We actually began searching for a home quite some time before we were married, but we did not locate something we wanted until the spring of 1999, and then it was a duplex.  We were looking right in Fairbanks, because I was working in there. It was a very good buy, and we reasoned that we could live in it for a year or so, while we located the house that we REALLY wanted.  We moved into it in September 1999, after three long months of escrow *SIGH,* but long before that first year of living there was up, we were tired of apartments (we were in the upper unit, and I had also lived in an upper apartment the entire previous year), and we were tired of living in the city.  While I drove myself to work and back, I had not ever enjoyed driving, and really dreaded the thought of driving to work from out of town.

I had health problems almost from the time of my arrival in Alaska, and they worsened in 2000. At the end of August I finished filling in for a time as office manager for a friend.  When that job ended, we decided I would try working from home.  Since I was no longer going to have to drive to work, it left it open for us to look for a place outside town, nearer where Jim works.  He has been driving an hour one way during winter months. There are not many homes available out that way, and we thought it would take quite some time to find something.  It took us almost a year to find something in town. 

However, much to our amazement, we found what we wanted the first day we looked!  Well, almost.  Much closer to what we wanted than we expected to come. We had not been too concerned with size.  We  defined what we really wanted as this: we wanted something small but well constructed, with privacy; preferably an more than an acre, with trees.

The photo above was taken in December 2000 on a cloudy day.  We didn't see the house until late October when snow covered the ground, so we haven't seen the lawn yet.  I can hardly wait for spring to arrive to see what it looks like without snow... to see what plants may come up, to see what the small bushes out front are.  The house is small, and to some it won't look like much.  However, when I look at it, I don't see it as you see it above.  I see it larger, with french doors leading out from the living room to a deck.  I see an arbor to greet you as you arrive, and lead you to an enlarged front porch, and I see masses of hollyhocks, delphiniums, lilies and many other flowers in the area surrounding the housefront and the area between house and barn/garage.  A picket fence surrounding the front yard, and smatterings of bright flowers leading down the drive.  That's what I see when I look at it.

While this house is too small for us right now, it can easily be added onto. It is well built, and situated on a two-acre lot that is well-treed with mostly aspen and spruce.  It has a barn that has been converted to a garage (as large as the house), and is at the very end of a dead-end road.  A new well and a new septic were pluses, and it has other features we liked.  It’s a cute country cottage that suits us very well, and is near my husband's work and our church.  With perseverance we were able to get it, and moved into it the day after Thanksgiving.  Well, we moved most of our stuff that weekend...  We are still getting bits and pieces of it on trips to town, as we can fit them in. 

We have both been busy inside our cottage in the three months we have lived here, but nothing major yet.  I have always sewn, and enjoy sewing curtains, tablecovers, and other things for the home.  To me, it just makes sense.  I want my home to reflect my taste and to "put my stamp" on it by making as much of what is used in decorating it as I can. I have made some cute country curtains for the living room and kitchen, and am working on the bedroom now.  I'm also covering pillows with some of the new techniques, making a slipcover for my large ottoman, and making tablecovers.  I will get some photos up as soon as possible of some of these projects.  Jim has been making some improvements inside, too; and we have both spent quite a bit of time on our new family member, Blue.  Blue is an Australian Blue Heeler pup that we got last month, who is three months old, and is learning to be housetrained.  

She had never been kept in the house, so she is REALLY learning about the house.  She is a very, very smart dog, though, so she is learning pretty fast.  You can find out more about her on her own web page here.     

   Photo: This is a view of our duplex in Fairbanks  

We have rented out the upper unit of our duplex where we lived during the past year.  We plan to add two bedrooms to this house, and convert the present bedroom into an enlargement of the living room in the spring, if possible.  That will make it just the size we want.  
Situated on the farthest back corner of our two acres, neighbors are far from view.  

