Frustration at the appearance of my blogs is setting in. I get them all set up, preview, and everything looks great, then once I post it everything seems to skew out of place. In spite of attempting to put things back where they belong the preview and the final page never looks the same. AARGH! My perfectionistic side tells me that I need to work on it until it's fixed and perfect. My realistic side tells me that as long as I'm on this adventure might as well accept the fact that skewed photos and accompanying texts are part OF the adventure. The purpose of my blog is to allow others a view of the world I'm living in, I guess, and not to be perfect. Hence, hopefully I'm accomplishing my mission.
Speaking of missions, I SOOOO appreciate receiving e-mails and comments from those of you who are following my blog. The amount of time it takes to decide which few (yes, few) photos I'll post, log into here, find the photos on my pc to post, upload, etc., is incredible. Hence you won't be seeing me in any local bars. LOL Like that's on my list of 101 places to visit before I die anyway! That said, please DO keep the e-mails and comments coming. It lets me know that my efforts in posting this have made you smile or some impact on you.
My blog is about 1% of this total Alaskan experience. Alaska is SO much more than an out of place state on most US maps. Everything about it is awesome...the people, the weather, the events, the terrain, the sites, the smells, the sounds, the beauty, the peacefulness, the choices of activities, the pace, the traffic, the comfort, well, you get the "picture" without me taking one. Most people in the lower 48 think that there probably isn't much to do in Alaska, because it's so COLD - which is not true, not true...meaning it's not uncomfortably cold, and there is a LOT to do. Each weekend we have to choose which activity or two we'll be participating in because there are so many, and most are free. Those that do cost are well worth the price.
Alaskans have a multitude number of ways of filling their time. How they choose to do that is just that, a choice. Someone recently told me that there's a lot of chemical abuse and dependency (alcohol mainly) in Alaska 'because there's nothing else to do in the winter'. Hello?! We've found a lot of things to do that don't involve drugs or alcohol, and sometimes have chosen to do absolutely nothing. Yes, Ms. Type A Personality has found herself doing absolutely nothing occasionally.
The local newspaper is chock full of information, such as how much snow is dangerous to have on one's roof-including the data of the water contents of Alaska snow vs. snow we've been accustomed to in Iowa, the entry fee to race in the Iditarod ($5,000+), etc. Be sure to check out the Newsminer's home page at www.newsminer.com for a peek at "my" world. When I was home a bit back my dad told me that each day he checks out the Newsminer's webcam to see what kind of weather we're experiencing here. How nice to know that we're in each other's thoughts and in a sense "touch" each other across the miles.
The Newsminer recently added another webcam website. I'm kind of excited about it, because it is about 4 blocks from where we live. It's actually at the exact site where I took the photos of the mushers coming into Fairbanks on the Yukon Quest. Had I known there was a camera there, and had I known that's where we'd finally decide to take our photos from, I would have waved at the camera. It can be found at www.newsminer.com then select Arctic Cam, then select more web cams, then select View of Chena River from Pro Music.
Even though the weather doesn't seem to reflect it today (-26 as I write this), they say spring will come, and that break-up on the river is something to see. Since the above camera is right on the river, I'd recommend you take an occasional peek at it to see how things are moving along down the river.
The Newsminer also has an interesting web page of the "Public Safety Report" which link can be found under the news tab. It gives quite detailed reports of those found in violation of the law. I found it interesting that it is a crime in Alaska for someone to interfere with someone reporting a crime involving domestic violence....which, in essence, means taking a phone away from the victim as they attempt to phone for help.
I've used the public safety report page to notice where the majority of the DUI's occur, and pay extra attention when driving in those locations in the wee hours of the morning (which, thankfully, doesn't happen very often).
We now have daylight about 12 hours per day, with it increasing 6-7 minutes each day...do the math and we gain about 3/4 of an hour a week and it's only gonna increase from here! It's nice to go to work and come home in the daylight. Nate and I delight in knowing that we've "survived" our first winter in Alaska, 5 hour daylight days and -40 temps. Nate commented the other day that Alaska winters are SO much nicer than Iowa winters. I'll agree that they're longer (we've had snow on the ground since September and it hasn't begun yet to melt), but we don't have the dampness, the wind, the windchill, followed by the thawing and ice covered roads, sidewalks and parking lots, followed by snow to hide the ice, followed by rain, repeat again and again. When it's cold here it is just that, cold. The cold stays where it's at, meaning when you open a door it doesn't come gusting in, and it doesn't creep its way up your sleeves, pantlegs, and down the neck of your clothing. I was back in Iowa in February and thought I'd freeze to death out in the cold and windy, windy, wind.
This afternoon we're planning on going to the Outhouse Sprint Races at Chatanika Lodge, about 30 miles north of Fairbanks. I'm excited about it because 1-we've never traveled that far on the Steese Highway north of Fairbanks so new turf to see, 2-I've never seen outhouse sprint races, and 3-I'm not participating in the race via sitting in or pushing one of the outhouses. Here's a website that I found that gives some details about Chatanika: http://www.mcrw.com/lovenotes/ag_potties.htm It is a well written blog and expresses some of my personal sentiments about Alaska.
Oh my Gosh - just found where someone posted on the newsminer arctic cam website that not only the History Channel is expected at the outhouse races, but 3000 people too! Great! Nate worked last night and is catching a "nap" before we head up there. Looks like I may be waking him a bit earlier than he expected. Having never been there now I'm wondering how far we'll get to walk from our vehicle to the actual race area....and what kind of view we'll have. Can't risk missing another life adventure that's waiting to be experienced. This blog gives us an idea of what fun we're in for...and what you will be missing: http://trevorpng.blogspot.com/2007/04/chatanika-days-outhouse-races.html
I took a peek at the above website and it reminded me of something I said to our receptionist, Letha, yesterday. I said that if I do something goofy or look goofy wearing my klompy yes, with a K, boots or a silly hat I don't feel embarrassed about it in Fairbanks. Two reasons: 1-Most other people are wearing klompy boots and silly hats, and 2-few enough people in Fairbanks know me that I don't have any "image" that might get tarnished from being seen in such a manner!
When I think of how we feel about experiencing Alaska, it reminds me of how someone characterized a first-time grandfather when he meets his first grandchild. "they get all sappy". Yup, that's me! Sappy and lovin' it.
Speaking of websites, here are a few more that I found that might be of interest to you. Well, they are to me~
http://iditarodblogs.com/news/
http://iditarod.com/race/
http://kit-dogdaze.blogspot.com/ - the gal posting this was involved in the Iditarod this year
http://tundratantrum.Blogspot.com/ - the writer of this blog lives 33 degrees north of the Arctic Circle - north of Fairbanks. We haven't yet had the opportunity to travel there, but hope to do so when the road is passable.
I recently joined Facebook, a website where one can locate friends and post items of interest (thoughts, photos, profile info) and connect with them on a regular basis. It's been fun to connect with former schoolmates, former co-workers, current co-workers, current relatives, former relatives, etc. If you haven't joined facebook yet, I encourage you to do so. For those of you who have loved ones that have new generations (children, grandchildren, pets, etc.) it's a fabulous way to be able to take a peek at their lives and bring a smile to your face. www.Facebook.com It's FREE, too!
Friday night Nate and I went to another UAF (University of Alaska Fairbanks) hockey game. They played the Ohio State hockey team in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association quarter final game. UAF won 4-0. The UAF fans were encouraged to wear white and the first 2000 fans received a white towel to wave as we created a "blizzard" effect in the 4200 seat arena. My energetic husband really surprised me during the game. He came aross a stray towel, armed himself with one in each hand, and throughout the game regularly flipped his wrists in front of his chest, arms at his sides, making his towels flutter up and down, up and down. That's my Nathan, my ball of energy! Check out the news article about the game. http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/mar/14/uaf-fans-see-success-whiteout/
I was able to practice my whistle a bit more at last night's hockey game. I actually cheated a bit and practiced it at home Thursday night after Nate went to work at 11 p.m....not sure how the neighbors in the other half of the duplex felt about hearing my shrill whistle, but don't really care since their winter activity (drinking) lends itself to loud, profane arguments on a too regular basis. We know way more than we should about "those people" considering we do not have face to face conversations. The saving grace in this situation is that they have a HUGE motor home parked alongside their side of the duplex so we have high hopes they will be moving on come warmer weather. Our landlord permits 6 month leases, and we have our fingers crossed that theirs falls in that category!
Well, time to post my photos. I'll be posting them in a separate blog so as to hopefully not skew things all up with lengthy text AND photos all in one posting. Yeah, right, there I go thinking positive thoughts again!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Ice and Moose in Alaska
to the left - snow by the entry to our duplex.
Ice used for the ice festival - harvested from a deep pond.Isn't this just the prettiest blue ice you've ever seen on a pond?
Ice Sculpture of a couple of turtles.
