Ice Fog & Sore Muscles

Sore everything, this morning, if truth be told. I think the cold air yesterday caused muscles to tighten, and then strain set in when heavy things were lifted. But we recently purchased a TENS unit, and I set those electrodes to work on my neck and shoulders last night. It helped.

 

 

AccuHunch predicted dense fog everywhere this morning, but the only place I encountered it is in mid-town Anchorage. The highway was clear, for which I'm grateful. Traffic was unusually light, too, which seems strange. It's not a holiday, so ... oh, well. I'll take it.

 

Heavy fog at 7 degrees equals a quick build-up of frost on any surface exposed to the elements. The roads weren't slick yet when I got into town, but if the fog persists, that will change pretty quickly.

 

 

My enthusiasm level for work today is fairly low, so I may just hide behind my desk, and hope no one needs me for awhile.

 

Stay safe and warm out there, folks; thanks for stopping by.

Snowy Morning, Slightly Warmer, and a New President

It's 9° above this morning, and the weatherman thinks we'll stay mostly above zero for the next week. I have mixed emotions about that. On the one hand, equipment and vehicles are much less likely to fail, but on the other ... well, let's just say that I take a perverse pleasure in seeing severe weather.

The really cold air is a challenge, and as long as one is properly dressed (and therefore protected) in it, it's enjoyable. The heavier the snowstorm, the more I like it. Now that I have a decent snowblower, even the clean-up isn't so bad. Back in the Midwest, I used to be thrilled by thunderstorms. I know, I know, I'm weird. So be it.

We also received a couple inches of snow overnight, and AccuHunch guesses we'll get another 5" to 8" today. In other words, it's January in Alaska.

* * * * *

It's encouraging to me to see our new President at another prayer service, this morning. Like him or not, it's a sign of humility to seek God's direction at every turn. And it's an indication that he knows the job is too big, and too important, to be left to man's ingenuity alone. That's a good thing.

* * * * *

I'm also amused to see that Mr. Al "I made a fortune from global warming-mongering" Gore's new film premiered during a cold snap and snowstorm. Have you noticed how often his events are greeted by a sudden change winter storm? Maybe there's a lesson there.

And speaking of weather putting the lie to the globular-warmering scam, I saw that the Obama's flight to Palm Springs was diverted due to weather, too.

Yes, I'm still grinning.


Okay, that's my mini-rant for the morning. Thanks for stopping by, friends; have a wonderful and blessed day.

-14°

and life goes on. Younger Daughter's tire is fixed, and work rears its ugly head.

Back later.

Cold, and Getting Colder

"It's cold and it's getting colder. It's gray and white and winter all around ... And yet I know it's more than worth the waiting for another chance to see the summer sun, come on, shine on me."
  ~ John Denver, Season Suite (1972)

(The song quoted above begins at 4:30, if you want to hear just that one.)


It was 1° F. along the river as I began my morning commute to Anchorage this morning, and is a balmy 3° at work.

AccuHunch promises (for whatever that's worth) that the temps will fall to -5 in Anchorage, and -12 in my town tonight. Tomorrow will be roughly the same, or say they say. But there's no snow in the forecast, and humidity is practically non-existent, so there's also no frost. Frost is notoriously stubborn in subzero weather.

And there's good news to report: the days are already noticeably longer, and the lack of humidity means we have lots of blue skies and sunshine (while said sun is up). Sun shining on a thick snow cover makes the days seem even brighter, and that has most of us in a much better mood this year, compared to the last two or three years when we had very little snow.

* * * * *

The response to the latest chapter of the MHI Alaska book is underwhelming. It's my own fault: it appears I interpreted a few requests to continue it, as indicative of a larger demand than actually exists. It's probably why I stopped working on it, back in '15. Oh well, it's was a fun place in which to play, even for a while.

That's about all I have so far. Thanks for stopping by, friends.

Frosty Mornings, Frosty Reception, and Unhappy Endings

Yesterday morning it was -5° F. when I drove to work, and -6 when I went home. This morning it was only -4, which isn't much different.

 

But there's a dense fog advisory in Anchorage which has left quite a coating of frost on the roads, especially bad on turns. The highway's not in bad shape at all, until you reach Anchorage. But visibility is limited, and I'm glad that the morning commute allows my truck to be fully warmed up and windows cleared, before I get into the population center. It's tricky enough to avoid accidents even when you can see where you're going.

 

* * * * *

The local newspaper-cum-birdcage liner is having fits over President-elect Trump's Cabinet selections. It's quite funny watching trying to turn themselves inside out, to come up with new ways to complain.

