One of the great things about our location seven miles north of Fairbanks is the opportunity we have to see moose in our yard. They are common all over town, but it seems we see them more here than anywhere else in our previous experience. A couple of days ago the girls and I were able to observe a young bull from our porch, just about 30 feet away.
It’s interesting that he walked by the car, which gives you a sense of his actual size. This male is young and small. Full grown, Alaskan bull moose are the largest in the world and can be as tall as seven feet at the shoulder.
We had another “only in Alaska” experience today we thought you might appreciate. This moose cow and calf show up at our house periodically, but this is the first time we have captured them on video.
Cold air has settled over the Fairbanks area in the past several days, sending temperatures near 50 below zero in outlying areas. Lows at our house only reached 35 below due to our elevation above average terrain. However, my drive to work is mostly down hill and the closer I get to town the colder it becomes. Journey with me into the ice fog on this morning’s commute.
I’m am planning to use a portion of this video on Inside Alaska, a site I maintain for work, which is why I mention it near the end. If you are interested in other things about our area, head over there and take a look.
Several weeks ago, before the snow piled up another seven or eight inches in Fairbanks, I decided to get some video of my walk to the mailbox. This mundane task is made special because of the location of our new house, which overlooks part of Fairbanks and has a view of the Alaska mountain range.
The main feature of the view that afternoon was the sunset behind the mountains. It seems every sunset from this vantage point is amazing! I wish the quality were better, or that you could come view this wonder of God’s creation yourself!
Tonight I am posting an experimental podcast. It is an “off the cuff” recording based upon a series of lessons God has been teaching me lately. While I had been thinking about posting such material for quite some time, I could never find an opportunity to get a clear, quiet recording in my very busy (and noisy) three-child home. It seems the only free moments in my day recently have been in the car; so I took my favorite portable recorder on an errand tonight and captured the audio below.
Here’s a rundown on the topics we discuss:
Purpose of my trip. (00:00)
The difficulty of raising children. (01:58)
How God uses children to teach us things about Himself. (05:10)
Dumpster diving. (06:48)
Military ministry opportunities. (09:07)
Contentment during small sacrifices. (11:15)
Off the cuff broadcasting. (15:50)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I don’t know if I will ever record a feature like this again – it was an experiment – but I found it just interesting enough to post online. It is extremely impromptu, very roughly recorded and edited (note the cars passing, turning signals, etc.), but it gives you a real-life Harper family update that is purely Alaskan; like us. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.
One note of clarification on the content of the recording: at about 06:10 I say that “God doesn’t work”. I understand the theological problem with this assertion, and only meant that He doesn’t work “in the same manner” we work. More specifically; He is void of all the fatigue and frustration that often comes along with human work.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. — Romans 12:1
May 16, 2009 10:14 pm | 
Subscribe: 