If you want to see the details closer, click on the photos. 
Alaska celebrates 50 years of statehood this year.
Alaska celebrates 50 years of statehood this year.
Long slides 100% made from ice. Kids of all ages were enjoying them...sorry u can't see or hear them.
These were probably 25' tall.
Nathan - Mr. Carharrt
These were probably 25' tall.
Nathan - Mr. Carharrt
Camilla at our work as viewed from the receptionist station.
The title of this sculpture is spring.
Momma and baby moose across the road from work today 3-12-09.
Lady on the left was recently involved in a serious accident. She was working as an attendant on a local school bus which was hit by an out of control vehicle. She sustained serious burns and is receiving treatment in Washington State. Please keep her in your prayers.
Courthouse in Fairbanks, AK. Isn't the building and the sky pretty?
Front of the courthouse by the entrance.
Nate in our apartment, getting ready to go to the ice park.
Typical Alaska snow - almost looks fake, doesn't it?
The title of this sculpture is spring.
Momma and baby moose across the road from work today 3-12-09.
Lady on the left was recently involved in a serious accident. She was working as an attendant on a local school bus which was hit by an out of control vehicle. She sustained serious burns and is receiving treatment in Washington State. Please keep her in your prayers.
Courthouse in Fairbanks, AK. Isn't the building and the sky pretty?
Front of the courthouse by the entrance.
Nate in our apartment, getting ready to go to the ice park.
Typical Alaska snow - almost looks fake, doesn't it?
Hopefully these photos and the accompanying text stay where I'm posting them. In reviewing my past postings I find that sometimes the text I type next to a photo ends up next to a different photo.
Tomorrow I send my camera back to Sony for repairs...at no expense. I really, really, really love that camera and SO want it back. I've tried using a different camera, but it just isn't as easy to use.
We continue to find ourselves amused at some non-amusing things. Camilla can't get over how little things just "tickle" me. That makes me easy to get along with, doncha think?
Today I was VERY excited first thing this morning to see a mama moose come out from behind the building across the road from work. It made its way into the willows and munched away. About 2 p.m. I peeked out and saw not only the mama moose, but the "baby" too. The baby is actually probably 2 years old. They got very close to the road and I couldn't resist taking a couple of photos with my cell phone. Hope you enjoy them.
I also used my telephone to take photos at the ice park last night. That, too, was a new experience for us. We got on our winter clompy boots and bundled up nice n warm. It was only 20 degrees out, and by the time we got home I was sweaty, sweaty. There were many parents and children there, the parents pulling their children in plastic sleds, as well as moms with small babies bundled up in pouches attached to their chests. Alaskans don't let a little cold or snow stop them from enjoying life. Gotta love their gusto!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Winter Marching Forward
We continue to enjoy living in Fairbanks. The longer we live here, the more easily we are amused. Perhaps that's due to the winter weather and spending quite a bit of the past few months indoors. I've found that living here has given way to me doing more and more thinking. I find myself thinking about loved ones left back in the Lower 48, the times we've shared together over the years, loved ones who have passed away, and appreciative for all that I have.
When we moved here we had to pare down to what we could fit into the two vehicles, and I'm delighted to say that for the most part we brought the necessities needed to live comfortably here in Alaska. One thing I didn't bring was a loaf pan. Kind of a funny thing to not bring, but I guess I never thought I'd "want" one. I brought a can of pumpkin from Iowa which stares me in the face everytime I open the cupboard, which has made me yearn for some pumpkin bread.
Mid February I returned to Iowa to attend a wedding and while there made a surprise visit to my parents' home from Thursday-Saturday. I mentioned to my mom how I missed having a loaf pan, so she gave me one of hers. I stuffed some of my clothes inside the loaf pan before putting it in my suitcase when returning home, so it really didn't even take up any space.
Growing up it seemed like the more "things" one accumulated or the most grandiose thing you did made me feel more grown-up. i.e. setting up housekeeping you need a certain amount of furniture to be able to exist, and then when you make more money you feel you need more stuff to complement what you have, and then as time goes by you buy more stuff (perhaps if only in a different color or style), and each time it's like taking another step toward the "perfect" adulthood....kind of like you are always in the process of arriving at being a full adult. You arrive at one stage of owning things, then, in time, move on to the next stage, etc. In a way it's similar to the "he who dies with the most toys wins" mindset. Living with less makes for fewer things that can break or need repairs.
Unfortunately my camera is one of those things that needs repairing - again. It worked just great until I tried to turn it on this morning....and nada. I e-mailed SONY in hopes they will tell me that I can send it back in and they'll repair it for free considering it's only been a a month since they repaired it. If not, I'm not sure what I'll do. It definitely will put me in a position to have to make a difficult decision. I'm praying that they will and can repair it.
Having pared down what we have has made me more appreciate of the things I do have and made me quite inventive when I don't have a specific kitchen utensil. Due to the fact that we don't know how long we'll be living in Alaska we aren't tempted to purchase items other than groceries and gasoline, because we obviously won't have any more room going back than we had coming out.
Last weekend Camilla, Brian, Nate and I went to the University of Alaska Fairbanks vs. University of Alaska Anchorage hockey game. It was held at a large arena, similar to the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. I didn't take my camera along, so will need to share the highlights. Before the UAF team came out a large polar bear was blown up on the ice....okay, that didn't sound correct or at least didn't give the correct visual I was intending. Do over...a large inflatible polar bear was blown full of air and the UAF team skated onto the ice underneath the belly of the polar bear. When they were blowing it up his head was the last thing to rise, and for what seemed like the longest time his head bobbed up and down off the ice, then back down. He looked as if he was working as hard as the men operating the fans blowing the bear full of air.
There were three young men who were shirtless and had the UAF letters on their chest who walked through the crowd to generate enthusiasm. Unfortunately enthusiasm was needed, as Fairbanks lost to Anchorage.
Their mascots were people in polar bear costumes. There were a total of four. They, too, walked the crowds and the children swarmed them like bees whenever they got near. It was cute to see the kids flick the bear's tail as the bear walked away.
We expected there would be a large crowd, so got to the venue about 20 minutes early. During the wait time I decided to try to learn how to whistle like my dad used to when I was driving the tractor during hay baling time and I turned a corner too tight, sending him flying one direction and the hay rack the opposite. (That's a visual I'll never forget.)
Anyway, I tried and tried, and by the end of the game I was pretty close to doing dad's whistle. Camilla laughed at me, as she apparently has been able to whistle like I did for quite some time.
Well, I hadn't tried that whistle again until today, and I forgot how to do it! Drat! I'm not really surprised that I forgot, as it took me FOREVER to learn how to frown at times when I was not actually sad. When I think of this it reminds me of the simple things in life and how Alaska has allowed me to slow down enough to notice and enjoy the simple things and, of course, to laugh at myself.
This past week we went to our first Bingo game in Alaska. For years and years we'd talked about going when we lived in Sioux City, but it never seemed to happen. We had an enjoyable evening and Nate even won a $100 game.
Today Nate and I went to the Big Dipper ice arena (similar to the IBP Ice Arena in SC) and watched two FAHA hockey games. The participating teams are: Anaheim Lady Ducks, LA Selects, Alaska Firebirds, Alaska Ice Breakers, and Northwest Selects. It amazes me the distance some travel in order to participate in activities in Fairbanks. The LA Selects played one of the games we watched. They had a full 6 players on the ice and at least 12 on the bench. Poor Northwest Selects had only 5 on the bench. LA must have sent at least 3 teams, as they had quite a cheering section of young ladies all dressed in LA Selects gear.
Tomorrow we have options of what to do (again). There's the Nenana Ice Classic www.nenanaakiceclassic.com, the Junior North American Championship Sled Dog Race and many other activities. Check out this website for a complete calendar of activities. http://fairbanks-alaska.com/sports-calendar.htm Unbelievable all the choices and variety!
Here is a link to "The World's Longest Ultra Race Across Frozen Alaska" which, essentially, is an Iditarod race of either 350 or 1100 miles done on skis, bike, or foot. Seriously~ check it out for yourself. I've clicked through some of the links in this website, too, and found it fascinating.
http://www.alaskaultrasport.com/alaska_ultra_home_page.html
Outdoor winter activities are in full swing in Alaska. The temp doesn't dip below zero very far, and we have snow, snow, snow! We received 8" last Saturday and another 8" this past Thursday-Friday. If I'm correct we have received about 60+ inches this winter. This past Thursday-Friday the snow wasn't the typical dry Alaska snow. It had some moisture in it, making it a bit heavier. The unplowed city streets have wobbly snowlines going down them and when driving on them the vehicle wobbles and wobbles its way to the main (paved) roads. Friday we had high winds - alright, high for Fairbanks. The average windspeed was around 20 mph with gusts to 30+. It's a good thing the snow we received Thursday was wet, as it didn't blow around nearly as much as it could have, if it were dry snow.
