hate to waste old tea...

 it was leftover from our night out Aurora watching.  could probably have repeated that but i'll wait until my new tripod shows up and then perhaps i'll test it out and see if i can improve on my night photography. don't hold your breath and don't expect me to go into business selling aurora photos anytime soon.  hopefully one can't get ill on old tea. i made it all hot again, hopefully killing off any bacteria.

 was awake until the wee hours.  fell into a slumber once i knew that Luke and Lorelei were finally back together.  couldn't rest until then.  was actually thinking i should just stop watching the show now so that i do not risk disappointment if they have them break up again.  not sure i can survive that.  does remind me of when i was a young teen arriving home from school to an empty house and watching General Hospital..there was this whole Luke and Laura thing.  really that is all i remember about it.  it was a brief period in my life where i watched a soap opera.  generally so not my thing.

 below are from my walk. i did a nice usual walk for me.  i mean a usual one before surgery. for sure getting more distance and speed back into my walking which is great. after the walk i cruised over to Pt Worzonof for sunset watching.

 at Campbell Airstrip i walked to the end of the airstrip and then behind it and took the regular multiuse trails back to the parking area.

 Rio chose the couch again.  we are still close to 5F so i think Rio prefers the couch in these colder temperatures. try not to push the old girl.  walks are her choice at this point.  she seemed happy.

 Blossom should be a bit tired after chasing her frisbee many many times.  she had some energy today.

 love wispy clouds like the ones we had out there today.  so pretty.

 was supposed to have PT today but i cancelled it.  now i'm just scheduled for a final one on Feb 6, the following Monday Feb 9th i'll get a repeat of my vein surgery.  hopefully that will fix this and i won't have to deal with that discomfort...summer hiking here i come!!

 gotta get Blossom and i ready for some long hikes this summer.

 Our WARIS petition is 6 shy of 100.  will print on my next stretch off and get copies to the proper folks.

 i also finally have the link to an account that folks can  donate directly to Fish and Game for Round Island, you just have to write in the comments section that it's for Round Island.  that and a copy of a letter to mail off are now on our fledgling web page.

 i'll try and mess with the web page a bit each week and see what i can come up with.  kind of a chill day WARIS wise.  i have crazy days and then i have to allow myself a bit of down time.

 it's easy to get yourself sucked in and then i can get a bit emotional over it all, best to keep my head about me.  thinking i should see about making appointments to actually speak to some of these contacts.  also thinking i should make an appointment and get my hair done.  getting your hair done is always good for the pysche!

 wispy clouds.

 after i fed the dogs and cancelled my PT appointment i went back to sleep for another 3+ hours.  may as well just stay on a night schedule as i head back to work tomorrow night. those days off sure go fast.

 another day, another walk on the beach.  love the pinks and the ice.

 Fire Island above, Mt Susitna below.

 the tides seemed to be moving in. lots of pancake ice out there now. some pretty big chunks are on the beaches now.

 forgot to bring my colors today.  couldn't resist just writing walrus rock in the snow anyway.

 the Big mountains of the Alaska range in the background.  Denali of course,

 pancake ice

 another of Denali

 did get out of bed about 5-6 am and worked a bit on the article.  got a ways to go on that one.  a few good things in there, but far from complete.

 Planes are always a sight out there.

 more pink!!

 just relaxed and walked along what little beach was open for walking.  with all those chunks of ice it's not always wise to wander over the tops of them. sometimes there are holes that are just covered with snow.

 just stuck to where other folks had been walking.  there are always people out there.

 again.  no moose sightings.  so strange.  they are probably in the bog.  i keep missing them there as well though.

 always relaxing for me to walk along the shores, as they are here and enjoy the sunset.

 there are things i can't control in this life and all i can do is what i can do.  i may fail but at least i will fail trying. i can feel better about that knowing that i started this group and worked it as best as i could.  still hopeful though.  as they say, it ain't over til it's over.