 

It seems they've used up most of the their invective on Sarah Palin over the last eight years, and are a bit weary. The zing is gone from their insults. :)

 

* * * * *

Speaking of the weather, it might reach double digits here in the big city today, although not in my town. But AccuHunch is predicting quite a bit of snow over the next several days. We'll see if that actually happens, as their track record is less than stellar.

 

* * * * *

And one sad bit of news to report:

 

The National Park Service has suspended search efforts on Lake Clark for a crashed plane carrying four Port Alsworth residents, after debris from the aircraft and items owned by the occupants were found on the lake.

... An extensive air search for the plane ended Thursday afternoon, when belongings of those on board were found on Lake Clark north and east of Port Alsworth. The Cherokee's copilot seat and all three of its wheels were found floating Friday.

 

A photo taken Friday, Dec. 9, 2016 shows typical conditions on Lake Clark during an unsuccessful search for a plane carrying four Port Alsworth residents that crashed on the lake Wednesday. (National Park Service photo)

 

Police Blotter: New Way to Fail a Driver's Test

Good morning, friends. It was -3° F. at our house this morning, -11 in the river valley, and -10 out on the highway. Here in Anchorage, it's warmed up to -8, so it's a heat wave!

 

But it's Monday, so let's see what the good folks of Dutch Harbor, way out west on Unalaska, are up to.

 

Liquor Law Violation

While conducting a bar check, an Officer contacted a drunken individual who was being aggressive. The individual was removed from the bar for the remainder of the night.

 

Welfare Check

The captain of a vessel called 911 to report he was unable to control his drunken crew. The crew showed no respect toward the captain and showed this disrespect by continued food fights.  Officers responded and determined that there had been no crime committed.

 

Traffic Roads

Officers responded to assist a motorist who had slid into a ditch. The driver was afraid to remove his foot from the brake as he suspected his vehicle would continue to slide off the roadway. With the assistance of the road’s crew, the vehicle was safely removed from the ditch.

 

Drunk Disturbance

Caller reported a highly intoxicated man stumbling in the middle of the roadway, cussing, and gesturing at vehicles as they passed. Officers assisted the individual in getting to his residence.

 

Suspicious Person/Activity

Caller reported an unknown person had attempted to gain access to his residence. Officers were able to locate the suspect who stated he was looking for his friend’s house. The suspect was advised not to attempt to gain entry to random people’s houses.

 

Suspicious Person/Activity

Caller reported an individual had entered his taxi and dropped a handgun out of his pocket. The driver advised the individual he could not be inside the taxi with a gun. Officers responded and determined that [the man], 21 yoa, had violated his release conditions. Due to continuing problems and complaints, it was determined that [he] was a danger to the community and such he was remanded into custody on a previous charge of Misconduct Involving Weapons.

 

Theft

Caller reported her ex-boyfriend had stolen her marijuana pipe and a tablet she recently bought from an individual so the individual could purchase drugs. The caller had no evidence to support that her ex had taken the items and she didn’t want to pursue charges, she just wanted her pipe back. Shortly after the officers left, the caller reported her ex had returned her pipe and she had found her tablet under her bed.

 

Drunk Disturbance

Caller reported a drunken individual causing a disturbance at a local hotel. Officers contacted the suspect who refused to comply with repeated requests to remain in his room and stop disturbing the guests of the hotel. The individual was eventually escorted from the hotel and told not to return.

 

MVA

Damage - An unlicensed driver who was in the process of taking her driver’s test, backed into the flag pole at Public Safety.  Only minor damage was noticed on the offending vehicle.

It's Chilly Out There

We've had a temperature shift. Our temps have been hanging in the mid-teens to low 20s for the highs, with lows around 12 or 13 degrees.

 

This morning it was -2° at our house, and -4 along the river valley. It's 3 above here in Anchorage, but that's not much different.

 

AccuHunch is predicting 4" to 9" of snow from Wednesday through Friday. The temps on Sunday, they say, will be around -12 at night and -4 for a daily high. That's not unexpected with a fresh layer of snow on the ground, and the clear skies which follow a snowstorm.

 

At least the frost this morning was minimal; the humidity is still very low, at present. If/when the snow approaches, that will change.

 

But we always look forward to snow, as the white cover reflects more light, and takes the sting out of our long nights. We're still over three weeks from the winter solstice, but today's sunrise will be at 9:42 a.m. Sunset will be at 3:51 pm.

 

But, everything being equal, it could be worse. Today's low in Bettles, AK is -38° F. And it's going to get colder over the next several months.

