Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Virginia Visit: Brunch (01-29-2023)

It's 6:30am. It may be 5 hours since I went to bed, but the adrenaline is flowing and I don't feel tired. It's our day to host!

BB and I take a few minutes to savor a mug of coffee before taking showers and putting our party clothes on.  

We did most of the decorating last night.  What remains is the outside decorating; putting out the Just Married garden flag and painted rocks and updating the Welcome Message on the chalkboard.  Inside we make sure several flat surfaces are clear for the caterers and that chairs are placed conveniently near tables or in conversation groupings.

The caterer is Catering by Catherine.  Catherine and 2 helpers, Lisa and Wey, arrive shortly after 8:00.  Lisa set up the omelet station in the kitchen.  Wey set up drinks, The Lily (mimosa) and The Eloise (kir royale), on one end of the dining room table.  (FYI - Lily and Eloise are K&D's cats).  Ham biscuits, coffee cake, fruit tray, cheese sausage balls and CFA nuggets are at the other end of the table.  Coffee, tea and water are on the sideboard.   Catherine and Wey surveyed the space.  We let them set up as they thought best.  They didn't disappoint!  They replenished items when needed and periodically walked the rooms to pick up empty plates and trash. 

I enjoyed talking with Catherine.  She asked about our time in Alaska and told me about her time working for a lodge in Glacier Bay.  She is an interesting person.

It is a rainy morning.  The rain doesn't stop people from coming.  The guests arrive evenly spaced between 9:00 and noon.  The rooms at The Gather Inn easily accomodate our guests. 

It is Noon.  The guests say goodbye.  Catherine, Wey and Lisa do such an amazing clean up job that if you didn’t know it you would never realize that 38 people had just been here for brunch.

John leaves to go to another party; a birthday party for his father.  Jack and Ann move to The Gather Inn from The Martha.  Katherine and Derek go home to rest.  

Quiet Time.

Katherine joins us mid-afternoon.  We spend time swopping rehearsal and wedding stories and family news. 

We snack on leftover brunch food.  

Everyone is tired....happy tired. Katherine leaves for home around 5:30. The rest of us hang out for a while longer before heading for our rooms.


No people pictures.  I was visiting!









A






This comment from Catherine, the caterer, sums up the day:




Sal



Monday, January 30, 2023

Virginia Visit: Wedding Day (01-28-2023)

Today is the BIG day!

We start it with a short walk  to Wolf Hills Coffee for a toffee caramel latte and a chocolate croissant. YUM!

John, BB and I are providing lunch for the bridal party and groomsmen.  Katherine and her attendants are in the  Bridal Suite at the Martha Washington Inn (AKA - The Martha).  They have been there since 8:00am.  Makeup and hair are on the agenda along with visiting and just enjoying life.  Lunch is salad, crab cakes and shrimp from The Martha's Sister's American Grill. Derek and his groomsmen are at K&D’s house.  Derek requested Chick-Fil-A for lunch.  We leave at 10:50 for the nearest CFA, which is in Bristol.  While on the way we ask the Bride if she needs anything.  YES! HASH BROWNS! We add a stop at  Bojangles to pick up Bo Rounds.

Derek is calm and collected when we drop off lunch.  We were 5 minutes away when the phone rings.  It's Derek.  He forgot to give us something.  Can we come back?  He hands us a card and gift for us to deliver to Katherine. (SO SWEET! Made my heart smile!).




BB and I deliver Derek's gift and the Bo Rounds to Katherine.  The atmosphere in the Bridal suite is energized!  Bride and attendants are in different stages of hair and makeup.  Everyone seems happy and excited.  




