This blog was accidentally deleted a while back…if anybody happens by. I’m working on it!
Dreams Delayed | Backwoods Mom
People always remember, with clarity, the moment their lives changed. I remember the moment mine didn’t. In the spring of ’03 I had just finished …
This Blog Is Not Real »
Last night a young lady with a history much like my children’s wrote me a message and asked for advice. But before she asked, she …
A Home In The Mountains | Backwoods Mom
Grandpas Resting place We came to this land in June of this year, in the midst of a heatwave. We thought we could make a …
South From Alaska | Backwoods Mom
We drove south from Alaska near the end of May this year on a whim. Maybe I’m just tired of the winters. The darkness gets …
Stalk The Six Door! | Backwoods Mom
Tell us where you spotted us and share your photo in the comments! When an entire group of people standing on the edge of the …
A Room With No View
Destini and Robin…ready for anything… I hate those arrogant ‘update’ blogs. As if the world is waiting, on the edge of their seat, to learn …
What They Did To Me Bum…
If you’ve not been following the sage of the bear/boys/bum injury, here’s a couple of links: Bear In The Back Woods Cruisin’ For A Bruisin’ …
Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’
For the record…I don’t know how to get my blog to stop showing you TWO of the same picture in each post. Sorry. I don’t …
Bear In The Backwoods
The scene… My two boys gathered blueberries from their secret patch near the road. Jars filled, they headed back towards the cabin, Anthony leading the …
Fishing For Elders –
Yesterday the kids and I found ourselves on the Ninilchik beach helping pull king salmon from the water to feed some of the village elders. …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 5-18-14 | Backwoods Mom
BMOM Driving through British Columbia and Yukon Territory is like breaking into a zoo after hours and tearing down the fences. Animals roam everywhere, seeming …
May 17, 2014 | Backwoods Mom
After spending six months pretending we were on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, the adjustment back to cabin life has been a bit of …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 3-9-14 –
Abandoned Mine Carlsbad Caverns Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico A Friendly Mule along the way… I took 1264 …
My Kids Aren’t Learning Anything
“Mom, I need some more language arts worksheets printed,” said my nearly 15 year old this morning, who needs her world aligned at all times …
Where We Are
It’s February 20, 2014. I’m sitting on a barstool on an island, sipping a non-fat vanilla latte, casually, as if I’ve done this before. And …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 2-16-2014
Cutie Birds on the Boardwalk SISTERS! Sunset Pelican Steven Skates the Bowl Luke…the reason they make helmets… Robin wanted to try skating… But her skateboard …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 2-9-2014
HUGE Scenic Sunday full of BIRDS! And some Dolphins. And other stuff too. Dolphins leading the ship from the harbor… Dolphins SO cute! And look, …
Must Be Nice To Vacation All The Time… –
I’ve been asked the same question many times these past months as we travel. “How are you affording to do this? Must be nice to …
On The Road From Concan
This morning the kids and I planned to wake early and leave our little cabin up the Frio River here in Texas. Yesterday we packed …
Y’All Come Back Now, Y’Hear?
