January the Twoth

It occurs to me that I haven't posted anything all year, so ...

I've been actively avoiding the news or anything resembling it, and it's amazing how upbeat I feel. There's a lesson there, I think.

Am I in denial? Of course not; there's plenty of bad stuff in the world. But as a Christian, I have this instruction:

For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. (Philippians 4:8, AMP)

That's ALWAYS good advice. No real surprise, considering where it came from. :)


Our weather remains unseasonably warm. It's currently 44° F., with south winds at 18, gusting to 34 mph. There's rain in the forecast for mid-day, along with slowly falling temps. At least that part is acceptable.

We're heading out for our usual end o' the week shopping run. Y'all take care of yourselves, and remember to pray for those who are still recovering from tornadoes and floods.

I hope your new year is off to a solid start. Thanks for stopping by, friends.

Soggy Day

It has been raining steadily since yesterday afternoon, and came down quite heavily overnight. We don't often see rain standing on the roads, but this morning's drive was problematic. It takes a lot to make Anchorage drivers slow down.

But when you can't see the road, or the lines that are supposed to be on it, that's a problem.

AccuHunch continues to insist that the rain will change to snow this evening, but has backed off from its earlier guess that we'd get several inches in town. Sounds like most of the snow will be above the 1,500 foot mark on the mountainsides, although we might a couple inches of slush tonight.

Meh.

* * * * *

There was a Senshi-Con in Anchorage recently; I didn't know about it (but suspect my daughters did).

Apparently it's a popular thing here. Who knew?  :) More pictures can be seen here.

* * * * *

There's lots of fallout and finger-pointing about Shell's decision to abandon its arctic oil exploration program. The company says, officially, that it's about the economics. They didn't find as much oil and gas as they expected, and decided to stop spending when nothing's coming in.

I'm sure the $40/barrel pricing isn't helping, either.

I said everything about the issue yesterday that I was sure about, and won't add speculation now.

* * * * *

That's about it for now. I'll check the Unalaska police blotter after while to see if there's anything new.
Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by.

Inconceivable

It's been a long road, getting to this day. The change in ownership of my building has been generating tons of extra paperwork ever since the due diligence period began, back in July.

Now that the deal is closed (as of last week), there are still many details to be settled and/or arranged. And the advent of the PC was supposed to reduce paperwork ... ha! How many of you remember that?  "The paperless office", they claimed.

Yeah, right.

But I digress a bit. So while I'm narrowing down the list of to-do's, life goes on. It's left me with little time to think about blogging.

That should improve soon.

* * * * *

There is one thing ...

Going back about three weeks, we had 13 days during which it rained all day, or nearly so. Then we've had nearly a week of sunshine, but that comes to an end today. Some wind and rain are moving back in by mid-morning, or so the weather-guessers tell us. Some of those rains over the next four or five days could be substantial, by Anchorage standards.

Folks from tornado alley would wonder what all the fuss is about. Long-time Anchorage residents think a quarter-inch rainfall is significant. I try to tell them about some of the Missouri storms, wherein we received eight inches of rain in four hours, and they just stare blankly. It's inconceivable to them.



Folks on the Gulf of Alaska coast (which isn't that far from here) know better. They routinely see rainfall totals which would have Anchorage-ites building an ark.

Oh well, at least we wouldn't to go far to find critters. :)

So that's all for now. Y'all take care; thanks for stopping by.

Whatever Plans We Had for the Day

have been set aside.

The average July rainfall in Anchorage totals 2.02". We received more than that between late evening and midnight, and it's still coming down at a good clip. The weather service has issued a flood advisory for small streams and low-lying areas in Anchorage.

It's been many years since we've seen this much rain here. Up in the mountains, and along the Gulf of Alaska coast? Sure, happens all the time. But since the lows circulate counter-clockwise, and we're nestled against the western feet of the Chugach Mountains, there's a "rain shadow" effect where it rains all around us ... but not so much locally.

Except this time. It did make good sleeping, though.

Snow at Last; Alaska is Late to the (Winter) Party

It took its sweet time, but a serious snowstorm is just moving into town.



Snowing sideways, wind chills below zero, and forecasts of 7" to 13" ... we should have had this weather a couple months ago. Before Thanksgiving, anyway. It makes the real Alaskans* a little twitchy.  Okay, a LOT twitchy.

