Musings from Alaska

Staying warm at 45 below

2012-02-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

I planned to update this several weeks ago, but got sidetracked and let it go. So, finally, when 45 below is in the past, here I am.

I have been truly enjoying the warmer weather, with temperatures into the 20s and even 30s. It's wonderful after the bitter cold. My love of Alaska no longer extends to the extreme cold. I practiced some serious hibernation techniques.

I went out only when necessary and had a routine for that:

1. Warm up the car at least 15 minutes (I don't have a garage).
2. Go from warm house to warm car.
3. Go from warm car to warm office or store.
4. Reverse numbers 2 and 3.
5. Dress very warmly in layers.
6. If the mail carrier hasn't been by when I arrive home, pick up the mail in the morning when I leave for work.
7. Make rib-sticking comfort food.
8. Hot coffee in the morning - hot chocolate other times.
9. Revel in my new furnace! I'm so glad they said it had to be replaced last fall and couldn't wait until summer 2012.

There were a few positives to the weather.

1. Northern lights on the way to work - on a couple of clear mornings.
2. The fox who doesn't seem to mind the weather. She was out wandering around several mornings near the office.
3. The moose who can handle the cold. I love watching them stroll slowly across the street, as long as they're well in front of my car.
4. Genealogy - because I didn't want to go out, I was online honing my research skills and looking for long-dead relatives. I didn't find anyone new, but I was able to locate some information on military service, a will and church documents.

I'll be going back to PA this spring to see my parents, and purchased a new wand-like scanner so I can scan the photos in my mother's albums. I will be practicing with it before I leave here. It has a memory card slot (with a card inserted), so I should be able to bring back a lot of old pictures.

Although I know this is just February, and that more cold temperatures are almost guaranteed, I'm loving the warmer weather as long as it lasts. In just a little over two weeks Spring Training will start and then it's just another month until April and Breakup.

I'd love to be going to Spring Training again, but I figured I'd save the money for the PA trip. So while I wait for spring and seeing my family again, I'll just dream of baseball parks and warm weather.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Happy 2012 - 2011 was a mixed bag

2012-01-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

2012 arrived with cold temperatures, although much more seasonal than those in the 20s and teens above zero.

I really didn't go out - just to the yard with the dog. I didn't even shoot the photo outdoors - right through the (dirty) window.

I cooked my annual pork & sauerkraut dinner, had a few folks over and cleaned up and relaxed the rest of the day.

The only snag was my printer. I wanted to print off a few photos for my sister, but the printer was not cooperating. I did diagnostics, tried checking the settings, but nothing worked. I finally uninstalled the printer software, reinstalled and was able to get it working at last. The printer is only a year old, and I wasn't ready for this!

As I do most at the start of most new years, I reflected back on the past year. It was one filled with travel and visiting with friends and family I don't see as frequently as I'd like. Some of the travel was good, some not so good.

My friend Mae and I traveled to the Southwest to see our friend Bonnie and her husband Junior in March. Mae, Bonnie and I all worked together many years ago, and Bonnie retired in late spring 2011. Our trip was a sort of retirement party.

We flew in to El Paso, Texas, about an hour from Las Cruces, NM, where Bonnie & Junior live. After a stop at an outlet mall, we continued to Las Cruces, where we had an early night. Early the next day we started the drive to Phoenix. In Phoenix, we saw six baseball games in three days. We visited Tempe Diablo Stadium, Surprise Stadium and the three newest ballparks - Goodyear Ballpark, Camelback Ranch Stadium and Salt Fields Ballpark. As always, it was wonderful to sit in the sun with my friends, watching major league baseball without the high prices and crowds of the major league parks. Spring training must be my very favorite vacation.

We had terrific company and tried a couple of new places to eat in Phoenix, and thoroughly eating at Chino Bandidos again. This restaurant, which has been featured on the Travel Channel on several programs, serves a delicious mix of Mexican and Chinese food. You pick the meat, the rice and whatever else you want on your plate. They opened a second location and we went to the new one this year.

On the way back to Las Cruces, Junior detoured so we could visit Tombstone. I grew up watching westerns on television, so this was a treat for me. My husband, daughter and I visited Dodge City in 1987, and I really looked forward to seeing Tombstone. The only disappointment was that the OK Corral was closed. It's located behind a big garage-like door, and we were several hours before it opened. However, we needed to get back so we enjoyed the rest of the town, strolling down wooden sidewalks, watching stagecoach and covered wagons roll down the dusty streets and stopping off in mercantiles and other shops. Much fun!

While we were in Las Cruces I got a call that I would have to go to San Antonio shortly after my return.

As luck would have it, by the time I reached San Antonio, I was barely recovered from a bout of bronchitis, so I was miserable. It was HOT (97 and up) and very humid. I had trouble breathing, was coughing and not comfortable at all. My room at the Grand Hyatt, however, was very nice and everything in the area was air conditioned. I did take one morning and take a trolley ride around the city, stopping at various old missions in the area. I didn't get off the trolley, but enjoyed the driver's narration of all the sites and took a few photos from the vehicle. My friend Felicia and I had dinner several times at the hotel's restaurant, which had outdoor dining on the Riverwalk. It was fun watching the people walking by and the little birds standing by watching for crumbs.

Despite the oppressive heat and humidity and the bronchitis, the conference was much better than the 2010 one, and I came back with some great information.

Shortly after I returned I received orders to report to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, the last week of May for two weeks. Schofield Barracks is just south of Oahu's North Shore, and my friend Tracey, who used to work with me, lives there now. I haven't seen her since she left here about 5 years ago. I was able to spend a little time with her, her mother and two children. Although it was more humid there, it wasn't as bad as Texas and there was an almost constant breeze. I had my first shave ice (loved it), saw the Banzai Pipeline (kind of tame in May, no super large waves) and visited the town of Hale Iwa, surf town extraordinaire. When I wasn't working, I enjoyed watching the birds, looking at the sea and the flowers. Good trip, but I was really glad to get back to Fairbanks.

By this time, I'm tired of traveling and looking forward to staying home for a while. At the end of June, my dad had a heart attack and bypass surgery. The day after the surgery, he had a stroke. I had planned to go to PA at the end of July to help my mother when Dad returned from rehab. However, following the stroke there were several scares and I changed my plans and flew down July 4. I spent a couple of weeks, visiting Dad and spending time with my sisters, brother and mother. It was good to see everyone, but a very tense, frightening couple of weeks. Dad is home now, and recovering slowly. It's so hard to see one's parents age - and I don't get to see it happening, so it seems like a drastic change when I do see them. I did manage to get in some reflective, meditative time on Dad's front porch watching the sunrise over the Susquehanna River and enjoy his flowers. It's very hard to think of them as aging, but it is happening fast.

The photo of Dad is at the rehab center. It's good to see him laugh. He was so very sick, I wasn't sure I'd make it across the country in time to talk with him. I'm so grateful we have him for a while longer.

The rest of the year fairly flew by. In September, Mae and I took our annual train trip to Denali National Park. Although it was cloudy and rainy, the colors were still very pretty and we had a relaxing time.

The Tuesday before our Friday trip, I had an inspector out to tune up my furnace. I asked him for an estimate on a new furnace, as this one was pretty old and I planned to replace it in the spring. He told me he had to disconnect the unit, as it wasn't safe, and state law requires it. I was shocked - this was September after all, and I couldn't go without heat. I found someone who could install a new one that week. So I had a friend sit at the house all day Friday (while I was enjoying the train ride and Denali) while the crew removed the old furnace and installed the new one. I wasn't too happy spending nearly $6,000 - wanted to save some more so my credit card didn't get hit too hard - but now as it's 20 below, I'm so glad I replaced it before winter hit. I remember sitting here worried every time I didn't hear the old one run, wondering if I had to call a repairman. And at the same time, I hated all the times it ran, imagining all that money just going up in flames. The new one is quiet, keeps the house nice and toasty and doesn't run nearly as much as the old one. And so far it's using 1/3 to 1/2 the fuel the old one used.

After seeing family in the summer, I decided to visit my granddaughters in Spokane, Wash. They live with their dad and stepmother there, with a little sister and 2 little brothers. The family welcomed me and made me feel a part of their family. I was so happy to see two beautiful young girls, 13 and 14, well-adjusted, polite, witty - well, all the things a grandma would say about her girls. I thoroughly enjoyed spending a long weekend with them and hope to see them again this year.

November and December flew by and we're now in a new year. I will likely go back to PA this spring and hopefully make another trip to Spokane. I'm hoping the business trips will be curtailed - I really like staying here, especially in the spring and summer.

I wish for all of you a 2012 filled with good health and great joy. Happy New Year.

More snow, cold - and a rock

2011-12-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

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.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

Since I don't seem able to do a daily thankful post, I thought I'd lump it into one. Every year there are certain days I look over what I have and give thanks for it. One of those, of course, is Thanksgiving.

I am very thankful for my family - parents, sisters, brother, daughter, grandchildren (and steps and halfs), nieces and nephews, cousins - and the friends who may not be genetic relatives but are family nonetheless.

I am thankful I have a job that allows me to work with the most amazing group of people. And I'm thankful my job gives me the opportunity to travel occasionally and pays well enough that I can travel for nothing but pleasure other times. And I am thankful that my health, although not great, is still good enough to make that travel fun.

Clock tower at Spokane, WA's, Riverfront Park

State Capitol and other buildings, Harrisburg, PA

Oahu's North Shore, Hawaii

old mission in San Antonio, Texas

Tombstone, Arizona

I'm thankful my friends like baseball and we can enjoy Cactus League Spring Training in Phoenix together. It's the best vacation after a long Fairbanks winter. And it's not too hot yet.

I'm thankful every day for the beauty of this place I call home. Whether it's right here in Fairbanks or down at Denali National Park, whether it's summer or winter - it's beautiful. Northern lights and the Alaska Range make the cold temperatures tolerable. And the glorious colors of grass and sky and flowers make the summers pure pleasure. How lucky I am to live here.

Above all this year, I am thankful my wonderful dad survived a heart attack, surgery and stroke and is recovering well. I love talking with him on the phone every weekend and I thank God every day for allowing us to have Dad for a while longer.

I know there's a lot I didn't cover here, but my life is so full of wonderful family and friends and good times, there's no way I could possibly touch on all of my blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Spokane, winter

2011-10-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

It looks as though winter is here. We've had our sticking snow, though it's not really deep yet. It was enough to make the roads bad for a day or two and to remind drivers to slow down and exercise caution. My challenge now is to keep the bird feeders filled.

My new furnace is working well, not constantly running to try to keep up and the house is very comfortable.

The congestion and cough are still with me, almost two months later. I am really tired of it, but I'm at least recovered enough to be able to get some sleep at night.

Fortunately, the worst of it was over when I started my trip to Spokane, Washington, to see my two granddaughters. They live with their dad, stepmother and three little siblings, and I haven't seen them in a number of years.

The trip was very nice to Seattle. My seatmate was an old friend from Toastmasters. We caught up on the news, then napped until we reached Seattle. From there, things went downhill.

We got an announcement the 7 and 8 a.m. flights would be delayed due to fog in Spokane. (I was booked on the 9 a.m. flight.) Both the earlier flights took off a little late and our flight boarded and took off just 10 minutes late. We reached Spokane and saw nothing below us but white clouds. We circled an hour then returned to Seattle. I was able to get a seat on a 12:30 p.m. flight, but we were told almost as soon as we were seated we would not take off until Spokane's weather cleared. We could leave the plane, taking all our carry on items with us, or we could stay onboard. I opted to remain on the plane. I had my tablet with me, we had WiFi access and I had plenty to do. I phoned my Spokane family and told them to go home, I'd call when I got in or had more information on what was happening. Finally, we left Seattle about 2:40 p.m. We circled Spokane again, for an hour or more, and at last the pilot spotted a hole in the clouds. Everyone on the plane applauded when we touched down. I heard an airport employee say all remaining flights that day had been cancelled. So my 10 a.m. arrival became 4:30 p.m., but I was there.

The rest of the long weekend was fabulous. I reconnected with my granddaughters, now almost 13 and 14. I met their little sister, almost 6, and two brothers, 1 and nearly 4. It's a beautiful family. They welcomed me and made me very comfortable.

I had a wonderful time taking the kids shopping and watching them choose clothes, enjoying their delight in their choices. We went to Red Robin for lunch - none of them had ever been there. I like to eat out at places we don't have in Fairbanks, and I wanted a good hamburger. Red Robin has some of the best! My choice was a guacamole burger with bacon. Certainly not the healthiest thing, but when I'm on vacation I don't look for healthy :)

The next day we visited Riverfront Park, site if the 1974 Expo. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and a little cool. We walked a bit and rode a little train around the park. The engineer pointed out areas of interest and added a little history.

Our train

Then we visited the historic carousel, which the kids rode. Their smiles were great - they were really enjoying it.

These are some of the other things I saw at Riverfront Park:

I loved the brilliant red of this tree. Most everything was still green.

Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Riverfront Park

On the way home to Loon Lake, we stopped at Dairy Queen, another first for the kids and another special treat for me.

The weekend was over all too soon, and I had to come back home. I had a great time and plan to repeat the trip sometime in the not-too-distant future. The flight back was uneventful and it hadn't snowed yet, so I was able to finish up the last of the end-of-summer/fall stuff.

Now that winter's here, I've started going back online into the genealogy archives, trying to track down some elusive ancestors. Looking forward to some pretty photo ops and an easy winter. Stay well.

Denali on the train

2011-10-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

At the end of my week off in September, my friend Mae and I took our annual trip to Denali on the Alaska Railroad. I love the ride - four hours of beautiful scenery, eating in the dining car, relaxing in the comfortable seats and reading the Nook. I've decided that I prefer the park in September over May. In May, the leaves aren't fully out yet and it looks too much like winter. In September, the colors are all out - vivid reds, brilliant golds and the dark green of the spruce trees all make a gorgeous palette.

For the first 12 or more years, Mae and I were among the very lucky park visitors who get to see the mountain - Mt. McKinley. Bus drivers in the park say only 25% get to see it, so we felt very fortunate to see this enormous snow-covered peak so often. However, I think the law of averages has finally caught up to us. This year made the third year in a row it's been shrouded in clouds and not visible to us.

This year we only saw two squirrels - no moose, no caribou, no bears, no Dall sheep. But the colors and the scenery were awesome. We did see two moose cows, one with twins and one with one calf; two pairs of swans and a large flock of sandhill cranes flying out as the train made its way back to Fairbanks.

Here are a few of my favorites:

A low-lying fog bank moves in from Savage Canyon below Mt. Margaret's fall colors.

Even the weeds are pretty!

Savage River from the park road.

Healy Canyon & Nenana River from the train.

Two days after we got back I developed bronchitis that hung on for almost three weeks. Am finally feeling much better, able to get some sleep and only coughing a little.

I will be heading to Spokane, Washington, soon to visit my two granddaughters, who live with their dad. I haven't seen them in many years and am really looking forward to seeing them. Then, maybe, I'll stay home for a while and forget packing, trudging through airports and strange beds.

I went to the store early this morning. The sunrise was gorgeous; there was a cute little dog walking his human; Jimmy Buffet was on the CD player and there was no line at the store. Life is good. Happy October everyone.

Taking care of business

2011-09-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

I took this week off to take care of things like annual physical, car and furnace tune-ups and use up some leave time.

All went well last Friday with the car and the physical. I came away with a clean bill of health from the doctor and a lower bill from the garage than I expected.

By Sunday, the car wouldn't start - wouldn't turn over. And it was a holiday weekend, so I couldn't even get it checked until Tuesday. So Tuesday morning I ended up buying a new battery.

The furnace guy came out Tuesday and informed me he had disabled the furnace (state law, I think) because it isn't safe. So instead of buying a new furnace next spring as planned, I'm buying it this week. It will be installed tomorrow. The positive angle here is I shouldn't have any problems this winter and it hasn't reached the freezing point at my house yet. I'm still in the 40s at night and 60s during the day, so the space heaters I have do a fine job keeping the place warm and I don't have to run them constantly.

Today is my birthday, and I decided a great way to start the day was at Creamer's Field for sunrise. There were a lot of geese, but I didn't see or hear a single crane. The sun was gorgeous as it hit the yellow leaves of the birch trees, and the sky was blue shot through with a lot of pink. It was a beautiful morning.

I shot a few photos, then came back home to prepare for our upcoming train trip to Denali National Park. My friend Mae and I do this trip every year, and it's something we look forward to.

I whipped up a pot of clam chowder (great lunch!), cleaned up the kitchen and now it's time to take the dog out and relax.

Happy autumn everyone.

Fall's coming

2011-09-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Friday started my week-long break. I'm taking some time off to relax, take care of business and (hopefully) sleep in.

Friday, though, was primarily a business day. I dropped my car off for lube/oil/filter change and check-up for winter. I also visited the doctor for my annual check-up, then went to DMV (!) to renew my disabled parking permit.

There was a lull, though, in the morning. My friend came by to pick me up while the shop worked on my car. We went for breakfast, then for a drive. We stopped by Creamer's Field to see the birds and out to Fox for a short drive.

Although I hate to see summer end, I do love the deep reds of the fall. We saw that the fireweed is topped off and the leaves are red.

Geese landing

Have a safe and happy Labor Day.

Sunny, relaxed weekend

2011-08-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

After my fast trip to PA, I got back to work and lots of catching up. I had several hundred emails to answer and some online training to do, as well as what work was tossed at me each day. If I didn't have such a capable staff, I'm not sure what I would do. They took care of a ton of stuff while I was gone, or my return would have been terrible. I'm really blessed to work with the people on my staff - they are absolutely the best team I've ever had.

The last few weeks have been full of my job, calling PA for updates on my dad and trying to find time to simply relax.

My dad is continuing to improve. He was home from the nursing home today for a visit, and if all goes well he will be home to stay in 10 days or two weeks. I know he's looking forward to it, and that today's visit gave him more incentive to work hard at his therapy. He sounded wonderful when I talked with him this afternoon.

