Monday, January 18, 2010

The Alaskan Experience

Whether they live in a Bush village, a small town, or the big city, Alaskan kids share one thing in common: the heater vent.

There's nothing like toasty forced air to warm your toes on a chilly winter morning. My sister and I had only one option—a big grate on the floor that covered the furnace ducting below. We'd stand on it like innocent Marilyn Monroes, letting the warm air billow up under our nightgowns. My children benefit from a more opulent lifestyle; our house has a small heater vent in each room, and the girls have chosen the cozy corner in the kitchen as their favorite spot.

Sitting on the warm heater vent,
singing my ABCs to Mommy
while she makes breakfast.



Dinner last night: homemade chicken noodle soup, crescent rolls



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh we had that hot air heating in Oregon. It's kind of fun but smelly (burnt dust) when you first get the furnace going. Certainly kept us all toasty :) In the UK we sit on the radiators for extra warming....

Katherine said...

I never lived in Alaska, but remember getting a small blanket and curling up over the heater vents on winter mornings. Best way to stay warm.

barbaramaarit said...

Our girls always came upstairs from their downstairs cold bedrooms with their school clothes and dressed by the woodstove in the mornings. . . and jockeyed for the closest and warmest spot.

Unknown said...

In Texas, our vents are in the ceiling. I guess cause we use the air conditioner 9 months of the year and the heater only three. Sometimes, we use both in one day.

Joey Lynn Resciniti said...

Adorable picture, must be keeping her toes toasty.

Karen M. Peterson said...

Too cute!

It's weird. I don't remember the last time we used the heater in our house...

Heather~sheaaa6 said...

This is funny Kim, because my parents house had a huge heater grate too. My Hubby and I when we were dating would come back from sledding/long walk in the winter time and sip our huge mugs of hot cocoa on there. =) I miss that thing! =)