 Isis holds two Japanese hostages.  my heart goes out to them and their families.  it's never a good thing.  these terrorist groups are now funded well by demanding millions of dollars for ransom.  hard to watch these poor hostages get killed but also hard to say give them the money they want so they can only have more power and kill more.  it's not going to end with them until we are all dead it seems.

 enjoyed watching the planes coming through the sunset.

 the colors just got so pretty.  sunsets are always amazing.  sunrises are too, but i tend to sleep through most of those.

 mostly i wasted my day i'll admit, but i guess we all need empty head days from time to time. i seem to need them more than others..or else i just take them more.  i have that option i guess.

 chatted with my sister for a few minutes, otherwise not much "social" contact today.

 colors through the trees..

 love living in this amazing place.  often i feel badly that i haven't driven further or taken more adventurous hikes, but there really is beauty right here.

 guess i shall turn in.  sorry, short on insight into the deeper issues of life. live and be happy...and be nice to the other people, places and creatures of the earth. what more is there really?

1.  thankful for sleep and mindless tv from time to time.  2.  thankful for sunsets and dog walks 3.  thankful for starting something bigger than myself and the hope of helping a place i love.

Emily really is horrible...

 got a few DVD's for the Gilmore Girls.  so i'm just saying.  don't let her manipulate you Lorelie!! i have always wanted to stop and snap a shot of this silly bike.  i probably have at some point, but well, here it is again.

 today i was out on the beach.  hopefully i don't tick anyone off with my walrus art.  it's all washable and it was low tide so eventually the tide will just come wash this away and no fishes were harmed either.  when you can't do anything else you write.

 cold and a bit of a breeze down there on the beach.  just Blossom and I out there so we were fine.

 i started my day with a bit of a panic. checked my emails and change.org sent me a draft of their idea of how our petition should read.  there were some facts in there, some of them old facts.  there was none of me or what i wrote in there.  it was all angry activist and crazy and the past director DVL was like in every sentence and they'd added him to the list to receive the petition.  i called the guy and was pretty much freaking out.  DVL is out, moving on, trying to fix what he did but yelling at him pointless.  i need to get along with these people and not be some crazy angry activist.

 i need to be a thorn that they can't seem to pull out, not a bullet that rips them apart. DVL is again out and off of the petition.  we are at about 82 i think, but it's slowed quite a bit. may see if i can drum up a few more so we can hit 100 and i can print it out and get it more directly to those that need to see it.  i guess it gets sent automatcially to their emails but what if i got the emails wrong...sometimes paper just works better.  i was a bit wary after my change.org conversation and email exchange.  the guy did apologize and promised to not change it.

 maybe my friends are tired of hearing about walrus and WARIS?  it's so easy to turn dull when you are focused on just one thing for too much of your day.  what if i fail...?  and i may fail.  i won't give up on the sanctuary though.  even if we fail in the short term i can still try and get things re-worked for the future.  added a few things to the web page.  need to just start digging around in there a few times a week until it's where it could/should be.

 i updated the letter for people to copy and paste and send off.  i also put links there so that if people want to donate to the sanctuary directly that is available to them. in february i can get us signed up for pick, click, give.  with this people can donate to us with their PFD bucks.

 cold again out there today, but not quite as cold.  still like to come home and snuggle under the heated throw for a few minutes and reheat.

 as you can see the trail was good out there.  i took a trekker in case it was really slick, but it was actually an easy walk, the tide was going out and we could get super far out today.

 probably could have been a beautiful sunset but i was meeting friends.  friends who are probably sick of me talking about walrus too.

 facebook isn't for everyone but it's been fun reconnecting at times with folks.  was messaging with one of my favorite professors in college.  he taught marine biology and we had a good group of students.  he'd let us know when a fun course was coming up and we'd all sign up, go out on field trips beaches/boats...all super fun and then out to dinner or whatever after.  we've chatted a few times.

 good to chat a bit last night as this WARIS stuff gets me worked up and so just nice to have someone get it i guess.

 haven't gotten my article written yet.  just tomorrow night and then back to work again  my real work is taking away from my non-paid work.

 you can barely see my girl out there.  camo dog!!

 plug in below 20 is what they say. i remember a friend had moved to a warmer climate in the states and i guess she got pulled over for something.  the police officer was very suspicious of that cord hanging out of her engine.  that poor guy was not buying this idea that someone would have to plug in their car due to cold temperatures.