Time for us to get back to The Gather Inn and get our dress clothes on.  John and I had things that needed ironing. Donna, our Hostess, volunteered the use of her steam iron.  I ironed my dresses earlier this morning.  Since I already knew where the iron and landry room were located I volunteered  to iron John's dress shirt.  I hear Donna in the kitchen on my way to the laundry room and feel I should acknowledge her presence.  I say something like, "Here I go to iron....haven’t ironed in 12 years.  Hope every thing turns out OK."  Donna stops what she is doing and says "Let me show you how the iron works."  I didn't have the heart to tell her I had already used it once that morning.  Donna goes with me to the laundry room, shows me how to turn on  the iron and the indicator light that shows when it is ready.  Then she explains how to iron with the steam iron and to keep the iron moving or else I might burn the shirt.  Then she VOLUNTEERS TO IRON THE SHIRT FOR ME! It was a very kind offer but I just couldn't let her do it.  I thank her and tell her I'll do it.  The steam iron gets the job done quickly.  

John's duties have him at the Chapel at 3:15.  We arrive right on time!  The wedding party is in the Chapel with the photographer, making the Chapel off limits.  We gather in the hallway and visit with other early arrivals as we wait for the Chapel to open. John helps one of the younger ushers tie his tie, everyone tells everyone else how nice they look and that it's just been too long since we last saw each other.  

Finally, it's time! John goes off to do his usher thing.  BB and I are escorted to our seats.  We are in the second pew near the main aisle.  I've never sat so close to the front at a wedding.  It was great to be able to see so well.  Ann, Bride’s Mother, is lovely in her blue dress. Jack, Bride’s Father, is handsome walking his beautiful daughter down the aisle to meet her handsome groom. A beautiful ceremony.

The photographer takes family group photos after the ceremony.  While waiting our turn we visit with our Roanoke Cousins and other family.

Decorations for tomorrow's brunch include photos taken at the rehearsal dinner and before and after the wedding ceremony.  We sent them to print at Walgreens.  They are ready for pickup within 30 minutes!  We pick them up on the way to the reception.

Reception and dinner are at The Martha.   More quality time with family and friends!  On a mantal in the reception room are photos of family members who are no longer with us. It made my heart warm to see them remembered at K & D's wedding festivities.  Tables are decorated with beautiful white roses.  BB and I are seated at table #1 with Ann, Jack, John and others.  This puts us in perfect position for all the main events; bride/groom entrance, buffet table, cake cutting, toasts, first dances.  After dinner the DJ starts the music.  Time to dance! 

The evening ends with everyone being handed a sparkler.  We form up outside The Martha in two lines. We call for kisses and wish the couple well as they run between the lines of lit sparklers.

Festivities over, we head back to The Gather Inn. Cousin KJ joins us.  The four of us slowly unwind from the exciting day as we discuss where to place rocks, pictures and candy kisses.

Guess who we see wandering the streets of Abingdon while driving KJ back to her car!  The Bride and Groom! We yell something memorable at them (Hey you!?), say best wishes one more time and continue on our way to KJ's car.

Back at The Inn we do a little more decorating and then to bed.  It's 1:00am.  

What an amazing, wonderful day!








Sal



Virginia Visit: Travel and Rehearsal Dinner (01-27-2023)

Sydney stayed with me all night! I woke up several times. Each time I checked she was still on the bed!


Since we got our chores done yesterday we had a relaxing morning.  Today's goal is getting John to the Emory & Henry College Memorial Chapel in time for rehearsal at 5:30.  John is ushering and reading a scripture passage for Katherine and Derek's wedding.  

We are on the road by 11:30.  It's a pretty day for a drive.  Our route is along 2 lane highways through the countryside and Blue Ridge mountains of western NC.  We stop for lunch at the Shake-N-Dog in Lenoir.  Of course we get hot dogs!  We enjoyed our dogs (Memphis dog, nacho dog and grilled cheese dog) and had fun checking out the decor.  The walls are decorated with old album covers; Sonny and Cher, Buddy Holly, The Carpenters and Elvis to name a few.  



Lunch over, we continue on and arrive at The Gather Inn, our home for the next few  days.  The Gather Inn, located in historic Abingdon, provides lodging and event space.  We are staying in the 3 upstairs bedrooms and will host the brunch Sunday in the downstairs sitting room, library and dining room. 

