Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

“If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you’ve made me smile,
the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.” - unknown

This is my and Steve’s 19th Valentines Day together. Valentines Day isn’t as big a ‘to-do’ for Steve and I, as it is for other folks. We don’t buy cards for each other anymore, nor do we go out to dinner.  It’s been many years since Steve presented me with chocolates. It’s not necessary. In fact, the holiday isn’t necessary either. When you love someone, you should treat them as if everyday is Valentines Day. We try to do that.

Last night, Steve stopped on the way home from work and surprised me with a bouquet of flowers. He knows that I prefer mixed flowers and wildflowers over roses. They bring a beautiful touch of color to the house. I hope they last a long time. Steve is such a sweetheart!

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NORTHERN LIGHTS

This week was a good one for photography.  On Thursday night, around 7:30pm, my friend Lori called me to tell me the northern lights were out. I looked out in the yard and could see the green glow low on the horizon through the trees. I was surprised to see them so early in the evening, as they usually don’t show up until midnight or while I’m sleeping.

I took some photos from the road, and then snapped a couple from the back deck, but I was disappointed that I couldn’t see the full array of the lights because the trees around our property were blocking them.  I came inside with my camera, and Steve asked me how things were going. I lamented that the trees were blocking my view and how much better it would be if I were out on Nordale Road where the open fields are.

Steve had been up since 3am that morning and had to get up at the same time the next morning, but he didn’t hesitate to ask me if I wanted him to drive me out there. I really didn’t expect him to do that, but of course I was thrilled! We quickly pulled on some warm clothes and headed out.

The lights were arcing from one end of the sky to the other, with a thick band of green directly in front of us. Clouds in the sky added texture to the scene. We spent about 45 minutes parked out there. Steve stayed in the truck, watching through the windshield, while I snapped away. What a gorgeous night!

This is one of the pano photos I took from Nordale Road:

And here’s another shot from Nordale Road:

Here’s the entire set, starting with those I took from my house:

	Aurora Borealis February 11, 2010

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FAIRBANKS WINTER FOLK FEST

The Fairbanks Winter Folk Fest was held yesterday at Pioneer Park from 2-11pm. There were many musicians and singers scheduled to perform, to include my friend Calleaghn Hinnamon.  Calleaghn has a beautiful voice and I was glad that I had the opportunity to hear her perform live.

She went on stage at 2:15pm, and each performer had a 15 minute slot. The first group to go on stage at 2pm was the Tetrafiddles and Cattails (fiddle power!). The did a great job, and I couldn’t resist a photo of the younger performers:

Calleaghn went on stage promptly at 2:15pm. She performed three or four songs, and her beautiful voice filled the auditorium.  I took quite a few photos of Calleaghn and sent them to her. She’s quite pleased with the images I captured and we’ve been discussing a formal photo shoot for her CD cover and a poster.  It wasn’t difficult to capture lovely images of Calleaghn, as she is a beautiful woman.

I stayed to watch a couple more performers, and then took Sedona (who was waiting in the car for me) to Creamers Field for a walk.

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CREAMERS FIELD

Yesterday, Creamers Field hosted their Annual Winter Field Party under beautiful blue skies. The weather was gorgeous, with temperatures above zero. One of the water fowl ponds had been cleared off for ice skating, and there were snowshoes on hand to try out. In addition, I saw quite a few skijorers and x-country skiers on the trails.

Sedona and I walked a lap around the farmhouse and barn and I stopped for a few minutes to watch people ice skating and playing hockey on the frozen pond. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors.

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“OUTSIDE” TRAVELS

Steve and I are going to Sacramento in May! We purchased our airline tickets a few days ago. Steve’s sister Julie lives in Sacramento and he hasn’t seen her in many, many years.  You may recall I wrote about Steve finding Julie at about the same time that Kayla found us, so it’s been a great year for reunions with Steve’s family.

Julie rented a house on the beach in Mendocino, while we’re visiting. She sent us photos of the house, and the views of the ocean are gorgeous. Steve and I are both very excited about spending time with Julie, France, and their three furkids in such a beautiful place.

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Our trip to NC to visit Kayla is quickly approaching. I just hope the east coast snowstorms are finally over so that we don’t have any travel issues and can enjoy some warmer weather while we’re there.  We’re flying into Atlanta, and will be renting a car to drive to Kayla’s (about a 4 hour drive), and the last thing we want to have to worry about is slippery roads.

We’ve got our trusty house-sitter looking after things,  just in case the temperature plummets. It’s always a worry to leave AK in the winter months because of the possibility of pipes bursting or septic tanks freezing.  Airborne will appreciate the company too, even though she makes herself scarce when we’re gone.

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THE DAYLIGHT COMES BACK

We are up to more than 10 hours of visible light now, and it’s quite noticeable. Last week, when I picked up Carmen for dance class, it was still daylight at 5:30pm. What a thrill to be past the short dark days of mid winter and making our way toward spring.  We’re gaining almost 7 full minutes per day (42 minutes a week!), and before we know it we’ll be enjoying 24 hours of daylight again. Yay!

Until next time…