Oh the things we normalize in the Arctic…

I’m acutely aware that we’ve normalized super weird things here in the Alaskan bush that are anything-but-normal on the outside.

Take today, for example: Sean and I debated the task of ripping a few sheets of plywood for the foundation of our house we’re building. We could use the circular saw, and get a sort-of-straight cut + hair full of sawdust (great for volume btw ).

… or, we could hand haul our new table saw nearly a mile to our build site. To hand-carry could take hours… but the plywood ripping would be so. easy.

Table saw won… and our sweet sled dog Willow had just the right grin on her face — we knew she’d be up for an adventure to help. 

Mollie Creek is flowing steadily through the flat part of our property. We figured we’d drag the saw in a jet sled to where the creek meets the trail, and have Willow help pull the sled like a boat on the water.

Ridiculous moment we didn’t anticipate/RMDA #1: There is a generous hole in the corner of our sled, which doesn’t make any difference in the winter, but it matters now! So the ship started her journey by taking on water. (Willow didn’t care.)

RMDA #2: There are some DEEP holes! Because I had to follow (sometimes running ) behind Willow to keep the saw from tipping, I also had to dodge my way through the creek over tussocks.

This is where you find me in the photo above… like the Titanic of the Arctic, I went down with the ship, water to my knees and into my boots.

And ladies who wear Xtratuf boots will get this: I have large calves that make a super tight seal (IYKYK) … the water got all the way down to my socks! (No surprise: Willow didn’t care one bit.)

Let’s enjoy a close up of how I really felt…

​Sean, helping Willow pull on the uphill: 

RMDA #3: We were tired and unfocused when we finally reached the build site, so what should have taken us 30 minutes or less to assemble became the assembly job of a lifetime because of fatigue, horrible directions, and TINY drawings.

By the time we actually ripped the plywood (which took all of 5 glorious minutes!), we were spent. Willow, of course, was ready for the next big adventure. 

Yet again, life here in the arctic reminds me that it’s always better to take life less seriously, that laughter always feels better than frustration, and teamwork does indeed make the dream work.

In light,
Mollie
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Mollie Busby
Arctic Hive Co-Owner/Founder
Instagram: @MollieOfTheNorth