from snow to super cold..

 

i remembered that i have auto start this morning.  such a joy! car is plugged in and ready for the winter fun. the element on the other hand...well the battery is dead. i went out to use it on one of our zero degree mornings only to find i hadn't shut the door tightly...probably the seat belt got caught. anyway.  it wouldn't start.  thinking i'll rejoin AAA and then request a jump in a few days to get her started again. it's still newer than the car above.  these are from July

mixing it up. 

i head back to work again tomorrow night. no anxiety this stretch off.  the overall covid numbers appear to be decreasing, most importantly, the number hospitalized is decreasing and before we had over 30 on vents in state and now it's less than 20 so that helps. 

not sure what will happen in December.  many of our help will leave and we shall see...

have been out walking and enjoying the great outdoors, no matter how chilly it is.  i come home and snuggle in under the covers and electric mattress pad for a bit and then try to get a few things accomplished for the day. 

i have managed to get the calendars and cards made! bought a few gifts so things are starting to get done.  i like to get the business of the holidays under control so that the holidays aren't so insane 

i have had some double walk days with treks to my new obsession of rock hunting out at Ruth Arcand. 

so Monday i walked out at Campbell Airstrip with friends and then hit the dentist and then zipped over to Ruth Arcand. i've gotten a winter inner loop figured out.  just exploring and finding new paths.  just adding the park to the mix of trails i use. i'll tire of the rocks at some point i'm sure or just run out of rocks to paint to trade with. in the summer i suspect the bug count will get pretty high out there like it does in the bog here.

today i headed to Ruths for a quick walk and then met LS out at North Bivouac for a nice loop. always good for me to get some actual social time in the mix. 

the other night i was painting rocks.  trying to improve my skills a bit.  looking on pinterest for some better options so i don't feel guilty in my trades.  there are some impressive artists out there. 

i have a few new options to add to the mix. my paddlers are cute and i'm starting to build on my mountain scenes.  

some of these are from the crow creek mine.  there is a cat that lives there...i was happy i left the dogs in the car!  they would have given chase.  the cat was super sweet and came right up for pets.  extra toes, which i always love. 

so several of these are from Crow Creek mine, also Portage valley, Girdwood/virgin falls and i think another trek out to Independence mine. 

lots of pretty flowers at the mine.  they do weddings and other parties out there so many pretty photo ops

their blue poppies are quite the sight. so pretty.

we also do many of the usual walks through the summer

loved these from below shots of the flowers.  always trying new angles.

one may have made it in to the calendar.  we shall see. it's usually not too bad, the calendar. 

my photography is better than my rock painting but i have artistic skills in me so i just have to be more patient.  the painting is very relaxing and i try to make up for my lack of artistic skills out there by adding some volume of rocks. many of mine just stick around there or get moved around the circle, never finding a new home.  

it is interesting to see what goes and what stays.  the paw prints do seem to go.  i think because they are small and interesting rocks at baseline so that makes them easy to carry around in a pocket. 

i'll have to layer up once more this evening to go check the mail.  with temps so low you can't just pop outside without being prepared. 

i for sure took advantage of many of the popular mines out here.  each season is different and each summer i hit different things.  need to plan another Alaska outing for next summer. i've still never gone to see bears out at Brooks so always a possibility.  i think i may have a few visitors.  though i don't really plan around that until it sounds more solid.  many want to come but often they do not actually come. 

we checked a few winter trails in N. Biv today.  this one is usually the last one frozen. there were some foot prints going a ways out and then they had stopped and returned.  we laughed. 

not yet.  

watched some netflix and did some baking.  that is it for these days off.  felt good i got those few projects done though.  perhaps i'll get the poetry blog started tonight and get signed on to AAA. was thinking of getting the Skelly's changed over to Christmas...not sure i'll feel that ambitious tonight though.  

they were looking for on call for tonight so maybe that will be an option the next few days. chill while i can and be rested for what comes in December.

i had gotten this new dental hygienist because mine wasn't available once and so now it seems i have him all the time.  he's nice enough but i wasn't too sure if he could tell the difference between gums and teeth.  ouch! took some ibuprofen after my visit on Monday. 

below is from Eagle River Nature Center.  dogs on leash there so not always my favorite spot with them. they are not the greatest on leash and now that Ivy is feeling better she seems to be jumping more and more again.  was hoping that the knee issues would have meant that was done for good. such an annoying habit. 

they aren't perfect but i sure love these pups.  they put up with me and even seem to like me.  dogs are just that way.  they think the world of you.  they adore you and they don't know to be any different.  

when you are single you are not adored for sure...i do realize that many who aren't single live without adoration as well. perhaps that is just part of aging.  you are no longer called beautiful. you are just a face in the crowd, an old face. 

my self esteem was never the greatest to begin with.  aging does not always improve that.  it can be odd.  i will find a rock and then debate even taking it...do i deserve to have a pretty rock? can feel pretty pathetic that you are convincing yourself that you are worthy of a pretty rock in life. 

i felt a bit of the melancholy monday and Tuesday but today it seemed to have passed. always something i guess. 

thankful that i have outlets.  walking, photography, poetry, painting and of course, the pets.  you really just have to find ways to distract yourself from your own negative feelings some days. 

plug along and eventually you will find there are more good days than bad in life.  

bear poop....no bear sightings on the trails so i'm always good with that. hoping this cold snap is putting those bears to bed. 

more painting tonight perhaps.  it seems that many of the painters out there use very fine tipped brushes or their hands, which i did a little finger painting the other day.  worked pretty good. messy but messy can be perfect. 

me with some himalayan blue poppies and fireweed above

lots of flowers in June/July, then it gives way to mushrooms and then...back to snow and ice.

i do love it up here though.  don't really feel a need to leave really.  

i'm a bit of a home body, and i get into my comfort zone at times.  i don't mind being other places but it's always so stressful planning and getting to/from them. 

i'm not a keen airplane traveler either. 

maybe i like the small planes because they are always just shorter hops.

november is halfway over, time really does fly, whether you are having a good time or not.  

i used the crock pot for a turkey breast yesterday. fun to change it up a bit with some comfort foods from time to time.  may just eat a salad here in a bit. 

family photo time.  thanks SH, pretty sure she took these.

lupine. another favorite. well, i better get some other stuff done.  top it off with some painting i guess. 

thankful for. A. distractions, hobbies and the pups who get me outside when it's super cold, them and the rocks. B. brainless tv shows that i use to drift off and veg out C. the art skills of others, i'm always amazing at what folks come up with.