse carriages. Her staff of paramedics could really use an extra pair of healing hands to help around and heal all the broken bones.

She shook her head to forget about her other responsibilities. Locating Aang was her top priority. She could deal with her guilt and cancelling her patients' appointments later, should it come down to it in the following days. Maybe her good friend Niyok can cover for her while she was gone?..

She lost her train of thought when she heard a growl further away. Apparently, one of the bison had finished its meal and decided to go fly a couple of laps around the island.

Katara stared at the sky, quirking an eyebrow when she couldn't spot the creature anywhere. What spooked her even more was the echo of a much louder growl that seemed to come from the caves. If the trio was still resting in there, then where did the first one come from?

She hurried out of the bushes and ran to the middle of the training area, looking towards all corners of the island until she spotted something approaching it from the southeast. The shape of it definitely resembled that of a bison's, but it could just be another air acolyte coming for a visit.

Katara waited until the pair got closer to see whether she was wrong. She hoped with all her heart that she was wrong, that it wasn't another air acolyte. Her heart skipped a beat when the sky bison landed in the courtyard in front of their house. The acolytes rarely used that area for landing.

"Oof!"

In the midst of hurrying to go meet and welcome the guests, Katara tripped on the steps and fell to her knees in the deep snow. Having regained her composure, she got back up and continued dashing through the soft white fluff.

As she got closer, her eyes grew wide when she could tell that the bison had much less stripes on its back than the rest. She recognized the familiar maroon winter robes of the bald man standing next to him. There was only one air nomad and his best friend who looked like that.

"Aang.."

The airbender had almost no clue of what she'd been through these past couple of weeks. He was eager to see her again, so after Appa had safely landed outside, he began walking towards the temple. He assumed his wife was inside, preparing supper for herself around this time of day.

"Aang!"

The airbender turned around in surprise when he heard a desperate cry coming from the other direction. He saw her familiar figure grow bigger as she approached him and his animal guide.

"Katara?"

Aang started running towards her to meet her halfway, but he hadn't considered the speed in which she was moving. Katara spread her arms to tackle him with a hug and she jumped into his embrace, actually managing to knock them both over into the snowy ground, with her landing on top of him.

Aang laughed together with her as she buried her face into the sash that ran across his chest, letting her breathe in his familiar scent. Her hands tickled him when they ran along his sides to remember his strong build while she was busy peppering his face with kisses. She was so glad to see him.

"Woah there, sweetie! Ha-ha-ha! I missed you, too. Hey.. are you crying?"

Aang released his hold on her waist and cupped her cheeks instead once he noticed tears streaming down her face and felt some of them land on his. Katara couldn't find the right words to say, so she answered by pulling him in for a deep kiss. She broke the kiss a moment later and nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck, simply holding onto him for dear life.

"Y-yes, I'm c-crying. B-but these are tears of joy."

"It's okay, I'm right here. I'm here now," he murmured into her ear and stroked the back of her head. His fingers jumped over the bun and combed through the locks in her hair, slowly sliding down to her back to hold her close, as if this was the last time they'd see each other. But it was the first after a long time.

He felt how she let out a shaky breath and sniffed.

"Oh, Aang! I was so worried.. Why didn't you contact me?"

"I couldn't."

He carefully rolled her over on his side so they could both sit up. The snow under his body was starting to melt and dampen his cloak with cold water. Aang waterbended it dry, then grabbed Katara's arms and looked her in the eye.

"Those earthbenders used trained raven eagles to capture any messenger hawks that wanted to enter the airspace around the village, to intercept all messages so nobody would come and help the villagers and the police. That single messenger hawk who reached us was lucky that he wasn't spotted. The officer who sent him barely made it out alive since those thugs captured him after he'd sent the message and distracted their raven eagles with some fresh meat. He risked his life for the entire village."

"Is he okay? We can go back if he needs a healer-"

Katara already wanted to climb up on Appa, but Aang tugged at her hands and pulled her back down on her knees so she wouldn't go anywhere. He grazed her cheek with the back of his hand to calm her down, drying up a streak of her tears.

"Don't worry, Katara. He was alright in the end, as were all the other officers who were injured during the fights. The local doctors took him under their wings. I'm sure he'll be nursed back to health soon."

