Happy New Year!!

Wishing Everyone Peace, Good Health, and Happiness for the New Year!!

This is a photo of a Stellar Jay who is one of my daily visitors.

I'm sure he is hopping for lots of peanuts this year!  :o)

Chickadee!!!

It's easier to get out and take photos of birds with the warmer 40 degree

temperatures.  This is a picture of a Chestnut-Backed Chickadee.

These seem to be more common on the Kenai Peninsula.

48 Degree Temperatures!!!

Forty degree Chinook Winds are making a lot of the snow melt away.

I was so excited to see these little Matchstick Lichens melt out of the snow

during this warm spell!!!

I love the lovely soft green colors...really good on the eyes after

so much white!!

Raven on a Mission

I love this raven photo, he looks so determined to get to his destination.

These birds never cease to spur on my curiosity about them.

They are very smart and can be very amusing to watch.

Ice Encrusted Hedges

Some of our hedges are encrusted with ice, due to the warmer temperatures....

so beautiful!!!!

Frost Flowers

I have seen photos of "Frost Flowers" taken by a grad student on his way

back from the North Pole on the frozen sea.  They are little protrusions of ice,

delicate, like snowflakes.  I took this photo this last November on Kenai Lake 

right after it had frozen over....

Winter Vegetation....

I love all these spent lupine seed heads in the garden.  

They are a sign of whats ahead for us as our daylight hours begin to 

grow longer again.   We already gained 12 seconds the other day!!!

Icy Creek View

Natures little window to view the flowing waters of a creek.

Winter Flowers in Alaska!!

Well, sort of!!!!  :o)

I found this spent Dogwood flower several weeks ago...

You wouldn't believe how I excited I was, lol!!!

Lakeshore Ice Crystals

Several months ago before Kenai Lake froze over the shoreline was

a magical place of ice crystals.  

The lake is now completely frozen over except for a very small opening

at the head of the river.....so beautiful!!

Too Early for Pussy Willows!

I spotted this little pussy willow about a month ago..

it's way to early for these to be out when it's 14 below zero in the mornings!

I'm hopeful Mother Nature is trying to tell me that this is

going to be a short winter, lol!!!!

Sunset....a time for reflection

What a week of sadness it has been...

peace to all Gods children.....

Ornamental Frosted Apples

These little ornamental apples look so Christmasy with all the 

little hoarfrost crystals attached.  Enjoy!

The Hoarfrost Returns With the Cold Weather

Our nice warm 30 degree temperatures have left us and as the

cold air sets back in, so does the hoarfrost. 

These little branches were forming only inches above the flowing waters of a creek.

Wild Mallard

The wild Mallards at the Public Library Park are loving the warmer weather.

It certainly feels better than the 9 below zero weather we were having.

Icy Waterfall

A beautiful icy waterfall!!!

Sunset at Skilak Lake

Off in the distance is Mount Redoubt.  This is an active stratovolcano

 located in the Chigmit Mountain subrange, the mountain is just west of

 Cook Inlet, in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.  Mt. Redoubt has erupted five 

times since 1900.  In Russian the name means, "a fortified place".

This sunset photo was taken at Skilak Lake.  This lake is 15 miles long and in some

places it is up to 4 miles wide.

Fresh Blanket of Snow

Fresh snow finally!!!  

We needed this....way too many pipes freezing!!!!

So happy to be rid of the below zero temperatures even if its just for 

a little while! 

Natures Scrimshaw

A tiny driftwood branch caught my eye a couple of weeks

ago when I was walking along a frozen lake shore.....

I love all the markings that all the bugs 

have left on this little piece of wood.

Natures natural engravers  :o)

Hoarfrost...

Beautiful Hoarfrost out towards Portage before Friday's snowfall...

Icy Days

It's been bitterly cold lately, but today we reached 34 degrees!

I'm ready for my swimsuit!!!

Hope it stick around for a long time, really tired of double digit below zero temperatures!

Moonlight View

A great moonlight view of the mountains near Hope, Alaska

Popular Tree Canopy

These trees have beautiful canopies with their bent branches and log trunks.  

Always remember to look up when your walking in a popular or aspen forest.

Cook Inlet at 9 Below Zero

Thick hoarfrost and an ice filled inlet make for a wonderful

photo combination.   Note:  this photo was taken in the middle of the day...

this is as high as it gets right now!!!!!

Cold Frosted Days..

Beautiful hoar frosted trees along the Kenai River on a very

cold day.  The river is steaming due to the water being warmer

than the air.....that's pretty amazing since our water is extremely cold!  

The rivers streamflow comes from the Harding Icefield and some of it's glaciers.

Feathery Hoarfrost

Feathery Hoarfrost that is almost three inches long.  

So many feathery crystals, and so amazing!!!

Round Mountain

This is a side view of Round Mountain.

Right now there is a lot of hoarfrost on all the brush and trees due to the 

very cold days and nights.

This mountain is home to Alaskan Dall Sheep.

Winter Reflections

Kenai Lake on a very still day.  I spotted 4 swans off in the distance earlier

that morning.  Our days are getting shorter and colder so this lake will be frozen over soon.

The Beauty of a Small Frozen Creek

I love tiny little frozen creek beds.....

this one has wonderful roots and moss suspended in ice.

Beautiful!

Mallards sticking out the cold winter...

