More snow, cold - and a rock

I had a wonderful Christmas day with my daughter & family; phone calls to loved ones out of state; very tasty prime rib roast; relaxing and enjoying everything.

By 3 p.m. the kitchen was cleaned and the tree down and put away for another 11 months. I put it up the day after Thanksgiving and I'm always ready to put it away and watch winter go away. Although it's several months away, I like seeing the daylight come through the window earlier in the mornings and last later into the afternoons. Since the tree sits right in front of the window, putting it away now lets in more light.

I looked out late yesterday afternoon and could tell by the softness of the street lights it was snowing - and boy was it ever! It was coming down fast and steady. I go back to work tomorrow, so I thought I'd brush the four new inches off the car today and get a head start. It is somewhere between 15 and 20 below, so I got a bit chilled, but warm boots and coat really help. It was the gloves that took the worst of it.

I brushed the snow off the bird feeders a week ago when I filled them. Looks like one needs new seed already, but there's still plenty there.

Buddy just told me he wanted to go out, so off we went. As soon as we hit the porch, he pulled off all four booties, as he does all the time. Here he is after about 5 minutes, wanting to come back indoors because his feet are cold. Notice the two front feet are not touching any snow. I think if he could figure out a way to get all four up at once, he'd do it. He just cannot seem to figure out those booties keep his feet warm! It was hard to get a good sharp shot as he was shivering and moving. I figured I should put him out of his misery and bring him back in. Note how his breath frosts his beard.

Several years ago my friend Mae and I drove to the Salcha River Rec area just for a short ride. My granddaughter Maddy has a habit of picking up stones and rocks wherever she is, and I guess some of it rubbed off. I saw an interesting stone at the water's edge and put it into the car. It barely fits into my palm and I can't close my fist over it. It has a reddish-brown color over much of it, but there are spots where it looks as though it was once white. I thought it might be quartz that had spent a lot of time in some water rich in iron. The rock has cracks all over and Saturday I decided to wiggle the loose end to see what's inside. I was surprised to see a deep red color covering much of the inside. It has some white marbeling and some very tiny, sparkly gold-colored flecks - almost like glitter. Very pretty. My brother-in-law, a rock hound in Arizona, said it sounds like an agate. I emailed a few photos to a professor at UAF with whom I've worked a few times to see if he might be able to identify it.

Stay warm everyone.

Fairbanks winter is more than cold and dark

Every now and then friends from the Lower 48 tell me they don't know how I deal with the cold and dark in the winter up here. I usually just say the summers more than compensate. But that's not the whole truth.

Fairbanks winters are beautiful in a Christmas-card kind of way. The trees are covered with snow, and the spruces especially remind me of Currier and Ives cards or the old Budweiser commercials at Christmas - the ones with the wonderful Clydesdales pulling a sleigh. Fresh snow on the trees and sides of the roads make everything look pristine.

Yesterday morning on my way to an appointment I noticed the car in front of me sitting in the left-turn lane where there was no street to turn onto. A second later I saw a moose step into the street. A huge cow, she very slowly moved past his car and sauntered across the street. She was in no hurry and simply walked slowly to the vacant lot on the opposite side, next to an apartment complex. Drivers watched her, then waited, as did I, to see if a calf followed. She was alone, so we proceeded on our various ways. I don't know if the other drivers marveled at this animal as I did. They are so large - and this one was very big - and yet so graceful. Their legs remind me of piano legs, very slender. They don't seem capable of holding up such a big beast. In addition to the graceful movements as they walk from one spot to another, the moose can move incredibly fast for their size. I always consider myself very lucky to see one, especially because I live in town and they are not as plentiful here as in more rural, wooded areas.

A couple of blocks later I drove past Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The spruce trees along the sidewalks and parking lots were festooned with strings of white lights, giving even this clearly urban spot a holiday feeling.

On a good clear day, we can see the snowy peaks of the Alaska Range, and on a great day we can see Mt. McKinley. This view against a bright blue sky is awesome. I never get tired of looking at these mountains.

On a good clear night, we are often treated to incredible light shows as the Northern Lights dance across the sky. Once again, living in town has some drawbacks as the city lights really interfere with light-watching. However, it's only a short drive until we are out of town and can see nature's lights more clearly. I never tire of watching them move and sway.

There's a lot to do here - skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, ice-fishing, sled-dog races (or mushing yourself), hockey, basketball, concerts, plays, art - all sorts of both indoor and outdoor activities. It's never a boring place.

Above all, Fairbanks winters seem to create in people a kind of kinship. We all have in common the cold temperatures, the high heating oil and gasoline prices and the darkness. We share horror stories and solutions to problems stemming from the cold and darkness. Strangers smile at each other in the stores and on the streets. The friendliness of Fairbanksans makes it a special place to live.

Today is winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and one of my favorite days. It means we will soon be gaining daylight, at first by seconds, then minutes. Happy solstice!
I will admit I'm not particularly fond of the extreme cold and the darkness seems to bother me more each year. But the amenities of living here - the wildlife, the mountains, the Northern Lights - make it all worthwhile.

Merry Christmas everyone. May 2012 be healthy, happy and prosperous for all of you.