it's beginning to look a bit like Christmas...

 the Skelly scene is not complete but it's a start.  will have to get the Christmas decorations out soon.  no tree yet though.

 we had a lovely Monday walk.  George came along to his first Monday walk.  i think he did quite well on it.

 he is fascinated with the chuck it...less the tennis ball itself, but the actual chuck it is pretty interesting i guess.

 photo ops on the dryer before going out in the cold. today i added some lights over the garage and the lit up dog i have.  love this little hat...dog costume stuff. makes for good Skelly gear some times.

 Skellina is looking pretty fashionable in her new outfit. 

 i got working on the Christmas cards this evening.  it's a good way to organize the Christmas gift list as well.

 got several calendars ready to ship off.  hopefully i can hit the post office tomorrow.  i also put a good deal of the cards in the mail so that is on the way now.  nice to get some of the business of Christmas completed so i can chill later and enjoy the peace of it all.  the lights, the music. 

 George tried to get himself in to some trouble...it was a bit sloppy, not frozen yet.

 he is not afraid of water.

 yesterday i met my friend GT for a walk at Campbell Airstrip.  the pups all had a good time as there was fresh snow out there yesterday as well.  dogs go nuts with the snow.

 wrote to some nieces and nephews looking for some new addresses for them.  the Christmas list is less each year.  most folks are quitting it all.  i suppose at some point we all will be...but i still enjoy the whole Christmas card gig.  so if you would like to be on the list...send me your address.  us old letter writers have to stick together i guess.  keep the postal service busy.

 it's great to get mail.  when you are single getting mail is maybe more fun.  i don't really have the whole big family dinners to look forward too...or to dread depending on your take on it. 

 life is about adapting and when you are single you have to adapt your expectations about Christmas.  some years i adapt better than others. 

 mostly, i think i just feel less connected to the ties of the past with each passing year.  it is never the same trying to go back.  you can't re-create the Christmas of your childhood.  i was pretty lucky when i was a kid.  i think my Mom always did a great job keeping Christmas pretty magical. she seemed to always go all out...of course, with all the electronics now i don't know how parents keep up...it's gotta be super expensive.  in the past my Mom could buy us lots of little prezzies which added up under the tree but not as much in the pocket book as the new stuff now.  iphones, ipads...the expectation for Christmas has just increased exponentially. 

 like all else in society it's become more about greed and comparing who got what.  i actually hate working Christmas day the most because it's just this over sharing of who got what.  nobody really wins with that. 

 debating what the dogs and cat will get me for the big holiday.  I'd kind of like one of those security things.  ring or whatever they are called.  see who is out on the deck or check on packages or see if there is a moose about. 

 still snowing out there.  supposed to keep up for a bit.  looks so pretty coming down.  temps will drop down a bit as well. then warm slightly and more snow by the time next Monday walk rolls around.  Christmas tree decorating next Monday for all interested.

 the rest of these are from Seward. 

 they were able to get to the site of the wreck. i guess another company refused the trip due to weather.  since the one that accepted the run all perished it seems that they were wise.  not worth losing an entire crew.  small hospitals just need to make due until it's safe for transport.  that is a risk of living off the grid...not being able to get to the bigger hospitals in a crisis. 

 personally, i think that may be a perk.  it prevents you from surviving long enough to be tortured for months in the system some times.  no idea what the patient was that was supposed to be picked up.  very sad for all those lost.  a paramedic, and RN and a pilot.

 the other pictures were fire weed, these are lupine.  it's really pretty at the end of the runway there in Seward and i just discovered this place.  i still need to return and hit the beach as you can but i wasn't sure of the route...now i know.

 Ivy has been a bit jumpy this week.  the snow i think.  Tusker has been hanging on to the tennis ball more and she gets frustrated i think so she jumps on me...i don't want her to train me to reward her by getting the tennis ball from Tusker when she does that...have i already. it's easy to screw up like that.  dogs are not fools.  they get your attention the way they know how...it works and you don't always get that you have been programmed to respond to their negative behavior.

 overall they have been very good though. i think my friend with the puppy was impressed with how they stop and stay in place while others pass by.  it's something she seems like she would love her dog to do as well.  it is a great trick....works most of the time.

 love these mugs. some days they can be a bit much, but they are high energy dogs.  super sweet and overall pretty mellow.

 i tossed the snow shoes in the car.  it wasn't quite deep enough to use them today.  we shall see how much snow is out there tomorrow.

 3 more kids being added to the family, all from the same family, all girls, all due close to march i think.  i have some cute clothes on the way.  i think i have all their addresses now so i can ship those off when they are ready. 

 still a few more addresses to go. i did pass them along to my sister as she tends to make the big family list.  I'll work on a few more tomorrow. 

 hit the cyber sales.  never really sure what the kids may want, but i usually do okay i think.  i actually think nobody else really gets the nieces and nephews gifts.  they always had their own kids to shop for.  i have done it while they are under age...once they are off flying on their own i figure i then end up buying wedding and baby gifts. it gets expensive.  less to shop for now. 

 there are also a few of my nieces who have always made an extra attempt to keep me in their lives so i like to let them know that i appreciate the effort.  i know i live far away, but it's not that hard to keep in contact...it's a choice really. 

 in the old days if i had moved off to Alaska my family may have never heard from me again.  people have always done that though.  there have always been those who are more adventurous i guess.  who are willing to leave everything they are familiar with behind and set out on their own.  there are actually a lot of folks like that up here so it's fun to be around like minded folks. 

 love Ivy action shots.  sometimes i get lucky and catch her.

 Tusker is a bit more sedate.

 a dog vs wolf was found in the permafrost recently...it's a puppy and is in nearly perfect condition...it's estimated at over 18,000 years old.  crazy.  what else will be revealed as the permafrost melts...there is always the risk of old virus/bacteria also being revealed. it was found in Russia. around this time apparently many wolves were becoming extinct and dogs were evolving. they have a broad estimate of when this happened...anywhere from 20,000-40,000 years ago. 

 there were different colors of lupine out in this area, which was fun. 

 i love the lupine. i think it's called other names in other parts of the world/lower 48. 

 don't think i really paid as much attention to the details when i lived in Los Angeles.  some of that is much of what was around when i grew up had been put there as opposed to being natural there.

 maybe we are more limited in varieties as well.

 maybe you just get older and pay more attention to details overall.

 a small family of ducks cruising along

 at the end of the runway there are these boggy water ways.  I'm sure home to many birds, especially at certain times of the year.

 i have run into other dog walkers out there though. 

 Albania had a 6.4 quake recently.  always amazing what a difference better buildings make.  not sure what the death toll on that one is, but it appears to be climbing.  could also be factors of depth and distance for sure. 

 I'm getting hungry. snack time. 

 enjoy the lupine.  i always do. it's the early flower.  after dandelions but before fire weed.

 there are some good spots to enjoy the lupine...this is for sure one of those places. I'll be back.

 the dogs had a great time too.

 no plans tomorrow really...just post office and walk dogs.  still too early to get a tree i think.  will be needleless by Christmas if i do.  I'm always debating getting a fake tree, but in the end i always go real.

 will look forward to twirling them at Dimond Greenhouse. 

 good night. enjoy the season. 

thankful for:  A.  people in my life who accept me as i am.  B.  the strength to stand alone even on days when it's not easy  C. my constant and loyal canine companions.