Here's a website of a gentleman who lives in North Pole, AK (about 8 miles southeast of Fairbanks) that contains a lot of information (including his perception of the recent weather we've been experiencing. I think it may be of interest to you~
http://surpriseinalaska.blogspot.com/
Jim's website (above) has a link to the following website which explains about the uniqueness of the weather in Fairbanks. I am posting the entire article for those of you who choose to not check out Jim's website.
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF0/046.html
Alaska Science Forum
June 19, 1979
Air Pollution in FairbanksArticle #46
by Sue Ann Bowling
This column is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research community.
The influence of a particular geographic setting and of certain weather conditions can make dispersion of pollutants especially difficult. An excellent example is provided by Alaska's second largest metropolitan area, Fairbanks, situated within a three-sided basin (Birch Hill to Chena Ridge) within a still larger three-sided basin (the Salcha Bluffs behind Eielson Air Force Base to Chena Ridge). These hills protect Fairbanks from strong winds on three sides. On the fourth side, the south, the Alaska Range and the Coast Range beyond it are distant but effective blockades against wind and storms.
As a result, Fairbanks has, at ground level, one of the lowest wind conditions in the world. The lack of wind allows the air over the city to remain relatively stagnant. A further effect of this highly sheltered location is that Fairbanks is typically clear-skyed (except for summer thundercloud; which often form within the valley).
Without the insulating effect of a cloud cover, heat from the earth's surface radiates directly into space, cooling the ground. When the ground cools sufficiently (as in winter or on a summer night), it cools the nearby, lower layers of air. Then the usual trend toward cooler air at higher altitudes becomes inverted: the air closest to the ground becomes colder than the air at higher altitudes. This temperature inversion is very stable because the cold air is heavier and tends to just sit, inert on the ground. Fairbanks' inversions are considered among the most extreme in the world, with temperatures sometimes increasing 16°F (9°C) with each 100 feet of altitude.
Since an inversion resists vertical mixing of air, any pollution put into the air tends to stay in the layer it enters. Strong winds can break up inversions by mixing up the air, as occurs at Delta or Healy where wind funnels through nearby mountain passes. However, in the highly sheltered Fairbanks basin strong winds are infrequent. Therefore pollutants tend to move away from their sources horizontally and quite slowly--especially near the ground. As a result pollution levels in Fairbanks are comparable with those in Los Angeles even though that city has a population more than 200 times greater.
There is no known way to change the low wind or the inversion layers such as occur at Fairbanks. Consequently, the only ways to reduce pollution are to limit pollution sources. Decreasing auto traffic, for example, or use of care in selecting sites for power plants or other industrial developments will help. The mine-mouth power plant at Healy, Alaska is an example of a site well chosen to avoid buildup of air pollution. The Delta, Alaska area can probably also dilute pollution far better than sites closer to Fairbanks.
When we moved here we had to pare down to what we could fit into the two vehicles, and I'm delighted to say that for the most part we brought the necessities needed to live comfortably here in Alaska. One thing I didn't bring was a loaf pan. Kind of a funny thing to not bring, but I guess I never thought I'd "want" one. I brought a can of pumpkin from Iowa which stares me in the face everytime I open the cupboard, which has made me yearn for some pumpkin bread.
Mid February I returned to Iowa to attend a wedding and while there made a surprise visit to my parents' home from Thursday-Saturday. I mentioned to my mom how I missed having a loaf pan, so she gave me one of hers. I stuffed some of my clothes inside the loaf pan before putting it in my suitcase when returning home, so it really didn't even take up any space.
Growing up it seemed like the more "things" one accumulated or the most grandiose thing you did made me feel more grown-up. i.e. setting up housekeeping you need a certain amount of furniture to be able to exist, and then when you make more money you feel you need more stuff to complement what you have, and then as time goes by you buy more stuff (perhaps if only in a different color or style), and each time it's like taking another step toward the "perfect" adulthood....kind of like you are always in the process of arriving at being a full adult. You arrive at one stage of owning things, then, in time, move on to the next stage, etc. In a way it's similar to the "he who dies with the most toys wins" mindset. Living with less makes for fewer things that can break or need repairs.
Unfortunately my camera is one of those things that needs repairing - again. It worked just great until I tried to turn it on this morning....and nada. I e-mailed SONY in hopes they will tell me that I can send it back in and they'll repair it for free considering it's only been a a month since they repaired it. If not, I'm not sure what I'll do. It definitely will put me in a position to have to make a difficult decision. I'm praying that they will and can repair it.
Having pared down what we have has made me more appreciate of the things I do have and made me quite inventive when I don't have a specific kitchen utensil. Due to the fact that we don't know how long we'll be living in Alaska we aren't tempted to purchase items other than groceries and gasoline, because we obviously won't have any more room going back than we had coming out.
Last weekend Camilla, Brian, Nate and I went to the University of Alaska Fairbanks vs. University of Alaska Anchorage hockey game. It was held at a large arena, similar to the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. I didn't take my camera along, so will need to share the highlights. Before the UAF team came out a large polar bear was blown up on the ice....okay, that didn't sound correct or at least didn't give the correct visual I was intending. Do over...a large inflatible polar bear was blown full of air and the UAF team skated onto the ice underneath the belly of the polar bear. When they were blowing it up his head was the last thing to rise, and for what seemed like the longest time his head bobbed up and down off the ice, then back down. He looked as if he was working as hard as the men operating the fans blowing the bear full of air.
There were three young men who were shirtless and had the UAF letters on their chest who walked through the crowd to generate enthusiasm. Unfortunately enthusiasm was needed, as Fairbanks lost to Anchorage.
Their mascots were people in polar bear costumes. There were a total of four. They, too, walked the crowds and the children swarmed them like bees whenever they got near. It was cute to see the kids flick the bear's tail as the bear walked away.
We expected there would be a large crowd, so got to the venue about 20 minutes early. During the wait time I decided to try to learn how to whistle like my dad used to when I was driving the tractor during hay baling time and I turned a corner too tight, sending him flying one direction and the hay rack the opposite. (That's a visual I'll never forget.)
Anyway, I tried and tried, and by the end of the game I was pretty close to doing dad's whistle. Camilla laughed at me, as she apparently has been able to whistle like I did for quite some time.
Well, I hadn't tried that whistle again until today, and I forgot how to do it! Drat! I'm not really surprised that I forgot, as it took me FOREVER to learn how to frown at times when I was not actually sad. When I think of this it reminds me of the simple things in life and how Alaska has allowed me to slow down enough to notice and enjoy the simple things and, of course, to laugh at myself.
This past week we went to our first Bingo game in Alaska. For years and years we'd talked about going when we lived in Sioux City, but it never seemed to happen. We had an enjoyable evening and Nate even won a $100 game.
Today Nate and I went to the Big Dipper ice arena (similar to the IBP Ice Arena in SC) and watched two FAHA hockey games. The participating teams are: Anaheim Lady Ducks, LA Selects, Alaska Firebirds, Alaska Ice Breakers, and Northwest Selects. It amazes me the distance some travel in order to participate in activities in Fairbanks. The LA Selects played one of the games we watched. They had a full 6 players on the ice and at least 12 on the bench. Poor Northwest Selects had only 5 on the bench. LA must have sent at least 3 teams, as they had quite a cheering section of young ladies all dressed in LA Selects gear.
Tomorrow we have options of what to do (again). There's the Nenana Ice Classic www.nenanaakiceclassic.com, the Junior North American Championship Sled Dog Race and many other activities. Check out this website for a complete calendar of activities. http://fairbanks-alaska.com/sports-calendar.htm Unbelievable all the choices and variety!
Here is a link to "The World's Longest Ultra Race Across Frozen Alaska" which, essentially, is an Iditarod race of either 350 or 1100 miles done on skis, bike, or foot. Seriously~ check it out for yourself. I've clicked through some of the links in this website, too, and found it fascinating.
http://www.alaskaultrasport.com/alaska_ultra_home_page.html
Outdoor winter activities are in full swing in Alaska. The temp doesn't dip below zero very far, and we have snow, snow, snow! We received 8" last Saturday and another 8" this past Thursday-Friday. If I'm correct we have received about 60+ inches this winter. This past Thursday-Friday the snow wasn't the typical dry Alaska snow. It had some moisture in it, making it a bit heavier. The unplowed city streets have wobbly snowlines going down them and when driving on them the vehicle wobbles and wobbles its way to the main (paved) roads. Friday we had high winds - alright, high for Fairbanks. The average windspeed was around 20 mph with gusts to 30+. It's a good thing the snow we received Thursday was wet, as it didn't blow around nearly as much as it could have, if it were dry snow.