I took my daughter and granddaughter shopping for school clothes. Maddy is in first grade now. When we walked into the first store she said, "Grandma, I don't like skirts." I assured her we wouldn't buy any skirts. She is beginning to develop her own style - no dark pink, no skirts or dresses, glitter is good - but is still young enough that she can sometimes be talked into something she's not crazy about. We had a wonderful day, shopping and having lunch. Such fun!

I've made several trips to Creamer's Field for bird shots, but haven't gotten the great sandhill crane shot I want. I'm apparently not there at the best time of day, and this morning when we stopped by I only had my small pocket camera with a shorter zoom lens.

I wish I'd had my better camera. Maybe next trip.

I was able to catch these two geese coming in for a landing - not an easy feat for me!

After the grocery store and Creamer's Field, I had a visit from my daughter, her partner and Maddy. I hang my bird feeders on an arch I bought at the garden department of a home building store, and we moved it so I can see it from my computer chair. It had been moved when I had my porch built this summer, and I didn't put it in the right spot when I replaced it. I love sitting on the porch watching the birds. They come in and perch to eat within 2-1/2 to 3 feet of me. Maddy was fascinated to see them so close. She is beginning to be able to sit still and watch them.

This little black-capped chickadee was eating something from the bark of the birch tree.

This chickadee was on the arch, just about 2-1/2 feet from me.

Catching a bubble on the wand.

Trying to bite the bubble. She didn't like the taste of the one she caught. Said she thought it would taste like gum :)

This was one of those great sunny weekends when I slept in, relaxed and spent wonderful time with friends and family, enjoying the simple pleasures I can find in Fairbanks. It doesn't get any better than that.

Pennsylvania

2011-07-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

Now that I've recovered from a fast trip back home and had some time to resize and edit photos, I figured I'd share some photos of where I grew up and where my parents still live.

My dad continues to recover and is working hard to leave rehab and return home. I took most of these from his favorite spot on the front porch.

Foggy morning sunrise from the porch

Hummingbird at the feeder

visitor on the grass

Butterfly bush, so named because it attracts butterflies

close-up of butterfly blooms

Another butterfly bush

trumpet flowers growing on a vine on the porch rail

black-eyed Susans outside the kitchen window

Although it was wonderful to see my dad beginning to recover and to spend time with my family - mother, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews, it was even better to return to Fairbanks. The heat (90s) and humidity (90th percentile) were almost unbearable. I'm much more comfortable here. (Someone remind me I said this come January :O)

Fast trip to PA

2011-07-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hearing encouraging news from Pennsylvania about my dad's progress, I made reservations to fly out July 18 and stay through the 28th. However, on July 4th my sister phoned and said his kidneys were failing and the doctor said they should call in the family. He had only been in the rehab center for less than two days.

I was frantic. I phoned Alaska Airlines and explained the situation, hoping for an early flight out of Fairbanks. They were extremely helpful, and less than 24 hours later I was in Harrisburg. I spent the entire trip alternately crying, praying and hoping he would still be alive when I arrived.

My brother picked me up at the airport and we stopped at the hospital where he was in ICU. He was awake and alert and his kidney failure had completely reversed itself. The doctor told us later it was caused by severe dehydration.

I spent the next 10 days at my old home with my mother. Much of the time I was on the porch in Dad's chair, taking photos of his flowers, the squirrels and rabbits and his beloved hummingbirds. We went to see him every day, but the time was like a yo-yo. He spent several days in the hospital, then was transferred back to rehab.

The next day, as we were driving to the rehab center to visit him, we got a call that his heart rate was seriously elevated and erratic and he was on his way back to the emergency room at the hospital. We arrived before the ambulance crew had even completed their gathering of equipment. The doctors were afraid he was prefacing another heart attack, so he stayed in the hospital (again) for several more days.

He is now back at rehab, walking with a cane several times a day and is in physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions daily. I am cautiously optimistic that this time will work. He does not want to even discuss nursing homes.

The stroke has affected his manual dexterity a good bit. He has a tough time holding utensils, but has been feeding himself most of the time since he started.

He sometimes has to think of a word, but his speech is clear enough to understand, though very soft. He appears to have his memory intact and he has not lost any of his sense of humor.

It is very hard to see him struggle like this. More than once it brought me to tears to see this once vital man work so hard to simply bring a spoonful of soup or a sandwich to his mouth. I had to leave the room, because I wanted to remain positive when I was around him. I'm still trying to remain positive and believe that his determination and willpower will pull him through it.

All that said, I'm so grateful I had a chance to see him again and assure myself that he hasn't changed fundamentally - just the shell. I did enjoy spending some time with my mother, brother and sisters, as well as numerous and nephews.

I arrived back in Fairbanks July 14 and was so happy to see it was not 90+ degrees and humid. I love seeing my family - though not in these circumstances - but that weather makes me miserable.

Many thanks to all of you who left comments and e-mailed me with thoughts and prayers for my dad. They were all appreciated.

Dad update, more travel

2011-07-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a roller-coaster week. After I posted last week (or maybe while I was posting) my dad suffered a stroke in the hospital. He wasn't able to lift his right arm and his speech was garbled. By Monday I could understand what he was saying and although it's weak, he can now lift his arm again. He has some problems with manual dexterity, but is working on it.

He has been released from the hospital to a rehab center and is working on various therapies daily. Hopefully he will be home in about 2 weeks, or maybe less. I will head down there to visit for a while after he's back home.

I've been trying to remain optimistic. I know my dad as a strong, determined man. He works hard for what he wants and up until a short while ago took walks in the woods, usually at least a couple of miles. This is at 85 years old. I think he will try to regain his strength as quickly as possible, for he really doesn't like to rely on others to do a lot for him. I appreciate all the prayers that have come his way. I think the prayer is underestimated by a lot of people, but his recovery from the surgery and stroke has been, I think, very good in such a short time.

I had to go out of town last week to Delta Junction. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we saw some beautiful scenery and a poor skinny moose. She was feeding along the highway, and didn't even flinch when we pulled over to take some photos. I'll print a couple of photos off for Dad - he always likes seeing wildlife. I wish he could come up here to see them in real life.

I love these mountains - so beautiful.

Tanana River

Another view of the Tanana

Poor thing - you can count her ribs.

Tanana again

It's hard to believe July is here already. I don't know where June went, but it's gone. Enjoy July everyone.

Dad, family

2011-06-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

I received word Friday that my dad in PA had suffered a heart attack, so spent a restless night waiting for word. He had been doing some work outside the house and started to suffer extreme shortness of breath and profuse sweating. Fortunately, my niece - who's a CNA - was there and knew just what to do. She gave him piece of an aspirin and convinced him to get to a hospital.

He underwent surgery Saturday morning and today was sitting in a chair, off the respirator. He's still on oxygen and very weak, but coming along as expected.

It's hard to think of my parents as getting older. I don't get down there as often as I'd like and the changes I see in them when I do visit seem drastic. My mother seems to have shrunk. She seems frailer and smaller than a few years ago. She has suffered several broken bones in the past two years, one the ball of her left shoulder and the other - just last month - her right wrist.

My dad also seems smaller, and has started moving much more slowly than he did just a few years ago.

I always counted on their strength and can see it waning now. I hate being this far away from them. I was planning a trip down to see them in October, part flying and part Amtrak. I've now shelved the Amtrak trip and will fly down earlier. I want to wait until he's released from the hospital and rehab, so am waiting to hear what will be a good time to get there.

They raised six kids in rural Pennsylvania. We lived a simple life, growing up in the country. They taught us ethics, how to live a good and moral life. Mother taught us how to cook, clean and take care of each other. Dad taught us about nature through walks in the woods just across the yard. We had walnut trees, raspberry bushes and cherry trees just outside the door. We ate game - rabbit, squirrel and venison, among others, that Dad shot. We fished and swam in the Susquehanna River just across the highway.

I miss that simple life now, and especially miss being near all of my family. It will be good to see them all again.

Hawaii

2011-06-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

It's so good to be home after two weeks in Hawaii.

I went to Schofield Barracks where I was an observer/controller for an exercise they were doing there. It was good to connect with my Hawaii counterparts and to see that we all do things in pretty much the same way in a crisis - kind of validates our own activities.

There were a total of six of us from our garrison, and we had a fair amount of free time to visit the island, taste the Hawaiian cuisine and take photos. I had some very good Thai-style fried rice with shrimp and pineapple from a camper in a parking lot and fresh seafood at other locations. Most of the food was mediocre, however, or disappointing (the seafood platter, a bit pricy, had just one piece of ahi tuna, two shrimp and two scallops). The fried rice and the rib-eye steak at Sizzler were the two best meals of the entire two weeks.

I was able to link up with Tracey, who worked for me several years ago. Her mother was visiting from Florida, which was very nice. I had the pleasure of meeting her almost six years ago when Tracey's son was born prematurely. Connor is an active little boy, a huge fan of "Star Wars." His little sister Amelia is a smiling good-natured baby. Tracey's husband is deployed and due to return this month. I know she will be glad to have him back home.

Tracey was good enough to take me for a ride on the North Shore, where we visited several beaches and saw Sunset Beach and the Pipeline.

A sea turtle had hauled out on one of the beaches. It's illegal to bother or touch them, so volunteers stay nearby to keep the tourists at bay.

We could other turtles pop their heads out of the water, then almost instantly submerge again. They were so fast I couldn't get a photo of them.

We all spent some time in the town of Hale Iwa, a terrific little surfing town. The shops were rustic and the pace slow. We had lunch (very good) at Hale Iwa Joe's and shave ice on the way out of town. Although I thought it would be a big snow-cone, it was surprisingly good. I had one with mixed flavors (banana, pineapple and something else - I don't remember) and ice cream in the bottom of the cone. Very good.

It was great to see Tracey and her family doing so well. And I truly appreciated her hospitality. She showed me her home, one of the historic ones on Schofield Barracks and took time out of a busy schedule to play tour guide and have dinner another evening.

Our next to last evening we had dinner on the lanai at a restaurant across the road from another beach. The sun was starting to set and I was able to get a few shots, some with outrigger canoes that were paddling back and forth.

I enjoyed watching the birds and seeing the gorgeous flowers. These Brazilian cardinals are among my favorites. Their brilliant red heads are really set off by the white, gray and black.

I truly love seeing tropical plants. I love palm trees and brightly colored flowers. The hotel on Schofield was beautifully landscaped, with plenty of both. I especially liked the Hawaiian red ginger.

This was the first time I'd ever seen the hanging crab claw:

Although the hibiscus and rainbow shower trees (and everything else) was beautiful, I think my favorite is the bird of paradise.

We had good weather, not too hot and plenty of nice breeze. While it was a good trip, the actual travel part was brutal - 5 1/2 hours from Honolulu to Seattle, a short layover, and 3 1/2 hours to Fairbanks.

I'm very happy to be home. May/June is not the time to leave Fairbanks. It's green, warm and so pleasant - my very favorite time of year.

Happy summer everyone.

photo excitement

2011-05-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I decided to enter a photo contest, so selected three of what I considered my best. On a whim, I added a fourth, not my best, but I liked the colors. The contest was sponsored by Ruralite, the monthly magazine published by our electric cooperative. The prize was $100 per photo chosen for the covers.

I checked the website and found none of my photos were selected for the cover. This didn't really surprise me, because while I love taking photos, I am certainly not a professional - and at times I think I'm mediocre at it. I'm truly excited when I get something I really love.

A couple of weeks after the announcement of the winning photos, I received a letter from the electric company. They told me that although I didn't win the cover contest, they want to run one of my pictures in a section inside the magazine. I completed and signed the release form immediately, and shortly after that I received a check for $25. The money is just gravy. I'm simply excited that one of my photos was selected to run in a regional magazine.

The winner? It was the fourth picture - the last-minute add-on. It was a photo I shot from the window of a moving bus in Denali Park.

Even though it was a spur-of-the-moment addition, I loved the fall colors and the contrast - the low brush and tall trees, the reds set against the green of the spruce.

This isn't the one I sent in, but it's similar. So I'm now waiting until Sepetember to actually see one of my pics in print!

I will probably spend more time concentrating on photo composition and really working to improve my technique. A lot of the time I simply point and shoot without really thinking about the end result. But the rush of excitement when I read the letter has me wanting more!

travel, travel, travel

2011-05-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have recovered from the various infections (all respiratory related) and from the trip to San Antonio. The conference was a good one this year, with excellent workshops, especially on social media and an overview of our career field (public affairs).

I was still in the recovery mode for the upper respiratory infection and the heat and humidity in San Antonio didn't help at all. It was 95 degrees during the day (went down to 72 or so at night) and VERY humid. That's weather I really don't like. I'd rather have 35 or 40 below than 90 above with humidity. However, I connected with some old friends and brought back some great information.

As promised, I've got a few more photos from the Las Cruces/Phoenix trip.

I love the palm trees in Phoenix and was able to shoot a few through the windshield as we drove around the city and surrounding cities.

I really liked this tree-lined street.

My cameras are all automatic digitals because I know if I go to DSLR I will end up carrying a huge bag full of heavy lenses. I have one small pocket-size camera with a 10X optical zoom that is with me all the time. My "big" camera has a 20X optical zoom and I'm able to really bring in scenes from a distance with it. Both have a sweep panorama function and various scene modes such as water, snow, dark without flash, sports and fireworks.

One night following the baseball game there was a fireworks show, so I decided to see what happened with the fireworks mode. I wasn't disappointed. Here are two examples.

There's a whole different effect because the lens is open for quite a long time.

On the way back to Las Cruces, we stopped off in Tombstone. The historic town is a little off the beaten path, but was a fun ride. We had to leave the freeway and drive several miles down a two-lane road, past houses and countryside. It was fairly early and there were not a lot of people. It reminds me a great deal of Alaskaland (now Pioneer Park) with gift shops, boardwak sidewalk and historical buildings. We shopped and stopped in a few of the old buildings before hitting the road again.

There were several stagecoaches and one covered wagon traveling Tombstone's dirt streets, but we opted not to take a ride. I rode the stagecoach in Dodge City years ago, and I recall a hard wooden seat and a very bouncy ride - not at all comfortable. Sadly, the OK Corral was closed and we missed the "gunfight" there.

Back in Las Cruces we did more shopping in Old Mesilla and had two wonderful dinners - one at a great Mexican restaurant and another at a Japanese one. We rested and visited with Bonnie and Junior, then hit the skies again to return home.

These cactus are in Bonnie & Junior's yard. I was pleased to see them in bloom.

I've been given a heads-up for another possible trip coming up - this time to Hawaii, again for work. It's not a done deal yet, but I'm on alert for it.

I'm so glad to have warmer temperatures, more daylight and snow melted. Happy spring everyone.

sick day

2011-04-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful trip to New Mexico and Arizona, I returned to work and a fairly stressful week, wondering how many people would be working Monday following budget talks and discussion of a government shutdown. Fortunately for a lot of people, everyone was at work yesterday.

Saturday was relaxed and fun, with a birthday lunch for my friend Mae. We enjoyed lunch at the Thai House, had a little fun running around town and talked about how good it is to see signs of snow melting and the onset of breakup.

Sunday I woke up with a sore throat and low-grade fever. Figuring it was sinuses draining, I took some sinus medicine. It didn't help at all. Monday it seemed a little better, but a cough set in. Knowing I have to fly out again soon, I decided to see a doctor to knock it out before getting on the plane. I couldn't get in to see my doctor, so I went to the urgent-care center. I hate going there, for several reasons, but I knew I needed to see someone that day. This place was packed too and I've heard several folks had to leave work today to get sick kids from school. The nurse told me there seems to be a lot of people with similar symptoms all over town.

After two hours, the doctor told me I have a sinus infection. But in addition I have minor infections in the respiratory system (not bronchitis yet, thank heaven) and ear and I have strep throat. A regimen of Predinisone and antibiotics is already working and my throat no longer hurts. The cough, however, is another matter. I can't lie down or even recline a little in my recliner without cough spasms that seem to last forever. My asthma is acting up and I've had to use the nebulizer several times a day. The fever is still here, but not as frequently. I stayed home today, but will return to work tomorrow.

Since I'm upright, either sitting or standing, I tried to be productive. I made a waldorf salad, which I've been craving, and some gravy for the pot roast I made Sunday. I felt too sick to make the gravy then, but now have supper for tonight (hot roast beef sandwich sounds good).

While we were in El Paso, Las Cruces and Phoenix we did some power shopping. I bought a fair amount of new clothes and in Phoenix I found a netbook. I'd been pricing them locally and online, but didn't want to pay the prices they wanted. I got it in Phoenix for several hundred dollars than here or online (can you say "shipping costs?") I didn't do much with it on our trip, other than check e-mail and the Fairbanks paper. So, on my sick day, I downloaded Microsoft Office first. Microsoft has determined that a new purchase of the full version, which I bought last summer when I upgraded my desktop computer, may now be put on both a desktop and one laptop. That saves me the cost of a license fee for multiple computers or the cost of a new full disk. I also set up several other programs and my Favorites on the Internet.

I've been avoiding taking the cough syrup the doctor prescribed because I really don't like taking codeine, but finally gave in and took a half-dose of the noxious-tasting stuff because I'm nearly desperate for some sleep. I got about 3 hours last night and no naps today. If I'm going to work tomorrow I really need to rest.

Hopefully by tomorrow the meds will have done even more magic and I'll be feeling better.

I am glad, however, I was able to get something done today. I'll take the netbook with me on my trip. The hotel has free wi-fi and I can keep up with Fairbanks news.

I hope you all are doing well. More on the Southwest trip next time.

baseball and more

2011-04-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Mae and I have returned from visiting friends Bonnie and Junior in Las Cruces, NM. It was a great trip, if whirlwind.

Bonnie and Junior are doing well and it was wonderful to see them and spend some time with them. It went by far too fast.

We flew into El Paso, Texas and landed to a beautiful sunny day with a nice breeze that helped with the 70+ temperatures and hot sun.

On the way to Las Cruces we stopped at an outlet mall where we hit our favorite stores and stocked up on some much-needed clothing items not available in Fairbanks. That night we had oryx (a species of antelope) for dinner along with green bean casserole and more. The oryx was delicious - mild, lean and not gamey at all.