Katara hummed in delight at the good news, closing her diamond blue eyes. She grabbed his hand in her own, wiping the last of her tears into her mitten.

She stood up, pulling her husband after her to help him get up together with her. She brushed the snow off his robes and cupped his cheeks, allowing her hands to slowly slide down his neck and over his shoulders.

"Let me look at you.. are you okay?"

Aang chuckled as she began examining him for any visible injuries. He watched how she ran her hands over his chest and tummy before walking a circle around him in case she missed a spot. He grabbed her by the shoulders once she came full circle to stop her.

"It's okay, Katara. I'm fine, I'm not hurt in any way."

"Oh, good," she said, heaving a sigh of relief. He lifted one of her hands above his heart.

"Well, except for here."

Her eyes grew wide and she frowned, thinking that it was something serious.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"My heart aches because I missed you so much."

Katara giggled at that and rested her head on his chest, snuggling into his embrace.

"Does this make it feel better?"

"It sure does."

Aang gave her a kiss on the top of her head and swayed her from side to side a little, letting his hand stroke her back to give her a proper hug.

"I really missed you, sweetie."

"Me, too. I was so worried that something bad had happened when you didn't get my letter. I was almost getting ready to travel to that village myself to come and find you."

"I appreciate that. But there wasn't much that you could've done to help. Most of the battles took place underground in elaborate tunnels. We spent half the time chasing those earthbenders around in there."

"Hmm.. maybe there wasn't. But I still would've found you and we could've fought them together."

"I would've loved that."

The airbender withdrew a hand from her back and shuffled around his pocket.

"I brought you something."

Katara took a step back to give him some space so he could search for the gift. Aang grabbed her right hand and dropped something into her palm. She gazed at the small white figurine and understood that it was a carving of a bird.

"What's this?"

"It's a dove. I have one-"

He revealed the second one in his own palm.

"-and you have one. I bought them from the market in the village before I began heading home. That place is well-known for breeding and raising up beautiful white doves and selling them as pets. The merchant told me that these birds symbolize friendship and love. As long as we each have our doves, we'll be friends forever."

"Oh, Aang.. That's so sweet. Thank you!"

He laced her fingers together with his own, pulling her back in for another hug.

"I won't forget you, Katara. Trust me. No matter how far, or for how long we may be apart. I thought about you every day. Even if you're not there by my side, you'll always be with me-"

He raised their entwined hands higher on his chest.

"-right here, in my heart."

She teared up again and tried to hide it by nuzzling her cheek against his sash. She stared into his shimmering grey eyes and gave him a loving smile before locking her arms around his neck to kiss him again.

"Happy winter solstice, sweetie!" he murmured.

"Happy winter solstice to you, too."

Katara rubbed her nose together with his, patting his shoulder in the end.

"C'mon. Let's go inside and I'll prepare you a nice hot cup of tea and something to eat while you tell me everything that happened."

Aang let her grab his hand with her warm mitten as they headed into the house side by side. Yes, it felt good to be home.

[anamuseinglife]

Iditapod Bonus: The True Story Behind Dillon, The Would Be Iditarod Dog

Casey Grove: Welcome to another bonus edition of the Iditapod. We have another extended interview for you, it’s rather extended, longer than some of the other ones. But it’s a good explanation of what happened with a dog, named Dillon, who ran down the trail after the Iditarod teams from the Finger Lake checkpoint all the way up to Rainy Pass. It’s like 30 miles. Dillon lives at the Winter Lake Lodge, which is on Finger Lake, and Quince Mountain talked to the owner and the manager of the lodge, to get kind of the real story behind what happened with Dillon. So, here’s that interview. I will let Quince introduce everybody. Enjoy.

Lisa Ratton: We’re saving Dillon’s reputation. [laughs] No one’s going to think Dillon is a stray dog.

Carl Dickson: That he is not.

Quince Mountain: So this is for Iditapod, which is a podcast about the Iditarod from Alaska Public Media.

CD: Cool.

QM: So, we want to set the record straight a little about Dillon [laughter]. But first, can I ask you just to say your names and who you are?