Here's a website of a gentleman who lives in North Pole, AK (about 8 miles southeast of Fairbanks) that contains a lot of information (including his perception of the recent weather we've been experiencing. I think it may be of interest to you~
http://surpriseinalaska.blogspot.com/
Jim's website (above) has a link to the following website which explains about the uniqueness of the weather in Fairbanks. I am posting the entire article for those of you who choose to not check out Jim's website.
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF0/046.html
Alaska Science Forum
June 19, 1979
Air Pollution in FairbanksArticle #46
by Sue Ann Bowling
This column is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research community.
The influence of a particular geographic setting and of certain weather conditions can make dispersion of pollutants especially difficult. An excellent example is provided by Alaska's second largest metropolitan area, Fairbanks, situated within a three-sided basin (Birch Hill to Chena Ridge) within a still larger three-sided basin (the Salcha Bluffs behind Eielson Air Force Base to Chena Ridge). These hills protect Fairbanks from strong winds on three sides. On the fourth side, the south, the Alaska Range and the Coast Range beyond it are distant but effective blockades against wind and storms.
As a result, Fairbanks has, at ground level, one of the lowest wind conditions in the world. The lack of wind allows the air over the city to remain relatively stagnant. A further effect of this highly sheltered location is that Fairbanks is typically clear-skyed (except for summer thundercloud; which often form within the valley).
Without the insulating effect of a cloud cover, heat from the earth's surface radiates directly into space, cooling the ground. When the ground cools sufficiently (as in winter or on a summer night), it cools the nearby, lower layers of air. Then the usual trend toward cooler air at higher altitudes becomes inverted: the air closest to the ground becomes colder than the air at higher altitudes. This temperature inversion is very stable because the cold air is heavier and tends to just sit, inert on the ground. Fairbanks' inversions are considered among the most extreme in the world, with temperatures sometimes increasing 16°F (9°C) with each 100 feet of altitude.
Since an inversion resists vertical mixing of air, any pollution put into the air tends to stay in the layer it enters. Strong winds can break up inversions by mixing up the air, as occurs at Delta or Healy where wind funnels through nearby mountain passes. However, in the highly sheltered Fairbanks basin strong winds are infrequent. Therefore pollutants tend to move away from their sources horizontally and quite slowly--especially near the ground. As a result pollution levels in Fairbanks are comparable with those in Los Angeles even though that city has a population more than 200 times greater.
There is no known way to change the low wind or the inversion layers such as occur at Fairbanks. Consequently, the only ways to reduce pollution are to limit pollution sources. Decreasing auto traffic, for example, or use of care in selecting sites for power plants or other industrial developments will help. The mine-mouth power plant at Healy, Alaska is an example of a site well chosen to avoid buildup of air pollution. The Delta, Alaska area can probably also dilute pollution far better than sites closer to Fairbanks.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Excitement in Alaska
Fairbanks snow removal. We've received 45" of snow this year and they have removed the snow on our street twice. Vehicles pack down the powdery snow and (eventually) the city scrapes the snow loose from the street, then blows it into trucks that haul it away.
An ice sculpture titled "Next String" of three little hockey players looking over the boards, awaiting their turn.
Second place finisher of the Yukon Quest.
This "baby" moose and its mother hung out in the field across the road from work late this afternoon. Sure glad I had my camera in my briefcase!
First place finisher of Yukon Quest.
This "baby" moose and its mother hung out in the field across the road from work late this afternoon. Sure glad I had my camera in my briefcase!
First place finisher of Yukon Quest.
Yukon Quest first place winner.
Approaching the end of the 1000 mile journey.
Isn't the sleigh adorable. Yes, Alaskans have their children out in -3 weather. They are hardy folks!
I am pleased to report that Sony was able to repair my camera. I've been taking pictures like crazy with it, too, as you can see above. Words can't express how grateful to have "my" camera back. I'll let the photos do the talking.
The first and second place finishers in the Yukon Quest 1000 mile International Sled Dog Race arrived in Fairbanks this morning just before noon. I made it a point to be there with camera in tow. Here is some information about the dogs from the http://www.yukonquest.com/ website:
The original sled dogs were chosen for their size, brute strength and stamina, but modern sled dogs are generally mixed-breed (‘Alaskan’) huskies who have been bred for generations for their endurance, strength, speed, tough feet, good attitude and appetites, and most importantly their desire to pull in harness and their abilities to run well within a team.
The first and second place finishers in the Yukon Quest 1000 mile International Sled Dog Race arrived in Fairbanks this morning just before noon. I made it a point to be there with camera in tow. Here is some information about the dogs from the http://www.yukonquest.com/ website:
The original sled dogs were chosen for their size, brute strength and stamina, but modern sled dogs are generally mixed-breed (‘Alaskan’) huskies who have been bred for generations for their endurance, strength, speed, tough feet, good attitude and appetites, and most importantly their desire to pull in harness and their abilities to run well within a team.
Some kennels still concentrate solely on pure-bred sled dogs, typically Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes or Canadian or American Inuit Dogs, but the majority of modern sled dogs found in long-distance races are truthfully 'genetic mutts' and the name that is most commonly used to refer to them as a group today is 'Alaskan Huskies'.
These modern sled dogs come in many different shapes (or conformations), sizes and a wide variety of colorings; from as small as 35 pounds up to 70 pounds or more. Typically, the modern long-distance Alaskan Huskies weigh between 45 and 60 pounds. Mushers strive for a well balanced dog team that matches all dogs for both size (approximately the same) and gait (the walking, trotting or running speeds of the dogs as well as the 'transition speed' where a dog will switch from one gait to another) so that the entire dog team moves in similar a fashion which increases overall team efficiency. Mismatched teams (large and smaller dogs, different running styles and gaits) can also perform well in long-distance sled dog races, but usually mushers will try to build their teams from sled dogs of similar size, structure and gaits.
Modern Sled Dogs must have good feet. Good canine feet for long-distance sled dogs are typically closely spaced (i.e. toes not spread out or ‘splayed’) and tough (i.e. resistant to both wear and injury). While good feet can be bred for, all sled dogs competing in long-distance races must also be provided with excellent foot care by their mushers. Booties are often worn as a protective covering, this helps the dogs naturally tough feet to cover long distances without difficulties. Extreme cold and new snow can lead to trail conditions that are abrasive to the dogs’ feet and also add more friction to the trail, preventing the sleds from gliding easily. Booties for the dogs are a necessity under these kinds of trail conditions. Dogs sweat only through the mouths (panting) and feet, and not through pores of their skin like humans, so there is a constant need for mushers to balance the use of booties for protection with the dogs’ requirements for thermoregulation, or controlling their body temperatures, so mushers remove their dogs’ booties upon arrival at rest stops and when trail condition are good, teams may run without booties to allow their feet to have some breathing room.
Mushers are constantly inspecting their dogs feet all year long and throughout the race, and as a well known mushing expression says, “As go their feet, so go the dogs” meaning that everything rides on the feet of the dogs and even minor issues will lead to trouble if they are not dealt with quickly and effectively by the musher.
Modern sled dogs are canine athletes, and must be very fit to participate in races as demanding as the Yukon Quest. Any dogs that are even somewhat overweight will likely lead to unnecessary soreness as their joints and muscles cannot support the extra strain and effort the additional weight creates. Typically, the early pre-season training runs are very short distances and designed to get the sled dogs back into ‘running shape’ before the more serious training season begins.
Because these sled dogs are so athletic, many people seeing long-distance sled dogs for the first time are amazed by how small or thin they look; but in fact they are in excellent physical condition much like an Olympic marathon runner would ‘appear thin’ the day before their main race and compared to someone who never exercises, they would appear ‘too small’ at any time of year!
Modern sled dogs must also possess good fur, with an undercoat that insulates them from the cold temperatures where they live and run and an overcoat (also called a ‘guard hair coat’) that prevents the build-up of ice and snow in windy and cold conditions. With changing climatic conditions in the North, some years’ warmer weather can present challenges to these well-coated dogs, and mushers must take extra measures to prevent their heavier-coated dogs from overheating on warmer winter days.
Another important quality that musher looks for in their sled dog is how well they eat. From a young age, when the dogs are still pups, mushers will try to impart good eating habits with their dogs. Picky eaters tend to become more picky out on the trail or when weather conditions turn colder. Mushers look for dogs that eat with enthusiasm all the time, regardless of weather conditions of if they are tired. This way, their dogs eat well during training and on the race so that they can consume a sufficient amount of calories to be able to keep themselves warm while running and resting, even at extremely cold temperatures, and also be able to perform to their maximum abilities during the race. Just like people, if you are hungry, it’s more difficult to do what you can do than if you are well fed.
Finally, mushers look for sled dogs that love to run in harness, work well in a team with other sled dogs, and who get along well with the musher and have that ‘special bond’ that is at the core of great dog teams and their mushers. Although all the physical traits are necessary for sled dogs to be able to complete at the level of the Yukon Quest, it is often said that, “Attitude is Everything” and some dogs with lesser physical abilities, just like some less-talented human athletes, can often become superstars because of their tough mental attitude towards both life and the world of competition. The best modern sled dogs are well-bred, raised with care and love and are energetic and eager to please their musher.