We arrive a few minutes before 4:00.  We have time to relax before John heads out to the rehearsal.  BB and I, while not participating  in the wedding, are invited to the rehearsal dinner at J.J.s Restaurant.  BB and I get ourselves ready for dinner and then explore The Gather Inn and visit with its host Donna while waiting for John to pick us up.

At dinner we visit with family and friends we haven't seen in way too long and meet Derek's family.  Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow's festivities!







Sal

Virginia Visit: Rest and Chores (01-26-2023)

BB and I slept late.  We didn't get up until 11:00!  John ran errands while we were still asleep, one of which was to obtain large cups of coffee for his mother and aunt.   He takes good care of us.

When I woke up Sydney was on the bed.  She joined me sometime during the morning for  a nap.  Coffee and a sleepy dog...the morning is off to a great start!

Today is a day for chores.  John took most of the day off from work; however has a training to give this afternoon.  BB and I have chores to do to prepare for the brunch the 3 of us are hosting for the newlyweds on Sunday.

First item on the agenda is lunch.  We had salads, bruschetta and pizzas at BLL Rotisserie Factory.  The white pizza, Ceasars salad and bruschetta are family favorites.

Next we stopped at Harris Teeter to pick up Hershey's almond kisses and ingredients for sausage cheese balls.

Back we go to John's house.  John leaves for his training class and BB and I get to work.

We start with the easiest thing, which is putting small stickers with cute, wedding related sayings on the the bottom of the Hershey kisses.  




Next we channel our inner creativity and paint rocks.


Then we make sausage cheese balls. 

John returns late afternoon.  He reports a successful training class.  We report assigned tasks completed.

Sydney gets a short walk. It is brisk out and the sky is clear.  The moon is out, also 2 bright lights that I think are Venus and Mercury.  Or maybe just early stars.   (Even though BB and I attend the Friday night programs at the UAA Planetarium and Visualization Theater, we still  have trouble identifying objects in the night sky).  

Dinner is take out from Kimona, a Japanese restaurant. We get a quite an assortment;  crispy chicken roll, sweet potato roll, bulgogi with noodles, and fried and steamed dumplings.  Yum!

Sydney was on the bed when I went in.  Yeah!

Sal

Virginia Visit: Travel Day (01-25-2023)

Katherine, our niece, gets married Saturday!  We are looking forward to attending the wedding and visiting with family and friends.

We are not excited about traveling today.   We were originally scheduled on a flight leaving Anchorage at 8:00am.  American Airlines notified us of changes a few weeks ago.  Now we leave at 6:00am.  

This morning we were up at 2:15 and out of the house by 3:25.  We debated the pros and cons of leaving the car out in the winter weather versus taking a taxi or Uber. Driving ourselves to the airport won. Yesterday's temps were in the 40s.  Snow melted and the roads were wet.  We worried about the streets being icy and slick.    Turned out our worries did not materialize. We left the car at Dimond Airport parking.   If we have any trouble with the car on our return their website says: 

Dead battery? Flat tire? Out of gas? Keys locked in the car? No problem. We will fix it for free.

The shuttle arrived timely and we were at the airport by 4:00am.

Long gone are the days when airlines provided meals.  We packed snacks (cheese on Ukrop White House Rolls, peanut butter on bagel, granola bars, oranges and almonds) and brought our water bottles.  The airline handed out Biscoff cookies each flight.   I am a fan; however by the third leg of out trip instead of eating the cookies they went in my daypack.  While I love sweets I was tired of sugar.

The flight from Anchorage to Seattle left on time.   Seattle to Dallas/Ft Worth was delayed 30 minutes.  The Dallas/Fort Worth flight was 50 minutes late.  We landed in Greensboro at 11:40pm.

