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Spring has Arrived!June 8, 2011The book is at the printer! The Interior Design is finished! The Dust Jacket is finished! The Casebound Design is finished! All of it together we will soon have a real, hardcover, all color, book in our hands. We're in a new stage of waiting. We've worked so hard to get to this point, it is hard to believe we're actually to print. Celebrating "Going to Print" with Jon&Johnna, Mark and Luke, Martin&Laurie, and Callie and Kendra.   Robin, Jasmine, and Cheyenne, pose with "Aslan."  Delicious food with great company. The bears have awoken. We saw a black bear with her two cubs on the road this week. Roughly two miles from our cabin. It was a moment that went by too fast, but is ingrained in our minds. A new wild fire is keeping us on our toes. About seven miles north of us, slowly growing, but still north of the Chatanika River. The fire fighters and forest service are keeping us posted on what's happening.
  Signs are everywhere.  Driving down Darling Avenue. The sun is setting behind the thick smoke clouds. June 6th, 10:35pm The view as seen from the top of Spinach Creek at Old Murphy Dome road. June 1st, 2:40pm  June 2nd, 2:20pm  June 6th, 5:33pm  June 6th, 5:42pm  June 6th, 10:25pm  June 6th, 10:59pm  June 7th, 9:40pm  June 8th, 7:49pm The red section on the map is the fire area. Our subdivision is in the bottom right. June 5th, 4:00pm  June 6th, 3:30pm  June 7th, 4:00pm Daily updates are posted at strategic places in the area. June 6th, 10 am 12,019 acres; 550 firefighters, 8% contained  June 7th, 10am 12,770 acres; 8% contained  June 8th, 10am 17,264 acres; 8% contained
 Robin approves the bus project by being the first one to take a nap in the bus.  Working on the electric.  Progress on the radiator.  Engaging the emergency brake.  "Almost as new" repainted floor panels.  A nice patch job.  Patching material.  The master at work.
 Robin and Jasmine are racing down the road.  The creek at the Fox water station is still filled with snow.  The water station at Fox.  Robin keeps an eye on the goings on.  Cheyenne fills up our jugs with the press of a button. Fresh spring water.  Robin is ready for a breakfast meeting at the Sunrisers Rotary in Fairbanks. We had the chance to share about our journey, thanks to Martin.
  June 26, 2011The weeks fly by with lots of excitement. The fire fighters have the fire under control, keeping our neighborhood and the surrounding ones safe. Bill has made great progress with the bus. We're on the road with it now and it drives better and better. The week surrounding the summer solstice has been filled with activities. From going to the downtown Midnight Sun Festival, to Eagle Summit to see the sun not set. From the Midnight Baseball Game to the 33 mile Chena Hot Springs bicycle ride. Further down in the lower 48, great progress is being made with the printing of our book. If all goes well, we will see the first shipment heading our way by the end of this week. This has made us confident enough to get the pre orders started. The pre orders will give us an idea of when to start planning for our next batch of books. So if you know you want our book, order now, and yours will be one of the first batch of "A Pedouin Life - Stop and Smell the Artichokes". Click here to order. With the bus on the road and our book almost in our hands, we're aiming for a mid-July departure. A departure from Fairbanks and a start of a new journey: The Blue Collar Book Tour. The book tour will take us to all the states, doing book signings along the way. The bus Jasmine loves working with Bill.  Taking a break on the bus project, listening to the wind in the trees.  Filling the pumpkin with gear oil.  The front is put together.  The seats on the bus have been newly upholstered.  Ready to get the engine started for the first time. Bus Progress !!!Rated PG for adult language.
 Cleaning the bus windows. Robin puts all her energy in it.  The bus looks totally different without the tarp on it.  Bill and Martin put window after window in the bus.  Sparkling new lights.  The bus is now on the opposite side of the road. A strange sight. It gives the men easier access to the windows on the passenger side of the bus.  Figuring out the front window. The Bus is on the road!!!
 It's a done deal. Thanks Martin!  On June 17th we went to town for the first time in our bus.  All aboard!  And we're off. We're on our way to the weight station. Before we get the new tags for the bus we have to go there. Bill already arranged for insurance. This is the next step.  Like we did on our first arrival in Farbanks on our quint, we're now posing with our bus on its first arrival too.  Proper paper work in hand, we're at the DOT.  Cheyenne holds the new license plate. The last time the bus was tagged was for 1985. Now we're good till 2013.  Jasmine helps putting on the license plate.  Filling up for the first time. This is gonna hurt.  Filling up water. Much better at 2 cents a gallon.  Welding on the bumper.  Time to clean the inside of the bus.  Bill puts the marker lights on the roof.  It's looking better and better.  Checking on the fire through the front window of the bus. Enjoying the area The wall next to the road remains a great play place.  Sunset or so, at 9pm.  It's still smoky on the ridge.  Robin is decorating the box with chalk drawings. The downtown Midnight Sun festival We enjoy the steel drum performance in downtown. Martin plays one of them.  I grew a new mustache. A delicious one at that.  Cheyenne enjoys the performance. To Eagle Summit, to see the sun not setWe're off to Eagle Summit on the Steese Highway. With the seven of us in Martin and Laurie's campervan.  11:22pm  Cheyenne and Jasmine have made themselves at home at the table.  12:13am  12:55am  01:32am. On Eagle Summit.  01:33am. The man on the mountain.  01:36am. The van on the mountain. 01:43am. The midnight view on Eagle Summit  01:46am. Cody on a walk with me.  01:49am  02:02am. Snow on Summer Solstice.  02:27am. Time to set up the tent.  02:34am. Camp Pedouin on Eagle Summit. The Midnight Sun Baseball gameNot only did we go to the game, we also got to ride Yeller across the infield at midnight!  We're at the ball game.  A nice parking spot.  Ready for the game.  The game is on!  The Pedouins are on the field! The game was postponed after the 10th inning at a 1-1 tie, due to a heavy rain storm, as well as diminishing sight. Chena Hot Springs bicycle rideThree tandems on a ride! Jon+Mark on one, Johnna+Luke on an other, and us on our Yeller. A beautiful day to ride. Sunny, but with a fierce head wind. Those hot springs sure felt great once we got there!  We're on the ride with Johnna and Jon, and Mark and Luke.  Robin counts the riders.  What a ride.  Cheyenne found a friend in Robert.  What a scenery.  Just beautiful.  time for a break.  What a day.  For old time's sake.  Bill and Jon go back to our bus in one of these busses. Women and kids go swimming.  And then go playing on the diagonal teeter-totter.  Then it's time for Bill and Jon to soak. It sure looks totally different then in the winter time.
Our First Month in Fairbanks. Our Second Month in Fairbanks. Our Third Month in Fairbanks. Our Fourth Month in Fairbanks. Our Fifth Month in Fairbanks. Our Sixth Month in Fairbanks. and from Under the Snow Our Seventh Month in Fairbanks. Our Eigth Month in Fairbanks. Our Ninth Month in Fairbanks.
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