Detasseling corn is a rite of passage in Nebraska. Every July, groggy teens climb aboard dusty school buses at dawn, bouncing along gravel roads to cornfield after cornfield. Kids fan out across the field, one person per row, tasked with pulling the tassel from the tippy top of each stalk of corn in their assigned row. After row. After row. Detasseling was my first job. … Continue reading From Detasseling to Dipnetting
Nearly ten years ago I posted Swan Song, with photos of Trumpeter swans on Potter Marsh in the fall. Today I captured the spring version of their annual migration, and the marsh is currently overflowing with cuteness. We’ve been watching a nesting pair of swans for the past few weeks, anxiously awaiting the arrival of their cygnets. We certainly did not expect them to have … Continue reading Swan Song 2.0
Sam has officially graduated from high school, and I could not be prouder. Or more relieved. Don’t get me wrong, there was never a doubt in my mind that he’d strut across that stage with an honor cord around his neck, as he’s one of the brightest students I know. But I also really know him. I know he loathes and ignores early morning alarm … Continue reading Sayonara to Sam’s Senior Year
Ahhhh, holidays. The time of year we happily trade the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a different kind of crazy. It’s magical madness: a season where the refrigerator is always full and the mailbox is never empty. We silence our alarm clocks and turn on the Christmas music. We shop, wrap, decorate, bake, host, visit. Santa makes his naughty and nice list, while … Continue reading Holiday Highlights
Sad day for our flock. Imagine Maggie’s shock when she found an additional bird in the chicken coop this morning: Clark and Maggie designed the coop to protect her hens from predators, and so far it’s held up well. We haven’t lost a single bird to a bear, and last year it protected the ladies from a hungry lynx family. Nothing has been able to … Continue reading Ruffled Feathers
I still remember the last “real” staff meeting we had at school. It was the day before spring break of 2020, and nearly 100 of us gathered in the library. Together. Our principal told us to take home our laptops “just in case” this whole Covid thing exploded like some health experts feared. There were varying levels of concern, but not a single one of … Continue reading One Weird Year
Sadly but not shockingly, the year is rounding out with a Christmas tree shortage. Really 2020?! Fortunately, we harvest our tree from the Chugach National Forest each year, which has 5.5 million acres of spruce to share. Access roads and pullouts weren’t plowed like usual, but eventually we found a spot to safely stash the truck while we wandered into the woods. It was an … Continue reading Treepiphany
It’s often said that in Alaska, you choose your family. And it’s true. Many of us live thousands of miles from the families we were born into, so friends become a proxy for this pivotal role. This is my Alaskan family. We jokingly refer to ourselves as the McCoxlers, and we’ve been part of each other’s holidays, birthdays, and every days for decades. Our children … Continue reading Eat the Chocolates
My friend Nancy has a way of drawing me waaaaay out of my comfort zone. In hindsight, this has been going on for nearly two decades. Exhibit A: In our pre-kid days we spent a leisurely afternoon hiking the Winner Creek trail in Girdwood, only to cap it off by spontaneously launching ourselves off Mt. Alyeska in tandem paragliders. I wish I had better photos, … Continue reading Branching Out
Last Saturday was the ceremonial start of the 48th annual Iditarod, the 1,000 sled dog race across Alaska. How ironic that a day devoted to dogs turned into a morning all about cats at our house. It all started with a text from a neighbor, warning us to keep our dogs inside because a lynx family was hanging out in his back yard. This was … Continue reading Lots-o-Lynx
Profoundly Ordinary 