“Whaaaat the blaaaazes are Y’ALL doing in Teeeexas?” I keep hearing over and over. Well, they don’t say it like that exactly, but my ears …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 01-19-2014
Kids in front of Downtown Disney, drooling and wishing they were inside. We’ll go before we return to Alaska in the spring. Prickly tree near …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 01-05-2014 –
Placerita Canyon, California at the “waterfall”. Not. Kids had their FIRST ICE CREAM TRUCK EXPERIENCE! And learned about false advertising… Went swimming the day after …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 12-15-2013
This week we traveled over to Reno, spent two nights at Circus Circus in their mid-week absurdly cheap rooms, then we headed down the 395, …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 12-18-13
Cousin, Mary….”I dare you to take me out of this sink…” I can’t stop taking pictures of Mary… COUSINS!!!! Bagel and Beezie are SO happy …
Bison Of British Columbia
I’ve actually got nothing funny to say about today…which is good news since that means nothing bad happened. Good for us, bad for entertainment value. …
South of the Border (Canadian That Is…)
We bedded down last night in Tok, Alaska in a highway frontage hotel. If I have learned anything on this trip so far it’s that …
Fragments Of Sanity
It was just before noon on a Monday morning, sometime in the fall of 1988, in Phoenix, Arizona. I stood in my pale blue polo …
Lost In Translation
(If you’ve seen the animated movie, “UP”, you’ll enjoy this. If not, it might be really pointless to read!) Today we sat in our attorney’s …
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig
We crested the hill just before our driveway in the backwoods of Alaska after six months traveling in the lower 48 and my girls jumped …
Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch…
Today on Johnson Lake I think often of this site…ideas for improvement flitting through my head, one-liners jotted down in yellow notebooks, good intentions paving …
Life…and Death…on a Farm
We were lounging in the cabin Saturday evening, arguing over whether MASH dvds were worth generator fuel, when my husband stood to stretch, glanced out …
FISH! FISH! FISH!
For many Alaskans, “summer” means three things for sure…fish, fish and fish! We dip, catch, and net fish…we clean, cut, can, freeze and smoke fish…we …
Life On A Boat
Last night some random stranger invited my niece Amy and I on an evening boat ride around the Ventura, California Harbor. Sure, complete stranger on …
The Sinkhole of Depression
I don’t know when it started, for sure. The feeling of not feeling. A few months, maybe more. But without warning, without any clear signs …
Dads…Who Didn’t Have To Be
Dan and our girl about ten years ago… It’s after midnight, which makes it Father’s Day, and one of my old foster kids just sent …
Remembering The Backwoods
Ever since we left Alaska to winter in California a couple weeks ago I’ve been getting message after message… “What about the cabin? Are …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 08-04-2013 –
They say you never really know your area until you have company…or at least that’s what it seems. This past two weeks my oldest daughter, …
Near Death By Bacon –
Yesterday I stabbed myself in the hand. Not just stabbed, but sawed, really, while cutting bacon. I knew bacon would be the death of me, …
California Adventure Week Two –
Yesterday Luke saw two black widows and a lizard…he has had enough of California and is ready to go home now. Actually, he thought the …
New Babies! »
About an hour ago our dogs began to bark like crazy. I yelled to Mya to go find out what they were barking at …
Six Seconds »
I stood in line at a Carl’s Junior restaurant in Palm Desert, California, eager to order my Chicken Fried Steak sandwich and strawberry shake. Sixteen …
Admitting Defeat…and a photo journey of success »
I’ve not written in weeks and I promise this won’t be one of those “I’m sorry I’ve not blogged” posts. But well, I’m sorry. Okay, …
You Aint Dead! »
Once on an episode of COPS, a woman, upon being arrested, was throwing a Made-For-TV tantrum when her mother, giant breasts sagging out the sides …
Two Kids. Two Paths. Both Right. »
In late August of this year I will be the proud mother of two college students. Two kids on two very different paths… Destini is …
Two Down, Six To Go (aka Destini’s Graduation) »
Our Destini graduated from high school last week and in honor of her success, I’d like to embarrass her a bit by sharing a story …
Mommy, Where Does Money Come From? »