Here's the article from the local newspaper regarding race events: www.newsminer.com/news/2009/feb/24/schnuelle-sets-record-yukon-quest-win-neff-only-4-/
As long as I'm referencing the Newsminer, here's what it has to say regarding Sarah Palin repaying the state for 9 trips taken with her children~
Thought you might be interested in seeing the "local" report on it as well as the many comments at the end of the article.
The next event we'll be enjoying is the 2009 World Ice Art Championships which is held in Fairbanks. You may want to check out their website: http://www.icealaska.com/ There are many events occurring February 24-March 22 at the Ice Championships...just may buy a season pass to take advantage of all it's offering. Yes...that means more photos to come!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Alaska Weather Explained
Update on the camera situation - I took some photos of ice sculptures in their beginning stages, planning on posting here. When I arrived home and transferred to my computer I learned that the camera setting was on video, so have a one second shot of the ice sculpture accompanied with roughly a minute or so of the sky, my feet, trees, etc. Those will not be posted.
I sent my video camera in to Sony and they inform me it is repaired and on its way back to me. Yipee! I've been under the weather (not feeling well) recently and haven't felt like taking photos so actually haven't suffered as much video camera withdrawal as I'd expected.
Here's a web posting I came across that was of interest to me, and perhaps to you as well~
In the words of Johnny Horton "when it's springtime in Alaska, it's forty below" - welcome to spring!
As far as I'm concerned, spring starts when we get near the vernal equinox in March. Most will disagree, citing that spring isn't here 'till the snow is gone.
In March the sun starts staying up long enough to warm the daytime temps- a great time for outdoor activities. It may still drop to 25 below at night, but usually will warm up to 20+ degrees during the day, and warmer (on a good day up to 40). This makes for a good solid snow base and solid ice, with good weather for activities during the day (but--there are always exceptions to the norm in Alaska, when it comes to weather). If you garden, this is the time to start seeds, and plan the garden.In recent years the March weather has been warm enought to make short work of many beautifully carved ice sculptures.
In April we're all anticipating bare ground, and warm weather following much thawing in March- only to have our parade snowed on by April showers- yes, our April showers are white! Sometimes right up till the first of May, and often 8-12 inches at a time! This can stomp ones spirit right into the ground- it's better if you just expect it!
May is the prize we have all anticipated after 6 or 7 months of snow and cold! There's mud, and a winters worth of trash everywhere, but we just can't help but be giddy! After we clean up the trash it's time to pull out the camping and fishing gear (or whatever gets your motor runnin').
The last half of May, and the first half of June can be some of the nicest weather all year, with dry sunny days, and temps in the upper 70s and 80s. In June comes the summer solstice, and hours upon glorious hours of sunshine! We don't let this escape us.
The last of June and July brings the afternoon thunderstorms, and showers (I love a good lightning show!!!).
In August comes cooler weather and usually some rain (and more fishing, and berry picking, and harvesting the garden, bird hunting- this is a very exciting time of year). the rain is often a blessing in its own right after a hot, dry summer, and often more forest fires than we would prefer.
Late Aug. and September is autumn (still plenty of good weather and one of the most beautiful times of the year- moose season, too!).
October starts winter all over again- sigh.
This morning it is -30 in Fairbanks. Feels more like -5 in Iowa, since we don't have any wind in Fairbanks and minimal humidity.
I sent my video camera in to Sony and they inform me it is repaired and on its way back to me. Yipee! I've been under the weather (not feeling well) recently and haven't felt like taking photos so actually haven't suffered as much video camera withdrawal as I'd expected.
Here's a web posting I came across that was of interest to me, and perhaps to you as well~
In the words of Johnny Horton "when it's springtime in Alaska, it's forty below" - welcome to spring!
As far as I'm concerned, spring starts when we get near the vernal equinox in March. Most will disagree, citing that spring isn't here 'till the snow is gone.
In March the sun starts staying up long enough to warm the daytime temps- a great time for outdoor activities. It may still drop to 25 below at night, but usually will warm up to 20+ degrees during the day, and warmer (on a good day up to 40). This makes for a good solid snow base and solid ice, with good weather for activities during the day (but--there are always exceptions to the norm in Alaska, when it comes to weather). If you garden, this is the time to start seeds, and plan the garden.In recent years the March weather has been warm enought to make short work of many beautifully carved ice sculptures.
In April we're all anticipating bare ground, and warm weather following much thawing in March- only to have our parade snowed on by April showers- yes, our April showers are white! Sometimes right up till the first of May, and often 8-12 inches at a time! This can stomp ones spirit right into the ground- it's better if you just expect it!
May is the prize we have all anticipated after 6 or 7 months of snow and cold! There's mud, and a winters worth of trash everywhere, but we just can't help but be giddy! After we clean up the trash it's time to pull out the camping and fishing gear (or whatever gets your motor runnin').
The last half of May, and the first half of June can be some of the nicest weather all year, with dry sunny days, and temps in the upper 70s and 80s. In June comes the summer solstice, and hours upon glorious hours of sunshine! We don't let this escape us.
The last of June and July brings the afternoon thunderstorms, and showers (I love a good lightning show!!!).
In August comes cooler weather and usually some rain (and more fishing, and berry picking, and harvesting the garden, bird hunting- this is a very exciting time of year). the rain is often a blessing in its own right after a hot, dry summer, and often more forest fires than we would prefer.
Late Aug. and September is autumn (still plenty of good weather and one of the most beautiful times of the year- moose season, too!).
October starts winter all over again- sigh.
This morning it is -30 in Fairbanks. Feels more like -5 in Iowa, since we don't have any wind in Fairbanks and minimal humidity.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
January 2009 photos
Momma and baby moose across the road from my work. Photographed from my office.
Snow and hoar frosted trees across the street from our home.
Closeup of tree by our home.
Moose in the field across the road from work. Photographed from my office.
Moose in the field across the road from work. Photographed from my office.
Our tiny Christmas tree. We had 4 ornaments on it, as we left our big tree and ornaments back in Iowa.
Be sure to read below for text also posted today~
Life is Complicated
Okay, I realize my title isn't anything you haven't heard before or didn't know. Rather it's something that I've recently experienced...in too many ways recently. I'm one that easily goes with the flow when it comes to change, however could do with a bit less than I'm experiencing these days.
All of you have no doubt heard about the temperatures in Alaska. We had a good two weeks (if not more) of -40 F temperatures or below. Once the cold snap ended, our temps were +40 to +50 F for several days. It was amazing how quickly the landscape changed. Since our first snowfall in late September all the trees have been coated in show, and for the past month or so, accented with heavy hoar frost. On a recent warm day I went into a meeting one afternoon and when I came out of the meeting I was shocked to see that all of the trees and bushes were bare! It was such a transformation that I actually gasped upon seeing the change. Suddenly it came to me the most dramatic difference in the winter landscape in Iowa and Alaska. In Iowa the trees are rarely cloaked in snow, as the wind usually blows it off shortly after it's fallen, leaving the trees in all their bareness. Until today's snowfall, Alaska resembled winter in Iowa, with the ground snow covered contrasted by the dark trees and bushes.
I appreciated the break in the weather as all the ice on our vehicles melted and I was able to get the snow caked floor mats cleaned.
Speaking of snow, today was the first day we had snow in 2009. On the other hand, Iowa has been experiencing more than it's share of snow, with one friend commenting she has no more places to pile her shoveled snow. They have also been experiencing record low temps. To that I say, I love wintering in Alaska!
Other changes that have occurred are a bit more complicated than the weather. I keep trying to convince myself that they are changeable, unlike my power over the weather, however, it doesn't feel that way at the present.
My video/still camera remains powerless. I've tweaked it every way possible (different battery, charged it, kept if off charger for several days, cooled it down, warmed it up) and still nothing. I found the next model up of the Sony camera I own so purchased it Friday evening. I have a small still digital camera that I've been using, which I don't find nearly as comfortable, and, frankly, frustrates me. I got the camera home, began looking at the manual, and found that it is a video only camera. That was a waste of time. I remedied that by returning it to the store the next day. I've decided to send my broken Sony camera to Sony. If they can repair it for me I'll be charged, if they can't, I owe them nothing. With our minimal living here in Alaska I didn't have a box, so cut the top lid off of a Pizza Hut box and configured it to fit the camera. I hope to mail it off tomorrow and should hear back in 7-10 days if it can be repaired. I'd like you to do me a favor, if you will...call the prayer chain, please! Okay, now I'm showing the impact of this broken camera has inhibited my photography.
