With a grandfather like you, your grandchildren have it VERY GOOD! Acres and acres of woods and two farms, and a river to play in? You had it good too. :)
13,000 pop. sounds like a lot of folks to me, but I'm not your average "joe". har har Our area has about 1,500 folks and the nearest city (Fairbanks) is a 4 hour drive from here. Anchorage is about 6 hours. More depending on the weather and road conditions.
The Alaska range is our backyard, and the Wrangells are just a few miles farther south. An old sled-dog trail runs past my kitchen window and I can hop on my four-wheeler, or snowmachine, and literally lose myself in God's country. Seriously, I could lose myself. Hubby points that out to me occasionally.
We built our log home from the ground up....just hubby and I, and our two sons. Both are now grown. One enlisted in the Army, served in Iraq, the other is a foreman for a construction company.
Sometimes I feel bad for people who don't know what it's like to live a simpler life. Ahhh, but it doesn't matter really, does it? God love ya, Smokin' Joe, for taking care of those grandbabies. :)
It is funny you should say that. When they came to live with us, I had no idea how we were going to make ends meet. I prayed, God provides. And I cannot begin to say how much richer I am to have them around.