The next day we hit the road early for the six-hour drive to Phoenix. We watched the sun come up over the mountains and light the desert and pulled into Phoenix in time to stop for lunch. From there it was on to the ballparks. We had scheduled six games of Spring Training into three days. We ensured we would see all three new parks in the Phoenix area as well as a couple of our older favorites.

Our first game was Tempe Diablo Stadium where the Los Angeles Angels train. Although this park has been a favorite of mine since 2000, I was disappointed this year. We had good seats for the game, but the park had replaced its seats since our last visit and we felt like we were in the center seat in an airplane's coach cabin. The new configuration really crammed us in. I'm very short and my knees nearly touched the seat in front of me.

That evening we were at Goodyear Ballpark where the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians play. This was one of the new parks, and although we were near the top row of seats and not behind home plate, I still liked the park. The seats were comfortable and we were under a canopy so were shaded from the early evening sun.

We also visited Surprise Stadium, another old favorite, and Camelback Ranch and Salt River Fields, the other two new parks. We noted everything from seats, ballpark configuration and scoreboards to team shops, hot dogs and field views from various areas of the park. We heard a couple of horrendous renditions of the National Anthem. Camelback Ranch featured a fireworks show after the game, but that's for a later post. And we thoroughly enjoyed some major league baseball, complete with home runs, double plays, pick-offs and broken bats.

Although the games involved some serious driving from one side of Phoenix to the other, in one case a distance of some 30 miles in traffic nothing like Fairbanks, we still had time to stop for dinner at a seafood place and a barbecue restaurant. Both had exceptional food and service.

After three days and nights in Phoenix, we hit the road again to return to Las Cruces. After the last game we drove to Tucson to spend the night and give us a little less driving time Sunday morning.

Although we were tired, we all agreed it was a great trip. I could easily spend every March in Phoenix just going from one ballgame to another. I prefer the Spring Training parks to the big city ones. The crowds are much smaller, the tickets and concessions cost less and the ballparks are much more intimate. We can sit closer to the field and even the seats in the top rows are good ones offering views of the playing field without the need for binoculars.

That's all for this post. I'll put up more photos of the trip next time.

Holy Cow! Snow!

2011-02-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, Presidents' Day, Feb. 20. We had a little snow late last week, but it was manageable. When I got up (very early - 3:30 a.m.) this morning I could tell it was snowing, but didn't think much of it. I don't normally pay much attention to forecasts, aside from the expected temperatures, so didn't expect what I saw at 9 when I decided to brush off the car so I could go to the doctor.

I was flabbergasted when I realized the snow on my handicapped access ramp was knee-high. I shoved the storm door open and got my shovel out so I could at least get out the door. I managed to shovel a path down the ramp to the sidewalk, but by then my back started to protest, so I stopped. That's what I pay someone to do for me.

The little path I'd shoveled at least gave Buddy a little space to do his business, and he enjoyed sniffing the air and checking out the snow.

His beard and muzzle always come up white with snow when there's a fresh snowfall. He looks so funny. However, he refuses to leave his booties on, so his feet get cold. Even in the summer when the lawn is wet from rain his feet get cold. So we don't stay out too long.

The chickadees and redpolls have been gluttons at the feeders, and I had planned to fill them today. Here's what they look like right now. I will go out and knock the snow off later and bring them to fill them.

However, I am now truly tired of this. Since I don't have a garage, every little dusting of snow means I have to brush off the car. This particular dropping means it will take longer and I'll have to break trail around the car to get to the roof on all sides. I am truly ready for my vacation in the Southwest.

Just looking at these helps me get through the long last couple of months of winter. I've been online looking at various places we might visit while we're in Phoenix and Las Cruces. I've bought new summer clothes and am more than ready. Fortunately, there's in increasing amount of daylight and today the sun is shining. That helps.

It really hasn't been a horrible winter this year, but I am ready for breakup and summer. We're nearly to March - it won't be too far off.

anxiety, elation, snow

2011-02-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

January ended with a lot of apprehension and anxiety, followed by a feeling of total relief.

A medical test uncovered what the doctor called "an abnormality." That was followed up by an ultrasound test, which revealed a cluster of "suspicious spots." There was a week between these two tests and they told me at the ultrasound I would need a biopsy - another week to wait, stew and imagine the worst.

On the day of the biopsy I found I needed to lie on a table and "try not to move." The high-tech biopsy machine was connected to a computer so the techs and the doctor could see where the lumps were and where the needles were. It took a little while to line everything up, then they discovered the cluster of spots were closer to the surface of the skin and they had to change the needle they were using.

While it wasn't painful, it was extremely uncomfortable not being able to move. As soon as they started, the hair on my neck started to tickle my ear. Then my nose began to itch. Pretty soon my arms and legs started to lock in place. And the entire procedure took more than 2 hours. I was so happy to be able to sit up and loosen my muscles.

Following that one, we went to another room where the lumps on the opposite side were biopsied. That part was fairly easy and took less than 30 minutes.

After that, I had to have another digital exam and get the compression bandage (so it would help control any bleeding inside the biopsy sites). By the time I got home, I had been there for more than 4 hours.

Then it was two days of waiting for results. When they came back benign, it was such a relief. There was no bruising and very little pain following the procedures. I'm so grateful the doctors here are quick to respond to results, even benign ones. They take the patient's feelings into consideration; they explain everything in advance and they tell you what they're doing as the procedure progresses. That helped ease my anxiety a great deal.

For nearly 3 weeks I was obsessing about this: What if? Will I have to have chemo or radiation? How will that affect me? Will I need surgery? How will this affect my trip to New Mexico and Arizona? (I know, that's pretty small in the overall scheme, but I'm really looking forward to this vacation and to seeing my friends down there.)

So now that ordeal is over, I'm getting back to normal. We've been enjoying some relatively warm weather and getting a little more snow. Though I've reached the point in winter when I really want it to fly by, the fresh snow is gorgeous.

These leaves are clinging to the branches, adding a bright spot as we drove by.

The sun on the snow and the blue sky in the background really appealed to me.

The Yukon Quest started yesterday in Whitehorse. Although I don't have a favorite in the race, I'll be following it and looking forward to maybe seeing a few of the teams arrive at the finish line downtown on the Chena River. I love watching those dogs. They're so enthusiastic and want to run so badly.

I bought some new luggage with the spinner wheels, some new summer clothes and a 16 GB memory stick for my camera in preparation for our trip. The forecast is calling for some temperatures near 20 below (for the lows) toward the end of next week, but I'm focusing on the Southwest and warm!

Quiet times

2011-01-16T09:29:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have been relatively quiet and productive.

I'm back into the regular routine at work after taking lots of time off at the end of the year. It's nice to see the sun up longer after work, as the daylight hours lengthen. We've had some sunny days here and I love seeing the golden glow on the snow-covered trees.

I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to go. By 7 a.m.I had a pot of chili cooked and packaged for the refrigerator. By 7:30 I had a stir fry of ham, veggies and Asian noodles also in the fridge. Now (at 8:10) I'm boiling eggs for breakfasts and a ham salad spread for sandwiches. So that means I have lunches and quick suppers if I don't feel like cooking. And . . . I have the rest of this weekend free - sort of.

We're taking our friend Cindy to lunch today to celebrate her birthday. Tomorrow morning I have to go for a diagnostic exam, but will hopefully be done by 10:30. Since I had an exam Friday, with anesthesia, I was pretty much out of it all day. Saturday we shopped and ran errands. I think I need some down time.

I haven't been out much with the camera. My favorite - the one with the longer zoom - hasn't been outdoors a lot lately. The smaller one, which fits easily into a pocket, is always in my purse. It's got a 10X optical zoom and a panoramic feature, so isn't too bad. I've shot a few photos with it, but nothing at all exciting. I'm so ready for spring. I don't go out for long periods in the winter because of my arthritic back and the fear of falling on ice. I did shoot this from my front door a couple of weeks ago. The sky was soft blue, and the flash highlighted the snow on the lilac bush right by the door.

I'm looking forward to following the progress of mushers in the Yukon Quest in February. The race starts in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and ends in Fairbanks. I love watching the dogs run - it's very evident they are having a good time, doing what they love.

In March we have Ice Art, and we'll probably go out to see the ice sculptures again. They are so beautiful, intricately carved.

And, of course, Mae and I will be heading to El Paso, Las Cruces and Phoenix to visit our friends Bonnie and Junior.

All in all, the end of winter is looking pretty good. And with spring come the return of the birds to Creamer's Field, green-up and warmer weather. Lots to look forward to.

Happy days everyone.

Looking forward . . .

2011-01-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. On the 2nd day of January, I woke to see the temperature at a surprising 37 degrees above zero. It's now (at almost 10 a.m.) 30 degrees, but that's still well above what we can expect to see.

I didn't ring in the new year, as I am not a night owl. However, Buddy was disturbed by people nearby who set off fireworks. He started to growl low about 12:15 a.m. and by 12:30 a.m. was frantic. He really does not like out-of-the-ordinary noises. By 1 a.m. I was up, drinking coffee, watching television and deciding when to put on the roast. I always cook pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes for New Year's Day in deference to my German heritage and my family tradition. I got that into the crockpot and threw in a load of wash.

I had company for an early dinner as several folks had to work, and got the kitchen cleaned up - all before noon. That left me the rest of the day to relax. Unfortunately, a sinus headache kicked in and I really didn't enjoy much of the rest of the day.

I am not unhappy to see the end of the holiday season. As much as I love it - the music, the goodwill that seems to envelope the season and everyone around me, the food, the kids - I am always glad to see an end to it. The end brings with it lengthening daylight, a return to my normal routine and lots to look forward to with the new year.

The biggest event on the horizon is our trip to the Southwest in March. My friend Mae and I will visit our friends Bonnie and Junior, who live in Las Cruces, N.M. We have our reservations, will fly into El Paso, Texas, then drive about an hour to Las Cruces. The next day we will drive to Phoenix, AZ, for some baseball. There is nothing better than sitting in a ballpark with my friends at the end of a long Alaskan winter. We know there's still snow on the ground here, and we're watching games and enjoying the warm caress of the sun. To help me remember that this is around the corner, I look at some of these from earlier visits:

If you look closely, you can see the ball just going into the catcher's mitt.

This stadium is in Surprise, AZ. We will be back here for a game or two and will also visit three new ballparks we haven't seen before. I loved the architectural style and bright white of this one when we visited it in 2005, its second year.

Junior is a wildlife biologist and he pointed out to us the different varieties of cactus in Saguaro National Park.

The San Albino Church on the plaza at Old Mesilla, just south of Las Cruces. I thought this old church was beautiful.

(From the Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau website): Mesilla is a small town by today's standards but, 150 years ago it was the major stop for travelers going between San Antonio and San Diego. Mesilla hasn't changed much over the years, allowing visitors to see what an 1800’s border town looked like. Western Legend Billy the Kid once stood trial for murder in a Mesilla courtroom, and the Mesilla Plaza was once a major stop for the Butterfield Stagecoach. Originally, Mesilla was part of Mexico, but with the signing of the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, the village became part of the United States. Today, Mesilla offers a wide range of historical and cultural events, shopping and dining on the town's plaza.

So with friends, baseball and warm weather coming up, I'm looking forward to 2011. Happy New Year to you all.

Much like our Alaskaland (Pioneer Park), Mesilla's historic buildings house gift shops and eateries on both sides of the mall.

Winter solstice - musings on 2010

2010-12-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

It's almost noon on the shortest day of the year. The sun is shining on the snow-covered birch tree across the street and the thermometer at the front of the house reads 10 below zero. I'm always happy to see this day come, and happier still to see it go, because it means we'll start gaining daylight. It may be less than a minute for a day or so, but to me every second counts! I am really looking forward to seeing patches of light in the sky again before midmorning.

All of my Christmas shopping is done, cards and gifts mailed. All I need to do is make sticky buns for Christmas morning and that will wait until Friday. My family will visit in the morning and I can relax the rest of the day.

I'll take the tree down either Christmas night or the next day - it blocks the window and I want all those short minutes of gained daylight that I can get! Besides, it's been up since the day after Thanksgiving and it's time to start looking toward spring.

As always, this time of year I find myself thinking back on the past year. Healthwise, it was pretty good, with no major illness or problems. I spent time with my daughter and granddaughter, talked with the Spokane family on the phone and kept in close touch with my parents and sisters.

I only took one major trip this year, to San Antonio, Texas, in March. I went down for a conference and was able to spend some time with my good friend Paula while there. She drove down for a day and took me to see the Alamo and the Riverwalk. We had a terrific day, catching up on news in our respective lives and enjoying each other's company. Thses bluebonnets along the roadside were the first ones I had ever seen.

We made our annual visit to the Georgeson Botanical Garden this summer and the flowers there did not disappoint us. As always, they were spectacular. The folks at the University of Alaska Fairbanks do a terrific job planting and maintaining that garden every year.

This flower was gorgeous. I took several photos of it, this one and another in macro. It's just one of many varieties there.

In September my friend Mae and I made our annual trip to Denali National Park on the Alaska Railroad. I think I prefer the park in the fall rather than the spring. The colors are vibrant and we generally see more wildlife. We go for just one night, a relaxing getaway from the office, telephones and bustle of our daily lives.

2011 is looking promising. Our good friend Bonnie is retiring this spring and she and Junior, her husband, have invited Mae and me to visit them in Las Cruces. We are going down in March and will drive to Phoenix to see some baseball games during Spring Training. When we return to Las Cruces we will play tourist, visiting the local area and spending catching up with Bonnie and Junior. March is a perfect time to go down. I love baseball, and prefer the smaller Spring Training parks to the big city arenas. After a long winter, the temperatures in New Mexico and Arizona are so very welcome. I look forward to getting some good baseball photos and hopefully some really nice photos of the New Mexico and Arizona scenery. We will likely visit El Paso, Texas, for a day as well.

After that, I'm not sure what the new year will bring - still talking about an Amtrak trip from Seattle to PA, possibly in the fall when the leaves are changing. We'll probably do our usual summer treks to the botanical gardens and around the local area. I'll go to the Midnight Sun Game and enjoy the summer in other ways.

To all of you, merry Christmas, happy holidays and the happiest, healthiest new year.

wierd weather

2010-11-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

We have experienced some strange weather this week. Monday morning it started to rain. As soon as the rain hit the ground it froze, turning the roads into huge skating rinks.

I had already decided to take off Tuesday through Friday, but the deteriorating conditions of the roads and walkways helped me decide to leave early Monday as well. I really wanted to get home before the evening traffic and into the house before my sidewalk got even icier than it already was. Because of my back problems, falling is one of my biggest fears. And since I'm not the most agile person, especially on ice, I really just wanted to get indoors.

When I left the office, about 11:15 a.m. Monday, the main roads weren't too bad. Traffic was moving slower than usual, but I didn't see anyone really skidding or slipping, although there were reports of numerous vehicles ranging from small cars to fire trucks and semis, off into ditches. Intersections and side roads, however, were another story. I was truly grateful that I only live about four miles from the office and that traffic wasn't heavy.

The roads have been bad enough that federal, state and local offices called in only mission-essential employees. Many were closed. The schools sent kids home early Monday and have been closed since.

It has continued raining and all that beautiful fluffy snow is now either waterlogged or a mass of slush. Normally I have someone who comes out and shovels my walk and ramp and plows the driveway. However, because of the hazardous driving conditions, he hasn't been out this week. (And I'm not complaining - no one should be out driving in this stuff.) I think I will put on my boots and try to get the worst of the slush off the walk and at least shovel a small path to the mailbox.

The mess on the sidewalk is mostly liquid, because temperatures have been hovering between 34 and 37 here. The poor little dog doesn't like wet feet, so he doesn't want to leave the ramp - and that's the last place (except for the house, of course) where I want him doing his business. It's a chore taking him out.

But this will all pass. It's supposed to start cooling off and turning colder. That will allow us to get the roads scraped again and more gravel down for traction, getting driving back to normal.

This may impact our Thanksgiving plans to go to Pike's for the buffet. If the roads are still bad, we will not go out. On a whim last weekend at the store, I bought a half turkey so I'd have some leftovers. So I'm very thankful for that - I can still have some Thanksgiving dinner even if I do have to take care of the cooking and cleanup. I have a warm dry home and plenty of food. I can call my family in PA and talk with all of them. One missed buffet at Pike's won't be a disaster.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

November

2010-11-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

It looks as though winter has finally arrived. Several snowfalls have left some ground cover. We've had a couple of days with below-zero temperatures, but for the most part it hasn't been too bad. One night the forecast called for a possibility of 35 below, but that didn't materialize. I did have about 10 below when I got up, but that's tolerable.

The fresh snow has left the trees with a beautiful cloak of pure white and I love the look of my yard under the white cover.

I shot this one on the low-light/no-flash setting in the darkness. The city has replaced the streetlights with LCD lamps, and the reflection off the snow combined with the slow shutter speed makes the sky look almost light.

My spruce tree still has lots of snow on the branches despite the efforts of the raven who habituates the upper branches. He'll sit there and vocalize, then fly off. His takeoffs and landings usually knock a lot of the snow off.

Again, this was shot in the dark (this is the original photo, not edited), and the sky looks light from the LCDs and slow shutter.

As we returned from shopping and lunch out, my friend and I commented on how big the falling flakes were. Our normal snowfalls produce much smaller flakes. These were really pretty.

Our biggest news this week was the loss of Maddy's first tooth. She said she was surprised how little her teeth are. She told me she got a dollar, but the tooth fairy forgot to take the tooth. It appears she was playing with it before she went to sleep and the tooth fairy couldn't find it. Her mom decided since Maddy was already paid for the tooth, she would make sure the tooth fairy got the tooth.

My friend Mae and I will be going to Pike's Landing for Thanksgiving dinner. We've done this for several years. The buffet is terrific - turkey, ham, roast beef, salads, sides and desserts. The food is good and well worth the cost - and there's no clean-up. I did, however, buy a small package of turkey so I can have something for lunches. But there will be no day of just cooking and clean-up. I will probably watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on tv - that's a tradition - and talk with my family in Pennsylvania while they're gathered at my sister's house.

I will NOT be shopping Friday. I don't like crowds, don't tolerate rude people anywhere and hate the running, pushing and jostling of Black Friday. So I'll relax at home and watch some tv. I'm off work Tuesday through Friday, so will do a little shopping earlier in the week. Friday will be a good time to compose the Christmas letter and get my cards ready for mailing.

