I’m all moved back into the cabin, same one I lived in last winter. The people that had been here this passed summer never paid the rent and did some minor damage but everything is pretty much back in order now. I had to replace all the plastic inside storm windows they ripped out but I am nearly done with that. I now have quadruple paned windows (counting the plastic as panes) throughout the cabin. The jerks also broke a glass window. It was a two paned panel around 3′ by 4′ so it cost the owner $190 for a custom replacement but I’m not all that sympathetic about it since I told the owner repeatedly not to rent to the guy (and his girl friend-they have drug issues).
There is snow on the ground, the temps are running around 10°F every day and in the -15°F range at night. I was able to get a good seal around the front door with a new sill sweep and some caulking so it’s cold and wind resistant now. Hopefully, this will all do a good job of saving heating oil for me. I just found out a couple days ago that last winter I only used a portion of the 200 gallon tank. Moved in mid-Sept. ’07 and moved out in mid-May ’08. I think there was still around a quarter tank when I moved. I wasn’t sure until I called the oil company and found that I hadn’t been on the ‘keep filled’ program, and the owner told me that she had not grabbed a fuel bill off the door or anything. There was one time last winter that I’d checked the oil level and the next time I checked it, about a month later, seemed like there was more in the tank. So I thought I was on a keep filled schedule. Must have fooled myself. The owners are paying for the oil so I’m trying to keep my usage down as a courtesy. I’m very pleased that my conservation efforts last year resulted in using just 120 gallons or so. Should be even more efficient this year since I did a better job sealing up the place earlier in the season. Last year I reacted to the cold, this year I anticipated.
The campground is closed now and I’d hoped that I’d get a renter this year like last year but it didn’t happen this time. So my expenses will be a little higher, unless I can find a new renter. There’s some extra room here around the cabin so last year I rented out a space to a guy I knew from the campground. All he needed was electric to keep warm and he bundled up. Stayed here all winter in a little Airstream type trailer. I earned around $80 per month from him over the electric expenses so I liked the deal. Best of all he hardly bothered me. Kept to himself, seldom knocked on my door and never asked to use the bathroom. I think he use to go over to the nearby bar and use their facilities. Oh, well, he is gone now and no one to replace him as a renter, so far. Perhaps I’ll put an ad in the paper.
Well, back to Jackie’s visit in August. We went out to Chena Hot Springs…around 60 miles East of Fairbanks. The paved road ends right at the springs. It’s fairly built up now after a hundred years of tourists trekking out there, first by horse and on foot, then by horse drawn wagon, then by car and bus, now by car, bus and aircraft. We didn’t see any moose on the trip up there or on the way back. The road goes through marsh country, just the place for moose but I guess they were wandering farther afield when we came by.
Jackie at Hot Springs, getting a wiff of the sulfur.
Here's what she's looking at...
After wandering around for a half hour, we found that the Ice Museum tour was just getting started so we bought our tickets, including an appletini drink, and entered the museum. Thankfully, they provided heavy coats so we weren’t to cold during the tour…
The ice chess set...
Random Ice...
A prize winner from the International Ice Carving competition...
She's kinda cool...
Another shot of the knights...
The bar...
Our bartender...
An ice xmas tree...
Here's one of the rental rooms. They have rented them out in the past but no one has been able to spend the entire night...
The toilet, never used of course...
Another bedroom...
And another...
This is inside a little igloo inside the museum...
Another shot of my best gal...
After our tour of the Ice Museum (I have no idea why they call it a museum, looks like a display to me…) we wandered over to the resturant and had a snack.
The bar...
A shot of the airport used in the dead of winter...
After we got back to Fairbanks, I took Jackie to the local bird watching spot. This area is now protected so the birds can rest and recouperate in peace before their long trip south.
Lots of birds resting on the way south.
More birds!
Well, this is enough for today, I’ll put up more when I get more time. B-t-w, thanks to my readers for hanging in there and coming back repeatedly to visit my not-to-often-updated blog. It’s especially difficult right now as I’m having trouble getting my webmistress to find some time to fix all the 600 broken links I’ve got after she upgraded my site. Soon I hope! Hang in there!