 

And if this keeps up, I'm going to have to put on a coat. Srsly, I'm wearing a flannel shirt and down vest as my outdoor gear ... for now.

Sunday Morning

Good morning! It's 17° F. this morning, thanks to crystal-clear skies and a decent snow cover on the ground and trees. I'm sure it's quite a bit cooler along the river road, below.

I need to remember to take a picture of this valley from the river bridge, too. Unbelievably spectacular, that.

Since it is colder outside than originally forecast, Older Daughter and I will be putting up hooks on which to hang the extension cords for the three vehicles which have block heaters. All four vehicles have auto-start, too, but the block heaters use no gasoline, and it's rather nice to have copious amounts of heat shortly after pulling out of the driveway.

We used the gas insert in the fireplace this morning, for the first time. Not because of the cold, but just because. The flames are cheery, and made the waking-up process seem less painful. :)

AccuHunch guesses we'll get above freezing, roaring all the way up to 35 degrees by late afternoon. That, plus plenty of sunlight, will cause most of the snow in the trees to fall off. It's lovely when it falls, as the snow crystals sparkle and glitter in the sun, but it leaves the bare deciduous trees looking a bit ugly and forlorn. At least the black spruce retain their needles all winter.

The ladies have decided that we need to shop for our new Christmas tree today, so we'll be heading into Anchorage, later on. Beyond that, there's not much on the agenda for this lovely winter's day.

May your day be as peaceful, and as full of beauty.

Thanks for stopping by, friends.

Winter's Back

At least for now.  It's 13 degrees outside, with patches of fog remaining. There are tiny ice crystals swirling in the fog, which makes an almost magical appearance as the fog, um, twinkles.

Not like a faux vampire in Twilight, but yeah. That.

Anyway, the snow has moved on for now, and we might even get a glimpse of the sun today. Now that the ground/trees/rooftops are white again, it'll be pretty while the sun shines.


So I'm dealing with a stubborn and unresponsive HVAC system in an operating room: it was 38° in there this morning, and I've had to go into the software and manually turn all the heat on. Now I'll have to monitor the temp and shut the heat off again, when the room gets warm. Oh well, the heating contractor will be available in an hour, so then it'll be his problem.

Seven Degrees, and Something Else

It's a bit nippy this morning, and it only gets colder from here. The talking head at AccuHunch Weather guesses we'll be near zero, this time tomorrow. It's not far from there right now.

I may have to zip up my coat. :)

* * * * *

But now for the important bit -

Could this law send every Presidential candidate to Jail?

Per 18 U.S. Code §604, it is a federal crime to be “in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving” any contributions “for any political purpose from any person” entitled to government relief.

That could mean any presidential candidate who takes money from any person receiving Social Security, student debt relief, welfare, or any other type of fund appropriated by Congress for “relief purposes” could be fined or imprisoned.

The term “solicits or receives or is in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving” a contribution could even mean that a candidate for the presidency cannot campaign at a retirement community in Florida or Arizona. If any senior citizens receiving Social Security made a campaign contribution, that candidate could be locked up.

But 18 U.S. Code §604 has one saving grace: It requires a prosecutor to prove that “whoever … is in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving” any “contribution for any political purpose” knows that the contributor is entitled to government relief.

As much as some might like for all the jabbering politicians to be carted away, it's not going to happen. That criminal intent provision would bring any proceedings to a halt as soon as the candidate said, "I didn't know."

Pity there's no such provision in most other laws. The article provides some examples; here's one.

Unfortunately, these criminal intent requirements are often absent in criminal legislation.

Thus, mistakes like getting lost in a blinding snowstorm ... make you a criminal.

Bobby Unser accidentally wandered into a national forest wilderness area [here in Alaska - Ed.] while trying to escape a snowstorm he was caught in while snowmobiling near his home. He was rescued after surviving 48 hours in sub-zero weather, with only snow to keep hydrated. Once home, he contacted the Forest Service to help him find his snowmobile, but wound up convicted of unlawful operation of a snowmobile within a national forest wilderness area—an offense punishable by 6 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

 Well, shucks. And here I thought we'd stumbled on a plan to prevent additional debates ...

-6° F.

when we arose today. At least the wind has died down.

We'll be headed out to do our usual Saturday morning routine, shortly. Also discussing where I may want to take my mom and niece when they come up, next month. We have a few destinations in mind, but much will depend on how much Mom can do.

Since she's never been here in winter - or at least, not in late winter - we'll be heading to my favorite mid-town destination from which to watch the Iditarod racers go by on their ceremonial start.

