Snow is falling leaving that beautiful white blanket on the landscape. The first few snows bring the beauty of Alaska to all and we relish the absolute quiet and tranquility of the Saloon and Inn. Nothing to break the peacefulness except the call of a moose or a bird or the occasional screech owl. The winter guests haven't arrived yet, and nothing like laying in front of the stone fireplace with my sweetheart and the cat, all kind of cuddling and enjoying a warm evening of relaxation. A cup of Irish coffee is nice on an evening like this too. Makes it all that much more special.
Guests will be arriving soon and the Sno-Cat needs some minor work. I didn't mention but we got one heck of a deal on a used Sno-Cat this summer. A fellow down in Fairbanks had one that he needed to part with; needed some cash more than the vehicle, so we bought it relatively cheap. Gas engine and fully tracked, it should be a big help in getting the groceries and guests in this winter. It was originally used to groom roads or trails somewhere, but the grooming equipment had been removed, and it has a large platform on back for supplies and a cab big enough for 4 people. Or one person and Aunt Mary. Hmm..did I mention about not eating Aunt Mary's stew?
We've decorated the outside of the Saloon with the latest in lighting. The new LED lights that use little electricity. That made great sense as electricity is tough to come by out here. Our generator system is big enough to light up a small city, but we use it sparingly as it's for stand-by use only, as we now have big-city power. Well, big-city is a misnomer as Mukluk Power and Light is not big-city at all, and sometimes we think it's two hamsters running on wheels in a small concrete building near Fairbanks Highway. That aside, it is relatively reliable and keeps the lights on most of the time.
Our Christmas tree is beautiful. Laura picked it out and it is just huge! About 11 feet tall and rivals the National Christmas Tree in beauty. We shook the snow off and dragged it all the way home behind the Sno-Cat on a sled. Put it up in the main lodge area and decorated it with tons of lights and ornaments and a giant star on top. Montgomery, our cat, keeps swatting the ornaments off as he delights in watching them fly across the room. We give him an ornament to play with and he ignores it, and just goes after another one more to his liking. Just like a cat I suppose.
Speaking of which, he is starting to look like the bears, packing on some weight and prepared to hibernate for the winter. He has taken to sleeping on top of our legs at night, and trying to move with a huge cat on you as you wake is sometimes difficult. It's something new for him, maybe has something to do with the cold weather coming in. The moose have no intention of hibernating, however, as we see them daily, walking across the road and near the back porch. Hard to keep them away from the back door; I suppose they smell the food. Maybe if we let them have some of Aunt Mary's stew? I think the Alaska Wildlife Troopers would consider that a felony however.
At least the mosquitoes are gone. This years crop of mosquitoes was really bad. One landed on the road and a guest, trying to be helpful, loaded on two barrels of gasoline and was going to help other guests on board before he realized it was a mosquito! LOL. Just kidding, but they are huge. Mosquito netting is a must to avoid having your blood drained at will by these creatures. The cold drives them to death and or hibernation but in the spring they will be back again. Something to look forward to, along with the mud. Speaking of mud, I'll have to look at the Jeep and see how far it's sunk again. We'll never get it out so we just leave it there as a tourist attraction. Maybe we'll plant flowers on it in the spring!
So, as Christmas nears, it will be quiet here at the Saloon. In the spirit of the holiday, we want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season, no matter which holiday you celebrate. Be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas or any holiday at all, we at the Wild Moose Saloon wish you and yours a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season, and all the best for a Wonderful New Year filled with love, peace and hope.
