The End of a Year
It’s hard to believe that 2008 is coming to an end. On the east coast, where my extended family lives, it will be 2009 in about 30 minutes. Steve and I have to wait a little longer before Alaska celebrates the coming of a new year. As I type this, we’re sipping champagne and watching a marathon of Twilight Zone episodes.
We originally planned to go to the fireworks up at UAF, but the temperature has plummeted and Steve didn’t want to drive into town, find a place to park, and stand outside in it. As I type these words, it is -48F. While I have the courage to bundle up and watch the celebration, Steve was not too keen on taking his truck into town. I pouted a little bit, but in reality I am very content to stay in my warm house.
There will be fireworks on Saturday night - a bigger and better display, from what I’ve read. Saturday is the 50th birthday of Alaska statehood. How neat that I share the same birth year with the state in which I live! Perhaps I can talk Lisa into joining me on Saturday night for some fireworks (she also preferred to stay indoors tonight). Steve is working, so if I decide to go, I will be going alone. (What do you say, Lisa?)
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I want to thank all of you who commented to my last journal entry, or emailed me privately, for your words of compassion and understanding regarding my ‘less than happy’ holiday feelings. I hope that someday the feelings of sadness will lessen, and I can once again enjoy the Christmas holiday. But until that happens, I have come to terms with my depression - knowing that once the holiday is behind me, my spirits will lift. And they have.
I have felt so much better over the last several days. I like New Years. Beginning a new year, means new adventures, new photo opportunities, new people to meet and interact with, and new memories to be made. Of course it also means I will turn another year older - and this year is a milestone as I will turn the big 5-0 which tends to freak some people out. Granted, I have until the end of 2009 before I see 50, but leaving my 40s behind is definitely a big deal. It IS only a number, right? (Please tell me it is! *grin*)
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On Sunday, Steve and I met Gip and Carmen, and Carmen’s son Dan, at Pikes Landing for the champagne brunch. Of course we stuffed ourselves on all the delicious food and dessert (and champagne). We watched several vehicles cross the Chena River from the window. About a week ago, one unlucky fellow tried crossing the frozen Chena utilizing the ‘ice bridge’, but veered off course and drove onto thin ice. His truck had to be pulled from the river with a huge crane. Fortunately, he and his family got out of the truck OK. I don’t care how safe they say the river is, I’ve never driven on the ice bridge, and don’t plan to. I’ll take the long way, thank you very much!
After breakfast, we took an alternate route home, and drove around the Fairbanks airport. I hoped to find some interesting things to photograph - especially with the temperature being so low (-40F). Steve’s truck temperature gauge was reading -36F. Ice fog had settled over the landscape, and the sun was moving low on the horizon on its way to going down. I took a few photos, and I think they represent arctic cold fairly accurately.
It kind of looks like Siberia near the airport. You can feel the cold in all this ‘blue’. See the ice fog in the distance? It’s much colder down here, than it is up in those hills - sometimes as much as 20 - 25 degrees!:
Most of these planes are being stored for the winter. Off in the distance, plumes of smoke rise into the air from furnaces and woodstoves.
The sun is low in the sky this time of year, and reflects off a patch of ice on the road:
Winter sunsets can be so colorful!
Ice Fog surrounds you as you drive through town. Ice Fog is a fog that is composed of small suspended ice crystals. Common in Arctic locations when temperatures are below -30°F and a abundant supply of water vapor exists. The water vapor is coming out of exhaust pipes:
From a higher elevation you can see the ice fog blanketing the valley. The fog in the foreground of the photo is actually from a woodstove stack on a house about 30 feet below us.
A bit grainy, but a closeup of Mt Hess and Mt Deborah in the Alaska Range. You can also see more plumes from house smokestacks:
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Today, Steve and I decided to do a new “Water into Snow” video. This time we used the super soaker watergun to shoot snow into the arctic air. Here’s the video from YouTube. I apologize for the credits. Somehow the last letter was cut off of Steve’s name and the year it was made, but at least you can enjoy some fun antics utilizing hot water and -47F temperatures:
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It is now 12:17pm ET. Happy New Year to all of my friends and family on the east coast!