If you want to see what a solid wall of blowing snow looks like (and I'm guessing most of you have seen too much of that already), here's another view, looking east:



That's not dark skies; just lots of snow sweeping down from the mountains a couple miles away.

I'm home now, having already brought in the mail and trash can. My wife & Younger Daughter will each arrive in the next 30 minutes or so; Older Daughter gets off at 5:30, and driving could be interesting by then.

But everyone has a four-wheel-drive (necessary, in Alaska) so I've no extraordinary concerns for their safety; just the regular kind.  :)

Alaska Stubborn

It's a nippy 2° below this morning, here at work, but there's not nearly the frost we had yesterday. I guess the continued cold air has finally decreased the humidity. That, or that cold has sublimed as much of the remaining snow as it can.

* * * * *
As our new state legislators and the administration settle into their roles, Alaska (like most States) faces a significant budget shortfall: some $3.5 billion, this year alone. The budget process, a year or two back, predicted that $120/barrel oil prices would be around for awhile - and it's down to $50/barrel now.

Yes, we have a $50 billion-with-a-b savings account, and some savings in the Constitional Reserve fund, but we're using it faster than it can be replaced.*

While the Governor has suspended some major projects that have been lingering on the books for years, Alaskans are busily disagreeing on how to address the problem.

Like the old joke, if you lined up all us Alaskans end-to-end, we'd point in all directions.

But Alaskans are, at heart, good solid folks who'll lend a newcomer a helping hand ... once. After that, they expect you to learn from your mistake(s) & not do it again.

Meredith Wilson's "Iowa Stubborn" (from "The Music Man") applies to Alaska, as well:

Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all. 

There's an Iowa kind of special
Chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.
We've never been without.
That we recall.

We can be cold
As our falling thermometers in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We could stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.

But what the heck, you're welcome,
Join us at the picnic.
You can eat your fill
Of all the food you bring yourself.

You really ought to give Iowa a try.
Provided you are contrary,
We can be cold
As our falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.

And we're so by God stubborn
We can stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.

But we'll give you our shirt
And a back to go with it
If your crops should happen to die.

* For the record, Alaska has neither a sales nor income tax. I suspect we won't be able to put off one or t'other (if not both) for much longer.

Odds & Ends

The woman you are grateful to meet on the worst night of your life

When the unthinkable happens for a parent, when two 15-year-old friends are killed by a drunken driver on a simple walk to home from the mall, comfort can come from an unexpected place. 

-- Jordyn Durr and friend Brooke McPheters lost their lives on Aug. 9, 2013. Jordyn's mother, Dana Durr, describes the night of the crash, saying she went looking for the girls and soon found herself frozen by shock.

-- Chaplain Diane Peterson, a volunteer chaplain for the Anchorage police and fire departments, anchored Dana that night and helped guide the family through the grief that followed. Peterson is one of about 60 Alaska chaplains who donate nearly 40,000 hours a year to help families struck by tragedy.




* * * * *

No sign of more than 50 fishermen missing after boat sinks in Bering Sea



South Korean officials expressed fear of a huge death toll after rescuers Monday failed to find any of the more than 50 fishermen missing after their vessel sank amid high waves in frigid waters of the western Bering Sea.

* * * * *

Regarding Ferguson, I'll post just this:



* * * * *

The Nat'l Weather Service tried to scare us all with dire predictions of freezing rain and ice overnight, but it didn't happen.  We got a couple inches of snow, and could get one to three inches more today. Of course, that's contained in the same forecast that said we'd all slide to work.

Wanna know for sure what the weather's going to do? Stand at a window and watch it. :)

Thanks for stopping by, friends. All y'all have a wonderful day!

Winter Finally Visits Alaska

My wife and I took a drive up into the mountains this morning, just because, and then did a bit more shopping.  It's been snowing lightly all day, and we've received a few inches at best - but it's a month overdue, and we're a bunch of happy campers right now. There's more in the forecast over the next few days, too. That'll be nice.

With the temps dropping, and no snow cover to insulate the ground, the frost line would eventually get down below the 72" mark where our pipes are buried. That's what happened here in 2001, if memory serves.

That year, it didn't snow until February, and pipes were freezing or bursting all over south-central Alaska. Not pretty, trying to dig through near-permafrost.

But it's white outside, and that's all that matters today. Now we're pulling out the first of our favorite Christmas movies, and will put our feet up for awhile.