CD: Yeah I’m Carl Dickson,  the owner and operator of Winter Lake Lodge. Uh… which is the third checkpoint now on the Iditarod trail, up in the Matanuska Valley, near the Hayes River junction. Along with my wife, Kirsten, we operate the lodge here.

LR: And I’m Lisa Ratton, I’m the front of house manager here at the lodge. The first piece of news that came out was from KTU, and they, nobody called the lodge to ask any questions, and so the headline said “a stray dog ran down the trail”.

CD: Dillon is most certainly not a stray, we’re very proud of Dillon, he’s a gift from Dee Dee Jonrowe’s kennel, he’s certainly has Iditarod genes running through his body, and he’s well bred, well mannered, he’s just full of energy.

QM: And he’s what, like 19 years old?

CD: [laughs] I think he just turned two. He’s two years old. So that, that’s a young dog, there are some two year olds on some Iditarod teams, but he has not run the Iditarod, he’s just started in harness this last year, so.

QM: And which one of you was the one who discovered Dillon was missing?

CD: One of our crew went to do the morning souping of the dogs, which is what we do every morning, we get some water in them before we run them later in the day, and I got a call on the radio, said “hey, somebody’s missing, has anyone seen Dillon? His chain is gone, he’s gone, and we don’t see him anywhere around.” So, it was one of our crew that tried to track him down. We thought well, he broke his chain, he broke his s-hook, he’s just visiting one of the other dogs. So, our crew member followed the track of dragged chain, if there’s such a thing, and it wound around the dog yard here and there, it went behind one of the cabins, and then all of a sudden it disappeared. [laughter] And then,

LR: Well, then we went on a search party [laughs]. We were really concerned that he was missing, and we had some guests here that helped. We took the snow machines out, we went different directions and tried to look for signs of dragged chain, and we couldn’t turn anything up. Um, so we were quite worried, especially because he’s new here. I mean, some of the other dogs - in the summertime, we let all of the dogs run around the property, free. Because we can’t mush. And so they’re really familiar with the whole area, and the smells, and they really know that this is there home. Um, when did we get Dillon again?

CD: We got Dillon in early January, right?

LR: So he’s only been here for a couple of months, so we weren’t sure with him missing - and all the dogs, they get really excited, the Iditarod trail goes right past our dog yard. And so the dogs all run around and are barking and we thought, maybe this was really stressful for him. And so it was kind of alarming that he was missing.

CD: So, we knew that he wasn’t around the yard and I’m thinking, Dee Dee is gonna kill me. So, [laughs], so we have the comms group with the Iditarod, checkers and so on, are down on the ice. So we got ahold of them and said ‘hey can you do us a favor? Maybe call ahead and see if, for some reason, any of the mushers approach the next checkpoint, ask them if they saw a dog on the way.’

LR: So, our, yeah, [laughs]. Leslie is head of communications down here at the Finger Lake checkpoint, and she called ahead and said ‘it appears that there is a dog that followed Ryan Reddington’s team - or he was between two of the teams - and he seems to match the description of your dog,’. He’s really distinctive looking, he’s a beautiful dog, he’s mostly white with brown spots. And um, these cool patches over his eyes. And he was dragging a length of chain [laughs]. And, um, they saw him approaching Rainy Pass.

QM: Which is, okay how far is Rainy Pass and what’s the terrain like between here and there?

CD: Well, it’s some of the most difficult part of the trail. It’s about 32 miles, 34 depending which way you go. But it begets rolling hills to the west of us here, I guess he has to cross lakes and he has to climb up a ridge and then he has to go down, and then about ten miles from here he has to go down the Happy River steps, he has to go around the mouth of the Happy River, and he has to go back up the other side, cross Shirley Lake, cross Long Lake, before he gets to the next checkpoint.

QM: So that’s quite a journey. And he went all the way to the next checkpoint?

CD: He did, somebody found him, one of the guys from the flying service happened to be up there and somebody said ‘oh, there’s a stray dog here at the vet station, and he’s munching on a snack, and he matched the description of our dog.’