We absolutely love it out here.  Neither of us had lived right in a town for a long time, and it wasn’t fun for either of us.  The air out here is much clearer and cleaner than that in town, to say nothing of the peace, silence and serenity.  And the views!  Alaska is truly gorgeous in the winter, and nowhere is that more evident than in the forest.  We have views of the forest from almost every room, with a view to the southwest across snow-covered pasture that is pole-fenced for horses, to the forest and hills beyond.

Photo: This is a view to the southwest. The barn/garage is adjacent to the truck on the left of photo. This is sunset in mid-February, and although this is still part of what is known as the deepest, darkest part of winter in the interior of Alaska, our days now have more than 8 hours of sunshine, and with sunsets like this, that turn our world to brilliant pink and gold, how can you not be impressed? It looks like you could step right into Alaska through this photo, doesn't it?

There are no city lights to obscure the view at night so we see billions of stars from our bed along with the Aurora on cold, crisp, crystal clear winter nights.  It is much brighter out here than in town. 

The winter sky during the day is full of gold, pink and red hues due to the angle of the sun, and it is set against the backdrop of forest and hills.  The sky is already changing, and looks more like a springtime sky, with fluffy white clouds part of the time.  We are having a very warm winter this year, and so far it is the fourth warmest winter on record!  That's okay with me!  Most days have been above zero, and there has not even been much snow yet.  Today is the first of February, and the coldest part of winter is usually the last half of December and January.  That is past now.  Our days are longer, so it is not likely we'll have any more -40 and -50 degree days this winter. (Our coldest day was only one day of -40 out here, -36 in Fairbanks, and only one of those!)

Our cottage is just a few (less than five) miles from the state recreation area and the Chena River, and we can’t see a neighbor in any direction, yet we are only a little more than a block from a store and a gas station.  We are technically in the bustling metropolis of Two Rivers, Alaska, population unknown, but probably about 500.

Until I came to Alaska I did quite a bit of gardening... mostly flowers in later years, and I am anxious to get some perennials planted here.  I still have some research to do on that.  General gardening books simply do not include "zone 1" plant hardiness, and this area is zone 1.  However, there are plants listed as zone 2, which I know people have success with in this area, so I will just have to investigate further and probably do some experimenting, since there are a lot of small "microclimates" in our area.

Lilacs grow beautifully here, rugosa roses, delphiniums, lilies, peonies, blue flag or iris are native here, violets also, and I am sure there are many others.  I've seen wildflowers lining the roads in spring that resemble veronica, and other beautiful plants. The wildflower show goes on all summer, ending with the brilliant fireweed that is bright throughout the area.  By summer I hope to have photos of more of the plant life on this site. The growing conditions we have here in Alaska's interior are not duplicated elsewhere, so it will be important to look at what is growing here, seek advice from local greenhouses and nurseries, and talk to those who garden here.  If anyone reading this has gardening knowledge of this area, please contact me by email.  I would like to get to know some other gardeners in the area. 

Photo: The trees out on our front lawn.  The small spruce edge the drive, and these and the large one provide a great view from our front window.  The mixed aspen and spruce behind the large spruce are the buffer of forest at the front of our property that give
us privacy.  On the right in the above photo is our nearest neighbor's barn, beyond a corral on our property.  Neither of these can be seen from the house.

I would like to plant a number of perennials near the house... actually, between the house and barn/garage, and this has a southwesterly exposure, so it should be nice and sunny. I also have shady areas in which to try species that thrive in shade. I'll probably not try any vegetables this year, but prepare a site for the next summer, while I learn more about how to prepare for vegetable gardening here.  The Alaska Cooperative Extension here has some booklets with information that I hope will help with that.  For a number of years I have used raised bed gardening for vegetables, and that should work very well here, as it warms the soil more quickly.  Since I don't want to remove trees I will probably use a portion of the corral for this, as it has been cleared of trees ,is sunny, and will be easier to fence from the moose.  It is a bit of a way for water, but I don't think it's too far for a hose.  I have a feeling that this is definitely going to be an adventure!

I hope you'll join us here on our adventure in "fixing-up" our new home.  
I will try to keep you updated on our progress!  

Page created February 16, 2001
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