It is Thanksgiving and the snow is falling - winter seems to be serious this year! Already we have had low temperatures that are usually seen for a couple of weeks in January - sub zero temperatures! And already, a school bus has gotten stuck on Jarvi Drive, threatening to take out the mailbox. And all is so beautiful that if you can only SEE the sparkles, the orderliness, the quiet...you will know true thankfulness.

We are fortunate - to have freedom, ability to work and start businesses, friends and colleagues to celebrate along side. Close friends to share the ups and the downs. Family to encourage and be encouraged by. Simple pleasures? Or amazing riches....

Yes, amazing riches. Thank you - to all who share this!

We recently visited the Farmer’s Almanac to see when the snow would be in Anchorage.

To quote, “ Winter season temperatures will be above normal, on average, in the north but below normal in central areas and much colder than normal in the southern portions of the state. The coldest periods will occur in early to mid-December, mid-January, early February, and mid-March. Precipitation will be above normal in the northern and east-central regions, much below normal in the south, and near normal in the west-central area. Snowfall will be above normal in the northern and eastern parts of the state and near or below normal in the south and west. The snowiest periods will be in early to mid-November, mid-January, mid-February, and late March.

April and May will be cooler than normal, with precipitation near normal in the north and below normal in the south. Snowfall will be above normal in the north and below normal elsewhere.

Summer season temperatures will be 1 to 2 degrees below normal, on average, with above-normal precipitation. The warmest temperatures will occur in mid-June, early July, and mid- to late July.

September and October temperatures will be below normal in the northern portions of the state and below normal across central and southern portions. Precipitation and snowfall will be below normal.”
How it will really go, who knows until we are looking back at the days of Winter. While the data accumulates, we will enjoy the longer nights and clear skies. Already, Jarvi Homestay wears its strongs of white holiday lights on the porch and deck railings - with these in place, Winter must remain at bay!

It is the season: Fall. Autumn. The time when we clean up the outdoors and settle in for Winter. At Jarvi Homestay, it is time to put plant boxes in the sun room, roll the hoses, and prepare the gardens for snowfall. Today, we put the autumnal decorative wrapper on the mail box, the one that stays on till Thanksgiving and is then replaced by a winter wrapper. And today, flu shots were distributed. All markers for the change of season.


Now is the time that inn keepers feel the longing to go register at a B&B and relax, much as their guests have this summer! We will do that in a few weeks, going to a beautiful location while our house staff and dogs keep watch. Just a few days away - but so good for the soul! Then Jarvi Homestay gets busy again as winter travelers come for business, conventions, or winter touring. The hours by the fire side telling stories are just about to begin. Care for a cup of tea, a blanket, and a tale? Give us a call!

A guest returned from a two day road trip, visiting Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs. She noted that the leaves are turning colors and dancing on the wind - a last moment of joy before the landscape blanches to white.

It is a good time to see Autumn colors - in Anchorage, the leaves are slower to change, but the hues of the mountainsides tell a story of change. Just today, it seemed as if a snow squall were coming down one valley....while sun highlighted the emerald sheen of nearby mountain.

Another visitor took the train to Palmer for a visit to the Alaska State Fair today, and she, too, reported that Fall is in the air. The leaves along the train route were giving a sense of a season’s completion. And the Fair, itself, is a celebration of harvest and end of summer!

It is a grand time to make a long weekend of it - come to Anchorage and take the trails, or drive north to the Fair this week. If you come after the Fair ends, there is much more to see, just as you drive and experience the effect of each hour’s light on mountainsides and nearby trees. No doubt you will witness the final days of blooming Fireweed, a sure sign that summer is complete. At the end, come home to Jarvi Homestay and sit by the fire with a cuppa, or enjoy the hot tub’s massage of weary muscles.

You will create a memory to keep you warm all Winter long.

Bishops Bread came to me by way of a Master Gardener who lives on the Kenai. She taught me to prepare ingredients the night before, then assemble in the morning. I have made a few changes in the recipe but it is basically Rosemary’s.

Mix together:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 T flax flour or other nutty flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 stick butter

After mixing, divide into two bowls, reserving 3/4 cup for topping. To this add 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.

In large mixing bowl:
beat 1 egg
1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk + 1 T vinegar (can substitute buttermilk)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Then add the larger portion of dry ingredients. For variety, add 11/2 cups chopped fruits (dried mango is excellent) or berries. Mix, then pour into greased 9x9 pan. Sprinkle the reserved topping, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until inserted tooth pick comes out clean.

Teacher, are you traveling through Anchorage this summer, perhaps coming from your rural school or going back out? We think you would enjoy a few days at JarviHomestay and offer a plan for you. Just should your school affiliation for a discounting room rate! We will greet you with fresh fruit and other tasty treats, then let you rest before shopping, movies, pedicures, or what ever is on your list of things to do. Just ask -- we honor you for your contribution to Alaska!