LR: He had a Dee Dee Jonrowe collar on, still, yeah, and so then they kind of put together, how did one of Dee Dee’s dogs arrive all the way here, and so, once we were in touch with them, it was pretty easy to put together that that was our missing dog. And fortunately, actually, we had some guests who were departing that day, and the flying service, the plane went to Rainy Pass first and was coming from Rainy Pass to Winter Lake, and so we already had a plane scheduled, for noon. And they just put him on the plane and sent him back home.

QM: So what did Dee Dee have to say?

CD: I don’t know yet. She’s on the trail, she’s west of McGrath, further up the trail, reporting on trail progress, so I haven’t talked to her, so I don’t even know if she’s heard of this yet.

QM: So, how are you feeling about Dillon’s media exposure? I mean, he made the front page of ADN [Anchorage Daily News] is that correct?

LN: Yeah, yeah we got word back from town that he was on the front page of the news, so, that’s quite a story [laughs]. Um, but we kind of feel like the spotlight has actually been stolen, and one of our other dogs actually, Fiona, who is now in retirement, she’s 14, she made the trip two weeks ago. And it was a much more of a stunning feat, at such an old age, and she made it. And she didn’t get any media attention, nobody called to fact check on a Fiona story, so we kind of feel it’s been stolen from her.

QM: So how did it go with Fiona, how did you get her back?

CD: Well, Fiona  just free ranges around the yard, she’s profoundly deaf and she just kind of hangs out and visits the other dogs, she’s pretty harmless. However, two Italian fat tire bike riders were on their way to Nome. And they didn’t stop in here, but they took the trail which bisects our property. And we don’t know if they lured her with snacks, or if Fiona said ‘hey, that looks like fun, let’s follow these guys’. And next thing we know, I get a call from up at the next checkpoint saying ‘hey, you missing a dog?’ [all laugh]

LR: Little fact check there. So, she took off up the trail, and we realized she was missing, kind of the same thing, you know went out. We realized she was missing, but because she’s free range and she kind of putzes around the cabin, we weren’t really concerned about it, because we wouldn’t expect her to be in any one spot. And then it got to be early afternoon and still no one had seen her, so we started to look around and we realized she was missing. And, at that point, there was kind of no traffic, it was before the Iditarod, it was before the Iditarod invitational, and so we looked down the Iditarod trail, and there were two weaving fat tire bikes and paw prints, stepping over the tires. And so we realized she followed these bikers. And, again we followed her paws, and we couldn’t, they could see her turn around, like she was thinking ‘oh should I go back or keep going’ and she kept on going. And, but eventually they kind of lost sight of the paw prints, I think maybe they got blown over. So we knew that she headed that direction, but we didn’t know how far she made so. So then it was later afternoon, we called Rainy Pass Lodge and said, um ‘hey this is kind of a long shot, have two Italians shown up on bikes?’ and Steve, the owner over there, said ‘yeah, actually I got word, um, they have a dog with them, right?’ So these two, one of the Iditarod air force planes, one of them had seen overhead, the bikers with the dog, running alongside them. And at that point, she was about 20 miles from here and 12 miles before Rainy Pass. And he said ‘you know, we’ll keep an eye out for her’ - I think he was expecting them to arrive at the lodge around 8pm, and he said ‘you know, we’ll keep an eye out for her and let you know if she makes it’. And lo and behold, that evening they called back, right around staff dinner time, and said ‘Fiona is at the lodge. She made it.��� [all laugh]

CD: She overnightered there, right?

LR: Yeah, how did that work? She spent the night there, and he said ‘yeah, actually she was in great shape’ and, you know, they did kind of a brief physical assessment and she seemed to be doing fine, and um, the next day they had a drop off for something at the lodge, and the pilot was nice enough to swing by here on his way back to bring her back. So. She was a little hungry, a little more tired, but otherwise fine [laughs]

QM: Any changes in Dillon, since he’s been back? CD: No, he’s back to his old safe. He’s running around the yard, anxious to run, so, we’ll be getting him out again tomorrow. One of my Wiseacre friends in town, Chris Owen, sent me an email, saying ‘have you counted your dogs lately?’ [all laugh]

QM: And, so, people can come here mushing and meet Dillon and Fiona?

CD: Sure, they could. Dillon is the youngest one and Fiona is the oldest one.