In my lost blog I told you that I'd purchased a memory chip for it so I could download photographs from my cell phone and post them here, but my laptop didn't recognize the them. I decided to shut my laptop off and reboot. Which I did. My laptop rebooted (unsuccessfully) for six hours last Sunday. I gave it a one week break, and tried it again today with no success. (Persistent, aren't I?) I was able to get a sheet that shows where the errors are, so I hand wrote all those down and will be contacting our landlord whose occupation is a computer repairperson.
With the laptop on the blink I tried to get the desktop computer working....it hasn't recognized the keyboard or mouse for some time. See what I mean....everything seems to be giving me fits recently! I was able to get the keyboard and mouse working, however it indicates memory card error with the cell phone memory chip. I had troubles installing the last print cartridge a while back, so we aren't doing much printing. I'll save that frustrating task for another day. I can't get the volume to work on it, either. That isn't such a big deal, but if you've ever tried to watch any video without sound, well, let's just say that's rather pointless.
On the positive side, I was able to get the desktop to recognize the memory card from the small digital camera, and plan on posting some photos from it here. On the negative side, I don't have the same photo editing software on the desktop as I used on the laptop and find myself challenged to brighten and crop photos.
Last night Nate and I attended a birthday party for Clarence, a co-worker of ours. Clarence is an excellent musician and performed with several of his buddies. They performed at Pike's Landing, a place that is familiar to a lot of tourists. He looked so nice in his suit and tie. It continues to amaze me that people like him who live in dry cabins (no running water) can look so nice. Guess it's all in perception and adaptation, kind of like the pizza box converted to mailer. I am okay with improvising on the box, but draw the line when it comes to running water.
Thanks to all of you who have been sending e-mails to us. It's so good to reconnect with our loved ones back in the Midwest.
All of you have no doubt heard about the temperatures in Alaska. We had a good two weeks (if not more) of -40 F temperatures or below. Once the cold snap ended, our temps were +40 to +50 F for several days. It was amazing how quickly the landscape changed. Since our first snowfall in late September all the trees have been coated in show, and for the past month or so, accented with heavy hoar frost. On a recent warm day I went into a meeting one afternoon and when I came out of the meeting I was shocked to see that all of the trees and bushes were bare! It was such a transformation that I actually gasped upon seeing the change. Suddenly it came to me the most dramatic difference in the winter landscape in Iowa and Alaska. In Iowa the trees are rarely cloaked in snow, as the wind usually blows it off shortly after it's fallen, leaving the trees in all their bareness. Until today's snowfall, Alaska resembled winter in Iowa, with the ground snow covered contrasted by the dark trees and bushes.
I appreciated the break in the weather as all the ice on our vehicles melted and I was able to get the snow caked floor mats cleaned.
Speaking of snow, today was the first day we had snow in 2009. On the other hand, Iowa has been experiencing more than it's share of snow, with one friend commenting she has no more places to pile her shoveled snow. They have also been experiencing record low temps. To that I say, I love wintering in Alaska!
Other changes that have occurred are a bit more complicated than the weather. I keep trying to convince myself that they are changeable, unlike my power over the weather, however, it doesn't feel that way at the present.
My video/still camera remains powerless. I've tweaked it every way possible (different battery, charged it, kept if off charger for several days, cooled it down, warmed it up) and still nothing. I found the next model up of the Sony camera I own so purchased it Friday evening. I have a small still digital camera that I've been using, which I don't find nearly as comfortable, and, frankly, frustrates me. I got the camera home, began looking at the manual, and found that it is a video only camera. That was a waste of time. I remedied that by returning it to the store the next day. I've decided to send my broken Sony camera to Sony. If they can repair it for me I'll be charged, if they can't, I owe them nothing. With our minimal living here in Alaska I didn't have a box, so cut the top lid off of a Pizza Hut box and configured it to fit the camera. I hope to mail it off tomorrow and should hear back in 7-10 days if it can be repaired. I'd like you to do me a favor, if you will...call the prayer chain, please! Okay, now I'm showing the impact of this broken camera has inhibited my photography.
In my lost blog I told you that I'd purchased a memory chip for it so I could download photographs from my cell phone and post them here, but my laptop didn't recognize the them. I decided to shut my laptop off and reboot. Which I did. My laptop rebooted (unsuccessfully) for six hours last Sunday. I gave it a one week break, and tried it again today with no success. (Persistent, aren't I?) I was able to get a sheet that shows where the errors are, so I hand wrote all those down and will be contacting our landlord whose occupation is a computer repairperson.
With the laptop on the blink I tried to get the desktop computer working....it hasn't recognized the keyboard or mouse for some time. See what I mean....everything seems to be giving me fits recently! I was able to get the keyboard and mouse working, however it indicates memory card error with the cell phone memory chip. I had troubles installing the last print cartridge a while back, so we aren't doing much printing. I'll save that frustrating task for another day. I can't get the volume to work on it, either. That isn't such a big deal, but if you've ever tried to watch any video without sound, well, let's just say that's rather pointless.
On the positive side, I was able to get the desktop to recognize the memory card from the small digital camera, and plan on posting some photos from it here. On the negative side, I don't have the same photo editing software on the desktop as I used on the laptop and find myself challenged to brighten and crop photos.
The other night on my way home from work I came around the corner and right next to the road stood a mother moose and her baby munching away on the trees. I had my camera in my briefcase, so rapidly pulled over to the side of the road, threw my van into park, turned on my emergency flashers and grabbed for my camera. Wouldn't you know, that suddenly some bright, colored lights were flashing all around and a big 'ol spotlight was shining inside my vehicle. Great - a cop! My first thought was am I doing something illegal? Figuring I was, I shut off my emergency flashers and began to creep ahead, all the while looking out the window at the moose. What a PERFECT shot I was giving up. The policeman pulled up next to me, rolled down his window, and hollered 'you aren't having car trouble, are you?' at which point both moose bolted into the trees. Exasperated I informed the police that I wasn't having car problems, and off he went. So much for that photo op. My apologies to all of you.
I feel a need to also apologize for the format of my recent posts. You will have to trust me that I have placed paragraph breaks between paragraphs, since none have been showing. I've tried everything possible to correct this, but, obviously, haven't found the solution. I am going to post photos separate from this post and see if that makes a difference. (Post Note - I tried posting the photos separately, and it worked fine, and this appears to show paragraph breaks. Success!)
Last night Nate and I attended a birthday party for Clarence, a co-worker of ours. Clarence is an excellent musician and performed with several of his buddies. They performed at Pike's Landing, a place that is familiar to a lot of tourists. He looked so nice in his suit and tie. It continues to amaze me that people like him who live in dry cabins (no running water) can look so nice. Guess it's all in perception and adaptation, kind of like the pizza box converted to mailer. I am okay with improvising on the box, but draw the line when it comes to running water.
Thanks to all of you who have been sending e-mails to us. It's so good to reconnect with our loved ones back in the Midwest.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
OK Christmas & websites of interest
Grandpa Skeeter and Alexis
Below:
Almost all of the family:
Sam, Marla, Sally, Mike, Skeeter, Marcia
Jill and Judah (Stephen, Charissa and Alexis just happen to be in the small photo to the right of Sam.
Here are a couple more photos from the Christma trip to Oklahoma.
I continue to be plighted by camera difficulties. I bought a memory card for my cell phone and took quite a few photos with it, and now when I insert the memory card into my laptop it isn't recognized. hmm
There has been a LOT of ice fog in Fairbanks this past week, as well as cold temps -40's. Nate and I have decided to delete the minus or below when we talk about the temperature. Saying that with the temperature makes it seem all that much colder.
I have hoped all week that the ice fog would lift. I'm told that it goes along with the cold temps and the vehicle exhaust and chimney smoke, etc., and once the temp warms up it will lift. Driving in the ice fog, in my opinion, is very dangerous, as the roads are frequently glazed by invisible ice, as well as vehicle exhaust lingers in the air, often blocking one's view...in addition to the reduced visibility due to the ice fog.
Our cars have also "collected" ice fog on them. It resembles very, very fine powder. Windshield wipers don't remove it, it needs to be brushed off.
Our bodies are doing okay with the weather - probably because we spend most of the time indoors. Our vehicles, on the other hand, seem to have noticed the colder temps. Daily we have square tires to deal with, in addition to various other maladies, including brick hard seats, doors that don't want to open or shut easily, squeals from the engine before actually starting, sliding side doors not sliding, etc. It's actually kind of amusing to see what will be different each day.
Nate and I will be going for dinner shortly at The Turtle Club in nearby Fox, so I will give you some websites of interest you may enjoy.
Web cam at Barrow, Alaska - way, way north of us. I hope to visit there some day
Check out this energentic dog. Not sure the location where it was filmed, but definitely amazing.
Info regarding the road to Barrow.
Weather webcam in Fairbanks
What's there to do in Fairbanks? Check it out below~
And the most hilarious Christmas Wish Video I've ever seen
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Iowa Vacation
Great Grandpa Skeeter, 81, and Avery, 5 months.