Y'all take care out there, and if your weather has warmed up, enjoy!

Because Y'all Wanted Pictures

Here's Anchorage, this morning:

Looking east

Southeast

Looked to us like the snow only reached around the thousand-foot mark. Won't take that much more to reach us here in town.

It's Here

Winter Weather Advisory

Statement as of 12:17 PM AKDT on October 03, 2014

...Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 9 PM this evening to 10 AM Saturday.

* location...higher elevations above 500 feet.

* Snow...3 to 6 inches above 500 feet with minor accumulations of around 1 inch elsewhere.

* Timing...snow will develop along higher elevations by this evening and increase overnight. Snow will then taper off by late Saturday morning.

* Impacts...travel may be difficult. Visibilities will be limited in heavy snowfall. 

On the bright side, it'll only be 29 overnight, and above freezing again tomorrow, so no worries.
And I got the snow tires on the truck this morning. All is well.

* * * * * *

In other news, it's been one of those days ... quitting time can't get here too soon.

Gonna Be an *Interesting* Day

The National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday for Turnagain Arm and higher Anchorage elevations like Upper Hillside. The warning predicted southeast winds of 45 to 60 mph with gusts between 80 and 95 mph.

They're also predicting nearly an inch of rain, with the accompanying flooding that the melting snow & ice jams will cause.

Whee.

* * * * *

From the Associated Press, we read:

WASHINGTON — Seeking to calm a furor over U.S. surveillance powers, President Barack Obama on Friday will call for ending the government's control of phone data from hundreds of millions of Americans and require intelligence agencies to get a secretive court's permission before accessing the records, a senior administration official said.

However, congressional officials say the moves would require approval from lawmakers, raising questions about how quickly - or even whether - the proposals could be enacted by a Congress that is divided over the future of the government's spying operations.

Everyone who believes this, stand on your head. 

* * * * *

I'm putting the finishing touches on my newly-painted office, and hanging clock & calendar on the wall which was painted yesterday. I think it looks nice.

That wall on the right is actually a light brick red; not sure why it looks orange here.

Have a great day, my friends, and thank you for stopping by!

Icy Morning

We've had some light snow overnight, which has now changed to freezing drizzle. AccuGuess thinks we'll get 1/10" of ice before 9 am. Just in time for the morning drive ...

It was quiet here yesterday, although Tuesday night from about 9:30 until just after midnight reminded me a lot of certain places I visited on Uncle Sam's nickel, while in uniform: a lot of incoming fire.

We just turned up the volume on the movie we were watching, and then went to bed with a fan running on high to mask part of the noise.

Have I mentioned that it's illegal to shoot fireworks in Anchorage? Yeah, right. It sounded like a busy day at the range, from where we sat.

* * * * *

Y'all have a good Thursday, whether or not you've gone back to work, and thanks for stopping by.

Snow Mist & Cookies (Updated)

That's what our current weather condition is called. It's tiny snowflakes, so thick that they look like fog. Driving conditions are sloppy at best, and visibility is poor because the little flakes swirl ever-so-well in the wake of each passing car.

I had to go out earlier, looking for warmer gloves. It seems I've come perilously close to frostbite a few too many times. My fingers no longer stay warm in gloves, unless I'm working really really hard, and have my heart pumping vigorously.

The roads were slippery, and visibility was poor. It hasn't gotten any better, since.

But we're done with our outings, and no one needs to leave home again today. That's a good thing.

My wife, bless her heart, is making Montana Spice cookies* ... and now it's time for some post-lunch coffee.

Wife made these (my first plate pictured)

... and Younger Daughter (the professional pastry chef) made these.

Anyone wanting a cup? Or cookies?  Or both?  :)


* It's an old recipe, handed down from my maternal grandmother - who probably got it from her mom.

Thursday Morning Headlines

Can't-Trust-'Em Dept: Yesterday afternoon, the Nat'l Weather Service issued an advisory about high winds & 4" to 7" of snow. Given the temps in low single digits, it could have been a lot of blowing, drifting snow and poor visibility.

Only not so much. The advisory got cancelled, and we got less snow than predicted. Well, there might have been 4", but it's drifted so badly that it's hard to tell.