QM: Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, I’m so glad to hear they’re both back safe, and I think our listeners will be too. They now have a lot of fans and I hear they can follow you on instagram. Carl, what’s your instagram?

LR: Are you, are you Carl Dickson?

CD: Space AK I think.

LR: Yeah, @carldickson_ak

CD: I just posted my first photo today after instruction from the crew, so I’m not too hip on that.

QM: I have a feeling you’re about to get some followers, Carl.

CD: Yeah, that would be great [all laugh]

QM: Thank you both

CD: Two dogs, that’s never, we’ve been here a long time and that’s never happened before. We randomly let the dogs have a day off and if they don’t run, we let them have a day off and like Lisa said, they don’t leave the yard, they hang around with each other, run around in the snow, we just never thought that would happen.

LR: Yeah, we gotta send a nice basket up to Rainy Pass Lodge for taking such good care of our dogs

QM: Maybe send some dog food

CD: Yeah, yeah dog biscuits for the next time.

Casey Grove: Thanks for listening to that interview with Quince Mountain and the owner and manager of the WInter Lake Lodge. Stay tuned for another full episode of the Iditapod.

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

Having a cache isn’t a bad idea for all sorts of reasons. Even if we don’t plan to bug out anywhere, we can easily be cut off from our homes and vehicles by everyday events: traffic accidents, evacuations due to spills and contamination’s, house fires, flooding dams and water mains, damaged bridges, vehicle malfunctions. Having a cache we don’t need a shovel to access – or a cache for the e-tools to get into our buried treasures – can be priceless.

Even Reader’s Digest has covered ways to hide valuables, and there are a million and one prepper and survivalist videos and articles for other ideas. Geocaching has some good ones, too.

Here I’m mostly going to focus on stuff I don’t see suggested often or ever. Many have some size restrictions, but many are also applicable for both permanent residences and “other” locations – unused residential areas, off-site storage units, back country wilds, backwoods dump sites, and undeveloped property. They’re also largely hiding in plain sight, which limits how much attention we draw erecting and accessing them.

Warnings-Disclaimers

One, Many good cache locations become good hidey holes for critters, too. Hornets and wasps are one level of bad. Rodents are bad enough when cornered, too.

I grew up in the Deep South, then served in Asia and the Southwest. It is second nature not to stick my paw into dark spaces, to tap before poking/lifting, and to use something that gives me at least 8-12” of extra reach when popping covers off anything, and to look really well before entering crawlspaces or areas where there’s conduit overhead.

See, snakes especially but sometimes spiders get really cranky about being intruded upon. It does not take a venomous bite to put you in the hospital – even the “safe” cuties have filthy mouths.

Two, Surface caches are vulnerable to wind, water, and temperature fluctuations. That limits what we’ll want to store in them, although not significantly versus a buried cache that’s less than 3-5’ deep.

Three, Any physical location we do not personally own and maintain is vulnerable. Remote wilds to the few remaining lockers at a bus/train terminal, stuff changes. Residential and commercial properties evolve as well.

Trees get cut and fall, and waterways ebb and flow, consuming or exposing our stuff. New owners take over and renovate. The state entity that owns something decides to put in a path, allow hunting, or permits a clean-up group. Condemned buildings get demolished.

Power line cuts tend to be pretty standard, but sometimes the contracts/contractors get extra froggy, sometimes cuts go to buried lines, sometimes private-held lines get rerouted and cuts are abandoned to turn into tangles, and sometimes somebody pours a slab over our goodies while they’re building a substation or cell tower.

And, just like our houses, there’s a fire risk pretty much everywhere.

Other options for caches like storage buildings, parking space rentals for passenger vehicles or off-season boats and motorcycle trailers, public parks, off-season RV lots, half-built and then abandoned commercial and residential construction sites, empty houses both long-abandoned death traps or longtime empty for-sale lots, and empty strip malls, gas stations, restaurants, and car washes have some benefits for preppers looking for a cache spot, but they also have additional drawbacks.

Remember, I suggest cruising curbside pickups and dumping sites for goodies that can be re-purposed. I learned this from others, to include modern hobo types. Squatters and homeless may poke through locations, or various ages and threat levels of hoodlums make use of a spot.

