Alaska-Size Cabbages at Mukluk Land

We had to squeeze a lot into our last evening in Alaska.

But before I tell you about the Alaska-size cabbages, I'll mention about heading some miles down the road to see where missionary Jeff Deeter is working.

Here he has cleared land for a future youth camp for native American youth.

Lots of work to do before that becomes a reality.

We also stopped to see the log house that the Deeter's son has bought and is fixing up 

where he and his new wife will be living. Their wedding is this weekend in Valentine, Nebraska, across the border from where Heather's family ministers in South Dakota. We met Heather last year and I thought she was a really sweet girl. 

My best wishes to this young couple.

And by the way, this is the garage, not the log house!

I just couldn't resist getting a snap of the snowmobile sign which looks so Alaska!

They have a lot of fixup to do, but there was so much potential there.

The Deeter's other son lives nearby, too, with his wife, who happens to be Heather Dickinson's niece!

Small world.

I couldn't help getting a picture of this very pretty church we passed.

On the way back to our "home" away from home, we stopped for a quick look at this spot called

Mukluk Land, which had closed for the summer, but whose owner had told the missionaries that they could take us inside to see.

Right outside the gate was this enormous old wagon that had actually been used to haul pipe for the Alaskan pipeline.

Enormous tires on that thing!

To carry pieces of pipeline like this.

This is part of the Alaskan pipeline we got a photo of as we drove by earlier in the week.

Funny tombstones.

They grew a cabbage in a 50-gallon barrel!

I can just see my dad deciding to use a 50-gallon drum now to grow his cabbage next year!

Alaska-size flowers. This was my favorite spot.

Danny in a very old fire engine.

I am sure Sam is wishing for a ride in Santa's rocket ship.

Heater heaven.

Tons of old heaters.

It's Alaska, remember.

And monstrous old engines.

And Caribou Express, a "Weasel" used for carrying personnel in World War II. 

Ever seen an outhouse on wheels?

These ones look a little more useful, but the one above was actually entered in outhouse races.

Several people would push or pull outhouses on wheels in races!!!

Here were pictures on the inside walls of another outhouse to prove it.

Engine Alley.

,

The biggest mosquito in the world. 

A pitchfork that looked like it was carved from a single branch that happened to have all those tines.

Back for a very, very late supper about 10 p.m.

with apple pies that were the best and flakiest I ever tasted, crusts made with butter.

And moose and caribou roasts!

The school where Karen Deeter is principal.

She showed me around.

A cow bell to call to classes or whatever.

What we saw along the road on our way to the airport the next morning.

A typical drive going back between high, slender trees.

Trees don't grow very big because of the permafrost layer beginning about one foot down.

Santa's house at North Pole, Alaska.

And this was one of our final scenes in Alaska.

It had been our anniversary along with our mission trip, and we just felt the Lord blessed our trip with joy.

This pair of trumpeter swans, which mate for life, is having a peaceful time in a small lake by the road.

What a blessing to share life with Jonathan!

It's pretty different than what I expected when I said yes 26 years ago, but God has been very good to us, and the happiest times of our lives are when we go on mission trips together to help on various mission fields--this time in Alaska!

Third Day on the Alaskan House

Breakfast that morning was scrambled eggs, bacon and/or caribou sausage and toast. 

And coffee, of course, if you wanted it. This was Jonathan's plate.

He is soooo patient with me taking pictures of his plates for my blog!!!

But I HAD to get a picture of that caribou sausage patty! I had one, too, and it was mmmmm!

Ladies in the kitchen after taking orders from each guy.

Here I'm taking my turn at the stove in the kitchen, scrambling eggs for someone's breakfast. 

Kim and Alanna working on breakfast orders.

Lots of space!

So much got done on that first full day of work!

They put up most of the wall, all the trusses except what needs to be done after the porch is added,

and half the roof!

With rain in the forecast, beginning at midnight, the crew knew we had to work quickly to get the house dried in.

Soon the second half of the roof was on, but they could not set the last wall panels until the lumber and drywall for the inside of the house had been brought over with the forklift and lifted in.

Young men did the unloading and lifting of the drywall and lumber.

Thankful for all the helping hands!

Sam sawing notches into the plywood strips that filled in between the tops of the walls and the bottom of the trusses under the eaves.

He also was the one to help set the last set of wall panels. He's the one just inside the window, lifting the over-the-window panel toward its spot.

It was very, very hard to get that panel to fit exactly where it needed to be, to slide into its notch.

He got it, without dropping it!

More wall panels are getting done.

 This is what has to happen before some of the panels went up--

shaving off the stuff in the middle.

A happy boy swinging from the chandeliers!

Sam right up there at the peak, helping get the center and final wall panel set over the doorway.

 Tramping it down into place!

Happy missionary father helping get the tarps up for temporary.

Boys resting. Two are Smith boys from South Dakota.

As we stood around about 6:00 to rest, we broke out into the Doxology,

thankful for the Lord's help in getting the house to this point before the rains and wind began,

which they did, before midnight.

Wonder who this is under his nice hat?

Second Work Day in Alaska

The first morning the whole crew was in Alaska, they were already done with the floor the night before, so they could start putting up the insulated wall panels. 

Sam and Kyle carrying wall panels where they need to be. They laid them in order by number, as the panels came as a kit.

 Here the guys are working on setting up the first one.

This one is most important because if you get it square and straight, it will be the pattern for the rest.

Unfortunately, the first couple panels were swollen with moisture and were difficult to get up right.

The second piece was a  narrow one, and the guys had to pound it in together to the other one with a sledge hammer.

"There goes our trusses!" one man moaned as he envisioned spending an hour on each wall panel and not getting to the trusses for a very long time, maybe not till the next day.

Jonathan is checking the level. Is it straight?

Now the third piece sets up the corner.

The worst panels were the first, and before long, three sides of the house were up.

Jonathan seems to be reading the house plans to try to figure things out.

Keith Lavery had begged for Jonathan to come help on this trip because many of the guys were willing to help but needed someone to tell them how to do it and how to get started.

Danny bringing a ladder over to the back of the house for setting up the first truss.

Another scene of the house with the tall spruce and blue Alaskan sky behind.

Checking again with a level to make sure the Alaskan Insulated Panel is level. 

I was so proud of Sam for being willing to be one of the ones up high to help set the first truss.

I remember twenty and ten and five years ago, it was Jonathan up there like that, and now Sam is up there while Jonathan directs and helps from below.

It's such a tremendous experience for our boys to be along to help.

Keith's sister Kim is the lady in the striped shirt.

Jonathan right in the middle of the truss.

Despite their fears first thing in the morning, this many walls and trusses were up before lunch!!!!

That was some outstanding work!

I loved this afternoon photo, capturing the sun's rays beaming down like a blessing on the project.

I don't know how many trusses and roofs Jonathan and crews have put up for missions. 

What a blessing!

By suppertime, this is what it looked like.

And this is what Danny's fort and road looked like that he'd been building behind the house with sticks he whittled while the guys put up trusses.

He gathered lots of these red berries from the woods, to be the "soldiers," he said.