...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.

...of raging cold and making pizza

Minus 30 degrees on the car temperature gauge.
A warm pesto pizza.

It's been cold around here lately. You know that from my last post. Last night the temperature fell to minus 33 degrees. At 9:10 AM it had warmed to minus 30, as pictured above. The forecast calls for a warming trend and it should be up around zero by the middle of next week. We haven't been outside much.
Instead, we've been making pizza! Using the Jiffy pizza crust mix and pesto as a base we add the following toppings: mozzarella cheese, chicken, onions, and pepperoni. It's delicious and warm. So, that's how our days go, speaking incessantly...of raging cold and making pizza.

...2009 is here.

The cabin post frozen pipes.



Happy New Year!


We landed in Anchorage early in the morning (read 2:00 AM) on New Year's Eve. After a brief stay at a hotel we got up to run a few errands and hit the road for Nikiski in minus 26 degree temperatures. A chilly end to 2008 for certain!


We stopped in Cooper Landing to vist our friends and they were busily thawing out frozen pipes in their cabin. They had the heat going full blast and fans forcing air into the crawl space. Once everything was under control we went to the Sunrise Inn for lunch where we were introduced to a dice game called Farkle which we enjoyed very much. After eating we got back on the road and we were home about 5:00 PM. There was plenty of snow in the driveway (about 14 inches) and the garage door was frozen shut. After several attempts it finally opened shredding the weather stripping along the bottom edge. I will be replacing that very soon.


We tried to stay awake until midnight but only made it to 9:00 PM. So, we are wishing you all a Happy New Year today, because, after all...2009 is here.

...Christmas in Alaska...and Montana...and California

Grandpa got new glasses!
A warm California Christmas scene.

A bird's eye view of a Montana Christmas morning.

Cookie decorator.

We have had a wonderful Holiday Season celebrating Christmas in three different states! First, we opened packages here in Alaska (no photos, sorry) before hopping on a plane bound for Montana where we visited family and opened more presents. Then it was off to California where we visited more family and friends--and opened more presents. Oh, and there was great food everywhere we went, and lots of it. Thanks everyone! It was great to see all of you and best wishes for the New Year!