All above-ground caches have some vulnerability since there’s less time and effort involved with getting to them. Getting creative can help reduce the risks.

Posts

Fence posts and posts for our backyard lights and birdhouses have girth restrictions, but sizable timbers can be used and hollowed out like tree stumps to hold long cylinders or daisy-chained small packages, much the way we’d bury PVC or erect fake conduit for some supplies. Short posts especially can serve as a cap for something we’ve recessed in the surface soil.

Sub-Irrigated Planters

Garden planters that involve nesting storage totes or buckets inside each other typically call for a sturdy spacer. That gives us a whole lot more room to play with than the typical potted-plant “safe”.

It’ll be heavy in planting season, but we can still be getting a good 6-10” of growing depth, keep decent reservoir capacity, and gain pretty easy access for a backyard stash, but one that’s heavier and messier than most would go through on the offhand chance of a score.

Backyard Birdhouses

This one is especially applicable to “other” properties as well as our own, and one of the most versatile options for sizes. We can either custom-build birdhouses so there are bare recesses instead of actual holes to deny critter access, or just fill standard birdhouses. If we’re using a post, that can become storage as well.

Standard bluebird houses can hold a peanut butter tub, pasta jar or in some cases even a coffee tub or ammo can, or we can get creative with arranging smaller and oddball-sized houses that would be appropriate for small, individual songbird nests or the many, many decorative birdhouses out there today.

Large and massive dovecotes allow us even more freedom, holding a handful of coffee tubs, several ammo cans, or suck-sealed and double-wrapped clothing items in small storage totes.

It’s slow and painful, but even if all we have are standard drill bits and a hand saw, we can hollow out small logs to make a variety of sizes and depths to cluster around porches, hang from fences, and stick up on posts without buying/salvaging lumber or other birdhouses. Or, use split smaller-yet limbs for construction with simple glues or nails.

We can easily distress those items and add them to the yards of empty houses or the dump sites that develop around back roads and abandoned commercial buildings. Don’t hang them – they’ll be less inviting if they’re lying on the ground like something that wasn’t worth keeping.

  Play Conservationist

Most areas have programs ranging from PETA types through Ducks Unlimited’s hunters to help provide safe nesting for ducks, pelicans, cormorants, and raptors. Many are encouraged for homeowners and uber-organic farmers, and putting up bat houses is even more popular for the backyard crowds.

That helps this one apply to even more locations, especially if we print and laminate small 2”x4”-3”x5” placards to label our creations “[fill-in-the-blank bird] Conservation – Visit [eco-freak/hunter/DNR website] to learn more about native wildlife”.

Those big ol’ birdhouses give us a lot of room to play with.

Raptor platforms and boxes can be filled with larger flat objects and have nests built up on them, leaving room for actual birds or not.

Same goes for the bucket-sized wood duck and merganser boxes – we can put in a barrier just below the hole so they pop in and pop right back out, or we can just stuff our ammo can, toolbox or lunchbox into the bottom, leaving room for the critters to use it until we need our glove-stuffed boots, rain gear, e-tool, or spade and knife set.

They also commonly need big ol’ sturdy supports, so we can make use of a stump or invest in larger-diameter pipe or 6×6-8×8” timbers (or build what looks like them out of 1 x what-evers) to give us more storage room yet.

If we hang flush to a tree instead, we can carve out a hollow behind the birdhouse or bat house to use as well or instead.

Fire Extinguisher Mounting Brackets/Boards

Along the same lines as using the space behind a fake or functional birdhouse, we can use the space behind safety equipment pretty much everybody should have on hand anyway.

I wouldn’t leave a fake extinguisher anywhere somebody might grab it, but the brackets are sometimes so obvious in what they are, it would work for inside abandoned properties or if we can distress a fake, pull the safety and bleed off the gauge, they, too, would add space, especially at dump sites and even inside foreclosure/abandoned buildings.

Faux Spouts, Stacks & Gutters

Sticking up a downspout that isn’t actually connected to a gutter is a fast, easy way to gain a bit of outdoor storage space. Adding a covered gutter is a bit pricier, but can also pay off due to the size and more importantly the length and ease of access for later.