I’m standing in front of the candy rack, neck kinked upwards, staring at the boxes in the top row. I can’t see inside them…they are …
Into The Woods »
Winter has finally succumbed to spring here in south central Alaska, though that is debatable since we are forecasted to get snow on Friday. But …
Frozen Assets »
This afternoon I drove down to HOOKED ESPRESSO here in Ninilchik, Alaska. Hooked is the coffee shop owned by my teen daughter, Destini. (Read about …
September 22, 2012 »
My lantern oil just dimmed to nothing and left me in complete darkness but for the glow of my laptop and the internet box blinking …
Pre-Cabin Fever »
This is not going to be well written, of that I am sure. It’s late at night, I’m tired, and I have computer access for …
And On The Seventh Day… »
Even God rested one day a week, or so I reminded Dan this morning as we made our list of “to-do” things during breakfast. He’s …
South From Alaska –
I was born a nomad. In my forty-two years I have lived in 18 different homes in four different states and yet I feel like …
Locked and Unloaded –
I’m not an avid gun handler. I mean, I grew up lugging around a BB gun and could take out a Budweiser bottle as well …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 8-11-13
Apparently we only have Sundays about once a month this summer…either that or I’ve just been TOO BUSY TO SIT AT THE COMPUTER! Probably, it’s …
Photo tour of Homer, Seldovia and Tustumena Lake | Backwoods Mom
They say you never really know your area until you have company…or at least that’s what it seems. This past two weeks my oldest daughter, …
Things I Don’t Tell You
Me today…and how I look 98% of the time. The other day on my Facebook page, I commented something about having a bad day. A …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 06-30-2013
This week our family took a couple days off from ‘real life’ and headed up past Cooper Landing, Alaska to camp. We hit the campground …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 6-23-13
Since I’ve neglected Scenic Sunday for a while…this is a super-sized version with several weeks all wrapped up in one! Lucky you! Anthony built himself …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 5-26-13 –
This week Destini spent some time in Portland with my oldest daughter, Heather…the snow finally melted at the cabin and we started our summer of …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 4-21-13 | Backwoods Mom
Eagle hovering over dead fish in Ninilchik, Alaska Take off The eagle has landed This moose has just about demolished my rose bushes Steven found …
Going Backwoodsier…Our Off-Grid Dream »
Not everybody’s idea of a dream come true involves the potential for being eaten by bears…but tonight when I found my third pile of fresh …
A Moostacle Course! | Backwoods Mom
We spent most of the day trapped in the house by two friendly bull moose who just don’t realize that next Fall, they may be …
Aurora Borealis March 2013 | Backwoods Mom
Robin and I trudged through the cemetery in Ninilchik, Alaska in the week hours of the night on St. Patrick’s Day 2013 to achieve these …
More Winter Beach With Kids 2013 | Backwoods Mom
Battled the wind in Homer, Alaska to snap this immature eagle devouring a sea otter carcass today. Destini’s cell phone pics…. I totally look like …
Ninilchik, Alaska Beach Of Winter | Backwoods Mom
Six of the kids on the beach… The kids and I made an evening trip to the Ninilchik Beach today under the false pretense that …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 2/10/2013 | Backwoods Mom
An impromptu trip to Anchorage and a snoopy trip behind the Ninilchik, Alaska post office led to some icy photos this week. Also some timed …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 1-20-13 | Backwoods Mom
Ninilchik, Alaska beach in winter…brrrrrr Beezy playing in the snow… Ice on the beach…. A rare sighting of a bull, mama and baby moose… Bull …
Child of a Child »
I was just two weeks into motherhood when I took a job at the Dairy Queen on 28th drive and Cactus in Phoenix, Arizona and …
The Pilot Fell-A-What? | Backwoods Mom
I’ve gotten used to flying in small planes. In fact, I prefer it immensely over large planes. I figure, if a forty ton jet loses …
Stalactites Of Winter | Backwoods Mom
When winter blends in to the fall that precedes And darkness consumes us and sunlight recedes Tall spears of ice, from the roofs edge they …
Blockbuster Babies | Backwoods Mom
My daughter Destini wrote this for a class this year…I thought it was really good so I thought I’d share. Destini is eighteen years old …
Adoption Pending »
