It’s been a lot of fun and a great experience, but it’s time to go back to the “Lower 48.” We’ll leave the North Pole and our site at the Corps of Engineers Chena Lakes Flood Control Project Saturday evening, August 29. We’ll dry camp at Tok, then leave early Sunday for Whitehorse where we’ll drop the trailer off to the new owner! Yes, we’ve sold it! At least every thing is in place for making the transfer Monday, August 31, 2015. It’s looking like we can cram all our stuff into the truck and be on our way again mid day Monday. Planning some hard driving, hoping to make it from Whitehorse to Gillette, Wyoming to see family by September 4th! Two thousand miles!

Our last few days here were spent painting 14 gates Corps of Engineer red. It was fun to do together, trying to grasp some time between rains. And it has been raining a lot.

We’ll have to say goodbye to Cole Van Beusekom, our volunteer coordinator. A great young man, as well as Senior Ranger Jake Kresel, and Manager Tim Feavel.

We’ll see our co-host, Cliff and Cyndy Mills again in Texas.

Here is a picture of Cole and his dog Smoke.

Both rangers are karaboo hunting August 24-26. Cole just returned from a sheep hunt where in bagged a nearly full curl ram.

Not long after arriving at the North Pole, we found a family about a mile away that raises chickens and occasionally sell the eggs. We enjoyed feeding the chickens and harvesting the eggs on three occasions when Keith and Deana were away. We could ride our bikes on a path most of the way. And have certainly enjoyed having fresh eggs.

We’ve seen quite a few moose since arriving in Alaska, mostly cows. Around the time we got here, most of the cows had new born calves. Seems like most have two. So it was a special treat when this mama and her calves came waltzing through our yard just a few days before we leave. The picture isn’t that good because it was taken out our trailer window. Didn’t want them to run away if we opened the door.

So living at Chena, the North Pole, and Fairbanks has been a true joy for us this summer and that we’ll remember it for a long long time.