I've already got a few gifts purchased and have a couple more I want to order online. I don't decorate the house until after Thanksgiving because I firmly believe the two holidays should be separate. Thanksgiving was always a special holiday when I was growing up. My family and my dad's sister and brother and their families always gathered at Grandma's house. We kids (even as teens) would be relegated to the living room to watch the Macy's parade; the men went duck-hunting and the women were the (relatively small) kitchen cooking. I really think any more people in the kitchen would really be too many people. We always had duck and some other fowl - sometimes chicken or goose and rarely turkey. The food was spectacular and we loved getting together with our cousins. After dinner, the women cleaned up, the men went hunting again and we kids would go off for a hike or walk around town. One year we collected small plants and went to my cousin's basement, where we made winter gardens (terrariums) in quart jars for our grandmother and mothers. The memories of those days are warm and still remain special to me.

I have purchased a few Christmas gifts, some of them over the year, and a few within the past few weeks. I will have two packages to ship off, but I'm trying to keep them small enough to fit into flat-rate boxes and have the USPS pick them up here at the house. Gone are the days of paying in excess of $50 to mail heavy packages!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Easing into winter

2010-10-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

Had another busy month - work, house, preparing for winter, shopping for Christmas (already!). Dealing with various issues with my back and trying to adjust to new diabetes medication has left me feeling less than perky. However, the latest bloodwork shows the A1c dropping, so I guess the new pill is working. I just wish it didn't plummet my sugar levels so low. I'll just have to remember to eat a snack earlier than usual and try to raise the levels before the pill takes hold of me.

Buddy has had a super busy month, growling and woofing and barking wildly at all sorts of things. He lies on the back of the couch and looks out the window. Then he alerts on everything and everyone who dares enter his space. It doesn't matter if it's a car driving by or the yard guy shoveling the walk (and boy is THAT worth the money - my back is spared) or a bird flying or the squirrel on the fence.

This isn't as sharp as I'd like, but it's shot through a window and between the lilac branches. Note his stash of cones from the spruce tree. He was eating there when I pulled into the driveway and remained there until I came in, shot a few photos from inside the arctic entry and didn't move until I brought Buddy outside. Then he ran to the spruce tree where he sat and chattered at us until we went back indoors.

He chattered so long and loudly that Buddy - Mr. Tough Guy inside the house - just sat and looked. He didn't make a sound. In this photo the squirrel's mouth is open. I guess we disturbed his dinner.

The days are getting longer now, and this morning (for the first time this winter) I had single-digit temperatures at my house. However, the sunsets are gorgeous. This one had just a hint of pink and a promise of what was to come. Since I was on my way out, I snapped it before it reached its peak, because I knew I'd be driving by the time it was at its best.

I like the colore filtered through the branches of the spruce tree. Although summer is by far my favorite season, there's something about all four of them that I love. Each season has a special beauty all its own - and each one makes me so glad I live in a place with glorious things to photograph.

I'll be taking some time off work to use up some leave between now and New Year's, and I'm truly looking forward to it. I plan to do some housework (not looking forward to that!), some shopping for Christmas and birthdays and some cooking.

I bought a convection oven this morning after much research. I hope it's all I've read it is. I'll give it a try today with a baked potato and some cookies for my granddaughter. Maddy is coming over to show me her pirate costume :), and she's always hungry when she gets to my house.

I'll also be making some gifts for my sisters, so that will keep me busy in the weeks I'm off.

Happy November everyone.

It's here

2010-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

After an unseasonably warm September, it appears our summer and fall have ended. Although there's not much of it, the snow has finally arrived.

Thanks to Maura & Micah, my leaves were all raked and bagged before the snow. This one was pretty easy to sweep from the ramp and sidewalk this morning. It's still rather warm - 33 degrees at 11:30 a.m., but I figure we're in it now.

Some sort of virus kept me off work Thursday and Friday. Thankfully I'm fully recovered and back to normal. I was too sick and dizzy to even make it to the computer. I stayed in Saturday and started to update my genealogy files. Nothing new this week, but I'm forever an optimist when it comes to the family tree.

I ventured over to Fred Meyer's pharmacy this morning and to my gas station downtown. The roads weren't too bad, but Fred's parking lot was a virtual ice rink. I was walking like a toddler on a new unfamiliar surface. It's time to adjust not just my driving, but my walking.

I do look forward to the gorgeous scenery that comes with the serious snowfall - trees and yards looking like Christmas cards. It's a whole different world.

I spoke with my friend Bonnie in New Mexico yesterday for a long while. We talked politics and baseball as well as what's happening in our lives. We are talking about maybe going to Phoenix for Spring Training in March. I'm pretty excited about that. After a long cold winter, there's nothing quite like sitting in the stands watching a baseball game, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. I love stepping outside of the terminal in Phoenix. (My socks and shoes have been replaced by sandals in Seattle during the layover.)

So I guess this winter will be full of genealogy and Arizona dreaming.

train to Denali

2010-09-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

After the busy summer, I took a week off the week before Labor Day. Monday I had to stop in at the office for a couple of hours. Following that I went to DMV to renew my driver's license (22 minutes in and out!). Tuesday I took my car to have a lube/oil/filter job. Wednesday I went back to work, again for a few hours. Thursday I took the dog to the vet for his annual wellness check. Friday I went grocery shopping. So much for a relaxing week off!

Last weekend my friend Mae and I climbed onto Car C of the Alaska Railroad for our trip to Denali National Park. Most of the rides we've taken have had plenty of space for us to take up two seats apiece, spread our bags out and completely relax. Not so this time. The railroad had removed some of the cars, including the dining car, and it was packed.

Passengers in our car included a few locals and a tour group. That group was having a great time laughing and taking photos. The other AK RR passenger car had a group of 57 people, most of them a class of 8-year-olds from North Pole Elementary School. The train personnel made an announcement that anyone under 12 years old had to be accompanied by adult. That was very nice as frequently kids will run up and down the aisles, opening and closing the car doors. It's distracting and not at all relaxing. These kids were very well behaved.

We had a brief view of Mt. McKinley from the train, it was a lovely day and a nice ride. Upon our arrival at Denali, we caught the bus to McKinley Chalet Resort, where our room was ready for us. We decided to have lunch at the Chalet, but were terribly disappointed. We both ordered the cup of soup (seafood chowder) and a half-sandwich. The soup was ok, but not great - probably from a boxed base. The sandwich was served on dry (very dry) white bread, with extremely small tomato slices, limp lettuce and lunch meat (turkey for me, ham for Mae) that probably came from Sam's Club or something similar. My side of mayo came in a packet, as did Mae's mustard. It was nowhere worth the almost $12 we paid for it.

Their summer flowers were still in full bloom and gorgeous. We stopped to look at these on the way to our room.

By the time we checked out the gift shop (very nice) and returned to the room, our baggage was inside the room. We stretched out to rest, read and watch tv.

We called for a shuttle to the Princess and had dinner there. They have renovated the dining room since our last trip down, and it is now called "fine dining." I had a chicken breast with a wonderful berry sauce and some potatoes, with ice cream for dessert. The waiter proudly told us the ice cream is called "Hot Licks." Hot Licks is a local place that is always packed. Although their ice cream is very good, their service is not. I have sworn not to go back there until I am assured the service is better. It's now been several years since I've been there. I will, however, eat their ice cream at other places where the servers have more class.

The flowers at the Princess were gorgeous.

On our return to the room, we stopped again at the gift shop at the Chalet. We were surprised to run into Mae's boss and his wife, who had stopped in on their way to Anchorage. It's funny - I think nearly every time we go down to the park we meet someone we know somewhere along the way.

Saturday we watched a little tv before starting off the day. The view from just outside our room was beautiful. I liked the mist rising off the mountains in the early dawn light. We could hear the river rushing by below us - very peaceful and calming.

After breakfast at the Princess, we took the shuttle to Savage River and were absolutely bowled over by the vivid colors. The reds and yellows were brilliant. It was a nice day, in the low 60s and relatively clear until we were coming back to park HQs, when the clouds started rolling in.. We were lucky enough to see about 6-8 moose (a couple of bulls) and Dall sheep, though none were close enough for great photos. I was disappointed that the mountain was obscured by clouds.

We had lunch at the park's cafe, then visited the bookstore and the HQs where I purchased a senior national parks pass. I sat on a bench outside the HQs and watched as two gray jays squawked at each other.

Then it was time to go check in at the station. They have completely changed the depot at Denali. All the seating is now outside. We did find a box and sat there for the two hours while we waited for the train. It was windy and a little cool and neither of us wanted to sit in that.

Our trip back to Fairbanks was a lot more comfortable. There were just a few people in our car and it was very quiet and peaceful. I managed to get off a few shots of Healy Canyon and the Dall sheep on the side of the mountain across the river/road as well.

riverboat, summer fun, my tomato crop

2010-08-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer my friends and I took advantage of purchasing tickets for the Riverboat Discovery, a local attraction. The 3-1/2 hour trip on the Chena River offers plenty for the visitors from all over the world. The Discovery is a sternwheeler with four decks. We sat along the rails on the third deck where we were able to see everything clearly and get lots of wonderful sun. It was 91 degrees that day, a record-breaking (1926) temperature, but there was a mild breeze to help offset the heat. The boat stops to watch a floatplane take off and land on the river, then moves downstream to a sled-dog operation. The dog yard belongs to Dave Monson, widower of Susan Butcher. The next stop is a replica of an Athabascan Indian village where young people act as tour guides. One young woman sliced up salmon and talked about the drying racks. Others conducted tours of the village (I didn't get off the boat - I've seen it several times and my back did not like climbing the steps to the third deck once, let alone twice!).

Floatplane taking off on the Chena River. An older Discovery sits in the background, this one with two decks as opposed to the four decks on our boat.

Pups swimming in the river at the Butcher-Monson dog yard

Salmon strips drying on the rack at the Native village

It was a busy day on the river. A lot of people took advantage of the weather and the water.

boaters and kayakers

jetskiers

And people weren't the only ones enjoying the river:

I took off a day to take my granddaughter shopping for school clothes. I had a great day with Maddie and Maura (my daughter). We shopped our hearts out, then went to lunch. I compromised and agreed to MacDonald's - definitely not MY first choice! Maddie's too young to be super fussy yet, and seemed happy with everything we bought, although she did reject a few things I picked up. I guess it was a success, though, because Maura called me a couple of days later to tell me Maddie had worn her new shoes to bed two nights in a row :) She is so excited about school and can't wait to start. Although school started Aug. 18, the kindergarteners don't go until the 24th. It doesn't seem possible she's in school already. And now her mom tells me she has a loose tooth!

My cherry tomato plants have produced only about a dozen of the little things, and so far only three of them have been ready to pick. A Master Gardener I'm not :(

I set them next to quarters for size reference. Pretty sad. We'll see how they taste. I think maybe next year I'll stick with things that grow without a lot of fuss and bother.

We're looking at train/hotel prices and considering a rail trip to Denali National Park before the snow flies. The park is gorgeous in the fall, and this is one of my favorite trips.

I'm enjoying what's left of the summer, preparing for winter and mulling options for some major changes next spring/summer here at the house.

Happy end-of-August.

2010-08-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Another month has gone by without a post. (So much for my goal of weekly updates!) We've been busy with an open house at work and VIP visits. On top of that, we've been working part of the summer with a reduced staff because of leaves, etc, and none of us have been idle.

My old computer finally slowed down so much that I decided it was time to replace it. After much research and pricing, I found one with right price and features. Then it was time to set it up and transfer or reinstall all the programs I use. All of the components are operating and the speed amazes me. I'm now running Windows 7 here and am much happier with this one than the Vista we're using at work. The monitor that came with it is 24" with a great display. This is considerably smaller than the older computer and takes up so much less space. The old one also had a woofer, so my desk doesn't look nearly as cluttered.

I hated the few days I spent with no computer or one only partly set up. I have a routine I follow each morning on the computer - specific order in what I do, i.e. solitaire, crosswords, news, etc - each day, and having to vary that routine threw me off. I've been accused of suffering from OCD because of that routine, but it's comfortable for me. Some of the old games are not compatible with Windows 7, so I am now building a new set of morning computer times.

As I've been doing all summer, I'm still taking the long way to work a couple of days a week. I saw this guy munching on some young growth last week.

He paid little attention except one time when he looked directly at the car. I guess he determined I was not a threat, because he went right back to his breakfast.

Last weekend my friend Mae and I made our annual trip to the Georgeson Botanical Gardens. Although the place was beautiful, as always, I thought it wasn't quite as pretty as last year. However, we did see some gorgeous blooms.

The fair started Friday and the kids go back to school Aug. 18 - both signs that summer is nearing an end. My granddaughter starts kindergarten this year and is very excited. It's hard to believe she's old enough for school already. I don't know where the time went. I've seen a few gaggles of geese flying around the city the past two weeks. I guess it's time to start thinking of the oil change for the car and preparing other things for the coming winter - bring in the hose, put up the lawn chairs, get out the shovels, etc. Although none of it needs to be done today, I don't want to wait until the snow falls.

I've tried a couple of summer recipes my sister sent, and am now looking forward to trying some hearty soups this winter. I love soup, but not when the weather is hot. I'm not particularly fond of cold soups, and really want light, cold meals in the summer. So the soups wait until the mercury drops.

Still to do before the snow flies are the annual trips to Ester and Murphy domes. We normally do those after the leaves start to turn. The colors are beautiful and the views from the tops of the domes are spectacular.

Happy August everyone.

just hangin' out in Fairbanks

2010-07-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

A whole month sped by and I didn't post a single thing! It was a good month, though, with nice weather and not too much smoke.

I didn't do anything special at all - just kind of hung out in and around town, going to baseball games and visiting some of our favorite spots.

We drove down to the Knotty Shop, a souvenir shop on the Richardson Highway southeast of here. In addition to the touristy stuff, they also sell locally made soaps, barbecue sauces and pottery. After we get our fill of looking, we head to the counter for an ice cream cone. The place is always populated with local residents, and I think the main reason we all go there is for the ice cream. This time I had a fat-free blueberry-vanilla frozen yogurt - it was wonderful and guilt-free!

While we were eating our ice cream, I shot this photo of one of the planters outside the log building.

Of course I went out to celebrate the summer solstice at the Midnight Sun Baseball Game June 21. The game starts at 10:30 p.m. and is played entirely without artificial. They estimated about 4700 people in attendance, making me truly appreciate the fact that I buy two box seats every summer. The Alaska Goldpanners - our team - won the game in the bottom of the 15th inning. After 4 1/2 hours - at 3 a.m. - I finally got to go home. But it was a good game and a fun night.

I've been taking the long way to work lately to see what's out there. Though I haven't seen moose too often lately, the osprey are still around and the flowers have been beautiful.

And one hungry guy looking for breakfast (and finding it in the patch of wild strawberries). If you look closely you can see one in his beak.

For the 4th of July weekend, I'll do some unwinding and relaxing. I will be a judge at the BBQ competition Sunday and am looking forward to that. I LOVE BBQ - ribs, brisket, chicken - no matter. I would be a terrible vegetarian.

Happy Independence Day to all of you. I wish you a safe, enjoyable holiday weekend.

week off

2010-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

I took last week off work to use up some leave and take care of some things that needed attention.

It turned out to be a somewhat productive week. I cleaned out closets and donated a good deal of clothing to the Fairbanks Resource Agency. I bought and planted my flowers for the summer. This year I decided to try cherry tomatoes instead of zucchini. We'll see how that goes.

I spent one day with my daughter and the girls. Maddy is 5 and Atheana is 9. We stopped at the Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to see the musk oxen. Disappointingly, they were not in the close-in viewing area, but way up on the hill behind the barns.

A quick stop at the Georgeson Botanical Garden allowed them a glimpse of reindeer, including some new babies. I was excited to see a lot people with tools. It looks as though they're about to begin planting. That garden is one of my favorite trips in the summer. The flowers are spectacular. I am looking forward to our annual flower trek latter this summer.

We visited Santa Claus House in North Pole, where the girls looked at the reindeer. I think they were more eager to get inside the store than to watch any animals.

We had lunch at Little Richard's Diner (it used to be Harley's Diner). It was ok, but not somewhere I really HAVE to go again. We originally planned to eat at the Pagoda (one of my favorite places), but were too early for their lunch service and the girls were hungry.

After lunch we went back to the LARS, but the musk oxen were still off in the distance. As we drove back to their place, we saw a young moose on Goldstream Road. He was feeding along the left side of the road and I stopped to grab my camera. While I was fumbling around, he crossed in front of us and stopped along the right side of the road. There were two very excited little girls in the back seat.

All in all it was a busy week - not at all the completely relaxing time I initially planned. But I did accomplish something and I did ensure I had time to sit on my benches under the birch tree and enjoy the summer days.

green-up, moose and osprey

2010-05-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. One day there are little buds on the trees and the next - literally overnight - the leaves are open and the hills lose the dull gray-brown barren look. They are all green. It's a confirmation of renewal and life.

To celebrate green-up and enjoy the green I've been driving a little longer route to work, along the river and through the trees. This past week has been great, as I've sat in the car and watched a moose browse for breakfast and an osprey guarding the nest.

The moose is not a large one (relatively speaking), and I watched her munch on some of the young birch trees and on the brush growing low to the ground. I saw her three of the four days I drove that route last week.

The osprey have been around for several summers, and last year built their nest on a power pole. In order to prevent possible disaster to them, our utility folks constructed a special pole for them and placed some sticks on top to lure them. It seems to have worked. You can see the nest they're building.

Friday I watched a snowshoe hare running along the side of the road. I know there is at least one fox family living there too, and hope to see some of them as I enjoy an early morning spring drive to work.

Happy spring everyone. I'm so glad it's finally here.

greenhouses

2010-05-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

My friends Mae and Cindy and I drove the greenhouse tour today. It took us to six different greenhouses in the area. Despite the rain, we had a lovely time.

Seeing the plants in different stages of growth really got me excited about the coming summer. I can't wait to go pick out my flowers and get them into the planters in my yard.