 of course, another co-worker who had moved north from a warmer climate got pulled over because she was having a tough time dealing with the ruts and the police officer was sure she was drunk driving.  adaptation is always an important thing in life.

 just relaxing to head down here. would not go sledding here.  under that wee bit of snow is sheer ice.  a strip of ice down the hill is not covered by snow.  no sledders out today, but i suspect on the weekend they were there.  haven't gone sledding yet this year.  it is funny how different years you just do different activities depending on weather conditions.

 we hit the moose's tooth.  got pizza as that is mostly what they have.  it's actually not my favorite.  i prefer the bear tooth.  i find the pizza's tend to be a big soft on top and hard on bottom.

 it appears that despite marijuana being legal it won't be legal to light up in public in Anchorage anyway.  they are still trying to sort out all the details involved in legalizing marijuana.  tax it all and while you are at it some of these churches are more businesses than churches...tax them too!!  that change.org guy can write that petition.

 there was a bit marine science center last week.  a smart walrus non-profit person would have found someway to get a table or something over there.  those poor walrus...they just have me to help them!!

 they really should have gone to someone with more experience.

 sounds like things are going better for a place called Kobani.  they fighters there were tough.  men and women, they knew they may die but they were not giving up their homes to ISIS unless they were killed.  they all carried a means to kill themselves if they were captured.

 war is horrible stuff.  today marked 70 years since the victims of the Holocaust were freed.  still survivors out there to tell their stories if they can bear to speak them.  one gentleman i heard on NPR spoke about how this happened in a country that was seen as civilized and how easily this can happen in places which have no stability.

 sadly, though it hasn't happened to the degree that it happened in Germany, horrible things continue to happen across this earth.

 as i was driving around downtown the other night, debating writing another WARIS note i turned down an alley.

 it was on one of these brutally cold nights.

 lined up one sleeping bag after another were 4-6 homeless folks, trying to keep warm by keeping close.  does keep life in perspective.  made me feel bad for a bit that i'm putting my efforts into walrus, but there are others who work just as much or more on the homeless and helping them.  we all need to find our thing and try to make a difference.  for that you have to have some passion for the thing i think.

 still, we do lose a few homeless folks to the cold nights up here.  it's the sad reality. i never would have thought a place like Alaska would have homeless.  i'm thinking i'd be hitch hiking someplace warmer.

 there were ice bergy bits out there.  not as much as i seem to usually see but at least there is some ice now.

 the Koch brothers are planning their next election purchase...they have a mere $889 million in their budget for the 2016 campaign.  may God have mercy on  our souls.  this is where our nation is going wrong.  we are losing or have lost our vote's sanctity.

 my mom always was predicting the end of the world...she may be right.  if so i'm happy i have not have kids to have to survive the hell that comes with that. hope by the time that happens i'm up in Heaven breathing a sigh of relief.

 mountains were just barely peeking through.  will have to glance out for lights later.  no plans to drive anywhere in this chill and watch them. got my fill the other day.

 a girl has got to sleep sometime.

 almost looks like sunset but it was still a few hours away.

 supposed to have my last PT tomorrow but i'm thinking i'll call in the morning and cancel and try for a day next week when my main PT will be back from vacation.  they scheduled it at 3 tomorrow and the more i think about it...that is really going to cut into my last full day off. i really should do something more fun.

 knee does pretty well.  admittedly last night it was pretty sore after walks and PT.

 enjoyed the sun but i could still use much more snow.  never bothered to shovel.  at some point you start to think...summers coming. and you shovel less.

 not to many moose sightings of late. these guys were the first i'd seen for a bit

 a handsome crew i think.

 then this guy was out in the neighborhoods.  he looks to have appendicitis. looks a bit red there in the RLQ.  better get that checked out.

 another lit up bike.  i guess now that people are spending over $3000.00 on fat tire bikes the old bikes are becoming Christmas decorations.

better get to bed soon.  thankful for A. change.org not actually changing my petition to angry petition B. not ever having to endure the sort of hell that so many others have been forced to endure C. any positive walrus news.  good news is good news.