I would 100% not climb the roof of a property I’m not sure about. However, at ours and if it’s accessible from a ladder I can slide in, studded rooftops are far from uncommon – and those are common sites for leaks, which calls for a repairman or inspector who won’t generate too much interest.

They let us custom-size relatively inexpensive and salvaged materials to hold anything we’d bury in an ammo box or PVC tube, although we have to be cognizant of just how hot rooftops can get and make sure it’s secure against winds and any ice/snow loads we face.

*DO NOT buy a real vent stack. Salvage or get crafty.

Built-In Hidey-Holes

Another that applies to pretty much anywhere, to include dump sites and really trashed abandoned yards and houses, as well as storage lockers and somewhere out of sight on our own properties, are old “junk” that has a fair bit of empty space inside.

We just want to make sure they are appropriately distressed with enough frayed electrical cords and cracked faces to avoid appealing to thieves and scrap salvagers.

I discovered just how roomy the rear interior of both a stove and washer are when a songbird flew in the house and repeatedly disappeared inside appliances. (No, I did not indulge my giggling father and turn them on – I did give some thought to buying a ferret.)

Once gutted, many window AC units and some RV rooftop units will rival a storage tote or bucket for storage space.

We don’t even need tools if we can lay our hands on an already-dinged-up bumper to semi-submerge in the earth (dissuading others from flipping it over and finding our machete, shovel, probe bar, hatchet, etc.). Printers also come ready-made with a frustrating array of pockets and access points.

The possibilities are pretty endless.

Remember…

There are a whole host of options for increasing our off-site squirrel hoards – or stashing tools we need to access buried caches – but we do have to give some thought to what we stash due to size and the chances of loss and damage, and to the possible risks we’ll face accessing them before, during and after disasters.

And, for-real, don’t forget to sniff, listen, and watch for snakes, especially in spaces and weather that leave them no choice but to strike if somebody gets too close. And, if you do like digging holes…..

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from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[nookishposts]

Renewals

If you are a Christian, the coming weekend is Easter. For the majority of the rest of us, its at the very least a long weekend,the gift of an extra day or two away from the usual routine. In our household this year its a designated time of rest. We are in the process of significant changes in our life. One house is sold, the other will be soon, and we are tired in a bunch of different ways, but frankly mostly tired from being tidy for showings. I hadn’t realized just how messy we usually are; not dirty, just cluttered. The dining table is often strewn with my own works in progress; laptop open, notes and pens and coffee cups and mail to be sorted. Trish’s knitting can appear anywhere; more than one hapless individual has quickly vaulted back to a standing position after having flopped into a chair without looking first. There are shoes on the stairs, laundry in mid-fold, sweaters draped randomly and meal-prep on the kitchen counter. All of the usual trappings of an active household. Pet hair and paw prints, critters to trip over, in varying sizes are a given, especially in Spring, so a mop and broom often lean nearby.

Its too soon to garden; but snowdrops are up and crocuses won’t be far behind. The lilac bush is heavy with buds promising exceptional blooms this year; it has come a long way from the struggling wisp a of transplant we poked into the ground with our fingers crossed and heaps of good compost. I don’t bag my leaves in the Fall, but rake them into the flower and vegetable beds for natural decomposition and Winter hibernation hostels. Its a time of brown-before-green, soggy and slick, weather for Wellies and extra caution as we step out to see which shoots are bursting and boasting up out of the muck. We know that any snow still to come will not last, that the windows will be open-able soon to let the fresh warm breezes bring the air in the lungs of our house back to life. It is a hopeful time, Christian or otherwise, a resurrection of seasonal rites and rituals, longer-lingering daylight, Nature’s promises kept.

Lifelong learning is the greatest of riches. Over the Winter, we realized that our behaviors have been changing and our focus has become more finely-tuned. We are so ready for the picture we have painted for ourselves of a quiet and sustainable life in a peaceful place; and if all goes according to plan, we will make that move in 2 short months.Its been a 10 year conversation; layer upon layer of “what-ifs” strewn and mulched into the soil of our sweetest wishes; that we might simply find a place to live more simply. We have formally studied, volunteered on building projects, researched, wandered, and wondered. Endless tromping of every imaginable kind of property; quarries, brown-fields,small lots and suspicious plots.  We’ve also aged in that 10 years, our bodies a little different in the way they work, a little more mindful of the value of balance and being reasonable about tasks versus time. Its been wonderful learning and we are very cognizant that the curve still ahead of us is a steep one. 