Nephew John and his dog Sydney were there waiting for us.  On the drive to Winston-Salem we stopped at Cook Out to pick up a 'light'  midnight snack; cheeseburgers, French fries and onion rings.  Yum!

We did a quick catch up of recent events; then to bed at 1:00am.

I have Sydney's room when at John's house.  She started the night on the bed with me but soon jumped down and moved to the living room sofa.  

I endure flying because it makes many other things possible.  There wasn't much fun  about today except arriving in Greensboro and seeing John.  Well...the selfie with the moose in the Anchorage terminal was fun. 



Sal




Saturday, January 14, 2023

Seymour the Moose: Met Up with the Virginia Sisters

Last June I met two sisters from Virginia while I was working at the Anchorage Visitor's Center.  We've talked since then; however, haven't met in person until recently. 

Work had me at the Solstice Tree Tour at Kincaid Park mid-December.  It wasn't long after I arrived that people started saying a woman was looking for me.  They couldn't tell me who she was, just that she was asking people if they had seen me recently.  I was wandering around, admiring the trees, when I noticed a woman coming towards me calling my name.  It was Sal and she had a big grin on her face!  We had a nice conversation.  I told her I had been in contact with her niece's first grade class.  She told me they enjoyed hearing about Alaska.  We caught up on what we had been doing, took a few selfies and went on our separate ways.  It was too cold for a lengthy conversation.

Work today (01-14-2023) took me to the Best in Alaska Showcase at the Dena'ina Center.  I worked the Visit Anchorage Alaska booth between 2:00pm and 3:00pm.  Guess who stopped by the booth!  The Virginia sisters!  We couldn't visit very long, I was supposed to be working, but it was real good to see them again.


With Sal at Kincaid Park:





With Sal and BB at the Alaska Showcase


Seymour

Pictures of today’s walk

Our walk Friday at Westchester Lagoon was really nice.  I wanted to share a few pictures and paragraphs of a typical winter afternoon for us here.  

Denali was out.  Pretty impressive, even from 125 miles away.  Seven out of ten days the mountain isn’t visible because of clouds, so it’s nice when you see it.


You don’t see this sign on trails back home!  We didn’t see any moose on the walk today, but we have a couple of times before.  We were passed by plenty of cross country skiers and cyclists on fat tire bikes, and Sal was able to pet plenty of dogs, including Grover, a beautiful, older golden retriever who does part time work as a therapy dog.  His mom is a retired 30 year federal prosecutor who had seen enough bad things that when she got her gentle, loving dog, knew exactly where he was needed.  




The lagoon is frozen and we watched some kids playing hockey.  Started talking with the supervising dads, and turns out these 10 and 12 year olds were from Texas, up here to play in a hockey tournament.  They had lost their game this morning to an Alaska team.  But after a game and a lost, what did they want to do?  Get on the ice and play more hockey.  The dads said they were loving their trip, and one dad said his son was already planning a move to Alaska.  

You meet a lot of nice people on the trails with interesting stories.


And Sal and I walked out on the ice for the first time.  Not too far because it was surprisingly slick!  I thought it would be rough, but no, like the trails, the ice is groomed for people to enjoy.  A truck, kind of like a Zamboni, sprays water on the ice and smooths it over so the surface is very smooth.  Great for skaters and ice hockey but not the best for ladies of a certain age.😊  Glad we walked on water, but maybe in future we’ll stick to the trails.


Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Ravens: Have Significance Here

Two  major roads, Tudor and Lake Otis, intersect a mile from our apartment.  Artwork on the embankment is of Raven  releasing the stars.  I pass through this intersection 3 or 4 times each week and each time wonder about the story the art depicts. 

The art at Tudor and Lake Otis...Hard to get a car  or sign free picture:





Here are the results of my research along with some other observations.

Raven plays an important role in the culture and beliefs of the Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific Northwest.  I researched  Raven's role in the Tlingit and Haida  cultural groups.   