In that regard, here are a couple of pix from the 2013 race:

Click to embiggenate: a sled dog team trotting past my favorite vantage point after the ceremonial start.

It was -10° that morning. I doubt it will be that it will be that cold this year, but you never know; we have coats a-plenty.

Hmm

It was -1° F. when we got up at 0600. As I sit here at my desk, the temp has dropped to -3. So you know what sounds good?

Pancakes.

I think we'll have cinnamon chip pancakes for breakfast. After that, maybe a run over to Cabela's. Who's with me?

:)

It's Cold Outside

The snow wasn't nearly as much as threatened, but at least we got some. The aftermath, however, is a stiff northwest breeze, 14 degrees, and falling temps all day. Below zero tonight, high tomorrow 5 above, and low tomorrow night: -10 to -20.

Time to break out the parka.

And now, it's off to Saturday morning shopping.

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.

4° and Frosty

The long-anticipated January cold snap has arrived, but still no snow. After several days of upper 30s, and one day well into the 40s last week, most of what we had is gone.

It's been a typical winter weekend here, and I won't bore anyone with thrilling tales of chores, OR the lack thereof. Tales, not chores. There are always PLENTY of chores.

On the bright side, neither is there anything negative to report. Life goes on, rather smoothly.

Gas is down to $2.85, and will probably drop again tomorrow. One year ago, we were paying $3.99, and I'm in no hurry for a repeat. And for those of you who caught my post about gas at or near $7/gallon in the Bush, it was at $10 in those same places, last year.

Thanks for dropping by, folks; have a wonderful day!

The Day After The Night Before, and Some Iditarod News

Yesterday was a good day, all told. You may remember that I mentioned, some time back, our Samsung blu-ray/theater system was malfunctioning.

After purchasing the thing last year, it only worked well for a few months before the problems began.
After inserting any disk (DVD, CD, Blu-Ray), it would clunk, whirr & whine, and repeat for about 60 to 90 seconds. Then it would eject the disk, with a message that the disk was corrupt, or unreadable, or whatever.

We sent it to the nearest repair facility some 2,000 miles away in California, where it languished for a month or six weeks before they returned it. It worked reasonably well for another two months, until mid-January when it refused to read Blu-Ray disks; DVDs played just fine.

Then the iPod docking station stopped sending the music tracks through the amplifier. iPods would receive power, but the tunes continued to play from the tiny speakers in the iPod instead of the 7.1 channels.

Yesterday, we replaced that 'cadillac' system for a Sony unit at about one-third the price of the other. It has all of the same features, except it's a standard 5.1-channel playback.

All it cost me, other than money, was a couple hours of crawling around the living room on my hands & knees, re-routing the new speaker wires. I can safely say that I won't spend big bucks for the fancy units, ever again. And it was awfully nice to watch newer movies on blu-ray last night. :)

* * * * *

It was 2 degrees when I awoke this morning. Finally, Alaskan weather returns.

* * * * *

Regarding that warm spell which melted so much of our snow, there's news from the Iditarod HQ:

The official start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race may be moved from Willow to Fairbanks if trail conditions don't improve, race organizers said Saturday.

The ceremonial start of the 1,000-mile race to Nome is set for Anchorage on Saturday, March 1, and as of now, the restart is still scheduled for Willow on Sunday, March 2, organizers said.

However, trail conditions -- especially from the top of Rainy Pass in the Alaska Range to Nikolai -- may not be acceptable, according to an update sent to mushers and a statement posted on the race's website Saturday.

Iditarod organizers said they will decide by Feb. 17 if trail conditions will force a restart in Fairbanks on Monday, March 3. The Saturday ceremonial start would remain in Anchorage.

During the restart in 2003, Karen Land gets her dog team back on track near the Riverboat Discovery on the Chena River just downstream from the starting line Monday in Fairbanks. (ERIK HILL — Anchorage Daily News)

As you can see, it's happened at least once before.

Naming Inanimate Objects, and Other Trivia

Happy Boxing Day, St. Stephen's Day, Second Christmas, depending on whether you're in the UK, Italy, or perhaps Amish country. But happy December 26th, anyway!

* * * * *
I've never been one to name my firearms, although I was tempted to do so with my favorite old black-powder hunting rifle. I still miss that one.

But the new M1 Garand seems to cry out for a name. Still seems a little silly to name an object, but "Liberty" feels right. Hmm. Any thoughts?


