Long Overdue

Hey Guys! I'm SO sorry it has taken me so long to blog. We have been very busy... I know you have heard this before, but it's TRUE! haha Warning: This blog is super long. Here goes...

Todd, Hollyn, Wesley, and I decided to attend the last week at the Cripple River Gold Camp, and we did a little fishing at the Cripple River before we headed to the camp. At this point in time, the silver salmon were running like crazy so the guys were excited to catch some! As I'm sure most fishermen know, it's harder to catch fish when there are a lot of people around. The men from the camp were fishing there too, so we only caught one that day and we ended up eating it!
Hollyn and I gave up all too quickly and decided to focus on building a fire! I'm really into this "bonfire on the beach" deal. We also brought marshmallows to roast!

To get to this river spot where we were at, you have to drive down the beach about 20 miles or so on 4 wheeler. Wesley and I had just bought our brand new Can-Am 4 wheeler the day before and were dying to try it out! I couldn't wait to get that 4 wheeler dirty, but being the good wife that I am, I let Wesley drive! We had to cross the river, which was no problem for our new 4 wheeler and was an awesome change from the crossing our fingers experience we had before with our previous 4 wheeler. Needless to say, we loved it!

We had to be at the Gold Camp around 6 for the spaghetti dinner, so after the guys had their fill of unsuccessful fishing, we packed it up and headed up to the camp. The camp was only about 3 miles or so from our fishing spot, so it wasn't far. The spaghetti dinner was fun and we got to talk with some folks from all over. They told us a little about their adventure at the camp and how much gold they were able to find. After dinner, they had a variety show with an open bar so that was a lot of fun! We hung out at the camp for a little while longer and then headed home, back to Nome!

Hollyn and I at the Spaghetti Dinner!

A sunny day is pretty rare in Nome, so we usually take full advantage! We also have to fit work in there somewhere! Sleep is not a priority... you just go until you can't go anymore!

Our wedding anniversary was August 7, so mom and dad shipped us our wedding cake so we could eat it like tradition. The postal service doesn’t really care if the box says fragile or not because our cake practically exploded! We had a fun time tasting it out though and it was disgusting! Haha We both ate 2 bites just for good measure.

Todd, Hollyn, Libby, Wesley, and I went on another fishing trip. This time we went to the Penny River. We caught tons of fish…well I should say Todd and Wesley caught tons of fish. Haha. They caught a lot of Silver salmon. I caught I think 2 pink salmon, but threw them back. The silver salmon just taste so much better.

Libby and I worked on the fire this time, and Libby got it blazin! She is good at building fires! It was a little rainy this day, but that didn’t damper our moods! Hollyn was busy fishing one minute and being hooked the next!

Wesley had a silver on the line, jerked it back, and caught Hollyn right in the lip! It was hilarious! She had a scar on her lip for a few days, but other than that, she is doing just fine. We brought hotdogs and smore materials that day! Libby made the biggest, messiest smore I have ever seen, but it looked very tasty!! The guys also cooked up a pink salmon that we didn't want to take home.

Hollyn bludgeoning the fish!

To kill the salmon, you have to bludgeon them so they don't flop back into the water! It's kinda hard to do. To get them out of the water, we used a net. The silver salmon put up such a fight that it takes a long while to reel them in. That's why if you use the net, someone can walk out there and try to capture it. It's exciting!

Todd taught Wesley how to filet the fish, and he did it up right! They did catch a couple pinks, but not many.  We had three 4 wheelers and a trailer with us that day. By Golly, we bring the kitchen sink when we go somewhere! Haha

The next day, Todd taught us how to can the salmon. We had so much fun learning how to use the pressure cooker, and I’ll have to admit, it was a little scary!! 

Hollyn took us berry picking out on the tundra. There are blueberries everywhere! It is so wonderful just to sit out there, pick blueberries, eat a few, and hang with your friends. The scenery is so picturesque and vast. It’s hard not to feel God’s presence where we live. You can see for miles, and when you get out of town, away from everything and everyone, it’s just you and the land, and you feel so peaceful. I hope that everyone gets an experience like this.

Mom sent me a cheesecake mix, so I made the cheesecake and whipped up a fresh blueberry topping to take to work. (I say "whipped it up" like it was easy... I was freaking out the whole time... I'm not a good cook like my mom.) Everyone loved it, and I’ll have to admit, I was pretty impressed with myself considering I had NO idea what I was doing. Maybe cooking really is as simple as following directions! Haha

The next trip we took was in Todd’s truck. The gang (Todd, Hollyn, Wesley, and me) headed down towards Council this time to see if we could find some more fish. We stopped at the “Train to Nowhere” to get some pictures. I’m not exactly sure on the history behind it, but there was a train headed to Council, but the company ran out of money before it was completed and just left everything there. There is a whole train just rusting away!

When we got to the river, there weren’t any fish, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time! Wesley packed some hamburgers, so they built a fire and grilled those up while we studied for our upcoming PALS class. While we were studying, I was just thinking about how lucky all of us are to be able to study here in ALASKA with the nature all around! It was an incredible feeling. Hollyn and I decided to test out the river water and wade in, but I quickly waded out because it was freezing! Hollyn was a trooper though, and stayed just long enough to get a picture!

Wesley attempted to go fishing, but saw a bear paw print and came sprinting back to camp. Haha! We just hung out all around enjoying our time together as friends and our time outdoors. It was such a pretty day.

On the way back, we stopped at the beach and found a sand bar. We waded SO far out in the sea! The water felt so warm! I even fell in and wasn’t cold! Christine and Amy just happened to be driving by so they got out and joined us! That was so much fun.

Hollyn and I stuck in the sand!!!

Me and Amy

Hollyn and I playing pool!

After that, we went to Safety Roadhouse, which is the last stop in the Iditarod trail. We had a few drinks, played some pool, and even hung our dollar up on the ceiling! We will forever be a part of Safety!

For an Auburn fan, Todd is pretty great! :)

While we aren’t out exploring and taking little trips here and there, we are working. I am starting to get into the groove of nursing and I love it. Wesley is starting to get to know his way around the hospital and loves it too! We really love it here! I am enjoying every minute of being here in Nome with Wesley, and I can’t wait to share more with yall. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I write next time! Thank you to everyone who has been sending us coupons, cards, and packages! We love every time we go to the post office and get something from someone back home!

Till Next Time,

Wesley and Maddie