This map from the Alaska Native Heritage Center shows the traditional territories of the major Alaska Native Cultural Groups.  Tlingit and Haida are in Southeast Alaska:



Both Tlingit and Haida have two moieties, tribal subdivisions or descent groups.  Moieties are further divided into clans or family groups.  Both have Raven as a moiety:

Tlingit moieties are Raven and Eagle/Wolf

Haida moieties are Raven and Eagle




Raven seems to have two roles or characteristics in the Tlingit and Haida Cultural Groups.  Here is my understanding of the two roles attributed to Raven:

Raven is seen as the Creator of the world.  Creator Raven is responsible for bringing the world into being and for bringing light to the darkness.

Raven is seen as a trickster.  Trickster Raven is selfish, sly and conniving.  It is Trickster Raven that managed to obtain light and give it to the world.

Research led me to several narratives of how Raven brought light to the world.  The common theme is that light (sun, moon, stars) was originally given to a guardian. The guardian  was to release the light in the world.  However, the guardian coveted the light and did not release it.  Raven is able to obtain the light and release it in the world.  Three versions of the narrative are at the end of the post.


Raven or Crow?   Both crows and ravens are common in Alaska. We see them all the time.   I have problems telling them apart.  I  know the differences. Ravens, usually 24 inches long, are larger than the crows, usually 17 inches long.  A raven's beak curves; a crows beak is straight.  The shapes of the tails are different.  A raven's tail is diamond shaped while a crow's tail is rounded.  My problem?   The birds don't stay still long enough for me to examine them!

From the Bald Eagle Foundation Museum in Haines:




My raven story.  This fall I walked a section of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail that paralleled the railroad tracks.  A raven carrying a small yellow ball flew by and landed on the tracks.  He placed the ball on the gravel and then started moving rocks from beside the tracks to on top of the rail ties.  I thought he was looking for a rock to use to crack the ball open.  No! Once enough rocks were moved he placed the ball in the hole and covered it back up with rocks.  It was interesting to watch.


The yellow ball is in the gravel between his beak and the railroad tie, close to his breast.



Putting the rocks back and covering the hole:





Three versions of the Raven story:


This is from the World Heritage Encyclopedia

When the Great Spirit created all things, he kept them separate and stored them in cedar boxes. The Great Spirit gifted these boxes to the animals who existed before humans. When the animals opened the boxes all the things that comprise the world came into being. The boxes held such things as mountains, fire, water, wind, and seeds for all the plants. One such box, which was given to Seagull, contained all the light of the world. Seagull coveted his box and refused to open it, clutching it under his wing. All the people asked Raven to persuade Seagull to open it and release the light. Despite begging, demanding, flattering, and trying to trick him into opening the box, Seagull still refused. Finally, Raven became angry and frustrated, and stuck a thorn in Seagull's foot. Raven pushed the thorn in deeper until the pain caused Seagull to drop the box. Then out of the box came the sun, moon, and stars that brought light to the world and allowed the first day to begin.


This is from the Stonington Gallery website, a narrative along side artist Preston Singletary's "Raven and the Box of Daylight".

Raven and the Box of Daylight – Retold by Preston Singletary (Tlingit) The most well-recognized Tlingit story of is that of the Theft of Daylight, in which Raven steals the stars, the moon, and the sun from Naas-sháki Yéil or Naas-sháki Shaan, the Old Man at the Head of the Nass River. The Old Man is very rich and owns three legendary boxes that contain the stars, the moon, and the sun; Raven wants these for himself. Various reasons are given as to why Raven wants the light; such as wanting to admire himself in the light, wanting all living creatures to admire his works, and wanting light to find food easily. Raven transforms himself into a hemlock needle and drops into the water cup of the Old Man’s daughter while she is out picking berries. She becomes pregnant with him and gives birth to him as a baby boy. The Old Man dotes over his grandson, as is the wont of most Tlingit grandparents. Raven cries incessantly until the Old Man gives him the Box of Stars to pacify him. Raven plays with it for a while, then opens the lid and lets the stars escape through the chimney into the sky. Later Raven begins to cry for the Box of the Moon, and after much fuss the Old Man gives it to him but not before stopping up the chimney. Raven plays with it for a while and then rolls it out the door, where it escapes into the sky. Finally Raven begins crying for the Box of the Sun, and after much fuss finally the Old Man breaks down and gives it to him. Raven knows well that he cannot roll it out the door or toss it up the chimney because he is carefully watched. So he finally waits until everyone is asleep and then changes into his bird form, grasps the sun in his beak and flies up and out the chimney. He takes it to show others who do not believe that he has the sun, so he opens the box to show them and then it flies up into the sky where it has been ever since.