I'm still debating if I'm going to plant zucchinis again this year, or try another vegetable or simply go with flowers.

The colors were gorgeous and I am now really hyped up about my yard. Here are some of the flowers we saw today.

We noticed a lot of yellows and oranges - maybe they're the colors of the season this year. There were also a lot of purples (my favorite color) and some exceptionally pretty blues. Our first stop had a profusion of pansies.

I loved the deep purple petunias - they look like velvet. The begonias may be my favorites. I'm thinking of buying a couple of small planters and giving my granddaughters each a plant - maybe a sunflower, or a marigold - they're easy to grow.

As we approached one of the greenhouses, we were surprised by another being wanting to share the road. We gave her plenty of space. She crossed, then looked over her shoulder at us as we drove by her.

Great day. Spring is here. Life is good.

Spring is here

2010-04-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

No matter what any says (and it really COULD snow some more), I prefer to believe that spring is here. I'm truly tired of winter and so ready for it be done. We did have a few snow showers, but what laid on the ground didn't stay long.

Since my return from Texas I haven't done a lot more than go to work and food shopping. My back has been bothersome since the trip and I'm not really enjoying going out and doing things that involve walking or standing.

I did, however, go to the Women's Event last weekend. My friend Dan was doing a demonstration on how to barbecue chicken. He and his wife Barbara bring in chicken at several different phases of the process and explain how it's done. Dan and Barbara are active in the Alaska Barbecue Association, and my friends Mae and Cindy and I love going out to talk with them while they're competing (and of course taste the final product).

Brushing on the sauce

Ready for judging. The box has to be perfect.

After Dan finished his demo, we talked for a few minutes, then wandered around the show. There were lots of shoes (most of them something I would never buy), lots of costume jewelry and other booths. The only thing I bought was a bottle of water.

Sunday morning I was up early and decided to drive by Creamer's Field. There were only about 3 or 4 dozen geese there, but I shot a few photos before heading off to the grocery store.

sitting goose

The guy on the right had such a cool attitude.

I'm walkin'

I'm lookin'

This weekend the temperatures have reached the 50s and I think it's probably 60 today.

Life is good.

Texas

2010-04-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

I returned from my trip to Texas April 2 and am very happy to be back home. My little dog seems happy to be back home as well. (He stayed with 2 doggie buddies and a cat while I was gone. I can't call the cat his pal, as I don't think Benny likes him so much :)

I arrived in San Antonio after traveling all night March 26. The weather was fairly pleasant, in the 60s on arrival. I got to my hotel, the new JW Marriott Hill Country Resort, by 10 a.m. and after checking in decided to take a nap. I don't sleep well on planes regardless of the time. A good 3-hour sleep and shower refreshed me and I ventured outside to look around. How nice it was to see green again! By this time every year I am really tired of looking at snow and bare trees. The green of the grass and trees and the various colors of the flowers really revived my senses.

The place is huge, with several different wings. It featured marble floors, very nice, comfortable rooms, an excellent restaurant, 2 golf courses and a water park with river floating and slide. Our conference area was very large.

The courtyard by the restaurant featured several waterfalls. The stone is all from a nearby quarry.

My friend Paula drove down from her home several hours north of San Antonio and took me into town for the day on Sunday. We visited the Alamo and the Riverwalk, then did a small amount of shopping. It was so good to see Paula. We used to work together and I miss having her around here. We caught up on family and other news and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her again.

I loved this old building near the Alamo.

Exterior wall of the Alamo

The Alamo was awesome. Several times when seeing something for the first - things I've learned about in school and built up in my mind - I've been disappointed. When I saw Plymouth Rock, my reaction was "is that it?" It was much smaller than I expected, as was my first glimpse of the Rio Grande. Not so with the Alamo. The place is very well preserved and I could almost feel the history pouring out its walls. I was surprised, though, at how small the windows in the chapel were and the very low height of some of the arches inside the mission's outer walls. It's nicely landscaped, and even at 11 a.m. was a bustling place with lots of visitors.

Live oak at the Alamo. The branches twist to accommodate what is in their way.

After visiting the Alamo, Paula and I headed for the Riverwalk. This area adjacent to the San Antonio River is packed full of shops and restaurants. There were lots of people enjoying the warm sunny day. We opted to take the boat ride (only $6 each) as my back doesn't allow me to enjoy long walks. We saw a number of historic buildings, birds and lovely green trees and plants on our ride. At several places, musicians set up and play while people sit around having a lunch or simply listening to the music.

Riverwalk scene

Bexar County courthouse from the river

Our conference ran from Monday through Thursday, with a lot of information presented. I had the opportunity to meet another public affairs professional with whom I've only had e-mail and Internet contact, as well as couple of other folks I'd met electronically but not personally.

All in all it was a good trip, though the weather was a bit warm for my liking. I'd sure hate to be there in the summer, when it reaches 100 degrees! The breezes did help alleviate the discomfort of 80 degrees. So now I'm back in Alaska with temperatures in the high 40s and am happy to report that the geese are coming back and break-up is here.

Ice

2010-03-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

My friend Mae and I decided to go to Ice Park Saturday to take a look at the ice sculptures. I haven't been out for several years because arthritis in my spine. Within five minutes of walking or standing it starts to ache, and soon after that it's full-blown pain. However, I read an article in the local paper last week about a "train" that takes visitors around the park.

A couple who moved here a few years ago from New York decided to make the train and offer the rides free of charge at the park as their way of giving to the community.
We figured we'd give it a try. There are two of them operating at Ice Park.

We arrived about noon and the park was buzzing. We were directed to the stage and told that was the pick-up and drop-off point for the train. The stage is all ice.

While we waited, we watched the drawings for a raffle. The prizes were $100 gift certificates at a local store that carries Carhartt's, a very popular (and warm) winter outerwear. There was a sculpture of a Carhartt's jacket near the stage and one young boy was enjoying himself there.

Before long we saw the trains coming toward us.

The train is a string of about 4 small wooden cars with two bench seats each. The "engine" is a 4-wheel ATV. Each seat comfortably seated two adults with space for a (large) purse in the middle. Each seat was also equipped with a fleece blanket to either sit on or cover legs. (We opted to sit on it - much warmer!)

We found our seats and sat back for the ride. The train took us past all of the sculptures in the park. It was a terrific way to see them without straining my back. If there was a drawback, it was that the train did not stop and allow for photos at any of the sculptures. It was a little bumpy in spots, so it was a little tricky trying to get good sharp photos. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

There were kids playing all over the place. One of the nice things about Ice Park is the kids' play area. The sculptures are made for them to climb on, climb through and enjoy - and they do. There was a hockey game in progress as we made our round through the park, on a rink inside an ice wall.

There were a number of pieces featuring fish, a couple of scorpions and several fantasies, as well as various animals. All of it was wonderful to see. The details are etched to the tiniest hair or scale. Here are a few of the sculptures we saw:

It was a fairly nice day, mid-20s with a breeze, but we were glad to get back to the warmth of the car. We finished the day with hot chocolate and cheese-steak hoagies. Great fun and wonderful art.

tease; Texas

2010-02-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

I'm sure Mother Nature is just teasing us. Our temperatures the past week have climbed into the mid-to-high 30s - above zero! It feels great, but wreaks havoc with the roads, thawing during the day and freezing at night. And it's just mid-February. There's still plenty of time for some seriously cold temperatures. However, I'm enjoying it while I can and still dreaming of Break-up and summer. And my furnace loves it!

The warmer air has given me a solid case of spring fever. I've started cleaning out closets and the spare room. As soon as it's a little warmer I will load the car and drop off lots of clothes and items I no longer use. It will be good to reclaim some of that space.

I was told last week I will be attending a conference in Texas this spring. It's at the Marriott Hill Country Resort just north of San Antonio. It's not something I'm especially excited about, as I simply don't like the hassles involved with traveling by air any more. I have not found any flights that are particularly to my liking - all of them involve at least two plane changes in airports I'm either unfamiliar with or that I simply hate (O'Hare, for example, is one of my least favorite places). The resort is about 20 minutes from San Antonio, I'm told, and there is no public transportation either from the airport or from town. Taxis are $30-45, depending on where I want to go. And I will not be authorized a rental car. However, there is no choice in the matter, so I will make the best of it.

The website says there is a bird sanctuary adjacent to the grounds and I may check that out. Also, if I'm really lucky, the spring flowers will be blooming. Another plus - I can put my socks away for a whole week! I can wear my sandals and be sockless! I also have a couple of friends attending and at least one of them will have a car and has offered me rides into town. I hope to visit the Alamo at the very least. If there's time I'd like to take one of the boats along the Riverwalk.

Although I'm not terribly excited right now, I hope that by the time my departure gets here I will be more eager. I've been to El Paso once, but we really didn't see much. We went specifically to visit a mall and a shoestore where I bought my very favorite sandals. Aside from the inside of the Houston airport, I've really not seen any other part of Texas, so this will be a new experience. I'm just hoping the conference allows us enough time to see more than the resort area. I don't golf and the water features at the Marriott don't interest me. I am interested, however, in trying to get some shots of wildflowers and birds.

I bought a little book about San Antonio & Austin and have been looking it over. DK produces a series called Eyewitness Travel - Top 10. Each covers a city or area and includes information on top places to visit, neatly categorized by places to visit, history, culture, museums, children's activities, cuisine, lodging and more. It also contains information on getting around the area by public transportation, with hints on how to do it easily and on a budget. I have several of these books and have used them extensively when I visited new cities or, in the case of Washington, DC, which I've visited several times, when I wanted easy information at my fingertips. The books are small enough to fit into my purse and very helpful. (Oops, sorry, didn't mean to sound like an advertisement - but I really like these guides.) So I've been reading this guide and have a few things in mind.

San Antonio also has the shoe store that sells my favorite shoes. SAS shoes are made in Texas and only sold in a number of stores. The one store in Fairbanks that carried them closed, so I can no longer find them. SAS does not have a catalog and they do not sell online. I hope to purchase several pairs to last me until my next visit to Texas or somewhere else where they are sold. That's really the only shopping I'm looking at.

Although I don't like the travel part, I always enjoy seeing new places and new things. Could be a good time.

Mush!

2010-02-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today was the start of the Yukon Quest, the 1,000-mile dog sled race between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. It starts here every other year, and I try not to miss it. It's always great fun, even when it's bitter cold. Today was relatively warm - my car thermometer said 5 degrees at the river. Compared to yesterday's near 20 below, it was great. I will admit, though, that my feet and hands got a little chilled. (I forgot my gloves.) Fortunately, the arthritis in my back didn't bother me at all and I was able to stand on the river for the entire race.

The race starts on the Chena River downtown, to North Pole, then heads out to Chena Hot Springs, Circle, Eagle and down the Yukon River to Dawson City and Whitehorse. It will take about 10 days for the leaders to make the finish line. See the route at http://www.yukonquest.com/site/yukon-quest-trail-map/.

I love talking with people while we wait for the teams and struck up a conversation with a gentleman who was also taking photos. A man standing nearby introduced himself to the gentleman, as they used to work together. It turned out I also knew the man. He and his family and my husband, daughter and I visited each other frequently years ago. I haven't seen him or his wife since my 1994 divorce. We chatted a few minutes, caught up on our families and promised to meet again. I love living in Fairbanks, where you can meet up with old friends and be up-to-date on everything in just minutes.

The sky to the east was beautiful as I was waiting for the race to start, so I had to take a couple of photos.

It was pink and blue with just enough gray to make it interesting. As I watched the race, however, the blue disappeared and the sky was totally gray by the time I headed home.

My favorite part of the race, of course, is watching the dogs. These little guys are just trotting along, looking for all the world like there's nowhere else they'd rather be. Now and then one or two showed some interest in the crowd, though.

Check out the one on the right checking out the crowd of spectators.

Sam Deltour heads for a chat with his lead dogs while a spectator holds his sled. The dogs veered off the trail and were not heeding his calls of "gee" (meaning, "go left"). After a few minutes and some help from bystanders, he got going again. I'm hopeful he won't have any more problems on his run.

Brent Sass waves to the crowd. He stopped last year to help someone on Eagle Summit and ended up losing several places in the standing. These guys all have a great sportsmanlike attitude that sometimes overcomes the competitive spirit. He got a lot of cheers as he came through.

Lance Mackey is a local favorite. He's a 4-time Quest champion and 3-time Iditarod champion - and the only person to win both in the same year.

This one was originally an oops, but I decided this is partly what the race is all about - the dogs and their love of running. It's also about the spirit of the North, the ruggedness of the land and of the men and women who live here.

After a while on the river a woman came down and started talking with my gentleman friend and me. She is a great Brent Sass fan and wanted photos of him and of Lance Mackey. We both took some photos for her and got her e-mail address. She left, then returned with a 16-oz. mug of steaming hot chocolate. The mug warmed my hands and the chocolate (made with milk, not water!) warmed my insides.

I left the river with two new friends and reconnects with two old friends. What a great town this is.

full moon

2010-01-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Although I long for summer by the time the holidays have passed, I am often reminded how glorious this place is, regardless of the season. I may complain about the monochrome feeling, that it's like going from a widescreen hi-def tv to a 13-inch black and white, but then something happens that shakes me and says, "Check this out."

Yesterday morning I stood for 10-12 minutes just staring at the sky as pale streaks of the aurora danced around. I live right in town, so the aurora isn't nearly as brilliant as in places without street lights and security lights from businesses. It was magical to watch those pale green streaks wave and dance through the sky.

Today's mail delivery was late, so I went out about 6:30 to check on it. As I was coming back in I noticed the full moon in the sky, a brilliant white ball with a few clouds hanging under it. The street lights gave an amber hue to the clouds, and the tree branches and power lines at my property line stood out in the moon's glow.

I zoomed back in for the camera.

I used several different camera settings, then stood and just looked at it. The first photo was on the auto setting. The second was shot on the hand-held twilight setting for no flash and no tripod.

It's a beautiful night out there.

Thinking colors and warm

2010-01-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

Wow - did I sound like a whiner the last time around or what? Things are looking much better this week. The side effects of the new medication have eased considerably and my sugar has leveled off. I talked with the doctor this morning and things are not as dire as I thought they might be. He said my sugar levels are not bad, the medications are doing their job there. My A1c levels are a little high, but not in the dangerous zone. He also said I don't have to exist solely on greens and completely forego pasta and bread. I've been laying way off the starches for the past month and really miss those. I will slowly add them back in moderation.

In addition to that, we are gaining daylight and temperatures have warmed up to above 0. In fact, right now my thermometer reads 18 above.

I went with Cindy to a luncheon for Mae, a co-worker we've known for many years. She is heading off to a new job and adventures in the Netherlands. I'm very excited for her, but will miss her smiling face and calming nature. It's always good to talk with her, as she can always make me find something good in bad situations - or at least help me see there will be something good eventually. I wish her the best.

Our luncheon was at Gambardella's Pasta Bella (thank goodness I had the doc's blessing!) and I had fettucine Alfredo with mushrooms - wonderful. It was so good after a month of being "good." The dish wasn't loaded with sauce; it had just enough to make it tasty, but not so much that it was overloaded.

I've been trying to beat the winter blues by looking at photos of warm places and summery scenes. My desktop is a shot from Hawaii a year ago, which brings back memories of the wonderful 60 degrees (everyone in Honolulu was freezing) and the warmth of the place after a VERY COLD January in Fairbanks. We had 40 and 50 below for a 2-week stretch, so 60 was heavenly.

It was cloudy and breezy our first day there, but the gardens at the Hale Koa were spectacular - even with the tiny pocket camera (I left my favorite camera on the desk - remembered it as I cleared the TSA security point).

Just looking at those photos helps me focus more on the coming warmer months and less on the monochrome world we inhabit this week.

I've also been working with my (huge) files of photos. I 'm resizing them, sorting them and deleting those that are simply not good. That and the genealogy research are keeping my mind off the winter blahs.

I'm looking forward to taking some time off and picking up my granddaughters for a trip to the park or the river and just enjoying them.

My best friend Mae (different Mae from the Netherlands-bound one) and I are planning a train trip to Anchorage in May. I've been checking that out as well, and anticipating the great photos I might get from the train.

Now that January is nearly over, we're on the downhill slide to Break-up and then it's a short time until summer. I'm looking forward to fresh produce from the farmers' market, rides to nowhere in particular and the vibrant colors and warm sun of summer.

Life is good. . .

plodding along

2010-01-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

I've been working hard at my attitude and (I think) gaining on it. Though I'm still tired of winter, it was so nice on Sunday to wake up to warmer temperatures. The -20 and colder left for a while and it was a huge difference in my outlook. Though I still don't have the initiative to go out with the camera, I'm really looking forward to doing that soon. Part of that is due to my health.

The doctor saw a rise in my A1C numbers over the past year and has prescribed yet another diabetes pill. The side effects are headache, fatigue and on one occasion low blood sugar on the edge of dangerous. I have to test my glucose levels much more often than before I started taking it.

Because of this I've been doing tons of research on diabetes-friendly foods and preparing healthy meals. Since I live alone (except for the little dog) I don't cook a lot during the week. I make something on the weekends that can be stretched into several meals with a little variety. As today is a holiday, I'm making two main dishes this weekend. I roasted a lean piece of beef yesterday and today I'm roasting a chicken, minus its skin. I will make chef's salad with some of the chicken and some new beef dishes I found online. All are within American Diabetes Association recommendations. I've also started an online food diary. It keeps track of calories, carbs, fats, sugars and a whole list of other nutritional values. I've been surprised at how few calories I've been eating - and just how quickly the carbs add up. Now if I can just see a difference in A1C levels and in weight. I suspect the weight will be tough, as I'm built just like my grandmothers.

Though genes do figure into our make-up, I am trying hard to lose some of the weight. That should also help the diabetes.

I'm not a lover of green salads, especially in the winter here when produce is flown in from all over the place and is not necessarily either fresh or tasty. However, I'm hunkering down and buying greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers to make my own salads. I find the different textures, colors and tastes make the salads much more appealing. Occasionally I'll add a couple strips of chicken (as in this week) or beef to snazz it up a bit. I also found a recipe for a chicken-potato salad made with yogurt instead of mayo. I'll give it a try and see how it is.