Heating costs will be measured in cords of wood culled from the ground-fall in a 98.4 acre forest, rather than diminishing dollars in our checking account.I will switch back to a small French Press for coffee in the mornings because boiling a multi-purpose kettle on the stove is more energy efficient than an automatic drip machine. Coffee grounds go right into the garden.Laundry will dry on the line rather than in an electric dryer. It will be mostly jeans and casual clothes anyway, as the era of business attire has finally come to it’s end. (Okay, I have always dressed like a 3-year old, but Trish cleans up really professionally well). We will walk across the driveway to get eggs in the morning, also ensuring the hens are warm and watered. Our batteries, both those that run the house as well as the ones that drive our enthusiasm for the physical work of producing much of what we consume,will be regularly  recharged by the sun. The grey-weather days will be for indoor chores, the cold ones, for dreaming by the fire.

We aren’t fools; we know we are swapping one set of jobs for a different set. We know there will be sweating, swearing, sighing, and the occasional “Oh gawd, what have we done?!” days. We know we will learn lots of things the hard way, and hope the resultant scars won’t be too off-putting. We also know that with the house sited South, we can sit and watch the sunrises, the sunsets, the storms, and the star-shows all from the same window. We will have to be deliberate in our trips to the store, because it’s a 20 minute drive into town on country roads...leaving the list behind on the kitchen counter will suck as much as our sort-term memorys are beginning to. There will be early mornings when the songbirds are too damned loud and nights when the bear tracks range a little too close. The propane could run out while we are still figuring out our rate of use and how to schedule re-fills. My bread-making skills will have to improve from doorstop-dense to edible enough for sandwiches. Toast might have to do. Enough butter will make anything bearable. The composting toilets (think in terms of an odor-free very efficient human litter box) will need emptying every couple of weeks. I know, I know. Our eyes and minds are wide open, believe me.

Opening a jar of our homemade apricot jam from the pantry on a snowy January morning, pasta-sauce in bulk simmered from our own tomatoes and peppers and herbs, smaller varieties of which will flourish in the greenhouse all winter long for fresh salads and stir-fries, syrup from our trees and honey from our bees will sweeten the recovery of muscles that ache from digging and  planting and  plodding through the snow to feed the critters and the firewood pile by the door. Plus, there’s internet. Surprised? We knew we would need to have it to keep up some kind of income; there will always be taxes, insurance, gas for the car, and those things we can’t produce or trade for ourselves.We are fortunate to both have the capacity to work remotely. Driving a tractor is still fun at our age, and there will be snowmobiles for practicality’s sake as much as for amusement. Without Tim Horton’s tea-biscuits on every corner, I may actually reduce the natural flotation device around my middle; the one that gets in the way of putting on my socks in anything like a hurry. 

Yes, its a big risk, but without pensions, this is also our way to be debt and mortgage free, live as healthfully as we can for as long as we can, and spend more time and less stress on those things that have come to matter so very much; the love of land, life, and letting them love us back. One of us could get very sick or hurt, but that could happen anywhere and any time. Better that it happen where we are happiest, for as long as it lasts. Our ancestors did  pretty well for many generations, internet aside. Its not for everybody, and there will be times when it’s exhausting..as living just gets to be now and then. But humor me for a minute: close your eyes and breathe deeply; imagine awakening to those damned birds instead of an alarm clock, to the smell of the woods and the knowledge that you can go to work in your pajamas or half-naked for all the chickens and goats will care. Sunscreen and Muskol are your cologne. Naps are a given. Whatever you put into the day is what you will get out of it, but at least its on your own terms. And since your city kin will regularly need to see it to believe it, there’s plenty to share. What better way to resurrect those things we all can freely worship; warmth, good food, room to breathe, loving kindness upon the Earth, and one another.