Escape from Cabin Fever
I can’t believe it’s been a week since I wrote last. Mainly, the reason I haven’t written is because there has been nothing to write about. Up until yesterday, I hadn’t left the house in 8 days. I was going absolutely stir crazy, but I didn’t want to risk taking my car out in -45F weather, after hearing all the weird sounds coming out of it the last time I took it out. A lot of folks here - who had to go out in the cold - had problems with their vehicles breaking down, power steering lines freezing and breaking, batteries dying, etc. I didn’t want any parts of that, and since I don’t work outside the home, I wasn’t going to tempt fate. But Oh, how crazy I went!
Yesterday, the chinook winds finally arrived. While the rest of the country is having record lows, Alaska is having a warm-up. As I type this, Weather Underground is reporting 21F ABOVE zero in North Pole. It’s not quite that warm at my house, but it’s above zero, and that’s a welcome relief. I hope it sticks around for a while, but most likely we’ll only have this reprieve for a week. I’ll take it.
Steve was off yesterday, and promised me a scenic drive. We decided to drive down to the Donnelly Dome area - about 120 miles from here. It was partly cloudy, but there was a high ceiling, so we could see the Alaska Range on the horizon. It wasn’t as visible as I hoped, but I’m not complaining.
When we left the house, it was about -8F. As we got closer to Delta Junction, the truck gauge read 6F above. The only downside was strong winds - and they were whipping pretty good, especially when we drove next to the Tanana River. The forecast is calling for winds as strong as 60mph in that area today and tomorrow. Even 23F above isn’t going to feel so nice with those winds.
We stopped for breakfast at Midway Lodge. Midway Lodge is a regular stopping point for military troops heading to and from Fort Greely for cold weather training. Our troops are deployed right now, so I’m sure it’s been some time since the owners have fed hungry soldiers and airmen.
I ordered what I always order when we go out to breakfast: scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, hashbrowns and toast. I don’t know where they get their bacon, but it was the best bacon I’ve ever had. It had a bit of a spicy kick to it, and was cooked perfectly - crisp but not burnt. Steve enjoyed his very large omelet too.
The only negative (my personal opinion) to eating at Midway is that smoking is permitted, and although there was no one smoking while we were there, I could smell it in the air. I don’t have anything against smokers - to each his own - but as a reformed smoker (I kicked the habit cold turkey when I was in my early 30s), my nose is very sensitive. I have asthma too, so if a place is really smokey, it can trigger an attack. That didn’t happen, fortunately.