There are hundreds of Mallards at the Public Library Park.
For some reason they stayed behind and

are now here for the winter.  The majority are males with about 

1/4 of the population being females.  I think I will save up my bread and

buy them a sack of corn every so often and bring it to them

when our temperatures dip into the negative numbers.

Starfish at 20 Degrees

I found this beautiful starfish on the beach at Lowell Point in Seward Alaska.

It was only about 20 to 24 degrees out, but it felt like summer.

This starfish had washed ashore and was trapped upside down on

higher ground.  I got it back out into the water....a good deed for the day!

Enjoy :o)

Early Sunsets

The sun now sets before 4 pm, 

can't wait till we start gaining light again :o)

Lakeshore Ice Formation

I saw this beautiful ice formation while on a hike and 

thought I would share it with all of you!  I love all the crystal 

icicles hanging from the snow.

Many of the lakes in Alaska are already frozen over due to our 

cold weather.  If the weather continues to stay cold this lake should

be frozen over by the end of December.

Alaskan Raven

One of my favorite birds!!!  I love their playful behavior.  They can

live up to 40 years of age and are extremely smart.

It's really tough to get up close to these birds, so I was very happy with this photo!

An Alaskan Sunset

Evening sunsets in Alaska are around 4:30 pm, making for very short

daylight hours.   The ice is starting to form in the inlet, soon the floating ice

will be much larger.   

Enjoy!

Icy Waterfall

Wonderful little ice encrusted leaves and twigs at the base
of a small waterfall...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Enjoy your day of family, friends, and feasting.
God Bless!

Flowers in Winter!!

I found these lovely spent flowers in a snowy field last weekend.

I loved their delicate little flower heads, so I had to share them

with you today!!!  Enjoy  :o)

Cold Evening Sunset

Great evening sunset on a cold day.

Mount Redoubt is in the distance, an active stratovolcano that sits on

the Aleutian Range.

Frosted Glass

This is a photo of my frosted greenhouse window...

I think its so beautiful!!

Cook Inlet

A beautiful view of the "Sleeping Lady" or Mt. Susitna.  Overlooking

Cook Inlet, with the second highest tide in the world (38 feet).  On a clear day North 

America's highest peak, Denali (MT Mckinley) stands majestically to the north.

Legend tells us that a millennia ago, the Great Land known as Alaska was inhabited by a race of giants.  Among these people was a beautiful young maiden and a handsome young man whose devotion to each other was admired by all the villagers.  Wedding preparations were underway when word reached the village of a warring tribe approaching from the north. 

After a village council it was decided that the young man would bring gifts to the invaders to show the peaceful and friendly intentions of the villagers.  Keeping herself busy while waiting for the young man's return, the maiden eventually grew tired and laid down to rest.

Soon after, word reached the village that the invaders rejected the offer of peace and a battle ensued in which the young man was killed.  The villagers, gazing at the sleeping maiden, did not have the heart to wake her. 

So there she rests today, still waiting for news of peace and the return of her love 

Frozen in Time

I love this photo, because it shows how quickly water can freeze up.   

Even the movement of the water was frozen into a fantastic still life.  

Enjoy :o)

Coastal View

Only minutes from downtown Anchorage is Kincaid Park.  This park plays host to bike 

trails, soccer fields, cross country skiing, a biathlon and frisbee course, and numerous wonderful

cross country running trails.  The trails also lead down to the Anchorages coastal shores and 

some wonderful views that will leave you breathless.  This particular photo shows the view that looks towards the Kenai Peninsula.

Splashes of Green in Winter!!!

Alaska never ceases to amaze me, even in the dead of winter

I can still find wonderful patches of green.

I spotted this wonderful mossy tree stump on a weekend hike a few days ago.

In a sea of white, green is a really welcome color :o)

Winter Sunset

This is a photo of a winter sunset looking out over Cook Inlet.  If you look closely 

you can see pieces of ice floating around.  

It was such a wonderful warm day this last Sunday out at Kincaid Park.   The 

temperature was around 34 degrees and no wind.  That's pretty warm for an Alaskan

November day!  I spent about 3 hours hiking along the Cook Inlet beach.  I sat on a log

and watched the sun go down, a nice finish to a beautiful day.

Baby Moose Jaw

I found this baby moose jaw on my hike this weekend. 

The jaw is no more than 12 inches in length.

The calf was most likely a spring bear kill.

Crowberries

Alaskan Crow Berries or Filler Berries.

I love these watery berries when I'm out on a hike!!
These dwarf evergreen shrubs berries contain mostly water so they
are almost odorless!  Crowberries are an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants.

Little White Arctic Hare

I spotted this cute little white Arctic Hare today on my afternoon walk.

The weather has been above freezing, so a lot of our snow has melted away.

I'm actually hopeful that the snow will stay away, but when I look at this

little white hare he brings me back to reality.

His beautiful white coat is a sure sign more snow is on the way!!  

,

Snow Dusted Reindeer Moss

Reindeer Lichen, like many lichens is very slow growing (3-4mm per year)

The Inland Dena'ina used this lichen for food by crushing the dry plant and

then boiling it or soaking it in hot water until it became soft.  They used

to eat it with berries, fish eggs, or lard.  

If this moss is disturbed it can take decades to regrow.

Icy Puddles

Todays photo is of a beautiful icy puddle!!!

I loved jumping on these as a kid.

(and I still do!!)