Some Amazing Alaskan Sunsets!!

Anchorage has had some spectacular sunsets lately!!!

So I thought I would share a few with you.  Our sun sets right

now around 4:00 in the afternoon.  When I see a hint

of clear sky I ready myself for some spectacular 

evening sunsets.

Sometimes I race to the inlet so I can take it all in.  It only lasts 

minutes, so it really is a mad dash.

The colors can be very intense and beautiful.

I especially love the pink sunsets, although I find them all

 breathtaking!! 

I stopped to take the photo below at a nearby clearing in the outskirts of town.

While I was parked, a man in the car next to me got out and played

taps on his bugle...what a wonderful way to end the day!!

The sunsets are amazing and the sunrises can be just as spectacular.  

The bottom photo was taken Christmas morning from my living room window.

I love standing in the glow of this lovely evening and morning light!

I can't wait for the next one!  Just when you think you have seen the best sunset

ever, another one comes and steals the show!!

Cozy Moose Mitten Walk

I'm always happy to pull out my cozy moose mittens.  I bought these in 

Whitehorse Canada many years ago.  They are definitely the warmest mittens 

I own and I am very grateful for them when I go for walks in the winter months.

As I headed down our driveway I walked past these wonderful alder pine cones.

They are only about a half inch in length.  They would make great 

miniature Christmas decorations for a little doll house.

We had a light dusting of snow last night.  These twisted roots 

are dusted with snow, but the ground

underneath was left clean of snow.  

The days are very short right now, and darkness approaches 

early in the afternoon around four o'clock.

When I'm out on my walks I always look for spots of color.

I came across this beautiful birch tree.  I love

the color and textures on this tree!!

The lake is now completely frozen, but I could 

hear the water hitting the ice. 

Every once in awhile I could also hear really loud bangs as the 

ice contracts and expands.

High above the lake shore were beautiful icicle formations.

Everything has a light dusting of snow, even the lichen on the trees.

It's a overcast day, but still beautiful.

On my way back to the house, I stopped at one of

my favorite benches.  This bench belongs to a neighbor.

I love the color of this bench, I think its beautiful!!!

It's a very worn bench with lots of lichen growing on it and

it has the color I'm craving during these long dark winter days.

It's great to get back to a warm house where I can dream of summer roses and get 

back to the holiday cookies.

Walk Along A Snowy Lakeshore

Sharing a few of the photos I took from my last walk along Kenai Lake.

Bitterly cold at about 13 degrees.  I'm sure it was several degrees below

zero if I factor the wind chill in!

Thank goodness for warm boots and gloves!

On my walk I came across some great icicle formations hanging from a log.

Nature always has its surprises even in harsh circumstances.

I continued my walk  to one of my favorite places on a secluded little cove.

This little cove has a great grove of cottonwood and aspen trees.  I think it's so

beautiful here!

In the mornings or late afternoons the sky can light 

up with intense gold or deep pink colors.

I have been checking on the Aurora  nightly, but so far it's been too cloudy. 

 I would love to capture it on film.

Kenai Lake is shaped like a boomerang and is over 25 miles long
and can reach depths of 540 feet.   

Stream flow comes from the Harding Ice Field and its several glaciers, 

so the water is very

cold!!!

Sometimes the lake stays open all winter, but not this year!!

November has seen sub zero temperatures, so the lake is mostly

frozen except for Quartz Creek, Trail River, and the Snow River entries.

These should also freeze over within a month or two.

The lake is home to a lot of diverse wildlife.  I always see

rabbit tracks along the edge of the shoreline.  I'm glad
I can walk freely without the fear of bears, thank goodness
for hibernation.  Believe it or not every once in awhile I  see a few
mosquitoes in the dead of winter.  They are very slow
so no worries of getting bit!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving

May God Bless You All!!!

Alaskan Sunset

It's very cold in Alaska right now.  Up north in Fairbanks they are 

setting a new record for low temperatures for this

time of the year.  Fairbanks has had a tough week of minus 37 below!!!

People are out buying warmer coats and boots.  There is a great 

need to buy gear that exceeds 12 below temperatures to stay warm!!

Definitely no need for air conditioners in Alaska!!

Right now it's 11 degrees in Anchorage, so compared to Fairbanks we are

in the tropics!!!

Nevertheless cold can be beautiful!!!  Enjoy this beautiful sunset overlooking 

Cook Inlet in the warmth of your own home.

When Captain Cook originally sailed in he could only enter the front of the inlet,

because a glacier was in his path.

Stay warm everyone!!

Beautiful Winter Views

Thought I would share some beautiful winter photos of Alaska

Even though it's very cold right now

our state has magnificent views to take in.

The top photo was taken in the Ptarmigan Pass right after a fresh snowfall.

This view was taken down in the flats of Girdwood.  

There are lots of glaciers hugging the mountains in this area.

And....this last photo was taken at Kenai Lake.

Long Lost Treasures Found

 

I was thrilled when my Mother brought these lovely

egg warmers back from Germany.

It was just like finding several old lost friends!!!

These little chicken egg warmers used to be in our house 

when I was a very small child.

My Mother had rediscovered them while she was in Europe.  

Many years ago we sent them to my Grandmother

as a present.

After my Grandmother had passed away my Aunt put them

away in storage.

Now they are back with me making me smile.  They

work perfectly with the German polka

dot egg cups that I purchased 

from Heidi several years ago.

It's so nice to know that my Grandmother had cherished them for a very

long time.  I think I might try to figure out how to make a

few more to add to my flock!!