Justin dodging Brittany's fire after extinguishing altar candles.
Rear of Boys and Girls Home and Family Services, Sioux City, Iowa.
View to the north of Boys and Girls Home and Family Services, Sioux City, Iowa.
Windmill towers which generate electricity.
Daisy
Nate, his daughter, and granddaughter.
Christmas decor in Nate's daughter's new home.
Daisy
Nate, his daughter, and granddaughter.
Christmas decor in Nate's daughter's new home.
Boys and Girls Home of Nebraska @ South Sioux City.
My son's hockey game.
Brittany
Bumper crop of corn in Iowa.
Bumper crop of corn in Iowa.
The weather this weekend is brutally cold, so we spent all day today (as well as New Year's Day) snug and warm at home. Further, with only about 4 hours of daylight (which hasn't been very light recently due to the ice fog) we find we can stay home and be very content.When purchasing groceries earlier this week I bought a 17 lb. turkey which I baked today. Gave us a nice meal, lots of leftovers as well as several hours of heat which kept us toasty today. One of my missions for this weekend was to see if I could get the video/still camera to work. I've kept it plugged in all week, checking several times daily to see if the battery has charged or if it is working off of electricity. Nothing.
Another mission was to see if I could get the photos on the memory stick onto my computer. Well, I had success with that, as you can see.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Holidays = Holidaze
Forgive me for not posting for over a month. I was busy getting things lined up for a ten day visit back to Iowa for a between-the-holidays visit. We were able to get one Alaska Arlines ticket for regular price and a companion fare for $50 and figured it would do us well to take advantage of the savings.
We took a taxi the 4 miles from our home to the airport on December 2 at 10:30 p.m. for the pricey sum of $21.75 (yikes!) to catch our flight through Seattle and on to Minneapolis where we rented a car and drove to my parents farm (where I grew up and my dad was born) near Lake Park, Iowa.
The next weeks were spent putting many, many miles on the rental car, traveling from Lake Park to Sioux City to Lake Park to Sioux City, to Des Moines to Sioux City. We were able to take in several annual holiday events including the annual Sioux City Boys and Girls Home Christmas party at Buffalo Alice's, Christmas party and children's Christmas pageant at our home church, Trimble United Methodist Church, as well as traveling to Grace Corner for her holiday open house in her new Bed and Breakfast. We didn't tell a lot of people we would be coming back to Iowa, as we didn't want people to feel obligated about seeing us. Needless to say there were a lot of folks surprised to see us.
We stopped at our house in Sioux City to see how we felt being in it. Diane has it decorated with a combination of her and our items creating a homey atmosphere. We visited with her at the kitchen table for probably an hour, and I found myself feeling pressured. Pressured that I should be doing something, as that was my normal mode while living in that house. It made me realize that in Alaska I live a much, much more relaxed lifestyle, totally non-pressured.
Nathan returned the rental car to Minneapolis and flew home Dec. 15. My parents had planned on my son, Sam, driving them to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit my one and only sibling, Marla, for Christmas and expressed how nice it would be for me to accompany them. Thus I purchased a return flight home for December 26 from Tulsa and extended my stay. So much for the saving on air fare for the trip. Also so much for the guaranteed white Christmas I had been expecting to spend in Alaska.
After Nate left for Alaksa I spent more time between Lake Park and Sioux City, as well as traveling to Storm Lake to Santa's Castle. It is chock full of animated displays and oh so magical. Back in the 1980's we took Sam and Camilla to the Castle, so it holds memories for me. Brittany had never seen Santa's Castle, nor had her mom, Anna, mom's fancee Jonathan, or Jonathan's mom, Nancy, so we piled into my rental PT Cruiser and made the trip. In true child fashion Brittany made a quick trip through the Castle. I asked her who would be accompanying her through for her repeat walk-through, and one by one she chose each of us. She made a total of 5 trips through the Castle and I'm sure saw something different on each trip.
Nancy bought me a "No Place Like Home" Christmas ornament there...it goes along very nicely with our two ornaments on our tree. We purchased a gold Alaska ornament and a tiny pair of moose hide mittens trimmed with fur created by a crafter from North Pole, Alaska. Prior to having those we put a photo of Nate's granddaughter, Allysa, on our 3' rummage sale find Christmas tree. Another reason we like it so well is that it was the right size to fit into our luggage (small).
We were very excited to see Gary and Shari's new home near Des Moines, Iowa in a new housing project in the country. They posted construction photos on a website, so it was fun to see the finished product. It is a very, very nice home. We are both happy for them and Allysa to have such a nice home to enjoy. We don't get to see them often, so cherish the time we do spend with them. I am fairly new to the family (6 years) yet feel totally comfortable whenever we're together. I appreciate them making me feel so welcomed.
They gave us a book that was as if it was hand selected just for me. Well, okay, it was; my point is there isn't a more perfect book they could have chosen. It's Dewey The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron. Dewey looks so much like our cat Peaches, that we left with Nancy in Sioux City. The library where Dewey lived was Spencer, Iowa, only 40 some miles from where I grew up and where we often shopped. I carried the book with me throughout my long journey back to Fairbanks and enjoyed reading it. I was really delighted to see a display of best sellers at the Hudson store in O'Hare Airport in Chicago which included Dewey. How cool is that?
I was able to enjoy watching Sam play 3 hockey games in Sioux City at the IBP Ice Arena and one in Sioux Center, Iowa. The Sioux Center arena had a total of three observers in the stands, and Sam's team wasn't the winning team, however I enjoyed watching him (and cleaning out my purse during breaks between periods). When we left Sioux Center several inches of snow had fallen and the wind was blowing a gale. Fortunately we had Sam's 4-wheel drive pick-up to trudge through the 8" of snow on the highways back to Sioux City. He did a great job keeping us on the road even though frequently we couldn't see any lines on the highway. He averaged 20-40 mph, so we didn't break any speed records, but he does get my nod for safety.
The weather while we were in Iowa was typical Iowa. It got down to zero, even a little below, snowed frequently, as much as 7" in one snowfall, and the wind blew as if it were making some sort of statement. I read that statement to be 'I'd rather be experiencing a Fairbanks, Alaska winter'.
Monday, Dec. 22 I was able to visit Ed Brown, former Sunday School co-teacher of mine at Trimble, in the hospital, and Damon and Amy's newborn baby, Parker James, and his pre-school aged siblings, Carson and Kenzie. Around 2 p.m. mom and dad met Sam and I and we were off to Tulsa.
We sent December 23-26 in Tulsa where the breezes blew and the temperatures warmed. We were blessed to spend our time with my sister and her husband, Mike; their son and his family, Stephen, Charissa, Alexis age 6 and Avery 5 months who live in Tulsa; and their daughter and husband, Jill and Judah, from New York City. Christmas day we spent with Charissa's father and Mike's parents. A few years back Marla and Mike added on to their home, creating the perfect place for our family to spread out and enjoy the holiday.
Friday, December 26 when I left Tulsa it was in the mid 70's. Due to weather creating air traffic snarls in Chicago my planned 2 p.m. departure left Tulsa at 4:30 p.m. This, of course, caused me to miss my connecting flight in Chicago. I spent a few hours in the Chicago Airport before traveling on to Seattle where I had a layover from 1 am - 6 am. Prior to leaving Chicago airport personnel set out about 200 cots for travelers. These cots were 2-3" apart (max) from each other and I wondered how in the world anyone would get up and walk between them should the need (bathroom) arise. I secretly hoped tho, that Seattle would have some kind of cot set-up.
Seattle airport was quiet and cot-less. I slept most of the flight from Chicago to Seattle so stayed awake and read and did some people watching.
Seattle flight took me to Anchorage where I had a short layover, then (finally) on to Fairbanks.
I arrived home to my beloved husband some 24 hours and 100 degree temperature difference from when I left Tulsa.
Fairbanks looks as beautiful as I recall, maybe even moreso. Nate and I have decided that we know the temps are in the minus region, but to make us feel "warmer" we won't refer to it as minus, rather now the temp is 36. Check out the News Miner web cam at http://www.newsminer.com/arcticcam/ for what Fairbanks looks like.
I believe I've gotten caught up with my sleep as I slept from 4 p.m. Saturday - 7 a.m. Sunday and again 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. today. It will feel really strange to wake up to an alarm tomorrow morning and not see the sun until around 10 a.m. after having spent so much time in 10 hours of daylight per day rather than 5 hours of daylight as is the case in Alaska now. One good thing...the days have begun to get longer, by about 2 minutes per day, and will continue to do so until June 21.