* * * * *

Criminal-Stupidity-But-I-Repeat-Myself Dept:  Alaska State Troopers say a Wasilla man faces vehicle theft and escape charges, after suffering hypothermia and frostbite in an attempt to evade troopers near Cantwell Tuesday afternoon.

...  AST says Wade was ultimately found by a K-9 unit, after one hour and two miles of tracking through woods in temperatures that fell to 20 degrees below zero.

* * * * *

Something-New-Has-Been-Added Dept:  Disney's upcoming film, "Walking With Dinosaurs" is set in Alaska, and will feature some newly-discovered dinosauria uncovered in the Arctic. Now you know

pachyrhinosaurs

* * * * *

It's-All-Relative Dept: This morning's temp is 11 degrees. That's 20 degrees warmer than this time yesterday. We're okay with that, too.


Slim pickings in the news, but I'm glad you stopped by. Have a good one, friends.

Friday Potpourri

It's Only Guesswork Dept:  The Nat'l Weather Service (bless their darling hearts & empty heads) guesses we'll get 3" to 10" of snow in the next 36 hours. That's quite a range, so - assuming there's snow at all - they'll be able to point to some part of town or the hillside & claim, "See? We told you so!"


It's Always Wasilla Dept: 

A Wasilla man faces felony DUI charges for driving his snowmachine while drunk on the Parks Highway Wednesday night, the Alaska State Troopers said. 

Eric Hunter, 29, did not stop for troopers after they tried to pull him over near Mile 51 around 10:45 p.m. for illegally driving his Polaris snowmachine on a roadway, said Megan Peters, troopers spokeswoman.

"He was doing stuff he wasn't supposed to do," Peters said.

Ya think?


Doubling Down Dept:

Sen. Mark Begich is facing a tough fight to keep his seat in the U.S. Senate. The Republican National Committee is putting in more effort in Alaska than ever before, according to its secretary who is visiting Alaska through the weekend. The race is already garnering national attention.

"It's an absolutely critical race. We want to take over the U.S. Senate," said RNC Secretary Demetra DeMonte.

... and then what, exactly, Repubs? I'd have a lot more confidence if your plan was more complicated than "Stop that man so we can stand around high-fiving each other!"

Dense Fog & a Date That Will Live in Infamy

We had very thick fog, drizzle and 34° this morning. It's lifting a bit now, but the fog made for some interesting driving conditions earlier.

But as the sunrise rolled around, some 25 minutes ago, the temperature fell back to 32°, so the condensation is freezing on the cars again.

I'm about done with this warm weather. Would all y'all mind sending the cold stuff back this way, please?
* * * * *

And December 7, 1941: don't forget this date, please.  We dare not forget what happened when Japan bombed our sailors at Pearl Harbor - nor how close they came to beating us on that day, if only our carriers had been present. Thank God (literally) they were elsewhere at the time.

On our recent trip to Honolulu, we shared a shuttle with a young mother (and her two kids) from Canada.

The shuttle had a video of local attractions playing, and she asked "What's that?" when the Arizona Memorial was displayed. I told her of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and what happened to the Arizona. She'd heard of Pearl Harbor, but not much else.

The driver told us, as we disembarked, "I'd have answered her, but you were doing such a good job that I didn't want to interrupt you. You must have been here before."  It made me sad to think that people have to go see it, to learn about it. It used to be taught in schools.

We're visiting Pearl again in March, where I hope to once again speak with - and thank - survivors of that attack. It's a humbling experience.

Anchorage Weather in One Picture

First Snow of the Season

Anchorage, and much of the surrounding area, got it's first measurable snowfall over the last 24 to 36 hours.

Picture found at www.adn.com this afternoon.

Depending on location in town, and elevation above sea level, Anchorage got anywhere from 1/2 inch to 6 inches since yesterday.

There's a First Time Each Year

Just saw a truck which obviously drove into town from the Hillside (mountainside) above Anchorage, with a few inches of snow on the roof.

And so it begins.

The Past Few Days

... have been unusually quiet, even for us. Nothing going on in local news, as we await the arrival of warm weather.

Doesn't appear to be happening this week, with lows around freezing and highs in the mid-40s. While several consecutive sunny days have melted much of the snow, AccuHunch now says this week will be grey, with rain and snow showers all week. Not exactly the way we'd prefer to usher in the month of May.

I see that several of the folks on the sidebar have some fascinating things to say, and I recommend them all.

Have a great days, folks, and thanks for stopping by.