Bethel winter, 2nd time around and apartment hunting

A lot of people told us that the 2nd winter here is worse than the first. They say that the novelty of being in such a different and dramatic place wears off and it is just cold and dark for a long time. I am glad to report that after a month into our second winter we are doing just fine. They are right that the novelty has worn off, but it is also not that bad. We are busy, so busy, with work and school and the day to day chores that we don't notice the cold and darkness so much. Also, a big, big, difference is that we did not have a car last winter. It makes things so much easier. In fact, I think we were nuts to go through a whole winter without one. How thankful I am for our Bethel Beater.

However, one thing that is causing frustration is our search for a new apartment or house. We really want a house that has a wood stove. There are lots of houses in Bethel that have wood stoves, but they are not rentals. Or maybe some of them are, we wouldn't know. As most of you probably remember it was extremely hard for us to find a place to rent when we moved here. You would think it would be easier to find a place once you are here, but we have not had much luck. Perhaps we haven't tried hard enough, but I did not realize that in order to find a new place we would have to devote ourselves to that sole purpose full time. We don't have access to FirstClass which is a network that most rentals are posted on (the only place rentals and classifieds are posted on-that is except the 2 or 3 rentals that are posted in the paper and are generally rented before the paper goes to press ). Our friend Kari is in a similar predicament, so if any renters are reading: We are very hard working and quiet, we will take excellent care of your property. And if you have a woodstove, please rent to us!