We're getting a little light snow right now and the thermometer says 4 below. It's not too bad. The mid-winter slump is slowly making its way toward break-up and colors. I'm looking forward to it.

My mother has returned home from the hospital and doing well. Two therapists come to the house several times a week to work with her movements. Although it's uncomfortable, I think she's handling it well. Like me, she's not particularly patient when it comes to wanting things done. She doesn't like asking others to do things for her and is very eager to be able to do a lot again. We've all told her she needs to take it slow and give the shoulder time to heal. She understands that, but doesn't like it.

I'm working at my genealogy and making all sorts of plans for short trips in the state for this spring and summer. It all helps pass the time until the monochrome period is over and our senses are hit with color again.

January blahs and inactivity

2010-01-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

I have been lazy and lethargic lately. I went back to work Monday and I really miss the freedom of sleeping in or taking a short mid-day nap when I want. I also resent the phone when it rings at work and just want to get on with my work without someone thinking our office is directory assistance or the legal office or something else. I guess I'm in the January blah phase.

I love the holidays - the lights, the music, the smiles and the family gatherings. I love that I have enough leave to take time off to cook something special for the holidays. I love that Dec. 21 means we're gaining daylight and heading toward spring.

But in January I seem to start to sag. It seems we've had snow and cold temperatures forever and it will be forever before it's warm again. I tell myself we're at the halfway point - we've been in winter for about 3 months and it'll only be 3 more until spring gets here. In just a couple of months we'll start seeing warm (relatively speaking) temperatures. I tell myself last year at this time it was 50 below, so 15 or 20 below is a snap. I tell myself it's picture-postcard-pretty out there. It doesn't work. I don't want to go out with the camera any more than the dog wants to go out.

My friends Bonnie and Mae and I were discussing a trip to Phoenix for Spring Training in March, but it fell through. We'll look at next year, but I was sure looking forward to a trip to Arizona to end the winter.

So in an effort to make an abrupt attitude adjustment, I'm trying to stay positive. It's a little easier today.

My mother should be home from the hospital by now. Her shoulder replacement surgery went very well last week. She had a little setback with a minor infection, but they cleared up that up with antibiotics. I guess there was one scary time for her when she had asthma trouble and had to have a breathing treatment. But for the most part, it went very well. This was her first overnight stay at a hospital since my baby sister's birth in 1961. She was in high spirits every time I phoned and wasn't in a lot of pain thanks to the medications. I hope her recovery is as smooth.

Mae and I are looking into a trip to Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad. We both enjoy the train travel and Mae has never taken the train all the way to Anchorage. I did it almost 31 years ago with a 3-year-old. It was such fun. Should be even better this time as I won't have to chase after a toddler. I look forward to all the photo ops on the southern half of the trip. I'm having a good time checking out everything online and making tentative plans. We may scrap the whole thing and start over, but it helps pass the cold days.

And in an effort to try to fool myself into thinking it's warm, my computer's desktop sports a photo shot in Hawaii last year. I change it frequently, but it's always a shot of someplace warm from October through March or April.

I did snap a photo of a frosty tree as we picked up juice at a local drive-through this morning. In spite of the cold, it's still a beautiful thing. The round lilac bush in the bottom left is bathed in the golden glow of the street light.

I am working hard at eating healthier these days and have been trying new ways of cooking fish. I've been happy to find tilapia, cod and occasionally mahi mahi at our local Fred Meyer store. Now and then I'll pick up a salmon filet, but I prefer the milder white fish. So far I prefer grilling them with just a little spray of Crisco olive oil spray. However, now and then, I MUST HAVE some rib-sticking comfort food like pot roast. Instead of potatoes, I'm now using broccoli, cauliflower, beans or carrots, or some combination thereof. It still tastes great and I don't feel I'm depriving myself - therefore, I'm not bingeing.

We are gaining daylight daily and I can see the difference as I'm driving home. I actually had to put on my sunglasses the other day :)

So I'm saying goodbye to the January blahs and trying to stay on this positive bent. On that note, it's time to move the clothes to the dryer and go fix some tilapia - today's tasty, healthy hot meal.

Stay happy and warm.

Alaska sunset; Happy New Year

2009-12-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying a super-long weekend this week. I went into work Monday, then took off the rest of the week. It's been nice to take care of some things that have needed doing for a long time and simply spend time as I want to.

I cleaned out my closet and have a pile of clothes ready for the collection box. I plan to do the same thing with my cupboards. I have such a huge supply of dishes, casseroles, small appliances and other kitchen items that I never use.

Maybe I will actually (hopefully) accomplish one of my resolutions in 2010. I am determined to downsize.

I had a lovely quiet Christmas. My daughter and her family came over Christmas Eve, so we got the excitement out of the way early. Christmas Day my good friend came over for coffee and brunch and a nice talk. After he left, I dismantled the tree and put away the stockings. Some of my family and friends have questioned why I do it so early, but that tree had been up since the day after Thanksgiving and it blocked the extra daylight we are now gaining. I cleaned the window so I could see the birds better and am now seeing a change in the daylight as well.

The day after Christmas I phoned my parents and found my mother fell on Christmas Day and hurt her shoulder. She had been visiting my brother and fell on her way out to the car, right by the concrete steps at his back door. She declined a trip to the emergency room an hour away, and she and my father sat up all night - she in pain, he to ensure she was ok.

Saturday my brother took her to the hospital in Harrisburg where they discovered her shoulder is broken. The ball is in four pieces. After many hours and much discussion and several changes, they gave her pain medication and sent her home. Her arm is in an immobilizer, strapped tight against her body to prevent movement of the shoulder. When the swelling goes down, they will operate. Right now, all we know is she will see the doctor on Jan. 5 and they will give her date for the surgery to replace the shoulder. They have already ordered a ball for it. She is in pain, but the medications are helping somewhat.

Fortunately, my brother and his wife live across the yard. One of my sisters is five minutes away. Another sister is 30 minutes away. My sisters, sister-in-law, niece and nephew (both 20-something) have made daily visits to see if my parents need anything, bringing food and whatever else they need. I've called frequently this week, and Mother seems to be holding up fairly well. She suffers a bit of queasiness from the pills and doesn't have much appetite, but she sounds good. I'm relieved that my siblings are close enough to visit daily, because neither parent would let someone spend the night with them since the accident.

I'll be phoning them tomorrow to wish them a Happy New Year. My daughter and family and good friend are coming for our annual pork & sauerkraut dinner, a nod to my German ancestry and PA Dutch upbringing.

Tomorrow is also my granddaughter Maddy's 5th birthday. She is a delightful child and I'm so blessed to have her living nearby.

I went out to the get the mail a little while ago and the sky was so pretty I had to come back in and grab my camera. I wasn't dressed warmly enough to go far enough away to get the photo without the power lines and light pole. Though my thermometer said -9, it felt much colder than that.

Happy New Year. May your 2010 be a healthy happy year, filled with much love, great friends and wonderful moments.

Merry Christmas everyone

2009-12-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

May you all be as blessed as I am with a wonderful loving family and true friends.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas lights, Solstice

2009-12-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

The past three weeks have been pretty hectic - working, shopping, wrapping, mailing - but it's finally all done.

I got my mailing done in two trips to the post office, and was amazed and delighted that I was in and out in under 10 minutes both times. All of my gifts have arrived at their locations, cards are received and I managed to keep shipping costs down this year. I rarely get out of the post office in less than 20 minutes and the boxes cost a mint to ship. A couple of years ago it cost me $75 to ship two boxes to my granddaughters in Spokane. This year, I opted to buy gifts that are smaller in size, including gift cards, that would fit into the USPS's flat-rate boxes. From now on, that's how we're going.

My two friends Cindy and Mae and I had our annual holiday luncheon yesterday. We went to the Silver Gulch in Fox and had a wonderful lunch despite the -25 degrees. Although it was a little chilly in the restaurant, the food was good and the company can't be beat.

Last evening the three of us drove all over Fairbanks looking at holiday lights. I figured it would be a good time to try out the handheld twilight feature on my camera, and I wasn't disappointed with it. We were a little disappointed that a lot of places we've enjoyed seeing over the past few years didn't have their elaborate displays - some of them didn't even have a single light.

However, the Larson house was as lit up as normal.

Though I'm a traditionalist and don't like to see kitschy stuff that looks out of place, I decided the palm trees did fit the theme of this display.

I really don't like those inflatable snowmen, Santas and other things people put into their yards. We saw an inflatable Nativity and penguins as well, some of them losing their air and folding over onto themselves and others tipped over by the wind. To me, they're not attractive and seem like yard clutter.

By far, my favorite lights were those on natural displays.

The street lights cast a yellow glow on the birch trees.

This choke cherry tree may have been my favorite. It was strung with small white lights, and the fresh snow gave it a beautiful ethereal appearance.

Tomorrow is Dec. 21, the winter solstice. I often think it's my favorite day of the whole year, because it means we'll start gaining daylight again. I take my tree down by Dec. 26 so I can get every bit of that extra light (even though it's only 1 minute at first). My dad enjoys telling me it's just the first day of winter, but to me it signals we're midway through winter and heading toward longer days, and, eventually, break-up. There are a number of solstice activities, including fireworks, today. I can sometimes see them from my yard, so I'll probably take the dog out and see if they're high enough for us to catch a glimpse. However, I don't plan to go downtown to see them. This is the end of a long weekend for me and I need to get back into work mode tomorrow.

Plans for today include baking a ham for the office Christmas lunch, shoveling my sidewalk and brushing all the snow off my car.

Happy Solstice everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

I have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving - my family, my friends, my health, my job in a place full of wonderful people, my little dog and so much more. Occasionally, I hear someone talk about how hard life is and I realize how truly blessed I am.

Instead of cooking yesterday, I went to Pike's Landing for dinner with my friend Mae. We enjoyed a buffet that included turkey, ham and prime rib, salads, all the side dishes and a huge dessert table complete with sugar-free desserts. I did splurge as I do every time I visit Pike's brunch and had a creme brulee. It's only about four bites and since I only have it 3-4 times a year, I allow myself this special treat. The food was wonderful, as always, and we ran into other friends who wanted to spend the holiday away from the kitchen.

We took the circuitous route on the way back home. The sky was blue and the sun was shining down through the trees. It looked like a winter wonderland.

It was about 10 degrees, very nice after the -30 we had last week. All in all, it was a very nice day.

Today it was 20 degrees when I got up this morning. My little dog Buddy loves the warmer temperatures. He's always excited about going out - jumping, barking and turning himself inside out. (I think it may have something to do with the treat he gets when he comes back in.) When it's -10 or colder, he's in front of the door within 30 seconds, wanting to come back inside. We were out last weekend when it warmed up to -15 and he was giving me his most pitiful look - the guilt-trip thing. After just a few seconds at the colder temperatures, his beard turns white with frost.

Today it was up to 25 degrees, so we went out for a short romp. He loves to sniff the air and check out who was near his yard last.

I opted not to shop today. I don't like crowds, and especially rude crowds. I went out just twice on Black Friday and decided I will never do it again. The pushing, shouting, running down aisles really spoils my holiday spirit. I was not raised to act like this in public (or in private, for that matter) and I simply want to grab those people and tell them to act like adults. I'd probably end up in jail :) I guess I must be getting old, because I have little patience for dealing with it. I would rather spend more money and shop in relative peace.

I cooked a turkey today and spent some time with my daughter and her family, then did some laundry and put up my tree. It's not trimmed yet, but I can do that later. I love looking at the lights on it. Hopefully all the work is done now and I can simply relax and enjoy the weekend before going back to work Monday. I have a lot of leave I need to use up over the next month, and will be taking time off.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I hope your holiday was as good as mine was.

Looking for the good . . .

2009-11-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

I am so glad this week is done. It's been a long one, and I'm afraid not a very productive one. I worked hard all week and didn't even take the camera out of its bag. It felt as though all I did was work, eat and sleep - and much of the eating (breakfasts and lunches) was done at my desk.

I was selected as a panel member this week to review tons of papers and determine if the ratings on them were correct. My fellow panel members were great, we got along well and were able to reach a consensus on all of them. However, that panel took up all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and half of Thursday. That gave me just a day and a half to catch up a week's worth of work.

That made me very grateful to have a wonderful staff who kept the office running smoothly and picked up some of my tasks on top of their own work. They are a great group of people - I missed their company while I was locked up in the panel work.

Friday the temperature dropped to -30 at work. Somewhere on the way to work, one of my tires went flat. I have no idea where this happened, as there was no change in performance until I was about 1/2 mile from the office. At -30 I wasn't about to let it sit along the road - towing and repairing a frozen car would be more costly than towing it and replacing the tire. It was 5 a.m. and there was no one on the road. As it turned out, I damaged the rim, so it had to be towed anyway, but is now back in my driveway, plugged in and happy.

Once again I was pretty grateful. I have a service station with a great reputation and honest mechanics. They towed my car, dropped me off at home to let the dog out and came back to get me when the tire was replaced. They're looking for a replacement spare for me today.

I've had some experiences with shady mechanics and these guys have been great. I started using them after one guy at another place quoted me more than $400 for a fix, then told me he would do it at his home garage for $350 because he was trying to build up a clientele so he could start his own business. I decided to get a second opinion and went to the place I now call my shop. They replaced a $15 part in 5 minutes and didn't charge me for the labor. I've been going there ever since.

Normally, all of this would have had me stressed out and ranting wildly. Instead, I'm simply glad it's over. Maybe it's because I pulled out an old commentary I once wrote and spruced it up a little. It was about keeping Thanksgiving separate from Christmas (they ARE two different holidays, after all), and being thankful for what we have. Perhaps that spilled over into my week, because I don't feel any stress and I'm pretty content despite the fact that it's really cold outside.

I'm looking forward to phoning my family in Pennsylvania Thursday and wishing all of them in turn a happy Thanksgiving, and to having a wonderful dinner at Pike's Landing. I'm taking much of the week off, so will probably cook at least a turkey breast if not a whole bird - I love the leftovers. But I also love having someone else cook and clean up on a holiday, and Pike's always has a wonderful spread.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Veterans' Day

2009-11-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

Today is Veterans' Day. Originally called Armistice Day, it noted the end of WWI.

I have a few ancestors - and still living relatives - who have served in the armed forces.

Andrew Burd, in my maternal line, served in the Revolutionary War. He enlisted at age 14 and served as a fifer until his release at the end of the war - at age 21 - according to records. His tombstone says that legend has it the fife was shot from his hand as he was playing it, but he was uninjured.

Both William Portzline (my dad's mother's grandfather) and John Hamilton (my dad's maternal grandfather) served in the Civil War, in the same company. One record says that William Portzline was shot in the wrist and was briefly a prisoner of war. I'm still looking for confirmation and more information on the POW story.

My paternal grandfather served in France in WWI. He conducted recon, then drew maps of the terrain. I remember being cautioned not to ask him about the war when I was a young girl. I suspect he had some horrendous experiences. He was a very quiet, gentle man. I never saw him lose his temper or heard him raise his voice. I can't imagine how terrible that war must have been for such a gentle farm boy. After the war, he stayed on in France to study art, and he created so many things. He had a woodshop in the back yard where he would spend hours crafting furniture with curlicues on the feet of the tables and chairs. He made the dining-room table, so many chairs my grandmother had to tell him to stop and small boxes to hold various items. I have one wooden box, with a bunch of grapes carved onto the lid, that he made to hold a 35-mm camera (I have the camera as well). I also have a painting of a stream and spruce trees that he did. I treasure them both.

My grandfather, Cleve Hoffman, with his weapon

My mother's brother served in Korea. I can remember seeing him in his Army uniform when I was young. I didn't understand the excitement among my mother, grandparents and aunts and uncle then, but I remember thinking he looked pretty official in that uniform.

My dad, his brother Neil, brother-in-law Raymond and my cousin Don all served in the Navy. My cousin was primarily in the Mediterranean.

From top to bottom: Uncle Raymond, Dad, Uncle Neil

Dad spent time in the South Pacific - Philippines mostly. He was a sonar technician on a Canadian hospital ship called "Letitia."

LETITIA / EMPIRE BRENT / CAPTAIN COOK 1924

Built as the LETITIA in 1924 by the Fairfield Co, Glasgow for the Donaldson Line of Glasgow. She was a 13,475 gross ton ship, length overall 538ft x beam 66.4ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 15 knots. There was accommodation for 516-cabin and 1,000-3rd class passengers.
Launched on 14th Oct.1924, she sailed from Glasgow on her maiden voyage to Liverpool, Quebec and Montreal on 24th Apr.1925, and she ran a joint service with the ill-fated ATHENIA to Quebec and Montreal in the summer and Halifax and St John NB in the winter. In 1927 her accommodation was altered, to carry 298-cabin, 310-tourist and 964-3rd class passengers.
In 1939 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and commissioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. She later became a troopship and was extensively damaged in 1943 and was temporarily repaired in the USA.
In 1944 she was taken over by the Canadian Government and converted into a hospital ship with a medical staff of 200 and a capacity for 1,000 wounded. Over the next year or so she carried over 7,000 sick and wounded back to Canada and was on her way to the Pacific theatre of war when Japan surrendered. She was then used for the repatriation of Canadian troops and families. While still engaged in this work, she was sold in 1946 to the Ministry of Transport and renamed EMPIRE BRENT. While on route to Halifax in 1947, she collided with and sank the STORMONT in the River Mersey and had to be drydocked in Birkenhead with stem damage.
In December 1947, she was completely overhauled on the Clyde and refitted as a troopship. Used for trooping voyages to India and the Far East until 1949 when she commenced an emigration service between the UK and Australia with a capacity for 965 emigrants. Withdrawn from this service late in 1950, she was laid up for about six months and was then completely reconditioned as a New Zealand emigrant ship with accommodation for 1,088 passengers in two-, four-, and six berth cabins.
Renamed CAPTAIN COOK, her ownership was to pass gradually to the New Zealand government, who were paying for her by installments. She commenced sailings from Glasgow via Panama to Wellington on 5th Feb.1952, taking about 33 days, sometimes being used to repatriate troops from the Far East on the return voyage. From April to October 1955 she was chartered to Donaldson’s and made seven round voyages between Glasgow, Liverpool and Montreal, but then went back to the New Zealand service.
In 1957 she had a fire while in Wellington, but was able to sail to the UK for repairs. She arrived at Glasgow at the end of her 25th New Zealand voyage in February 1960, was laid up at Falmouth and was then sold to British Iron and Steel Corporation, towed to Inverkeithing and broken up. [Donaldson Atlantic Liner "Letitia" of 1925 by Captain J.H.Isherwood, Sea Breezes Magazine, September 1967]
I had several friends in college who were VietNam veterans, and I work with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Their strength - and that of their families - is incredible. The telephone calls home and the occasional hook-ups via the Internet can't erase the fear, the separations and the everyday challenges they all face. It requires a special strength.

