$10 Cupcakes and Bear Spray

Today was spent doing my cooking for the week (pretty much).  I might to cook a little bit towards the end of the week.  Now, to anyone who's been worried that I don't have enough food, you can relax.  I actually feel like I'm drowning in food.

I even went to the store to spend another $20 gift from my grandpa.  So I bought cake mix, frosting and graham crackers.  Anyone want to guess a total on this one?

Well, since one of my responsibilities is math tutor I will give you a word problem about it.

Sarah's grandpa gave her $20.  After ringing up all her purchases, Sarah hands the cashier her $20 and receives $2.50 as her change.  If the cake mix and frosting cost $10, how much is a box of graham crackers in Kokhanok and what was Sarah's total spent?

So I bring my cake mix home with me and a couple of days later I decide to go through the process of making them.  I don't have any eggs, but my principal does have chickens.  So I head over there in search of eggs.

I also don't have a mixing bowl to mix all this up in so I have to mix it in the only pot that I have in my apartment.

Here's what $10 cupcakes look like:

I have been eating about 2 a day because I don't want them to get stale.  I am certainly not going to waste $10 cupcakes.

See also:

Remember that bag of doritos I bought last time around?  Well they are starting to get stale, so I've been having nachos every night until I polish off those suckers because I am also not about to let an $8 bag of chips go to waste.

Enough about the food, more about the scenery and the walking around out here.  

Yesterday, it was really beautiful out and I had enough time before sunset that I could go out walking around Kokhanok.  So there's this trail behind my house that I have been wanting to explore.  I start walking along and it's really lovely.  

Well I'm walking, and I see these animal prints in the snow.  So, cue me freaking out.  I cannot tell what sort of animal made these and I can only think the worst.  Bear.  Wolf.  Moose.  (Hairyman?) I haven't seen an animal since I've been out here, but I didn't like knowing that one had passed by recently.

Then I came upon these less scary-seeming tracks.

But then I get to this clearing in the path and it's beautiful.

But I'm pretty sure that what I'm standing on is a lake/swamp/body of water.  So I'm feeling nervous again, because I'm mostly sure that the lake is frozen but I really didn't want to take any chances here.  I can't afford to fall through the ice.

So I turn around and start back towards my house but it's just so beautiful out and the sun is setting and it's casting all these beautiful colors in the sky.   I just wasn't ready to be done with my walk yet.

So I start walking in the direction of my principals house, and I have to walk by the only gas pump in Kokhanok.

And I walk down by the lake.  I also start to walk across the lake in order to get the best shot of the beautiful sunset.

With all my adventuring worn out, and the sun nearly set, I make my way back to the school.  As I pass the school I run in to my principal.  And I ask him about the animal tracks that I found.  The big bad animal that I was so afraid of?  Rabbit.  Those are rabbit tracks.  The other tracks?  He said probably mink or ermine.  Have you ever seen an ermine?

Here's a picture of these cute little guys, I only wish I had seen one!

After I asked him about that, I asked him whether or not it was safe for me to go walking around by myself.  He said yes (but what if he'd said no, really too late at that point).  He did say, however, that I should carry bear spray.  So now I have my very own can of highly concentrated, bear un-friendly pepper spray.

Here's kind of what I'm thinking about the bear spray.

But he says that it's actually effective and if I want something else I can always come by and grab his dog, Russel, and we can go out on walks together.

Let me just read you the first warning under the bear spray:

DO NOT SEEK OUT ENCOUNTERS WITH BEARS.

Um...wait...what?  Why on earth would I be seeking out encounters with bears?  And why would I do that armed with only pepper spray?  Seriously.  But you know somebody did and now they have to put the warning on every can.

It's only a shame that I did have my bear spray with me for this.

(Just kidding, this was at Alyeska Resort)

With that,

Alaska woman, signing off!