Monday, December 31, 2012

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)

Sunday, December 30, 2012

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.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

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.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Ice Encrusted Hedges


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

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

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....

Sunday, December 23, 2012

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!!!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

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!!

Monday, December 17, 2012

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.....

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Ornamental Frosted Apples



These little ornamental apples look so Christmasy with all the 
little hoarfrost crystals attached.  Enjoy!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

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.

Friday, December 14, 2012

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.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

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! 

Monday, December 10, 2012

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)

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Hoarfrost...



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

Saturday, December 8, 2012

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!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Thursday, December 6, 2012

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.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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!!!!!

Monday, December 3, 2012

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.


Sunday, December 2, 2012

Feathery Hoarfrost



Feathery Hoarfrost that is almost three inches long.  
So many feathery crystals, and so amazing!!!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

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.

Friday, November 30, 2012

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!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

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.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

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)


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Early Sunsets



The sun now sets before 4 pm, 
can't wait till we start gaining light again :o)

Monday, November 26, 2012

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.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

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!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Icy Waterfall



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

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!



Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Enjoy your day of family, friends, and feasting.
God Bless!


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

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)

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

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.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Frosted Glass


This is a photo of my frosted greenhouse window...
I think its so beautiful!!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

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 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

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)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

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)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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.

Monday, November 12, 2012

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.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

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.


Saturday, November 10, 2012

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.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Icy Puddles


Todays photo is of a beautiful icy puddle!!!

I loved jumping on these as a kid.
(and I still do!!)