This is from Wikipedia, Ravens Tales from the Pacific Northwest - Haida:

Long ago, near the beginning of the world, Gray Eagle was the guardian of the Sun, Moon and Stars, of fresh water, and of fire. Gray Eagle hated people so much that he kept these things hidden. People lived in darkness, without fire and without fresh water.

Gray Eagle had a beautiful daughter, and Raven fell in love with her. In the beginning, Raven was a snow-white bird, and as a such, he pleased Gray Eagle's daughter. She invited him to her father's longhouse.

When Raven saw the Sun, Moon and stars, and fresh water hanging on the sides of Eagle's lodge, he knew what he should do. He watched for his chance to seize them when no one was looking. He stole all of them, and a brand of fire also, and flew out of the longhouse through the smoke hole. As soon as Raven got outside he hung the Sun up in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. When the Sun set, he fastened the Moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places. By this new light he kept on flying, carrying with him the fresh water and the brand of fire he had stolen.

He flew back over the land. When he had reached the right place, he dropped all the water he had stolen. It fell to the ground and there became the source of all the fresh-water streams and lakes in the world. Then Raven flew on, holding the brand of fire in his bill. The smoke from the fire blew back over his white feathers and made them black. When his bill began to burn, he had to drop the firebrand. It struck rocks and hid itself within them. That is why, if you strike two stones together, sparks of fire will drop out.

Raven's feathers never became white again after they were blackened by the smoke from the firebrand. That is why Raven is now a black bird.


Sal

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Snow, Cold and Other Miscellaneous Winter Stuff

Harsh winter weather is not something one born and raised in Virginia experiences.  Experiencing winter in Alaska is all part of the adventure!  

Just sharing some things I've noticed, discovered or found interesting this winter.  Can you tell I'm easily amused?


1.  The apartment complex takes its snow clean up responsibilities seriously.  Maintenance staff do a great job keeping the walks and drive cleared.  They are out shoveling and plowing as soon as the snow stops.  BB and I are extremely grateful for this and very glad that we don't have to do it!

I learned about snow dump areas in the fall when the apartment management staff sent out this message:

Dear Valued Residents,

 As we prepare for another Alaskan winter, we would like to remind everyone all snow dump areas have been identified and marked throughout the property.  If you or your guests park in these areas the vehicle will be towed at the owner’s expense, plus a 10-day notice to quit for violating.

Wow!  Park in a snow dump area and you get evicted

The snow dump area nearest our apartment:



2, Cars don't like to sit for long periods in the cold.  Vehicle owners often use engine warming blankets or engine block heaters to prevent the engine from freezing.  Cold temperatures make engine fluids sticky (fancy word is viscous) which can make it more difficult to start the engine.  Warming the engine before starting it also prevents wear and tear on the vehicle.

Instead of using engine warming blankets or block heaters we keep our car in a heated garage.  Besides keeping the car warm it means we don't have to clear it of snow and ice!   The apartments in the complex without a garage have an assigned covered parking space.  Each space has an electrical outlet so the vehicle's warming blanket or heater can be plugged in.





We've also noticed that many vehicle owners don't like getting into cold cars.    We often notice empty cars with engines running in store parking lots. The cars were started automatically.   In Virginia I knew of people who did this at their homes; however here we notice it when we go shopping.  I've also heard that people who travel with animals and leave them in the car while shopping will periodically start the car from inside the store to keep the car warm for the animal.

