Summer solstice is a big deal in Alaska....not only is it the longest day of the year but it reminds us that autumn and winter are coming. Don't get me wrong, it won't be a while until we actually see darkness again, real dark anyway. Anchorage gets around 20 hours of daylight on the longest day of the year. This is from sunrise to sunset...and it doesn't mean that it gets dark...maybe more like dusk. Just ask Kelly and Randy...they were up for a week and the first night they were in town, they were up until about 3 a.m. playing 'bean bag toss'!
Kelly & Randy came up to join Mitch on a road trip to Deadhorse and the Arctic Ocean. I hear they actually went in....photos to follow? :) I spent the day with Kelly, Randy, Mitch & Jan on a much smaller road trip to Seward, one of my favorite places in Alaska. This link has a few pictures of the trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/julie.saddoris/Solstice2008.
As for summer here in Anchorage, it has been colder, cloudier and windier than normal. We have yet to reach 70 degrees....I just wish we could see more sun and have a little less wind! I have been working on my yard (pictures to follow in the near future, before & after). I am planning on dipnet fishing in a couple of weeks. I may have to invest in a freezer for this salmon I am going to catch. This weekend was an air show at the air force base nearby. I didn't attend but lots of planes flying over the house. Glad it isn't like this all of the time! They are quite loud.
Here is a link to some of the photos from the late snow storm we had back in April. I did a posting but not with pictures. http://picasaweb.google.com/julie.saddoris/WinterSnowstorm2008
I hope everyone is doing well.....and I am still waiting for visitors! :)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Is it Spring Yet???
Wow...22" of snow....we thought spring was here....winter brought more snow and set many records. Most snow in April (almost 3 feet), latest snow fall and most snow fall in a 24-hour period at 22", and the third snowiest winter on record. Fortunately, all the snow has melted, again, and instead of April Showers bringing May flowers I believe that April snow will bring the May show!The days are getting longer and longer, over 16 hours of daylight. I'm ready to start gardinging but not until after Memorial Day. Let's just hope there isn't any more snow!So, will I be getting any visitors from outside??? Hope everyone is doing well.
Aloha!
Here it is, April, and Anchorage thought spring had arrived early! When I returned from Hawaii, most all the snow had melted and things were pretty much dry. Anchorage was a giant dustbowl. I may have jinxed myself by removing the snow tires on Thursday as we received about 5" of snow over the weekend. Certainly looks like winter again, but probably not for long. The days are getting longer, we are getting about 15 hours of daylight, and highs in the 40's. Spring will certainly be back on its way very soon.Hawaii was a nice quick trip away from winter.
Bill & Rico were gracious enough to let me crash in their room and deal with me being sick the entire time, and sometimes grumpy. It was warm and sunny, and now I don't look so ghostly! We did a submarine ride, snorkeling, relaxing around the pool, a trip to Pearl Harbor, driving the island, some walking & shopping, and a really neat helicopter ride. That was the highlight of the trip in my opinion. And by the way, I prefer Alaska to Hawaii.Here is a link to some of the photos I took. I hope you enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/julie.saddoris/Hawaii2008
What's next you're probably asking....well, it'll be my first spring in Alaska. I hope to see some moose calves, tranforming my yard into a mini garden paradise and then in September, the MS Bike ride from Hope to Seward. Of course, some halibut fishing is being planned as we speak. I'm still looking for visitors from 'outside' (i.e. the lower 48). So come on up!Aloha!
Bill & Rico were gracious enough to let me crash in their room and deal with me being sick the entire time, and sometimes grumpy. It was warm and sunny, and now I don't look so ghostly! We did a submarine ride, snorkeling, relaxing around the pool, a trip to Pearl Harbor, driving the island, some walking & shopping, and a really neat helicopter ride. That was the highlight of the trip in my opinion. And by the way, I prefer Alaska to Hawaii.Here is a link to some of the photos I took. I hope you enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/julie.saddoris/Hawaii2008
What's next you're probably asking....well, it'll be my first spring in Alaska. I hope to see some moose calves, tranforming my yard into a mini garden paradise and then in September, the MS Bike ride from Hope to Seward. Of course, some halibut fishing is being planned as we speak. I'm still looking for visitors from 'outside' (i.e. the lower 48). So come on up!Aloha!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
First Winter
Hey Everyone,
Made it through my first winter living in Anchorage. Granted, it was a pretty mild winter compared to what it is normally but I enjoyed it. I created a photo album so you can see some of what I get to see on a daily basis. http://picasaweb.google.com/julie.saddoris/Winter08
Winter arrived late...not the usual snow for trick-or-treaters. We received snow the week before Thanksgiving...but then Thanksgiving brought temps in the 40's and lots of rain. Bye, bye snow. We wondered if we would have a white Christmas. Fortunatly, we did. Now, we are going through 'break-up'. New terminology there. Are we breaking up with the snow? A boyfriend? What??? Spring is arriving early...break-up is spring! Instead of the usual early April break-up, we have been breaking up since early March. So, now that you understand break-up, we are now up to 12 hours of daylight. Halfway to the longest day of the year, which is June 21st. Not sure why Alaska participates in 'day light saving time'. We set the clock back an hour to have it dark, but one week later, it was light again.
