October 2: 2023: This is my first blog post in years, I typically only do videos or photos, but I like writing better. Perhaps I’ll do more soon on the website, but I tend to write so many articles and other things that I get tapped out by the time it comes to update the […]
This blog is long overdue, as the events involved transpired several weeks ago. However, the combination of emotional trauma, holiday busyness, and old fashioned laziness prevented it. We made the rather questionable choice of not spending the holidays in Alaska. This poor choice was compounded by accidentally double booking the first day of Pennsylvania doe […]
Since we are on the subject of names, people may wonder where the term “Alaska Land Barons” comes from. Do we plan on owning 50,000 acres? What is a baron, anyway? Like a robber baron? First, I thought the name had a neat ring to it. But more importantly lets look at the definition for […]
I asked for boat name suggestions, and the only response I got was the “Melvin Lee”. Maybe I should paint the boat orange and call it the “General Lee”. Truly suitable names for the boat, though, would cause a hardened motorcycle gang to gasp in horror and hide under trash cans. You see, the boating […]
This boat I hauled up from PA I finally got running. Wednesday we will take it out for the maiden voyage, if all goes well getting it from my place to the Homer boat dock. The boat still does not have a name. Well right now it is called the “Doesn’t Leak”, which I think […]
If you had a sadistic sense of humor, it would be fun to hide in the landscaping at a boat dealership and listen to the cries of the doomed as they got their boat repair bills. Their wallet would actually be what was doomed, to be specific. This does explain a few things, however. When […]
Hello everyone, sorry it’s been awhile. Things have been busy up here, and my brother had the audacity to get married-in Indiana of all places (Obviously Alaska would be a better place for that). We did go fishing quite a bit, and all these things took a toll on my spare time. So I will […]
Two topics of discussion for this blog post: Electric and mental disorders. First, I get slightly annoyed when I tell people I “live off the grid” and I am met with loud exclamations like I’m a living martyer in a tent somewhere. Not that being a martyer is bad, but living without “the grid” certainly […]
For nearly as long as I can remember, I always wanted a vehicle with a V-10. Granted, I could put up with a supercharged V-8 if I had to, but a V-10 would be the ultimate, or so I thought. Stranger still, I purchased the V-10 by accident. Despite already having a van, two weeks […]
When I decided to raise chickens and turkeys in Alaska, I forgot to take a small variable into the equation. These little critters will commit suicide if given half the chance. Turkeys are especially prone to end their young, tender lives. They can drown in a quarter inch of water, get their heads stuck in […]
I have gotten messages from several people wondering what in the world P.A.D. is, which appeared to be affecting my brother in law Paul as he entered the Anchorage airport on his way back to PA. Of course, being a beacon of mental stability, I have never been affected by P.A.D. However, here is a […]
Sorry for not post a blog entry for several entire months…a lot has been going on. I am almost finished with our next book, “Return to Alaska”. We were in PA for awhile, and finally left for AK somewhere around the week after tax season. We had a fairly uneventful 4,000 mile drive. I managed […]
By Josh Snader. Josh is Matt’s brother and as such has a similar vein of humor (which many people refer to as “strange”). He blogs on FacepalmHero.com and Stupend.us. This may cause some surprise and maybe even alarm to those of you who saw me attempt acrobatics before, but I have performed what may have […]
Sad to say, our pig hunt was a failure. No wild hogs showed up. However, a coyote that looked like a wild hog did. Around midnight I got up, worried that while I was trying to sleep herds of wild pigs were milling around the chicken house. It was a brisk 39 degrees, and wearing […]
Note: My laptop computer gave out, so these blog entries are a bit belated. A few weeks ago I was checking prices on generators, I wanted to get a 7,000 watt Honda with an automatic start. The going price for them is around $4,000. In the meantime we were also checking out motor homes. It […]
I want to say a big “Thank You” to everyone who has ordered books! We are sold out of books, and I have placed an order for several thousand with a publisher located in New York. (proof that despite my complaints about NY’s oppressive regulations, I don’t hate the people in the state) The second […]
When outfitting your ATV, there are many options to consider. Winches, oversized tires, gun racks, snorkel kits, etc. While those are fine things to consider, the feature I found most useful with my 4 wheeler was a 140 quart Igloo ice chest. Like most great inventions, I discovered this by accident. The fateful night that […]
I have a theory that “you can never find a cheap vehicle when you need one”, thus you need to buy cheap vehicles whenever you see them for sale. This allows you to have a few handy spares. However this week that theory was shot full of holes. (or at least proven to have a […]
For lunch today I ate moose for the first time. If nobody would have said anything I would have assumed I was eating beef. Not bad for wild game, I will certainly buy a moose tag next hunting season. Where did this particular moose come from? Why we got it given to us by the […]
People keep wondering how we are doing, and if that laptop did end up under the trailer tires. The good news is we made it to Alaska, I’m actually warming up to Windows 8 a little, the bad news is we got a ticket along the way. (not for speeding, with that huge trailer) I […]