Tony's Run 2011

Jon and Kiley decided to bike the 5K this year for Tony's Run. Tony's Run is the only yearly "run" in Dillingham, sponsored by a local organization. You have the option to run, walk or "roll" a marathon, 1/2 marathon, 10K or 5K. I typically try to do something, but Baby Clouse just isn't having Mama do much in the area of continuous activity this year. There is always next year.

Pep talk before the bike race

It was a beautiful day- not perfect, but just right for your first bike race. There were some clouds in the sky and it rained a few times, but overall it was beautiful.

Ready!

Here they come!

Finished! Phew.

Kiley was pretty stoked that she came in before her dad, the highlight of the race. Our family is getting old enough that next year we might all be able to participate in Tony's Run!

Potato Harvest

Two of the biggest potatoes they could find

It was a good year for potatoes this year, at least at our house. We dug up about half of our potato garden this weekend and had a total of 51 pounds when all was said and done. It was like digging for gold we discovered..... red and yellow gold.

We grew some of the biggest red potatoes ever. Ever. I was amazed at how big some of these potatoes were! Pretty proud of them too.

They make Sis's hand look little!

Let me tell you... they taste as delicious as they look!

Spruce Chicken Hunting

Some girls take ballet lessons, learn how to cook, take up knitting or play dolls.

Not the Clouse girls!

Alaska girls learn how to shoot guns- booya baby.

Clouse girls hunt, in Alaska anyway. That's how we roll. We're all about subsistence in this neck of the woods- fish, moose, berries and now SPRUCE CHICKENS!

We have moose hunters and now Spruce Chicken hunters at our house. A Spruce Chicken is a grouse for all you non- Alaskans. Jon was walking around telling everyone he was going to take Kiley grouse hunting.... until Matthew asked him, "Why do you keep calling them Grouse? No one knows what you are talking about! They are Spruce Chicken." There, record set straight.

Kiley shot her first Spruce Chicken this weekend..... she was pretty dog gone excited, and mighty proud of her first hunting success.

See Uncle Will? Right through the head!

That's how it's done boys!

I must say her Dad and I are pretty proud of her too! She looks good with a gun, it matches her.

Strawberries!

Kalin got to pick a "big" one

Kiley filling her bowl

It is mid-September and we are still enjoying the fruits of our Spring labor!

We planted our strawberry garden last year and we were so excited when we were able to harvest 9 strawberries. Nine, yes nine. This year we started picking our strawberries in August and have continued picking those juicy little bad boys well into September. They are so gorgeous.

We have picked from our garden three different times so far this summer/ fall (along with some sampling on my part and I'm sure some secret picking sthat I am not aware of)- I would guess a total of at least 40. There are still so many waiting to ripen, I am hoping that first real frost hangs back for just a little bit longer.

The girls get so excited whenever they see red ones that are ready to pick, and aren't so willing to share.... so I need more sampling before they are gone until next year.

We don't feel quite so jealous now when Papa and Gram tell us about all the berries they are picking in WA. Gotta love Alaska and this long harvest period, it sure is fantastic this year.

My Moose Hunters

It was another Labor Day weekend spent hunting, not for me but "the boys." They traveled up the Nushagak and spent Friday night to Monday afternoon looking for a moose to fill our freezer for the winter. Why didn't I go you ask? I am a huge supporter of subsistence hunting and fishing, just not so big on the shooting and killing part. I would rather go and pick berries.... which I did. So I made jam this weekend, I was productive at home!

So anyway the boys got a moose, a very big moose. It just happened to be Matthew's first moose too. Matthew acted like it was just another day hunting, minimal excitement. Who wouldn't be excited about that rack? This moose will fill our freezer and give meat to another family to boot. Not to mention really, really cut down on our food bill. We already had our first taste last night, and it was delicious!

So hunting can be a little boring..... but it can also be full of wrestling too.