It's a hard job, and it takes a tremendous toll on those who serve combat tours as well as on their families.

Today I will attend the Veterans' Day observance in Fairbanks, where I will stand at attention when the band plays the Army Song. I'll remember my days in the Women's Army Corps. I'll remember my ancestors and my living relatives who served and who had to overcome hardships and long separations from their families, without the benefit of telephones and Internet connections. And I'll say a special prayer for those who are serving today.

I salute all of you.

The lost are found

2009-10-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

In an effort to use up some annual leave (I'll lose it in January if I don't use it up), I took last week off. Instead of driving all over the place with the camera, I hit the doctor for flu shot and the computer for some much-neglected research. I spent an average of 3-4 hours a day trying to track down some long-lost ancestors.

I started tracing my ancestry in 1999, when I visited my family in Pennsylvania for a couple of weeks.

My parents were able to give me some background on their families - parents and one grandfather's name for my mother; parents, grandparents and one side of great-grandparents from my dad. Fortunately, my mother's cousin was happy to provide some insight into one branch for me.

That trip and the thrill of finding information online when I returned to Fairbanks kept me going. I joined a genealogy group that met monthly here and solidified my interest. Each time I found another ancestor the excitement increased.

Several of us from the genealogy group made trips to Salt Lake City to visit the genealogy library there. We would go down for one week, spending hours at the books and microfilms. I became expert at loading and unloading the film spools and zipping through them to the page I needed. My bookshelf at home is now loaded with research books, papers and magazines.

Subsequent trips to PA to visit my family had me visiting the local historical society and the county courthouse archives. We took drives to local cemeteries to photograph tombstones. My dad took us by the old family homestead, where both my grandfather and his father were born. It's still owned by the (second) wife of one of my ancestors.

I backed off the genealogy for a couple of years when a serious illness and astronomical medical bills not covered by my insurance made it tough to justify paying a lot for the subscription to the best websites for the research.

However, I decided to get back into the work. I'm pretty much an indoor person during the winters here, as the cold really bothers my arthritis, and I didn't want to become just a lounger. So I reactivated my subscription. The website has improved tremendously since my last visit, and I found a quaking leaf on nearly every name in the tree I had started 10 years ago. When I clicked on the leaf, I was led to hints on the specific ancestor. WOW! Much of the information was not new to me, but other bits had me looking for sources to confirm. Once confirmed by a census, newspaper, Social Security death index, WWI and WWII draft card or other official document, I could then say with certainty this belongs in my tree.

In my maternal grandmother's line, I had her parents and her father's father. However, that line stopped there. I was relatively certain that George (my grandmother's grandfather) was the son of Jacob. But I couldn't prove it. All I had was a hunch, however strong it was. I had managed to get Jacob's family traced to France in 1520 - but still needed to link him to George.This week I FINALLY managed to get that confirmation thanks to a quaking leaf that led me to church records. So I have my mother's maternal side back to France (to America via Scotland and Ireland) in 1520 and her paternal side to Switzerland in 1634.

My dad's families are primarily of German heritage, as are many of my mother's other lines. I've hit a couple of brick walls with two of Dad's lines, but again this week, thanks to those little leaves and a much larger library available online, I got the Hoffman (my maiden name) line back to Germany in the 1600s.

As I'm working this project, I'm astounded at what these people who are all part of me must have faced - poverty, hard work, persistence, long ocean voyages - and HUGE families. Many of them had 12 or more children. Many of them lost a number of those children before they reached adulthood. Most of them were poorly or uneducated. They were simple folk - farmers, laborers, boatmen. They had no modern conveniences to help with cooking, baking, laundry or cleaning. But their obituaries describe them as "well respected citizens." The church was important to them. Thus far, all but one family line has arrived in the US through Philadelphia, and that one line came in through Baltimore. They all moved a bit northwest to what are now Perry and Juniata counties - and many of them are still there today.

As a teenager, I thought our family was rather uninteresting because they didn't come from somewhere else. As I started tracing these people, I became very grateful they were grounded in one spot. I heard my friend mutter, "He's in New York in 1850 and he's in Idaho in 1870. Where was he for the 20 years in the middle? How did he get there? Why doesn't he show up anywhere in the 1860 census?"

This past week hooked me again. I've felt once again that thrill of success. I know that the farther back I go, the sparser the records and the more difficult to find information that is verifiable. But I will press on. My greatest regret is that I didn't start this before my grandparents died. My greatest joy in it is that my granddaughter is interested in the project. Hopefully I will be able to continue finding "lost" ancestors to share with her and generations still to come.

My paternal grandmother's grandparents

My dad's parents

My dad's paternal grandparents

the Hoffman homestead

My mother's parents and me

It's still autumn

2009-10-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Winter is still holding off. It's been a beautiful past few days - temperatures in the 50s and sunshine. They're calling for 50s again today, and my friends Mae and Cindy and I are planning a drive to no where in particular. I'll take the camera and see if I can get a few more fall shots.

Friday I got a new flat-screen television set, 37", which looks great in the living room. I really think anything much bigger would be a bit too much. It's much sharper than the old square one and the HD is great. My friend came over to help me set it up, and after breakfast, we headed over to Creamer's Field to see what was happening.

I was surprised to see a small group of Canada geese still hanging around. I thought they were all gone by now.

I also noticed the fireweed, though completely brown and cotton, is still standing tall. Fireweed is one of my favorite plants - I love it at almost any time of year.

fireweed in bloom, July

fireweed topped off and near the end

end of the road for this fireweed plant - I love how it contrasts with the aged dark wood of the fence

We are all reveling (except the snowmachiners and skiers) in the lingering warm temperatures of autumn. My little dog loves to sit in the yard sniffing the air. Occasionally he will run from one corner to the other. Twice Saturday, when we were moving televisions in/out, he escaped and ran off down the street. My arthritic back and asthma HATE this. We got him back, but I was winded and not happy with him.

Happy October to all. I'm hoping to get more photos today.

snow

2009-09-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

I knew the snow would eventually get here, but kept hoping I could hold on to summer and fall just a little longer. But Saturday morning I woke to a dusting in my yard. That melted pretty quickly as the temperatures warmed up a bit, but it continued to rain and/or snow all day at my house.

This morning, on my weekly trip to the grocery store, we stopped to gas up the vehicle and I noticed Birch Hill still had some good spots of yellow. The deep dark green of the spruce and the yellow of the birch trees were highlighted by the small amounts of snow and frost. Very pretty.

more gold, more cranes and moose

2009-09-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

I had to travel with another woman from the office to Delta Junction Wednesday. We left about 8 a.m. with mostly sunny skies and some clouds. As we headed down the Richardson Highway, the gold colors on the trees were vibrant and seemed almost fluid.

About 30 miles or so before we reached Delta Junction, there's a turnout. It sits on top of a bluff overlooking the Tanana River with the foothills and the Alaska Range in the background. In the 30+ years I've lived here, I've traveled that road many times, but never stopped there.

Wednesday, we decided to stop for a short while to take some photos. It was worth it.

I love the different colors, the meandering Tanana and the mountains. On a clear day, the peaks stand out crisp and sharp. Some heavy clouds hung near the summits, but they weren't enough to hide the beauty of this spectacular range of mountains.

I also decided this was a good spot to try out the sweep panorama on my new camera. I'm not disappointed with that feature.

We got a briefing and a look at some of the off-road area near Delta, and managed to get in a little wildife viewing as well.

I have to admit I'm a little embarrassed by this one. I know (and I've been told MANY times) to not shoot photos through the windshield. But I did it anyway, and this one was covered with smears from insect hits. But I wanted to get a shot of this very young cow and her calf. They were near the road, and I know I can't outrun a moose, so the windshield it was. When they figured we weren't moving soon enough they moved into the trees where they watched us as we shot a few more photos before leaving. They were almost perfectly camouflaged among the spruce trees. We took a few more (got more moose's butt than anything else) photos and left them in peace.

We were talking with several of the people we met there and heard a babble overhead. I looked up to see sandhill cranes that apparently been disturbed. It seemed they wouldn't stop coming. I managed to catch a few in flight.

It's trips like this, even when I'm working, that sometimes leave me breathless with the beauty of this land and so very grateful that I live in a place where I can see the spectacular scenery and the wildlife in their habitat.

It's not done yet...

2009-09-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely day yesterday, with sunshine and temperatures reaching 70 degrees at my house.

I spent the morning with my daughter and granddaughter. Maddy, 4, "helped" me fill the bird feeders and entertained herself looking through my mini binoculars and running from the camera.

After a nice lunch we headed over to Creamer's Field to see how many birds are left. We didn't see a single sandhill crane, but there were about 100 geese resting in the field and a handfill of ducks. Maddy didn't have quite the same level of interest I did, but she did enjoy looking through the huge public binoculars set out for visitors. They're mounted on a pole and are like those that often require coins to operate, although these don't require payment for use.

The geese were busy feeding and flying. The flight photo is one of the first I've been able to accomplish without too much blur to identify. The camera was on a long-range setting, so the picture is a little soft, but at least the geese are recognizable.

The fireweed is nearly done completely now, with much of it nothing more than red leaves now. I was able to capture this one with a bit of fluff still on it, but those little white seeds were flying all over the place yesterday!

I'm still working on building my photographic skills. I envy people who can look at something and see a story. I upgraded my camera this week, but still haven't gone to a DSLR. I like the ease of transport and convenience of my high-zoom camera. It's got the ease of a point & shoot, but a better zoom and the option of using either an auto setting or a manual one. I have lenses from my old film 35mm cameras that are compatible with a DSLR (I checked), but I know if I go there I'll be toting around 40 pounds of camera gear. And since I like to simply toss the camera into my purse when I go out, I'm staying where I am for now. I keep a small point & shoot in my purse all the time just in case something comes up, but I really prefer the high zoom when I plan to shoot.

These high-zooms have given me a lot of great photos and a lot of pleasure. However, I can't come close to some of the photographers I know. I need a lot more practice and ultimately I may have to move to a DSLR. But for now, I take photos of things that please me. It's a great hobby and I'm never without a camera.

My friend and I went to the Salmon Bake for dinner last evening and the ducks at nearby Mining Village (part of Pioneer Park - http://co.fairbanks.ak.us/pioneerpark/) were either swimming in the water by the sluice or resting on the grass. As I stepped onto the grass to take a photo I startled one very pretty duck who got up and moved away. His left leg must have been injured, as he hopped away on his right one, then stood with the left foot tucked up near his tail.

I'm not sure what the injury is, but I'm a little worried for him. I hope it's a minor one and he will be able to survive either the flight south or the winter. I suspect the ducks at Mining Village may be some of those that winter here. Hopefully he will be ok.

It's another sunny gorgeous day and 59 degrees now, so I think I'll pack up the car and head out with the camera. It's too nice to waste indoors.

Happy Labor Day weekend.

Is it over already?

2009-08-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the fair has ended on a wet note and the kids go back to school tomorrow. For all intents and purposes, summer is pretty much ended. How depressing is that? It's still August.

I did go to the fair yesterday despite the rain. I've only missed a couple of years since we got here in 1978, and even though it doesn't change a lot from year to year, I love it every time. It's the best time to do some serious people-watching. I also enjoy checking out the various food booths (had a great hot dog this year) and looking at what won the creative writing competition. I haven't entered anything for the past few years, but I still enjoy seeing them. I also like roaming the aisles to see what "new improved" item is being sold, though I find everything incredibly over-priced. I only had to use the umbrella for part of the time, but I found it very hard walking. The arthritis in my back was really hating the dampness, and I had to find a bench frequently. The doctor told me in July I should start thinking seriously about surgery, but that scares me. I've heard too many horror stories about people who had back surgery and came out with no improvement or even in worse shape than when they went in. At any rate, the fair was fun as always.

Now I'm thinking about doing the last bit of trimming on my bushes and putting away the lawn chairs. Though winter often means I can slow down and relax a bit, this year we'll be going full-tilt right through the middle of October at work, with a lot of activity. I will be very happy to be able to relax after that.

My friends and I will probably take another autumn drive to Murphy Dome and Ester Dome, two local areas with great views. We do those drives in the fall, after the leaves have changed color - the valley is a great golden dip between the hills.

Before I go, I thought I would post a few photos from my trip to the Georgeson Botanical Garden at the university. Here are a couple of my favorites.

It seems that no matter what time of year it is, there's always something beautiful to see in this wonderful place. The colors of summer are a treat for my eyes. The vivid yellows of the autumn are calming to me and absolutely beautiful when the sunlight hits them. The pure white of the snow in winter makes this look like a Christmas card. And the greening of the grass and trees at break-up are such a welcome sight after the long winter. Regardless of the downsides - long cold winters, long distances from family, expensive heating bills - there's something about Interior Alaska that keeps me here. The northern lights, the mountains, the wildlife, the gorgeous flowers, most of all the terrific friends - all offset the cold and dark and distance. Until next time...

lots of smoke

2009-08-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

We've got wildfires burning and growing all around us. This morning the sun was almost blood red, filtered by the smoke. I jumped into the car to get somewhere I could get some photos of it without trees blocking it, but by the time I got into the car the smoke had completely obliterated the red ball.

My car was covered in big pieces of ash (and I just washed it last weekend!). This is my front bumper and a view of the windshield from inside the car.

Since I was already out, I decided to go over to Creamer's Field to see if there were any birds around. The smoke gave the place an eerie look and the sandhill cranes look almost ghostly.

I shot some fireweed, noticing it's close to topping off. The fair starts Friday, and kids go back to school the before the 20th. I can't believe summer's almost over already.

As I have a lot of leave I have to use up, I took this week off. I'm heading to the Farmers' Market in a few minutes to see what they have. I love their new potatoes and fresh tomatoes. Hopefully they'll have some other good stuff. I think when I get home I'll try some new recipes I saw on Food Network :) Though I can't smell the smoke, it still affects my breathing outdoors, so it's a good day to stay indoors and maybe get creative.

I'm hoping that by Friday the smoke will ease up so I can enjoy opening day at the fair.

Have a good day everyone.

birds, flowers, governors

2009-07-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

This is the third time I've tried updating - maybe it'll be the charm. Some computer glitch would allow me to get partway done, then shut down my IE. Hopefully I've been able to fix that.

It's been a busy month and summer has been flying by. I can't belive the fair starts in less than two weeks!

I've caught a number of weekend baseball games (weeknight games keep me up too late) and enjoyed watching my favorite game. It's so nice to sit in the seats with friends nearby and enjoy the sun and breeze, a hot dog and a good game of baseball. I did miss the games Friday and Saturday because of the smoke that drifted in from wildfires. That's taken some of the enjoyment out of a lot of outdoor activities. It smells nasty, puts a haze on the city and is bad for my asthma.

I don't let it destroy my pleasure in summer though. I've made some drives through the city to my favorite places. One Saturday morning I took the long way home from the grocery store. The sky was a bright, cloudless blue; the temperature was a lovely 60 degrees with a small breeze. I reveled in the cool air blowing in the open windows, the blue sky and the vivid reds, yellows, oranges and blues of flowers planted all over town. Set against the emerald green of the trees and grass it was a perfect drive.

Last week one evening my friend Mae and I stopped at a local drive-in for foot-long hot dogs, then went to Creamer's Field to watch the sandhill cranes. There were two groups - one in a dirt clearing in the field, the other in the tall grass. Soon after we arrived the group in the grass started moving as one to the clearing. Mae and I wondered if they sensed a predator in the grass, but they didn't appear to be alarmed. It was a slow stroll out of the grass. The two groups merged into one, with some occasional posturing by the younger cranes.

After we left Creamer's we stopped off at Wedgewood Resort, a popular lodging for summer visitors. For our money, Wedgewood has the nicest flowers of any other Fairbanks business. It rivals the Georgeson Botanical Garden for gorgeous blooms and we ensure we visit it at least once every summer.

Whoever does their landscaping and planting is certainly a flower genius. These are a couple of my favorites this year.

We'll be heading out today to watch our friend Dan in the barbecue competition, and will probably stay to watch the zoo at the swearing-in of our new governor, Sean Parnell. I'm still not convinced I want to do that, but my friends do, so there I'll be. I'm not looking forward to the crowd and I am not a fan of national media representatives. Having worked with some of them, I find them rude and egotistical with very little exception. I enjoy working with our local reporters and editors, but those national guys are a bit too cutthroat for my liking. However, since I won't be working with them today, I'll sit back and watch the show.

Happy Sunday. Hopefully the smoke will drift off and give us a few days of nice clear days.

July 4th, summer

2009-07-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

I'm up earlier than usual this morning, and thought I'd do a quick update.

On July 4th I went to the big celebration at Alaskaland - Army band concert, a few speeches and salute to the union with a rifle team firing a shot after the announcers read off the name and nickname of each state in (mostly) the order it entered the union. (Alaska and Hawaii are reversed because they "save the best for last.") There were several thousand people attending, as usual and it was great fun to sit and watch everyone.

This little cutie danced to one of the band's Souza marches and earned a big round of applause.

The 50 state flags on the upper deck of the Riverboat Nenana, drydocked in the park. When I arrived at the park, it was a gorgeous sunny day with clear blue skies. The haze creeping in behind the boat is smoke from wildfires. By the time the ceremony ended I headed home instead of the baseball game. The smoke was hanging low in town and it was HOT. So I made a strawberry smoothie and sat in front of the fan reading a good book.

The smoke has continued to hang around, but it's not as bad as it was a couple of years ago. The hot temperatures (in the 80s) continue. I'm very grateful it's not humid here!

