Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

I have been keeping the schedule of an owl: up all night and sleeping the morning away.  The aurora has been active nearly every night since I posted my last entry. Nothing has compared (so far) to the display we had in the early hours of the 5th and 6th, but it’s still a pleasure to stand outside and watch the sky light up with color.

Because of my excitement over those two nights of aurora viewing, I skipped photos from days prior.  I’m going to catch with this entry.

MORE AURORA

On Friday (April 2nd), I went to a Fairbanks Rollergirls game with my friends Lori and Stella. I’ll write more about that and share some Rollergirl photos later on in this entry.

After grabbing a bite to eat at Pikes, I was on my way back to Stella’s house to drop her off, when we saw green bands in the sky. I had the foresight to pack my camera and my tripod with the hopes of catching the lights, and was glad I was prepared. Since we were in Fairbanks, and I didn’t want to drive all the way up to Murphy Dome, I decided to go to Creamers Field to view them, as it’s not in a very lit up part of the city.  Lori met us there with her camera and tripod.

My camera focus wasn’t as sharp as I’d have liked, and the ground wasn’t very steady (slushy snow and ice in places). We were all in a hurry to get set up and start shooting, as the sky swirled with green light. What was neat was that the western horizon was still fairly light, despite it being after 10pm.

I like the way the lights are reflected in the puddle:

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AURORA - APRIL 5th

(This entry is going to be photo heavy!)

The past two nights have been phenomenal for aurora viewing! On Sunday night, Steve was working, but I stayed up late and periodically looked outside to see if the lights were out. I had heard through various friends that it was going to be a spectacular light show (clear skies permitting), and I didn’t want to miss them. Just about 11:30pm, I saw a couple of green bands across the sky. I gathered my equipment and set up my tripod in the road in front of my house. Because it was only green bands (only green bands?! I sound like an aurora snob!), I decided against driving anywhere for viewing.

At first the aurora showed in green bands stretching across the sky. There were several of them, and a few were directly overhead. I tilted my head back and noticed that the Big Dipper was directly overhead. I could see the stars through the green and white bands of light.

The green light spread out and filled more and more of the sky. At times it was as if the heavens were adjusting a dimmer switch; the green light would brighten and illuminate the snow and the trees and my house, and then quiet down.

Some bands turned into curtains, showing folds in the light (known as striations).  Other bands were more ribbon-like, twisting and turning in a narrow band as they danced across the sky. I began seeing tinges of magenta and purple and yellow and bright white.  It was amazing! Suddenly the lights began shifting very quickly, spinning and twirling onto themselves. A moment later there was an explosion of light; a dome of brilliance directly over my head. The light seemed to come from a hole punched in the atmosphere. These formations are called coronas.

I’m not ashamed to say that my eyes filled with tears at the sight of all this beauty. It was the best aurora display I have ever seen in my life. It truly overwhelmed me. My neighborhood was silent. Even the neighborhood dogs had become still.  I heard a crackling. It sounded like static electricity.

There has been much debate about whether the aurora makes sounds. Many scientists say it doesn’t. Many people say it does. At the risk of sounding like a crazy person, I’m going to agree with those who say it does. I heard a distinct crackling sound standing there in the middle of my road.  Surprisingly, Steve - who was watching the same incredible light show from the mine site - mentioned hearing the aurora crackle as it danced overhead. He told me this without even knowing that I had heard the sounds! How can it be that both of us heard crackling sounds, if the aurora is a silent occurrence?

The light show went on for more than 30 minutes. Then, after the bands became dimmer and dimmer and the colors subsided, patches of the sky began pulsing with deep magenta light. It was like something out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and I actually entertained the thought that aliens were trying to land on earth. *grin* It was truly a phenomenal display!

The lights dance over my house as the show starts:

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Today is our 18th wedding anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been 18 years since Steve and I exchanged vows. The time has gone by so quickly.

In eighteen years, we’ve been through ups and downs, sadness and happiness, hard times and good times, and everything in between.  I believe that our marriage has survived because we truly LIKE each other. Of course we love each other; that’s a given. And we’re committed to each other and our marriage. But we truly like each other.

Steve and I have had so much fun together. From the time he came into my life, our free time has been filled with extraordinary adventures. He took me tent camping for the very first time in my life, for our 1st wedding anniversary. We spent the weekend under the stars - and torrential rain! - in Apalachicola Forest, FL. I remember how concerned Steve was, when the rain came, and the only shelter was our small 7×7 tent or his car.

He thought for sure that I was going to hate it, and we’d never go camping again. In reality, I loved it. The sound of the raindrops hitting the nylon rain fly lulled me to sleep. The night chill made snuggling for warmth necessary. Who wouldn’t like that? *grin* Even the sound of alligators grunting in the night didn’t scare me off.

In years following, we’d spend many weekends tent camping. In the summer, we’d plan cross country trips - tent camping all the way. We saw this beautiful country from the road, as well as from off the beaten path.

The year we became “empty nesters”, I had a really hard time with the silence of the house. My responsibilities as a mother were gone. My children were living their own lives.  Steve recognized this and knew he had to get me out of my depression. So he planned a trip around FL at Christmastime.  I fell in love with him all over again during that week.  I realized that Steve was not only a wonderful partner and father to my sons - but also a fantastic guy to hang out with.

Since then, we have had many adventures together. We love road trips and scenic drives. We’re comfortable in our silence. Our personalities mesh perfectly.  We love each other and like each other.  He is truly my best friend, and I entrust him with my life… my soul… my heart.

I always wanted a “happily ever after”.  I found that in Steve 18 years ago.

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I’ve been very busy, and have been taking a lot of photos. It’s going to take some time for me to edit them and resize them for posting here.

Last night, we had the most awesome aurora display. It was unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. I took a bunch of photos and I’m so pleased with the way they turned out! I can’t wait to share them with you all.

Stay tuned for my next blog entry. Hopefully I’ll get it posted tomorrow or Wednesday. However, Steve and I might take a drive to Denali tomorrow or Wednesday, which means I’ll have even more photos to sort through.

Until next time…