Wednesday Afternoon

It has been a busy day here in south-central Alaska. Much work, many spreadsheets to correlate & update ...

As I write this, it has just begun to spit some snowflakes. AccuHunch guesses we should get a few inches. It was cold this morning, but is warmish now - just about the right temp for snow, if the weather will cooperate by sending more of those little white things this way.

The roads are dirty looking, and it was a little hazy from all the dust in the air. This time of year, when the cold air dries the ice & snow from the roads, the pea gravel & sand that the Muni lays down for traction become pulverised from traffic.

You can look across the city and see a dirty yellow haze hanging in the air - it looks like smog, but isn't. It also makes a lovely layer of dust inside cars, offices, and homes. Lovely stuff. And that's why we need another thick layer of snow, in addition to augmenting the sled dog racing starting in two days.

There's a sort of lull in the activities of folks that I work with, setting in about now. The coldest part of winter is (hopefully) behind us, but there are still two solid months of winter weather remaining before we will see the snow melting. And the trees usually don't start turning green until late May or early June.

Once the 'greening up' begins, it bursts onto the scene in only a couple of days, and if there's any rain at all - or even a late snow - the vegetation will be surprisingly thick and lush, almost tropical in its abundance. It surprises those who haven't been here before, thinking that we are cold, snowy, and frozen for a good part of the year.

Well, okay, we are! but not to the extent that many think. Oldtimers used to tell me that Alaska has three seasons: last winter, this winter, and next winter. Modern experience has shown us there's a fourth: construction.

My dad arrived back home last night, having driven to attend my ex-brother-in-law's funeral. I haven't heard from him yet today, but I'd have heard if anything were amiss with him.

He'll be 80 in a couple of weeks, and I want to ask you to visit Brigid's post today - a moving and heartfelt tribute to her father, who's a decade older than mine. In the meantime, I'm going to call my dad.