It's Official, We Are Miners Now

Hidden treasure

Well, we have been back in civilization for over a week now and I am taking the time to enjoy all the luxuries city-living can offer; long, hot showers, washer and dryers, spacious living areas, cozy beds, food delivered to my door, and non-stop city fun like the Citizen Cope concert I will be attending this weekend at Moose's Tooth.  (I am not a big fan of Citizen Cope but I just can't pass up a Moose's Tooth anniversary party when my friends and I all have babysitters at the same time.)  As I made clear in past posts, our two weeks in Valdez were pretty rough and I was eager to get my kiddo home to recuperate during our two week hiatus while Dave returned to the slope.

Crossing the creek- lots of fun!

But, I must admit, when I was actually driving away from the camp, I did feel a twinge of sadness.  I had kind of gotten accustomed to camper living, despite all of our mishaps this trip.  I had also really enjoyed spending time with family.  Everyday we had our typical tasks and routines; having coffee, taking walks, sharing cooking duties, doing laundry, and having dinner and drinks when the workers returned from the mine.  But I suppose "the ordinary" does tend to feel a bit extraordinary when shared with the people we love.  And to top off the quality family time, Dave's brother Kevin, sis-in-law Zima, and niece Channon flew from Oregon for a visit.  It was great seeing them again and giving them a tour of Dempsey mining.  They even managed to escape our camp without coming down with our dreaded flu.

And speaking of our extreme sickness and fatigue, we were able to have a brief break from our nauseating symptoms and get a taste of another fever... gold fever that is.  We managed to wrap up our mining trip on a high note as we completed our first "clean up" and finally got to see some gold.  After all the long days of hard labor in some very intense conditions, it was great to see the results of our persistence.  And it was great to see a smile on everyone's face as we saw that first glimmer in the sluice box.  Dr. Dan seemed pleased and even Dave got some extra pep in his step.  It was exciting to watch his dream becoming a reality after all of his diligence and hard work.  I think we can officially call him "Miner Dave" now.  He has finally dug some hard-earned gold out of Alaska soil.  In fact, go ahead and call all the Dempsey's gold-miners... I think we have all been bitten by the bug.

Daniel, Dani, and Dave pick gold
out of the sluice box.

Daniel and Dr. Dan pan for some left-over's from the sluice

When we left, we were in good spirits and confident that the mine was finally in full operation mode.  Rita, Danielle, Daniel, Uncle Mike, and Aunt Peggy continued to sort through material while Dave returned to the slope and Dan returned to CVEA.  They are working hard and their subsequent clean-ups have been well-earned and promising.

Upon arriving home in Anchorage, we were able to recuperate and enjoy some really long, hot soaks in the shower and bathtub.  It was refreshing to wash "camp" off of us and rest in our own beds.  Dylan almost immediately began to improve and, after a visit with the pediatrician, he was no longer vomiting and he finally began eating on a regular basis.  We also got to spend two more fun-filled evenings with Kevin, Zima, and Channon.  Channon babysat and the adults got to go to a very nice and well-deserved dinner at Suite 100.  We spent the evening with good food, drinks, conversation, and a few rounds of the board-game "Risk" between Dave and Kevin.  It was a fantastic visit; sweet and relaxing, but too short for my taste.  Although there is a pending "Risk" tie-breaker to be had, so I think a visit to Oregon is in our near future.

Suite 100 with Kevin and Zima

Dave left two Wednesday's ago, and the crazy, spinning world came to a sudden and abrupt halt.  For those of you who live the slope-life, you know what I mean.  When you or your spouse returns from the slope, you have to cram four weeks of life into two weeks.  This can make for some very exciting, albeit exhausting times.  There are honey-do lists to be done and family recreation to be had.  Before you know it, the two weeks is over, and you are bidding your loved one(s) adieu and everyone goes back to the grind, whether it is returning to work on the slope or returning to the repetitive whir of house-work, laundry, toddler-chasing, lawn-mowing, grocery-shopping, suburban-living, house-wife life.

And now, when it seems that I have finally caught my breath, I am already preparing for the next two weeks of my sloper's return.  There is much to be done; plans to be made, provisions to be bought, and supplies to be packed.  It is a whirl-wind...Life that is.  Slope-life, mom-life, mining-life.  But it is grand too and full of priceless moments that make the grind well worth it.  I wouldn't live it any other way.

Miner Dave and future-miner Dylan

Dylan explores the mine