Recent Adventures and Relaxation!

It's been great to get out fishing and boating more this year. I'm thankful for Heather and Elvina (Heather's mother-in-law) to invite me. A few weeks ago we went fishing for humpees (pink salmon). I just realized that I told you about this adventure. I also went fishing with Heather again along with her husband, Chuck and his two school age brothers. It was fun even though I didn't catch a darn thing and they got them all. Chuck was checking to see if the silver salmon have come through and we think that one of the boys got one but wasn't sure. Chuck also let me shoot this huge rifle. I can't remember what kind it was. It was also neat to hear Chuck's storytelling about how he got moose a long time ago. I kept the humpees they caught so I could take them home with me to share. Between the four of them they got about 12-15. Shaun had a smoker so we decided to smoke all the fillets since we both agreed that pinks are not good to eat baked. We both tried it and wasn't impressed. So as the pictures shows Shaun is stirring the fillets in salt and brown sugar and we let them marinate for 6 hours or so. Then he smoked them in this cute little smoker and it took him 16 hours total.

I also went boating twice to get Salmon Berries. I got just little over a gallon. They aren't as abundant as last year but am thankful I got some. I also went to pick the blossoms of fireweed to make fireweed jam.

It's been nice to take Berry for walks, now enjoy the sunshine for 4 days in a row! That is almost just as much sunshine we had in June and July. I've been getting a lot of house things done.

I looked at our schedule for next week and it's less planning time in the classroom this year so I broke down and went into the classroom today to organize cupboards, set the furniture back into the different centers. Tomorrow, I have a few more cupboards and then unloading the purchase orders, which is fun to remember what I got. I'm pretty excited for the non-fiction animal books I got for the kids. The pictures in them are amazing and the facts are neat also.

I did not want to start school. I was not ready because I was fearful of making the mistakes I made last year. I'm thankful that God has forgiven me of my mistakes, taken the guilt away, and will be faithful in helping me grow through the mistakes I will make. Of course, I want to be perfectionist. Thank goodness I don't have to be though. I'm ready now, but not for the business of leading the Solution Team, Battle of the Books, Curriculum and Instruction, plus teaching, and Bible Study. I'm trusting God to give me strength.

Lately, I've been so fatigued again. I'm thankful I don't have anemia like I thought I did because of the symptoms I had. I think all the times in the country have caught up to me. I'm so exhausted to even cook. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll feel nice and refreshed. Part of the reason why I am so tired is because Berry got sick to her stomach and was puking every ten minutes. So she had no water or food for 24 hours. Poor girl! Throughout the night, I kept hearing her cough and gag. What happened was she was chewing on a rawhide bone and she didn't chew it all the way and swallowed it. She has never done this before so I was a little surprised. Anyways, she is much better now and ate and didn't puke. Well, this will be the last posting until after school starts. Look forward to showing you pictures!