3.  Anchorage plows its streets and sidewalks!  Well, duh...of course, I knew that the streets would be plowed. What surprised me was that the city cleared sidewalks and groomed trails.  Plows (or maybe snowblowers?  I'm not sure which), just the right size for a sidewalk, clear the walks.  Mostly the snow is pushed or blown to the side and out of the way.  This makes for high snow berms (artificial ridges or embankments) beside the roads and walks.  BB and I were driving down a main road a week or two ago and noticed a man, presumably riding his bike, on the sidewalk.  What we could see of him was from the waist up moving swiftly down the walk.  The berm was probably four feet high. 

If a pile of snow becomes hazardous, it is carted away to the city's snow dump. Otherwise, the snow remains until it melts in the spring.

Snow is loaded in a dump truck and taken to the city's snow dump: 



Many trails connect Anchorage's parks and green spaces.  These trails are packed instead of plowed.  Packing the snow makes for easier walking and keeps the trails available for skiers.  We see all types of skiers...cross country skiers, skiers being pulled along by their dogs, skiers pushing baby carriages with skis instead of wheels.  The trails are packed by snow mobiles pulling special equipment.

Saw city workers packing the Coastal Trail at Westchester Lagoon:





The city also grooms the frozen lakes.  I haven't seen it done; however, I am told that the snow is swept off the ice and then a thin layer of water is sprayed and spread smoothly over the ice.  This makes for great skating.  Westchester Lagoon is now a skating rink.  One area is set up for ice hockey.  Other areas for pleasure skating.   Skaters can warm up by the fires in the warming barrels.  Skaters of all ages and abilities enjoy skating on the lake.  Beginners use a chair for balance!

Skaters at Westchester Lagoon:






4, Fleece Lined Jeans.  My new best friend when temps drop below freezing!  They are warm and comfortable.  My favorite is the Carhartt Fleece Lined Pant.  I have two pairs, one black and one coal, purchased at Big Rays our favorite Anchorage outdoor store.  


5.  Sunrise/Sunset. There is more opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunrise when it occurs at 10:07am instead of 5:29am.  Same can be said for a sunset that occurs at 4:04pm instead of 10:58pm.  BB and I try to get to the YMCA twice a week for morning classes.  After my class I often go to the fitness center to walk on the treadmill.  The east facing wall is all windows that frame a view of the Chugach Mountain Range.  This winter when I work out in the Fitness Center I get to watch the sunrise!

The view from the Y's Fitness Center.  I didn't catch the colorful sunrise, but the morning light shines behind the mountains.


Watching the sunset at Point Woronzof.



Watching the sunset from our apartment's balcony.




6.  Cold temperatures.  Turns out I can tell the difference between 25 degrees Fahrenheit and minus 13 degrees.  Ears and nose get colder a lot faster at minus 13!

You don't feel the cold if you know how to dress for it! Lots of layers, plus hat, scarf and mittens!


7.  Learn to play in the cold!  Don't stay home just because it is cold and dark!

We take walks. I particularly enjoy walking around University Lake (this is where the dog park is), the Coastal Trail by Westchester Lagoon and Lyn Ary Park, and Cheney Lake.

Part of this walk was on a plowed sidewalk.   The berm is high enough for us to lean against!


We also walked on a groomed, packed trail.  I veered too far from the middle and sunk in up to my knee!


Fat tire bike on a groomed trail pulling a child trailer with skis not wheels.


We played with our shadows on the Winter Solstice.



Learned how to make an ice lantern/luminary.



Friends sent me snow molds...I decorated our balcony!










Always on the lookout for moose. This one was in our back yard last week.




Sal

We are back❤️

It’s Friday morning, sitting with coffee after a lovely 12 hour sleep.  Sally is across from me plotting out not-to-miss activities for the ...