He came to us in the summer, four years ago with a chip on his shoulder, a mouth with no filter, and a yearning for …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 9/30/12 | Backwoods Mom
This weeks Scenic Sunday is created entirely by Robin Riley, age 15. This summer Robin set her sights on a camera and did what it …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 9-23-12 | Backwoods Mom
BMOM “If I had only one friend left…I’d want it to be you.” Recommended Articles
Settling In To Cabin Life | Backwoods Mom
My lantern oil just dimmed to nothing and left me in complete darkness but for the glow of my laptop and the internet box blinking …
Fuller Lakes Trail »
It was noon on a sunny summer day last June when Dan and I decided on the spur of the moment to hike in to …
This Is My Land »
It was more than forty years ago that my in-laws, just after giving birth to their seventh child (my husband) purchased an acre of land. …
Our Fearless Leader | Backwoods Mom
This is not going to be well written, of that I am sure. It’s late at night, I’m tired, and I have computer access for …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 8-12-2012 | Backwoods Mom
Found a couple of caribou on the side of the road… Attended Salmon Stock at the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds… Worked on the floor and wall …
Boys In The Backwoods… »
I don’t remember being covered in bruises, blood and broken skin on a daily basis as a child…perhaps that is the key difference between little …
Resurrection Trail — aka Trail Of Terror »
Written summer, 2010…warning…this piece is long…but worth the read (or at least look at the photographs of true Alaska wilderness.) We were eighteen steps down …
Against All Odds »
Found in Cooper Landing, Alaska…fighting it’s way thru the asphalt “Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving …
Battle Scars | Backwoods Mom
Robin the week she came to us…what’s not to love, right?! Tonight while making dinner, the boys were swapping scar stories, as boys do. Steven …
Revival–by Anthony | Backwoods Mom
It’s about 11:30 at night and Anthony just knocked on my bedroom door to show me a poem he’d written. This work will make more …
Father’s Day »
With Father’s Day upon us, I’ve spent some time trying to put together a piece about what makes a “father” become a “dad”. I’ve scribbled …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 5-14-2012 | Backwoods Mom
Had a wonderful Mother’s Day evening with new friends… THIS WEEK I MY LIFE I… Got some pretty good shots of this young eagle carrying …
Another Mother
I’m sitting here at 11 p.m. the night before Mother’s Day. Anthony, age 11, is here with me. He’s sleeping on the couch tonight so …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 05-06-2012 | Backwoods Mom
Startled a flock of geese…more than once. This week in my life I… Wondered if Luke knows he is small… Watched Anthony fall in love …
Backwoods Bees »
When I was a kid in Kasilof, Alaska, there was a honey store about a mile down the road. We’d pedal down there, present our …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 3-18-12 | Backwoods Mom
This week in my life… “Go ahead…try to get to your truck.” “Going somewhere?” Icicle…cheaper than a chew toy. Spoiled “Hint…hint…” New Mama…my fridge is …
Sixteen and Profitable »
Someday I hope to live child-free. And in order see that fantasy happen, I have to get them out of my house…independent…living on their own. …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 2-26-12 | Backwoods Mom
I watched a great sunset instead of going to the gym… This Week In My Life I… The small boys built dragons… I did a …
At The End Of The Trail »
As I sit in the Alaska dark, waiting for Spring, I can feel the grit beneath my nails, the sweat across the back of my …
Without A Paddle »
Sandi and I had escaped, kid free…which says a lot considering between us we have twelve children…and were laughing our way across Tustumena lake headed …
Just Another Scenic Sunday 1/22/12 | Backwoods Mom
witnessed beauty on the Kenai River… This week in my life I… Made friends with this guy… Took the boys out woodcutting…(that’s right…bravely sharing my …
My Overcoming One »
The tiny boy with the bright blue eyes Looked up and said to me Can I live here a long, long time? Three months, if …
Robin Wonders »
I rarely talk with my long term kids about their early childhood in front of the other kids. For some reason I’ve always hesitated…I didn’t …
I Am Mom…Do I Work? »
Last year my daughter was assigned to interview a person about their job for school. She asked, “Can I interview my mom?” “Does she work?” …