I normally drive to work early (I start at 6:30 a.m.), and it's been a beautiful summer. As I drive down a road with little traffic at that hour, I marvel at the bright green of the grass and trees. I love that there are at least three different shades, and it's all bright from the dew. On a good clear day, the white snow-covered peaks of Mts. Hayes, Hess and Deborah in the Alaska Range stand starkly against the blue sky. The mountain views are one of my favorite things about Alaska. Even from here - several hundred miles away - they look huge, and are spectacular. The fireweed is starting to bloom and its blast of fuscia really stands out against the green. (Fireweed is my favorite plant here - I love seeing a big patch of it from a distance. I also love looking at it up close.)

All of this makes me very glad to live here. The colors are so vibrant in the summer, and very welcome after several months of living in what seems a monochrome world.

Still to come this summer: the Georgeson Botanical Garden at the university, a visit to Wedgewood Resort (they have some of the prettiest hanging baskets and small flower plots in town), weekly trips to the farmers' market - and a trip to Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad.

Though Solstice usually leaves me a bit sad that we're now losing daylight, there's plenty of time left to enjoy the colors of summer.

Take care and enjoy...

Summer is here - baseball & birds

2009-07-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

Our summer is definitely here, and I've been trying to enjoy every spare minute, so have neglected this website pretty badly.

It's been sunny and warm (on occasion too warm - I don't like anything over 75, and we've been hitting 80+ for a few days), with enough rain to keep my flowers and zucchinis growing. I harvested my first 8-ball zucchini yesterday. I'm really looking forward to trying it to see if the taste is any different from the regular ones.

We've passed the summer solstice, and as usual I enjoyed the annual Midnight Sun Baseball game at the ballpark. The Alaska Goldpanners beat the Lake Erie Monarchs 6-3 on a cool night (I wore my jacket through the entire game). The game starts at 10:30 p.m. and is played entirely without artificial lights.

The shot below was taken at midnight. The X pattern on the photo is the safety net in front of my seat.

"Anthem Annie" has sung the National Anthem at every major-league ballpark. Here she prepares to sing the Alaska Flag Song at the inning break closest to midnight. It was a little after 12:00. Estimated attendance was about 4,000 spectators.

My bird feeders are very busy this summer. I've got the ever-present black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos and white-crowned sparrows. This year, the redpolls stuck around. I usually see them in the winter, then they go somewhere else to spend the summer. I guess they really like the nyjer seed. I've also got some pine siskins. When I'm watching the birds enjoy the feast, I wish I lived in a more rural area (or at least a place with more trees). My yard is pleasant with a spruce tree and several birches, but I live in town and don't get the variety of birds that some of my friends see in less urban parts of the Fairbanks area. A few days ago, I had redpolls and pine siskins on the feeders and a squirrel on the ground in front of the door picking up the seeds the birds dropped. I have a small pile of wood there for use in the fireplace in the event the power (and furnace) goes out in the winter. The seeds fall onto and between the wood pieces and looked like a buffet for the squirrel. After I got the dog calmed down (the squirrel looked like a possible playmate and Buddy was pretty excited), I was able to stand in the entry and take several photos. They're a little soft because I was shooting through the screendoor.

The redpolls are so pretty with their bright red caps. They are voracious eaters and love the nyjer seed and flax seed. Every now and then they would stop eating to look down at the squirrel. They're accustomed to seeing Buddy in the doorway looking out the window, so he doesn't scare them away. They will come in if I'm in the doorway, but leave quickly if I move fast or open the door.

Today I'm off to the annual July 4th celebration in town, then maybe the ballpark (if it isn't too hot). Happy 4th everyone.

Purple Heart

2009-06-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I drove with two friends to Delta Junction for the dedication of a portion of the Alaska and Richardson Highways as a Purple Heart Trail (http://www.purpleheart.org/Membership/Public/Programs/PHTrail/Default.aspx). The ceremony was attended by a fairly large crowd. Speakers included Army and Air Force officers, state legislators and local officials. Diane Benson, the mother of a Purple Heart recipient, was a gripping speaker, talking of her own experiences dealing with her son's injuries. The Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club performed a solemn ceremony setting up the memorial display of weapon, boots, helmet and dog tags. This display is set up for all military memorial ceremonies to honor fallen warriors. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to attend.

The signs will be posted along the highway.

saluting the memorial display

I'm now following my niece's new blog at http://www.troupstravels.blogspot.com/. She leaves today for Uganda where she will spend six weeks teaching. Lindsey loves her job teaching in PA, and is very excited about this summer position in Africa. I'm very excited about following her adventures in Uganda.

As summer progresses, I'm loving watching the flowers grow in my yard; my zucchini has no flowers yet though :(. That happened several years ago - I had lovely green leaves, but not a single flower. The woman at the greenhouse told me they had likely not been pollinated. I hope that doesn't happen this year.

My bird feeders are very busy this summer. A new crop of redpolls are visiting daily (hungry little buggers) and I've seen a couple of small black-capped chickadees. It appears my squirrel family has moved from the front yard to some trees in the back. My large spruce tree has a raven coming by every day. He's a raucous bird, constantly calling and chattering when he's in residence. He drives the dog crazy. Buddy sits inside the screen door making little "woof" sounds, the bird clicks and makes odd sounds in his throat and it goes on for 30 minutes or more.

It's just a few more days until the Alaska Goldpanners come back for the summer. (www.goldpanners.com). I'll be attending the games, weather and smoke permitting as often as I can, but it's tough sometimes getting up for work the next day. I'm looking forward to sitting in the sun watching some baseball.

The sun is shining nicely and it's 59 degrees (at 7:25 a.m.), so I think it's time for Buddy and me to go sit on the bench in the yard. Happy summer everyone.

long weekend

2009-05-25T06:34:00.001-07:00

I decided to use some leave time and have an extra-long weekend, and it's been well worth it.

I went into the office for a couple of hours Thursday just to certify time cards, then started my weekend. When I got home my daughter and two granddaughters were already here and had raked the front yard and bagged all the leftover leaves from fall.

The girls helped me fill the bird feeders. I keep them up year-round and am rewarded by the company of a number of small birds. Right now there are redpolls and white-crowned sparrows out here, and I hear the black-capped chickadees calling so I expect they will stop by soon. The raven who likes my spruce tree is already up there chatting with the dog, who lies by the screen door sending out quiet little "woofs" every now and then when the raven squawks.

After the girls left Thursday, my friend and I went to lunch, then drove around the area enjoying the sun.

Friday I went to Chena Hot Springs with my friends Mae and Cindy. We had breakfast (ok, but not great) at the lodge, then wandered around the resort. It was bright and sunny and about 60 degrees - perfect weather.

The resort consists of a main lodge with gift shop and restaurant/lounge; several larger buildings with rooms; several small cabins; the frame for the ice hotel and (of course) the bathhouse and hot springs spa. Around the grounds are old rusting vehicles, many from the old gold-mining days.

In the summer, this car becomes a planter, filled with colorful flowers.

I love this old snowmachine. It looks like it got plenty of use!

The hot springs spa and fountain -

The frame of the ice hotel. In winter the ice blocks go up. Everything inside is made of ice - beds, bar and stools, glasses.

The resort's owner is experimenting with alternative sources of energy and has hosted several symposiums there.

Located about 60 miles from Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs is a popular destination for many visitors and locals alike. Busloads of tourists from Japan visit it in the winter to see the northern lights. There are a number of outdoor activities for guests, including skiing, hiking and dogsled rides. And there's always the obligatory soak in the spa.

Saturday meant a visit to the Farmer's Market, my first this year. It's still a little too early for many of the vegetables we'll get later this year, but the baked goods and crafts were plentiful.

After the market, we headed to the movie theater to see "Star Trek." As a fan of the original series, I wasn't too sure how I'd feel about new people playing Kirk, Spock, Scottie and McCoy. Having seen the movie, I will probably buy the DVD when it comes out. I think it was perfectly cast and the actors nailed their predecessors. It was nice to see Leonard Nimoy playing Spock again.

After the movie we went to our favorite local greenhouse and bought flowers for our yards. I bought mostly petunias (they're hard to kill), but this year added two begonias. I love the showy blooms, and wanted to see if I can get them to grow well. I also bought zucchini plants. They had only the yellow zucchinis and something called an 8-ball zuke. I'd never seen them, but thought I'd give them a try. When I googled them, recipes said they are great for stuffing with rice or other foods. I'm excited to see how they turn out.

Sunday Mae, Cindy and I went to the Tanana Valley Kennel Club dog show. Our friend Nancy from Anchorage raises golden retrievers and shows them every year up here. This year she showed Logan, 1 year old, in his first outing. It's always good to see Nancy and her dogs, and I enjoy watching the other dogs as well.

Logan

When we left the dog show Mae and I headed up the Elliot Highway to Olnes Pond where my daughter and her family were camping. It's a pretty little pond, off the road, but it had attracted a lot of campers. They were staying in tents, fully contained RVs and tow-behind trailers. We visited for about an hour then headed back to town.

When I got home I planted my flowers and zucchinis, then decided it was time to call it a day. Temperatures were over 70 (and that's getting real close to TOO hot for me) and I was worn out. I sat on my bench in the yard, enjoying the shade of my birch tree and the pretty colors of the flowers. Buddy did his numerous trips around the yard sniffing everything, then joined me on the bench.

I may grill some salmon, but that's about as hard as I plan to work today.

Later this morning I'll go to one of the several Memorial Day services. Every Memorial Day, I remember our small Pennsylvania town's observance of the day. We had a parade, and I was part of that as far back as I can recall - first with my Sunday School class, later as a Brownie and Girl Scout. We carried handfuls of flowers from our yard, usually iris or narcissus, and placed them on veterans' graves at the cemetery where the parade ended. Someone would read a roll call of the town's veterans of all wars, back to the Revolutionary War. It was a very solemn affair, and was far more than just another long holiday weekend. Please join me today in special thoughts of those we've lost in wars over the years, and in a prayer for the safe return of those who are deployed to war-torn areas.

smoke

2009-05-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

What a relaxing weekend it's been so far.

I returned to work Monday after nearly 3 weeks away. I found more than 500 e-mails, about half of which were spam and could be deleted easily. However, I couldn't do much about the remainder until Wednesday afternoon, as I was in training the early part of the week. I managed to get through them, though, and handled the majority easily enough. I still have a few of them hanging for action, and since I want to take Thursday and Friday to make a nice long holiday weekend, I'll have to hustle through the early part of this week.

I came home Friday completely exhausted, so I made a quick supper and spent the evening reading a good book. Saturday I slept in, then took a friend to lunch for his birthday. After lunch my friend and I got shakes at Carls Jr. - their orange cream one is great. It reminded me of the creamsicles we ate as kids. We drove out to Hilltop Cafe, just past Fox, then had a bowl of chili at the Silver Gulch in Fox. Their chili is really good, made with nice chunks of beef and stout.

As we drove back to town, we saw large plumes of smoke. I thought it may have been from a controlled burn by Alaska Fire Service. They do this regularly in the late spring and early summer, weather and winds permitting, to burn off brush and grass that could fuel a wildfire. Though it does create smoke, at least it's monitored to prevent a runaway uncontrolled fire.

I really wanted to sit on my bench in the yard, playing with the dog and relaxing, but by the time I was home the smoke had drifted into town and made breathing uncomfortable. I decided it wasn't perhaps the best thing for my asthma, so stayed indoors.

Today it's another sunny pretty morning, just 41 degrees now, but with the promise of warmer air later. Maybe I'll grill a salmon filet this afternoon. I've cleaned off the grill and it's all set for summer quick meals.

I'll be doing a bit of shopping, and have wash going, so it won't be completely idle day, but there's nothing pressing or difficult that needs to be done.

I'm considering a road trip with the camera over Memorial Day weekend. Since I'll have five days off, I can relax and enjoy time off. I lost leave last year because I didn't take all the use-or-lose leave, and I don't intend to have that happen again.

My friend Nancy from Anchorage will be up to show her puppy in his first dog show, and we'll go out to watch. It's great fun to watch all the different breeds, and Nancy's golden retrievers are beautiful. It's always fun.

Have a good week everyone.

I'm home

2009-05-10T14:31:00.001-07:00

It's been another long stretch since posts, but the first few weeks were rather uneventful, and then I was on the road with no computer.

I was lucky enough to be able to upgrade to first class the entire trip from Fairbanks to Washington, DC. It's much more comfortable than flying coach, with so much more space. The plane arrived at 4:45 p.m. (10 minutes early) at National Airport on Apr. 28. I was very pleased to find the Washington area subway system, the Metro, has a station immediately adjacent to the airport's baggage claim area. I grabbed my bag and headed for the train. Surprisingly, the huge rush hour crowds I expected weren't there. There were a lot of people, but the crush I dreaded didn't happen.

I had to change from the yellow line to the red line several stops from the airport, but the signs in the stations were clear and easy to follow. Additionally, people were friendly and very helpful with answers to my questions.

It took me about 40 minutes to get from the airport to Shady Grove, MD, the final stop for the train. My sister and brother-in-law were waiting for me. From Shady Grove, it was just under 2 hours rainy drive to my parents' home in Liverpool, PA.

My stay in Liverpool was shorter than usual because of the conference in Arlington, VA, I had to attend. However, I was able to visit with all of my PA sisters and my brother. My sister in AZ phoned while I was there as well, so we were able to chat a few minutes.

I didn't do a lot - shopped with my mom, my sister Leesa and her son Jed; drove through Liverpool to see how it had changed; had breakfast with my mom; sister Leah and her husband Paul; and sister Luci and her daughters Lindsey and Meghan; visited on the porch with my parents, sister-in-law Karen, sister Leah, niece Janine and great-niece Elizabeth and chatted with my brother John.

I enjoyed some PA Dutch food - scrapple (a personal favorite), pot pie (beef, another favorite), liver puddin - but had to end the trip with scallops and shrimp with fresh pineapple & berries. As much as I love the PA Dutch food, I'm not used to eating it any more and found it too heavy.

It was wonderful to sit on the porch and see all the trees in full leaf, robins building a nest and other birds all over the place. I think one of the most serene scenes is the Susquehanna River from my dad's porch. I felt all the stress of work and winter lift from my body and simply enjoyed sitting doing nothing but being with people I love and miss.

I enjoyed the lilacs, bluebells, paper whites (narcissus) and other flowers. My lilacs here are the very light lavender color, and I love the dark purple in the front yard in PA.

My dad is an outdoorsman and enjoys taking his fox hounds out for a run when he's able. The three are tied in an area out back, and Dad visits them several times during the day. He feeds them each morning at 9. They apparently have an internal clock, as they'll begin standing and looking at the house about 8:30 each morning. I shot several photos of them, and Dad and I agree that Kate exemplifies the phrase "hangdog expression."

All too soon the PA time ended and I had to get back to Arlington for the conference. It was a very good conference, with a lot of seminars on various public affairs topics. I was able to see a number of old friends and former coworkers - both bosses and people who had worked for me.

I sat in on sessions with presentations by people from Google, Facebook and Twitter, as we are being encouraged to create web presences on those sites. I'm looking forward to putting some of the information I got to work.

Unfortunately, I didn't do any touristy things in the DC area. There were icebreakers and banquets 3 of the 4 nights I was there, and it rained nearly the whole time, including our last night. So I spent most of the time right in the hotel. I really wanted to see the women veterans memorial and revisit the Mall and Smithsonian, but I guess I'll have to save that for next time.

I wasn't able to upgrade on my return trip, so was crammed into an aisle (thankfully) seat in row 21 from DC to Seattle. Then I had a 6-1/2 hour layover in Seattle. My seat from Seattle to Fairbanks was in row 7, so there weren't a lot of people passing by the seat and that plane had a little more room than the earlier one. Nonetheless, I was so happy to see Fairbanks again and the trip at an end.

When I arrived at 9 p.m., it was daylight and sunny with a light breeze. It felt wonderful, and I was elated to see almost all the snow completely gone and trees beginning to show just a hint of green.

As much as I love visiting family and other places, there's no place like home - and these days that's Fairbanks.

Not much happening here...

2009-04-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month of busy work and completely full weekends since I've sat down to update this. I feel I've done nothing really significant to even post here! Some of the days at work have been extremely stressful, with staff problems and more work than I can keep track of. I've been going in an hour early and working through lunch, so at least I'm managing to keep it up and not drop anything.

I'd go home, grab a salad or something to eat, and fall asleep early. Weekends mean grocery shopping and morphing into a vegetable.

However, as March moved into April, we started seeing longer daylight hours (YEAH!) and warmer temperatures. It hit 50 yesterday at my house. There's still lots of snow on the ground, but we're starting to see bare earth in the driveway and we can see the snow (slowly) melting into the ground. What once reached my knees is now at calf level.

The great news is the geese are back. This rite of spring always picks up my mood. Every April the field at Creamer's Field (a local waterfowl refuge) is plowed and strewn with seeds (barley and others) for the birds. This is a joint effort between the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Fairbanks International Airport and local military airfields, to keep the birds away from the runways and avoid bird strikes to the aircraft. It's very successful, with hundreds of geese, ducks and sandhill cranes, among others, spending a couple of weeks there on their spring northward migration. I love going out to watch them flying in and out or just meandering among the ponds and seeds. To us, it's a sure sign winter is done. Two Canada geese showed up Thursday. We stopped by Friday evening after a wonderful dinner at the Princess Hotel, and there were about a dozen geese and ducks. I'll be dropping by frequently until they have eaten their fill and flown on to the northern part of the state.

In two and a half weeks, I'll be leaving for PA and DC. I'll have a few days to spend with my parents in central PA, just north of Harrisburg, then go back to Washington for a conference. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of folks in the public affairs field, some of whom I haven't seen in 10 years or more. I hope to see some of my former bosses and co-workers, as well as those I work with now via e-mails but don't see often. I'm planning to attend some sessions in Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. I really need to learn more about how best to use those sites.

This morning it's bright and sunny - looks like a gorgeous day.

Soon we'll be sweeping sidewalks instead of shoveling. Maybe that's why I love spring - the longer days, warmer temperatures, everything greening up - it's a new beginning.

Happy spring everyone.