...watching the Tustumena 200

The big sled dog race began this morning in Clam Gulch. There were lots of dogs, mushers, and fans braving below zero temperatures at the start of the race, but the sky was crystal clear and everyone was anxious for things to begin. At 11:00 AM the first team left the gate and the race was underway. Team after team passed as we watched from the edge of the road and sometimes in the heat of the car. It was a fun way to spend a January day...watching the Tustumena 200.

...morning moose

As it was getting light this morning we noticed a visitor in our backyard. This young moose was nearly at the back door before stopping and kneeling to eat the exposed grass in the yard. It didn't seem frightened at all when I opened the door for a few snapshots. Not even the flash from the camera seemed to bother the little fella. Indeed, it seemed to be a very self assured...morning moose.

...Ice Road Truckers

Driving on the ice.

More wacky weather here in Alaska. Last week it was in the minus 30's. Yesterday it was 48 degrees...above zero. It was raining too. Pouring rain. Of course, the ground is frozen and can't absorb any of the moisture so it flows into low areas and makes some nice pools. And, the roads turn to ice. Sheer ice with a layer of water on top. That transforms all of us who drive into involuntary...Ice Road Truckers.

...another weekend in January

A moonlit boreal forest.

Skis in the tracks on the lake.

A picnic table in the snow.

It was a bright weekend, albeit cold, due to the moon and how near it was to the earth (we learned all about it on the news last week). It kept the forest in a silvery light all night which was quite beautiful. We also took advantage of a slight warming trend (it was 1 degree above zero yesterday) to take a ski on the lake and photograph a picnic table in the snow.

All in all, it was just...another weekend in January.

...another cold day

I took this picture of my computer screen today. It was too cold to go outside and take a photo. It was too cold to go outside for anything. The forecast calls for more of the same. In fact, we are breaking records for the number of consecutive days at sub-zero temps. So, I guess we can look forward to tomorrow as...another cold day.

...good moose

We saw this moose along the side of the road on Sunday afternoon. It was looking directly at us, however, by the time I got the camera ready all we could see was this angle.
Mrs. H always tells them to "stay off the road," and this moose was no exception. See how well they follow directions? This one is getting off the road and going into the woods...good moose.

...a warming trend...sort of

Here are couple of photos I took this morning. The first shows the temperature at 11:03 AM. A balmy minus 15 degrees. The second is a shot of a volcano across the Inlet. A cold volcano.

So, we're in the midst of another day of cold temperatures, although, it's better than yesterday's minus 30 degrees. I guess you could say it's...a warming trend...sort of.