Thank you, my friends, for sharing 2008 with me. Your friendship, insight, advice, hugs, words of support, and love are what made 2008 such a special year. I look forward to going through life with you in 2009.
A happy New Year!
Grant that I May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I’ve played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
~Edgar Guest~
Happy 2009 to you and yours! May you have happiness, good health, prosperity, and love in the coming year. Thank you for sharing my life with me.
~Susan
Susan,
2008 was the best year of my life. By finding both of you has made my year. But 2009 will be much better, since I finally get to meet you both. I wish you both all the happeness in the world. May god bless your new year in many ways. I love you both!
[Reply]
Comment by ~*Kayla Melton*~ — January 1, 2009 @ 4:34 am
You had to know I would write about the hot water into snow. As always it is a favorite in our household, and to use the super soaker, my kids are in awe, i’m sure we will view it a few time today. Jason and I were talking the other day about the Y2K scare and remembered I was pregnant with Beau and we spent it with you guys. How fast time has gone. Happy New Year and we’ll talk soon. Oh, Beau just asked me about the experiment of blowing bubbles into those temps and it turning into glass. He has such a good memory. Take care
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Comment by Amy — January 1, 2009 @ 5:47 am
I wish you both a very Happy New Year, Susan, and I look forward to seeing more of your photographs and “listening” to your commentary in the coming year. You are what sustains me while I’m away from Alaska. I live it through you. Thank you so much Susan. I hope to get back there once again before too much more time passes.
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Comment by Marylyn Jessup — January 1, 2009 @ 7:22 am
Its hard to imagine temps THAT cold! We have had wind chills in the minus numbers, and that was unbearable for any length of time to us! Wow.
Happy New Year and we can’t wait to follow you to the “other” non-lower 48
Bet that sounds very comforting to you during these bitter cold days!
Aloha!
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Comment by Another Susan — January 1, 2009 @ 9:37 am
Having to get use to this negative 40 or more below. The truck seems to be doing okay in the weather, but I love the square tires in the morning that makes a fun first few miles. I thought my house was the only one with frost inside, your windows and doors look my my house! We did not make it to the fireworks either, not really wanting to drive in the fog or the cold.
Had a mama moose and calf in our yard today. My neighbor’s dog came outside and we’ll mama did not like that too much. She went after the dog, I did not realize how scarey a moose could be while protecting their young.
I am always thinking of you when I see a good photo opp., I have a camera but no matter how hard I try I can never seem to capture the beauty that you can in anything. You are a very blessed person and I am glad that I have gotten to know you through your blog.
Wishing you the best in the new year!!! And we are going to have coffee this year right? : )
[Reply]
Comment by Kerry — January 1, 2009 @ 10:51 pm
Susan, that cold is unbelievable!! And I whine about the 20s here in Michigan… ha, that’s nothing compared to your Alaska cold! I just wanted to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed reading your blog (and how happy I was to stumble across it last year). Your pictures are breath-taking, and I just love your story telling!! Wishing you, Steve and your family the very best for 2009!
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Comment by Sue — January 2, 2009 @ 5:45 am
Susan, I didn’t comment on your Christmas blog, but my heart was there with you through that difficult time. Sometimes you just have to embrace the sadness, live it fully before it goes away. I am very thankful I met you in person in 2008, so that makes it a good year for me. I was very impressed with the super soaker snow scene! It was good to see Steve too! It’s countdown to Hawaii now and the warm temperatures there. I’m looking forward more for you than for myself, since you are suffering lower temps than we ever would. It’ll be here before you know it! Take care and Aloha to you both!!
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Comment by Lea Ann — January 2, 2009 @ 7:22 am
Hi Susan,
Glad to hear you are feeling better and the blues have lifted.
I remember those negative 48 and negative 36 type temperatures, and do not miss them! I also don’t miss driving in ice fog! Do miss some snow though, and was thinking about when you told me that you and Steve missed snow when you lived in Florida. I laughed when I read your comment about the picture near the airport and the area looking like Siberia! Loved the super soaker video! Happy 2009 to you and Steve!
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Comment by Heidi — January 2, 2009 @ 12:03 pm