The mosquitoes at our campground at Cripple Creek were pretty bad last night. They were so bad Scott brought out the incredibly adorable mosquito mask.  We threw everything into the van as fast as we could and went back to where we had dinner, Chatanika River.  Now when I say we I really mean Scott.  I helped pack things up, but Scott was the one who put up the tent in the mosquito storm last night and took it down this morning.  He said that the mosquitoes were fighting for position on his hands because that was the only skin exposed.  Bonus to mosquito land: we had the campground to ourselves.

This is us leaving this morning.  Gorgeous sky.

Another bonus:  Brooke has become a skilled mosquito hunter and destroyer.

Speaking of hunting and destroying… Brooke was very upset that we had to send another creature to heaven yesterday morning.  Somewhere in Canada we picked up a stowaway.  He nibbled on some of our apples, bagels, and carrots, things not in the food or snack bins.  He also left some shredded tissue by our camp chairs under the van bed. The tissue was my first clue, but Scott wasn’t convinced.  A few days later after things started piling up (if you know what I mean, they are little but plentiful) we decided our stowaway had to go away and fast. Scott found a plastic trap that is supposed to be more humane?  Anyway, the peanut butter was all eaten with no results the first night we tried, but Scott’s first suggestion of an apple worked perfectly the next night.  Sorry stowaway.  At least he got to be an international mouse before he went on his way.

Sleep…A lot of people have been asking about the sleep situation.  Well, I’m not as lucky as some mommies whose birthdays are today (Happy Birthday!) and have an adorable baby boy who sleeps twelve to fourteen hours at a time.  Cody has been falling asleep anywhere between 8 – 11 and waking up anywhere between 11 – 3.  Some nights he is basically up from 3 on with drowsy dosing and playing from 3 until 7.  There are a lot of factors that are contributing: it never gets dark, we often sleep right next to the highway, campgrounds aren’t always quiet (we aren’t either), teething, and cold.  Luckily, I don’t have to do any serious thinking, and Scott is usually also tired enough that he doesn’t notice that I’m speaking gibberish some of the time.

On the Steeses Highway heading back to Fairbanks Scott and Brooke (Cody was asleep  in the car) stopped  to look at a monument to the gentleman, Felix Pedro, who first discovered gold in the Fairbanks area. He discovered gold on July 22, 1902. Mr. Pedro spent twenty-one years looking for gold before he found it in Fairbanks. He inspired the gold rush around Fairbanks that occurred in 1903.  In honor of Mr. Pedro, a poor immigrant from Italy, Fairbanks still celebrates “Golden Days Festival” on July 22nd.