Camp Leslie

CAMP LESLIE. Two weekends ago we switched our living situation up from the Beach House to our Craiglist-ed "Cozy Cabin in the Woods." Due to our lack of internet and thoroughly unreliable cell phone service (Thankfully, the kind gentleman from TMobile based in Tennessee was entirely sympathetic to my mournful plight of survival in the wilds of Alaska and our early termination fee was successfully waived - point, Team Leslie), our first week in the new digs was blissfully disconnected. We played outside, we read books made of real paper, we listened to this thing called a radio, and we settled in. A fire pit was dug. A slack-line was put up (So far, I can take 5 steps; J can take 11... Grrrr...). Kickball with a home plate hoolahoop was played. Fiddleheads were discovered, picked and fried in butter. At one point Indigo said, "Mama, come lay down in the grass in the sun and just look up - it feels great!" and I did. In short, it felt like old fashioned summer camp and it was wonderful. Thus our new home was christened: Camp Leslie.

The ski shed.

The cozy cabin.

I spy J on the slack line and Indigo's little cabin.

LOVE the big windows (so do our tomatoes).

3 floors of spiraling round and round.

Just in case it gets cold and dark again (ha!).

iTRIP. Ironically, we then went out and got new contracts with another monster phone company and caved into the consumer candy that is the iPhone. (For those of you who don't know, until this latest change, J and I both enjoyed two antiquated flip phones that youngsters were heard to call retro.) In an attempt to preserve the serenity of just being here, as opposed to being everywhere and with everyone all the time a la the wonders of technology, we are attempting to use our phones minimally and on some days or weeks (gasp) not at all. We leave tomorrow for our first summer travel adventure: A road/water trip across Prince William Sound, a spring ski at Thompson Pass, and a venture out to the small historic towns of McCarthy and Kennicott, only accessible via a footbridge - the quintessential pioneer Alaska. We're hoping to keep the experiences fresh and wild, and not get dooped into having an iTrip. We want to see migrating birds, not angry birds; shimmering whale tales, not rainbow whale trails... (I've already been initiated into the app-fold by my 4 year old). Wish us luck.

SUN. Just an update: We are officially in the land of the midnight sun. Despite a sunset around 11:30pm, the world simply does not get dark because the sun remains just below our horizon line until an insanely early rise - instead we enjoy a somewhat eery bright twilight for the few hours in the middle of the night, light enough to walk or read by. Giving us all the more time to adventure!!!

Until next I connect...