You probably notice that there aren't any photos with this posting. Well, folks, I have some technical problems going on now, which seem to be complicating as the days go by. Here's the brief synopsis:
1. The day we left Fairbanks I put a water bottle in my briefcase.
2. Upon arriving at home I noticed the water bottle had leaked in my briefcase onto my video/still camera.
3. I did everything possible to dry out the camera which obviously wasn't working.
4. Checked the camera every possible chance on the flight home and it had begun working again. Yippee!!!!
5. Took over 700 photos on the camera through December 24.
6. December 25 the camera was totally dead...and wouldn't charge (and remains that way).
7. Decided today to look at the photos I took which are on my camera's memory stick. When I insert the Card Reader my computer doesn't register that it's been inserted.
Therefore no photos today. Possibly in the near future things will change.
I'm still trying to readjust to being home and mentally preparing for going back to work tomorrow. Never in my adult life have I been on vacation for 22 consecutive days. I am so appreciative to Letha and Blanche for their extra efforts in taking care of job duties, for Carla approving my leave extension and for Boys and Girls Home my vacation benefits.
We took a taxi the 4 miles from our home to the airport on December 2 at 10:30 p.m. for the pricey sum of $21.75 (yikes!) to catch our flight through Seattle and on to Minneapolis where we rented a car and drove to my parents farm (where I grew up and my dad was born) near Lake Park, Iowa.
The next weeks were spent putting many, many miles on the rental car, traveling from Lake Park to Sioux City to Lake Park to Sioux City, to Des Moines to Sioux City. We were able to take in several annual holiday events including the annual Sioux City Boys and Girls Home Christmas party at Buffalo Alice's, Christmas party and children's Christmas pageant at our home church, Trimble United Methodist Church, as well as traveling to Grace Corner for her holiday open house in her new Bed and Breakfast. We didn't tell a lot of people we would be coming back to Iowa, as we didn't want people to feel obligated about seeing us. Needless to say there were a lot of folks surprised to see us.
We stopped at our house in Sioux City to see how we felt being in it. Diane has it decorated with a combination of her and our items creating a homey atmosphere. We visited with her at the kitchen table for probably an hour, and I found myself feeling pressured. Pressured that I should be doing something, as that was my normal mode while living in that house. It made me realize that in Alaska I live a much, much more relaxed lifestyle, totally non-pressured.
Nathan returned the rental car to Minneapolis and flew home Dec. 15. My parents had planned on my son, Sam, driving them to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit my one and only sibling, Marla, for Christmas and expressed how nice it would be for me to accompany them. Thus I purchased a return flight home for December 26 from Tulsa and extended my stay. So much for the saving on air fare for the trip. Also so much for the guaranteed white Christmas I had been expecting to spend in Alaska.
After Nate left for Alaksa I spent more time between Lake Park and Sioux City, as well as traveling to Storm Lake to Santa's Castle. It is chock full of animated displays and oh so magical. Back in the 1980's we took Sam and Camilla to the Castle, so it holds memories for me. Brittany had never seen Santa's Castle, nor had her mom, Anna, mom's fancee Jonathan, or Jonathan's mom, Nancy, so we piled into my rental PT Cruiser and made the trip. In true child fashion Brittany made a quick trip through the Castle. I asked her who would be accompanying her through for her repeat walk-through, and one by one she chose each of us. She made a total of 5 trips through the Castle and I'm sure saw something different on each trip.
Nancy bought me a "No Place Like Home" Christmas ornament there...it goes along very nicely with our two ornaments on our tree. We purchased a gold Alaska ornament and a tiny pair of moose hide mittens trimmed with fur created by a crafter from North Pole, Alaska. Prior to having those we put a photo of Nate's granddaughter, Allysa, on our 3' rummage sale find Christmas tree. Another reason we like it so well is that it was the right size to fit into our luggage (small).
We were very excited to see Gary and Shari's new home near Des Moines, Iowa in a new housing project in the country. They posted construction photos on a website, so it was fun to see the finished product. It is a very, very nice home. We are both happy for them and Allysa to have such a nice home to enjoy. We don't get to see them often, so cherish the time we do spend with them. I am fairly new to the family (6 years) yet feel totally comfortable whenever we're together. I appreciate them making me feel so welcomed.
They gave us a book that was as if it was hand selected just for me. Well, okay, it was; my point is there isn't a more perfect book they could have chosen. It's Dewey The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron. Dewey looks so much like our cat Peaches, that we left with Nancy in Sioux City. The library where Dewey lived was Spencer, Iowa, only 40 some miles from where I grew up and where we often shopped. I carried the book with me throughout my long journey back to Fairbanks and enjoyed reading it. I was really delighted to see a display of best sellers at the Hudson store in O'Hare Airport in Chicago which included Dewey. How cool is that?
I was able to enjoy watching Sam play 3 hockey games in Sioux City at the IBP Ice Arena and one in Sioux Center, Iowa. The Sioux Center arena had a total of three observers in the stands, and Sam's team wasn't the winning team, however I enjoyed watching him (and cleaning out my purse during breaks between periods). When we left Sioux Center several inches of snow had fallen and the wind was blowing a gale. Fortunately we had Sam's 4-wheel drive pick-up to trudge through the 8" of snow on the highways back to Sioux City. He did a great job keeping us on the road even though frequently we couldn't see any lines on the highway. He averaged 20-40 mph, so we didn't break any speed records, but he does get my nod for safety.
The weather while we were in Iowa was typical Iowa. It got down to zero, even a little below, snowed frequently, as much as 7" in one snowfall, and the wind blew as if it were making some sort of statement. I read that statement to be 'I'd rather be experiencing a Fairbanks, Alaska winter'.
Monday, Dec. 22 I was able to visit Ed Brown, former Sunday School co-teacher of mine at Trimble, in the hospital, and Damon and Amy's newborn baby, Parker James, and his pre-school aged siblings, Carson and Kenzie. Around 2 p.m. mom and dad met Sam and I and we were off to Tulsa.
We sent December 23-26 in Tulsa where the breezes blew and the temperatures warmed. We were blessed to spend our time with my sister and her husband, Mike; their son and his family, Stephen, Charissa, Alexis age 6 and Avery 5 months who live in Tulsa; and their daughter and husband, Jill and Judah, from New York City. Christmas day we spent with Charissa's father and Mike's parents. A few years back Marla and Mike added on to their home, creating the perfect place for our family to spread out and enjoy the holiday.
Friday, December 26 when I left Tulsa it was in the mid 70's. Due to weather creating air traffic snarls in Chicago my planned 2 p.m. departure left Tulsa at 4:30 p.m. This, of course, caused me to miss my connecting flight in Chicago. I spent a few hours in the Chicago Airport before traveling on to Seattle where I had a layover from 1 am - 6 am. Prior to leaving Chicago airport personnel set out about 200 cots for travelers. These cots were 2-3" apart (max) from each other and I wondered how in the world anyone would get up and walk between them should the need (bathroom) arise. I secretly hoped tho, that Seattle would have some kind of cot set-up.
Seattle airport was quiet and cot-less. I slept most of the flight from Chicago to Seattle so stayed awake and read and did some people watching.
Seattle flight took me to Anchorage where I had a short layover, then (finally) on to Fairbanks.
I arrived home to my beloved husband some 24 hours and 100 degree temperature difference from when I left Tulsa.
Fairbanks looks as beautiful as I recall, maybe even moreso. Nate and I have decided that we know the temps are in the minus region, but to make us feel "warmer" we won't refer to it as minus, rather now the temp is 36. Check out the News Miner web cam at http://www.newsminer.com/arcticcam/ for what Fairbanks looks like.
I believe I've gotten caught up with my sleep as I slept from 4 p.m. Saturday - 7 a.m. Sunday and again 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. today. It will feel really strange to wake up to an alarm tomorrow morning and not see the sun until around 10 a.m. after having spent so much time in 10 hours of daylight per day rather than 5 hours of daylight as is the case in Alaska now. One good thing...the days have begun to get longer, by about 2 minutes per day, and will continue to do so until June 21.
You probably notice that there aren't any photos with this posting. Well, folks, I have some technical problems going on now, which seem to be complicating as the days go by. Here's the brief synopsis:
1. The day we left Fairbanks I put a water bottle in my briefcase.
2. Upon arriving at home I noticed the water bottle had leaked in my briefcase onto my video/still camera.
3. I did everything possible to dry out the camera which obviously wasn't working.
4. Checked the camera every possible chance on the flight home and it had begun working again. Yippee!!!!
5. Took over 700 photos on the camera through December 24.
6. December 25 the camera was totally dead...and wouldn't charge (and remains that way).
7. Decided today to look at the photos I took which are on my camera's memory stick. When I insert the Card Reader my computer doesn't register that it's been inserted.
Therefore no photos today. Possibly in the near future things will change.
I'm still trying to readjust to being home and mentally preparing for going back to work tomorrow. Never in my adult life have I been on vacation for 22 consecutive days. I am so appreciative to Letha and Blanche for their extra efforts in taking care of job duties, for Carla approving my leave extension and for Boys and Girls Home my vacation benefits.
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