* * * * *
It's a sweltering 4 degrees at the ol' homestead this morning, and there was a decent buildup of frost on the cars. Fortunately, since we had a high of 0° F. yesterday, the frost was not hard to scrape. (It was -9° at noon yesterday, which didn't encourage anyone to leave the house. Go figure.)

AccuHunch is warning that it could be as cool as -15° tonight. That'll be a bit nippy in the morning.
The car I'm currently driving is a little fussy when it's really cold, but it still does okay.

Won't stop me from replacing it with a nice SUV, come springtime or sooner, as finances allow.

 * * * * *
I notice that three new folks have clicked the "Follow this site" button. Welcome!



Random thoughts are all I have this morning, so this must suffice. Y'all have a wonderful Thursday, and thanks for stopping by.

Saturday in the A.M.

Good morning! It was 2 degrees when we awoke, but the sun has been up for over an hour now - and it's still 2 degrees. Ah, Spring!

Diet update: my weight loss has slowed some, but I've lost 32 pounds thus far. My goal weight is finally in sight. :^)

My agenda for the day begins with an annual eye exam. After that, I shop for a new flashlight... can't you feel the excitement?

Have a wonderful day, friends; thanks for stopping by.

Chilly Morn News

It's -8 at the ol' homestead, thanks to clear skies and that 18" or 20" of fresh snow outside. But AccuHunch continues to promise a warmup over the next few days as clouds and precip move back in.

The Anchorage Assembly voted 6-5 last night to pass a revision to the Muni's labor laws, "that tips the balance of power in negotiations more toward management". That, according to an article in today's Daily News,

...eliminates the power of city government unions to strike or have binding arbitration, forbids performance bonuses or incentives in future contracts and limits raises to a maximum of 1 percent over the five-year average of Anchorage’s inflation rate. It calls for standard health benefits across unions.

It sets up “managed competition” in which city employees would compete with private companies for some jobs."

 Labor leaders are unhappy; go figure.

* * * * *

The Matanuska-Sustina Borough (to the north of Anchorage, known as "the Mat-Su") School District has moved back to heating its schools with wood-fired boilers. This is in response to rising energy costs.

For you fans of Alaskana, the Mat-Su is some 20,000 square miles in area, or about the size of West Virginia. It's one of our smaller boroughs.  :)

* * * * *

That's about it for this a.m. Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.

A Little Chilly Out There

I awoke before 5:00, again, to discover it's -14° F. outside. That's getting there, for Anchorage in January. The coldest we've seen in our 10 years here was -27, and that was a long stretch when it dipped below -20 every night for a couple weeks. This winter's been more moderate than that, which is making everyone a bit twitchy.

It's 'sposed to be cold, don'tcha know. This here's Alaska, not Palm Springs. Harrumph.

We're also a foot below normal for snow. Dangit. Not that I'm a big fan of shoveling snow, mind: it's just that a fresh layer of white stuff every so often makes our long winters seem brighter ... not to mention prettier.

On the other hand, Accu-Hunch Weather doesn't expect our temps to rise above zero today, last I checked. Even if they're wrong, it'll probably stay in single digits. I guess I'll break out the heavy coat, today.

* * * * *

Well, the critters (each daughter has a cat) have been slopped & watered; the coffee's on, and here I sit. Let's see what's in the news, shall we?

If Anchorage doesn't get a big dump of snow in the next two weeks, it can say goodbye to the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship sleddog race.

The three-day sprint race, a staple of Anchorage winters since 1946, is the highlight of the city's winter festival.

But in this snow-challenged winter, there is no race trail to speak of, putting the 67-year-old race in jeopardy, said John Rasmussen of the Alaskan Sled Dog & Racing Association.

"We don't got nothing out there, maybe an inch of snow -- no way we can run on that," Rasmussen said Friday. "There's some places on the bike trail where underneath the bridges and culverts there's no snow at all."

Then again, this is Alaska, where winter can put in an appearance on short notice.

That's true, so let's not sound the alarm when the races are still nearly a month away. If we got 2 1/2 feet of snow overnight, it wouldn't be the first time. What Mr. Rasmussen is so inelegantly stating is that we have no snow-pack on the streets, thanks to a couple of two- and three-week long warm spells that melted the pavement bare.

So it's not exactly a crisis - yet - but sensational OMGwe'regonnahavetocanceltheracesOMG!!!1!Eleventy!! headlines purportedly sell more papers.

* * * * *

Buzz Aldrin spoke at UAA yesterday; story here.

* * * * *

If that's all the news worth reporting, we're not too badly off.

All y'all have a really great day, hear? Thanks for stopping by.