The Iditarod started the first Saturday of March. While I didn't go downtown to see the ceremonial start, I did find a place closer to home and watched about 36 teams come by. After two hours and numb toes, I came home and watched the rest on t.v. It was about 20 degrees but a north wind made the windchill zero. The mushers and teams leave at 2 minute intervals and there were about 98 teams. Lance Mackey won, again, this year. Last year he won the Yukon Quest and Iditarod back-to-back, a feat that no one thought could be done. Well, he did it two years in a row as he repeated again this year. Both races are over 1,000 miles. It was interesting to follow the updates as the end of the race grew near. Lots of mind games being played between Lance and Jeff King. Had Lance not snuck out of the check-point as Jeff slept, the outcome may have been different.
I managed not to gain the usual 'winter-weight' this year. In fact, after gaining five pounds in October, I decided it was a long *&*^ winter here and I wasn't going to go down that road. I lost 10 pounds through the holidays and have lost a total of 15 so far. Another five would be good for me. Also, I was up to 11 miles per day on my eliptical machine. This will be good preparation for the MS Bike ride I am doing in September. This is approximately 170 miles round trip from Hope to Seward and back. It takes place the 2nd weekend of September. Let's just hope the weather is a little nicer than last year.
On another note, I am headed to Hawaii (another reason to lose some weight). Amazingly, I am able to wear those cute shorts comfortably that were too tight to be seen in last summer. Back to Hawaii....I'm meeting Bill & Rico, friends from Atlanta. They have graciously allowed me to crash in their room! This will be a short trip but nice to get away and see good friends.
Enjoy the winter pics! I'll post warmer looking ones when I get back from Hawaii!
Aloha for now!
Made it through my first winter living in Anchorage. Granted, it was a pretty mild winter compared to what it is normally but I enjoyed it. I created a photo album so you can see some of what I get to see on a daily basis. http://picasaweb.google.com/julie.saddoris/Winter08
Winter arrived late...not the usual snow for trick-or-treaters. We received snow the week before Thanksgiving...but then Thanksgiving brought temps in the 40's and lots of rain. Bye, bye snow. We wondered if we would have a white Christmas. Fortunatly, we did. Now, we are going through 'break-up'. New terminology there. Are we breaking up with the snow? A boyfriend? What??? Spring is arriving early...break-up is spring! Instead of the usual early April break-up, we have been breaking up since early March. So, now that you understand break-up, we are now up to 12 hours of daylight. Halfway to the longest day of the year, which is June 21st. Not sure why Alaska participates in 'day light saving time'. We set the clock back an hour to have it dark, but one week later, it was light again.
The Iditarod started the first Saturday of March. While I didn't go downtown to see the ceremonial start, I did find a place closer to home and watched about 36 teams come by. After two hours and numb toes, I came home and watched the rest on t.v. It was about 20 degrees but a north wind made the windchill zero. The mushers and teams leave at 2 minute intervals and there were about 98 teams. Lance Mackey won, again, this year. Last year he won the Yukon Quest and Iditarod back-to-back, a feat that no one thought could be done. Well, he did it two years in a row as he repeated again this year. Both races are over 1,000 miles. It was interesting to follow the updates as the end of the race grew near. Lots of mind games being played between Lance and Jeff King. Had Lance not snuck out of the check-point as Jeff slept, the outcome may have been different.
I managed not to gain the usual 'winter-weight' this year. In fact, after gaining five pounds in October, I decided it was a long *&*^ winter here and I wasn't going to go down that road. I lost 10 pounds through the holidays and have lost a total of 15 so far. Another five would be good for me. Also, I was up to 11 miles per day on my eliptical machine. This will be good preparation for the MS Bike ride I am doing in September. This is approximately 170 miles round trip from Hope to Seward and back. It takes place the 2nd weekend of September. Let's just hope the weather is a little nicer than last year.
On another note, I am headed to Hawaii (another reason to lose some weight). Amazingly, I am able to wear those cute shorts comfortably that were too tight to be seen in last summer. Back to Hawaii....I'm meeting Bill & Rico, friends from Atlanta. They have graciously allowed me to crash in their room! This will be a short trip but nice to get away and see good friends.
Enjoy the winter pics! I'll post warmer looking ones when I get back from Hawaii!
Aloha for now!
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