I do,Ernest,thank you.Although what it means in reality is that "i do till the next flood".(Notice how the structure sits on a raft;there's some hope that it'll float,and the ice won't smash it too badly).
Such is the price for living so close to the River.
But the River is my all,the source of all my wood,and fish,and all other sustenance.
https://imgur.com/a/R2BLU
https://imgur.com/a/YPxUn
I must think of some "topor"-related facts here,and quickly!
...Well,in the Old Country,the folks have lived a long,Long time in one place.Long enough to accumulate traditions,and topors and skills to build dwellings that (at least in theory)would last for many generations.
But in actuality,because of the ruthless economics of the feudal system,the people in the Toporland for the most part ended up living very primitively,and substandardly.
The skills only went as far as to construct a few homes for the wealthy,and possibly some churches in the richer parishes or monasteries.
Our "poverty" here in Alaska is quite different.We're,or can be,truly free.But the price for that is that for reasons many and sundry we've gone away from many of the fundamental,historical,so-well-found skills and traditions in our craftsmanship.
Alaska since it's infestation by the Europeans(the last 200 years roughly)hasn't really even gone through that stage of older craftsmanship,but here and there one does notice the remnants of that,some log-corners done in some ancient Scandinavian pattern or the like.It's fun noticing those things...
And,hey,here's a real topor(or what's left of it):
https://imgur.com/a/yOKVk
A genuwine Moscow-pattern
,with it's "sprogget" all smashed back into the body....(from that ame trip to the UAF museum a short while back).
Couple more shots (i was surprised at how small it is in real life).Top side:
https://imgur.com/a/rosK4
(eye is smashed too).
Bottom:
https://imgur.com/a/Ubjs9
Presumably it's a left over trade-item from the Russian-American Co.,from whom Alaska was bought in 1867.