We survived two Canadian territories and two borders and have already landed in Washington after driving two nights straight.
It was hell. Only because it is super exhausting and all Canada has to offer in food is old Dutch chips, smarties (both yummy!), horrible coffee, and subway(which is repulsive anywhere). Subway has become too complicated and way to stingy with the veggies. And don’t get me started on their bread. I liked it when it was simple and tasted like a real sandwich. Not all slimy and sour tasting.

I only ran over one deer carcass and almost a moose carcass head hanging out in the lane. It was dark. I’m lucky I have cat-like reflexes and dodged that sucker as the head alone was bigger than the entire deer carcass.

Fall has not quite finished in the Yukon or British Columbia. Leaves are still on and there is no snow on the ground. There is always snow on the ground and numerous storms whenever we drive through. I drove through one localized snow storm the first night at 4am, but there wasn’t much accumulation so the road wasn’t slick at all. I get more worried about the truckers blowing snow around when you pass them.

Luckily the weather was great – really beautiful today as we drove the windy road through hells gate and onto the border. I’ve only driven that part at night (which is white knuckle driving in any weather) and I highly recommend it in the daylight. It really is breathtaking.

We drove through kluane at night. I was bummed because it is a really beautiful area full of big wildlife.

So rudder gets to add the Yukon and Washington state to his travelogue! He really is an amazing little traveller. He was definitely in way better spirits than I was yesterday. Mostly because he gets to sleep in his carseat whenever he wants. I was definitely lacking in the sleep department.

Tomorrow we are southbound to Reno to visit my high school bbbbbff amber via Oregon and northern California.

’til then.

we celebrated rudder’s birthday two days early since he and i decided to leave fairbanks on saturday.

we heard a rumor that there would be mixed snow and rain on sunday.

i don’t think it happened, but i wasn’t taking any chances.

we drove to chena hotsprings so the little guy can do his favorite thing ever – go swimming!!

on the way there we stopped at a little cafe/house and had some sushi and seaweed salad.

rudder loves seaweed salad!!!

the sushi was pretty good considering the appearance and location of the little restaurant.

some photos of our day:

he is so happy in water! and sometimes dangerous!

after i washed the stinky hotsprings water out of my hair, i found the boys swinging.

rudder discovered he likes to slide and will go down all by himself. it is hilarious.

he gets all excited then scoots with his butt until he is flying down.

sorry the picture is a little blurry.

and we did some teeter tottering. on a weird teeter totter. i hate them.

have hated them since i was a kid.

buku made me.

and he likes being upside down. what kid doesn’t?

we had planned to pull over at a campground to have a little picnic celebration, but it was a little too cold.

so we had cake and presents at home, after naps.

the birthday boy was so exhausted from swimming that he took at 2.5 hour nap and i eventually woke him up for dinner and celebration.

jumbo lemon cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles that rudder picked out at the grocery store.

the progression from clean and happy to super dirty and super happy:

and presents!

he got a handmade yoda shirt that jasmine and ski got for him off of etsy. very very very cool.

and he got goodies from corinne and dre.

his very own mini garden gnome, a few books, and a really cool mushroom and hedgehog bib.

and we got him a lace-’em- up dragon. he had played with one a few months ago and loves it.

he almost gets it. he can thread it, but doesn’t know to pull it out of the other side yet.

and then the sugar kicked in. and he danced danced danced his ass off around the coffee table.

and then took a nice hard crash – they don’t call him crash jr. for nothing!

and then we made it home on saturday and found a package waiting for us from aunt ashley and uncle joe!

the totally awesome sweater vest that rudder is wearing was hand knit by stephanie. it’s a little big on the little pipsqueak, but he still looks super cute in it.

we also celebrated on his real birthday with brian, stephanie, and sydney yesterday. he got a fake remote (yay!), a set of play keys with sounds (he hasn’t put them down during his awake hours), and his very own beach bucket with little animal squirters.

thanks everyone for all the presents.

rudder loves them all.

’til then.

Tagged: cake, chena hotsprings, fairbanks, first birthday, knit sweater vest, lacing dragon, sliding, sweater vest, swimming, yoda tshirt ]]> http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/2011/09/26/the-best-birthday-so-far/feed/ 0 nowhereslow IMGP9190.JPG IMGP9192.JPG IMGP9199.JPG IMGP9202.JPG IMGP9208.JPG IMGP9207.JPG IMGP9211.JPG IMGP9218.JPG IMGP9219.JPG IMGP9221.JPG IMGP9226.JPG IMGP9229.JPG IMGP9231.JPG IMGP9235.JPG IMGP9240.JPG IMGP9246.JPG IMGP9249.JPG IMGP9248.JPG http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/2011/09/23/foto-friday-13/ http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/2011/09/23/foto-friday-13/#comments Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:39:06 +0000 nowhereslow http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/?p=1220 ]]> today we are celebrating rudder’s birthday in fairbanks.

it is supposed to be mixed rain and snow on sunday (his real birthday) so i want to drive down to anchorage tomorrow.

i’m not ready to drive in the snow.  or even see it.

though i know it’s inevitable.

i’ll post bday photos soon.

at the playground, ya know?

before buku’s race.

we are very happy to not be participating!

’til then.

so i put rudder’s new cardigan on him and we took a walk.

the hotel we are at (where b’s office is) is right near Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.

when we were here a few weeks ago, there were canadian geese and sandhill cranes covering the fields.

a few days ago, we saw two or three cranes.

yesterday there were no migratory birds to be seen.

he’s very close to walking. he does a really funny wide leg shuffle.

how ’bout them fall colors, eh?

and it was high 60s. and today maybe 50.

it’s supposed to be mixed snow and rain on sunday, so we are planning to drive back to anchorage on saturday morning.

there are many trails around these fields, but we decided to wander the boreal forest for a few photos. the trees look like they go on for miles and miles, but they don’t. this forest is haunting when walking through at dusk.

hey mom, have you seen these crunchy brown leaves and this grass?  it’s so amazing!

ok mom.  are we done with the photoshoot?  pretty tired here.

oh, but we are home and dad’s here. i’ll wake up now.

’til then.

there is no seaming involved which is always a plus.

i always look for ‘no seaming’ when picking out a pattern.

i wanted wooden toggles, but i have always had a hard time finding small ones for baby projects that look like actual toggles.

these were good enough and i actually like the two-tone look of them.

i also used a DK weight yarn instead of a worsted yarn since we are headed to warmer climates soon – i hope – we better be!

since i used a DK yarn, i stretched it a little when i blocked it.

now if only my little model would wake up!

’til then.

Tagged: baby, baby sophisticate, cardigan, knitting, no seam cardigan ]]> http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/2011/09/21/tada/feed/ 2 nowhereslow IMGP9124.JPG IMGP9132.JPG