Umpteen Kinds of Snow

This week the Alaskan Interior was hit hard with a very out of character rain/ice storm. Lee and I were both worried that the rain and ice had left us with slush that would be too difficult to ski or snow shoe in, and winter would be ruined. But alas, the snow returned on Thursday and since then, we have received about 5 inches of the fluffiest snow Lee and I have ever seen.

I'm sure you've heard that the Eskimos have umpteen different words for snow. This is, in fact, an urban legend. But I have been surprised by the different types of snow we have seen here in Fairbanks. When I walk outside at night to use the restroom, the outside light hits the snow in the yard and it looks as if the ground has been scattered with diamonds. It's absolutely spectacular and always stops me in my tracks. Sometimes the snow falls as massive flakes. Other times it is fine and light. Once I walked outside and felt as if I was in a snow-globe, with glitter floating down around me. Magical.

Well yesterday it snowed in yet another way. Massive, individual snowflakes that shined like mica. You could look at the fallen snow and see individual snowflakes resting on top. Amazing! Winter is cold and dark, but there is so much beauty in it. See for yourselves! Lee got some great shots of these snowflakes!

Conundrum

It is supposed to drop into the negative digits tonight, and possibly -35 tomorrow. So here's my question - Do people with outhouses in Alaska wipe with their mittens on?

Who's Afraid of the Dark?

I have a secret, a deep dark secret. Do you know? Can you guess? Well, I've decided to let the cat out of the bag. My secret is, I am afraid of the dark. Irrationally afraid of the dark and all the things lurking in the dark, waiting to pounce on me when no one can see it.

This fear makes winter in Alaska challenging, as it just keeps getting darker, and will be completely dark in a little more than a month. My silly fear complicates things even more when you consider that every time I have to go to the bathroom I must leave our cozy home and walk around the house, cross the back yard, and use our chilly outhouse. Yes, the path is lit with a bright light that is triggered by motion. But it does not light the woods around us, and certainly there are strange creatures lurking in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to get me.

When we first arrived, and I had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, I was extremely frightened. Some nights I would just hold it instead of going out in the dark. But then, the sun rose at 5 am, so I could go out then and be fine. Once, I'm ashamed to say, I peed right next to the front deck I was so scared.

But I've gotten better. This is in part, I am sure, to the fact that it is more often dark than it is light. I must get over it out of necessity. So I have a routine. I step out onto the deck, where the first light turns on. I look around to check for moose. Then I go down the stairs and around the house, at which point I stop, and wave my arms and kick high in the air to trigger the next motion light. (You'd think that move would scare away all the creatures, but it never works... they are always there...)I walk the length of the house, past the big pine where the flying squirrel lives, and stop at the edge of the yard. The light illuminates the yard itself, so I look both ways for moose before crossing. Then I walk to the far side of the yard. This part I have down. Go me.

It's the return from the outhouse that does me in. The woods are behind me as I walk back to the house, just what the moose and other creatures of the dark are waiting for. I walk as long as I can, usually until I reach the tree, at which point I remember the flying squirrel that lives there. I break into a run (which is hard in snow boots) and scoot past the tree, lessening the squirrel's chance of landing on my head when he pounces, which he surely is waiting to do. I round the stairs, run up and into the house -safe!

The creatures of the darkness haven't gotten me yet. Who's afraid of the dark? Not me!

A Walk in the Woods

I went on a blog hiatus for a bit. No excuse really, just too much knitting and not enough time. So this is a bit of a "catch-up" post.

Last weekend Lee and I went for a walk on one of the UNH trails. It was a beautiful trail that wound through the forest. We didn't run into a single person on the trail, saw lots of tracks (at the time I said they were wolf, but Lee said they were most likely dog, as we were walking on the "Pooch Trail." Now I'm not so sure....) and enjoyed the quiet of the forest in the winter. Here are some pics!

The Tale of the Late Physicist, the Brave School Teacher and the Howling Wolf

Once upon a time a Physicist and a School Teacher were driving home from a long day of work. It was dark out and there was a fresh dusting of snow on the ground. They were talking to each other, reminiscing about their days, and as they turned onto their road and approached their house, out of no where, a large, beige beast darted across the road in front of them! The school teacher stopped mid sentence, then asked, "Um.....What was that?" The physicist replied, "Um......Was it a wolf?" The school teacher, scared as she was, said "I think that was a wolf!" But the physicist wouldn't believe his own eyes (because in physics, things aren't always as they appear.) The couple cautiously exited their buggy to the sounds squirrels all in a tither. They knew instantly that there was something amiss. Quickly they went into their safe cabin to warn their cat, Otis, that it was not safe for him to go outside, as the wolf would surely eat him. Then they settled in for a cozy sleep, safe in their bed.

The next morning, as the physicist and the school teacher set off for another day of work, they discussed what they had seen. "Perhaps it was just a dog," the physicist offered. "It was awfully fast for a dog," the school teacher countered. "Maybe it was a fox," the physicist suggested. "It was awfully big for a fox," the school teacher replied. "Perhaps it..." But before the physicist could offer another explanation for the strange beast they had seen the night before, WHOOSH went the engine, then SQEEAAKK. The school teacher had to skillfully drive the squeeling buggy to drop off the physicist, and then drive herself to work. At which point she called a tow truck. They would be without a car for atleast a day.

With their only car in the shop, the potential wolf encounter quickly left their minds and they set out to figure out how to ride the bus. Bright and early they were up, walking for 30 minutes to the bus stop. They were successful in their transportation endevours. However, the mechanics were not. It would be another day of bus travel.

The next morning they woke up again, this time a little less enthusiastically than the day before. And soon enough, they were running late. The physicist was panicked - he had a lab to teach at 8:00 and absolutely could not miss the bus. So he set out first, while the school teacher finished getting ready for her day. Armed with a head lamp, the school teacher finally set out for the bus stop in the dark, alone. She walked at a fast clip, because she didn't want to miss the bus either, and also because she was slightly afraid of the dark. As she turned the corner, she was stopped in her tracks. Owwwoooooooooooooooo echoed through the trees. Then silence. Then again, Ow Ow Owoooooooooooooo. Not a single dog in the neighborhood responded. It was not a language they spoke. It was not the howl of a dog. Canine, yes, but not a dog. It was 100% absolutely a wolf. And the memory of the shadowy beast they had seen two nights before flashed through her mind. No doubt about it. There was a wolf nearby, and she was alone. The very brave school teacher walked faster and faster, reminding herself "Wolves don't eat people, wolves don't eat people," all the way to the bus stop.

Now don't worry, dear readers. You will be pleased to know that the school teacher and the physicist made it to the bus on time. And later that day the school teacher picked up the buggy, good as new. The wolf has not been seen or heard from since. For now, the physicist and the school teacher (and Otis the cat) are living happily ever after.