fun with frost...

 that is a take off from sheldons, fun with flags, on the big bang.  i zoned out on big bang episodes this evening.  can't go wrong there.  the temperatures remain low, low, low.  currently ambient outdoor temp is about 10 below zero F.  was out hiking/walking for 3 hours, surely it was around that up there today.

 the frost came and went.  karen joined me at prospect heights and we did the loop i usually do but then added on a few extra sections of trail before hitting the main powerline trail back down to the trailhead.

 still clear, not a cloud in the sky...

 again, too cold to submit the mastiff to so she stayed home on the couch with her PBB (peanut butter bone) and NPR.  oh the stories she could tell me.

 blossom enjoyed her romp in the woods.  she had no other dogs to compete with for her beloved tennis ball so i'm sure she ran several more miles than karen and i walked.  i suspect we came close to 6 miles out there.  we stopped often to snap photo's...well, i snapped photo's, karen takes photos. she uses all the fancy stuff on the camera, where i just take my hands out of the gloves for as brief a time as i can.

 there were a few places where overflow has occured.  we had to work out way around these areas.  i have no desire to do any major slip/slides on the ice.  caution is best used no matter how small a patch of ice you run across.  have noticed lots of overflow this year.

 each winter is different and so far ours has been cold and frosty.  the frost is totally beautiful so i'm trying to bundle up and enjoy what this winter has to offer us.

 last winter we broke the snowfall record, this winter we have had little snowfall.  such a strange land this is.

 frost feathers.  they all came out blue or i turned em blue trying to bring out the details of them.

 loved the jeweled looked frost beads on the blades of grass.

 couldn't bear to leave the house again this evening.  snuggled under the electric blanket with a book after having a late lunch, napped and then the big bang.

 did try to order some see's candies.  i used to be able to order a box with just those caramel milk chocolate patties.  this isn't an option on their web site.  i selected some other stuff, but then the shipping costs almost equaled the amount of my purchase price so i ditched the order and had a kit kat.  poor me!!

 the pine trees were laden with the frost. the section of the trail furthest up was the most amazing due to all of the pine trees frosted up.   this part i have never taken.  when we came out i think we were pretty close to the glen alps trailhead.

 always fun attempting to get the frost details. it's amazing how geometric and detailed it all is.

 we tried putting our gloves and my hat underneath, the frost is pretty delicate so mostly it fell apart at these attempts.  i'm quite certain that blossom tore through many of these delicate beauties in her quest for the tennis ball.

 we saw nobody until we got back to the trailhead. there were a few cars out there, but there are so many options at these trailheads that it's pretty easy to be out and about and run into few or no others.  always kinda amazing being right in anchorage.

 i was amazed at how thick some of the frost was.  i'd say it was easily 2-3 mm thick at times.  that is impressive for frost i think.

 blueberry hallow...that is the part that was new to me.  happy to have been able to get all the way out there today.  it was worth it, worth being chilled upon getting home.  generally takes til i get home to thaw enough to get chilled. the tip of my nose was numb at times and i had transient numbness to my fingers depending on how many photo's i took.

 i did make a hair appointment, the follow up appointment on my legs and got a load of dishes washed...phew..i did accomplish something.

 another day off tomorrow.  where to go, what to do?  will have to actually get a few of those things accomplished i've been putting off.

 here is more of the frost on the pine trees.

 pretty cool

 the frost was growing on every surface.  this is an old stump.

 loved the frost on the tree trunks.  awesome!!

 even the little mossy hairs that drip off of the pines were coated with frost.

 loved this dead tree.

 the anchorage news is all about the kidnap and murder of local, samantha koenig.  now that everyone knows her killer was a ruthless serial killer it creats more questions than answers.   the information that was kept secret during the search for her was released.  that poor girl.  i feel badly for her boyfriend as well.  he saw keyes, the killer, who left samantha in a shed at his house while he went to her place to get her atm card, he also left her secured in his car while he went back to the coffee shack for her phone.  his truck was seen on video surveilance and he was seen taking her to the truck.  there were actually people in the area but nobody saw anything amiss.  it is just painful to think that she could have possibly been helped.

 my heart goes out to her family and friends as this release must be very painful, even though they agreed to it.  everyone wants to know if there are other victims and close cases across the nation if possible to help other families get closure.  keyes talked some before he killed himself but not enough to clear up missing person cases that he is probably involved in.

 the pictures today are both kinda cool and kinda crappy.  frost photo's aren't too easy.  kinda like polar bears on snow in snowy conditions.  i mostly leave that to those who take the time to really learn all the tricks of photography.  still fun to play.

 the tennis ball froze often in the chuck it.  it freezes fast in this bitter cold. at times in less than 15 seconds.  it's one of the many ways i guess the temperatures.  another is that my seatbelt is difficult to fasten when it gets cold and i need two hands to unlock my front door.

 in this picture below i was trying to show how thick the hoar frost was. this is close to 3mm at the edge.

 are you bored with ice yet...i think most of anchorage is.  everyone seems pretty ready for it to warm a bit and for the snow to come down.

 i wouldn't complain at that at all.  doesn't really seem to be in the forecast though.

 no signs of animal life out there today.  moose are enjoying the feed that is still available and not buried in snow i'd guess, but i doubt this cold suits them.  did see loads of moose prints out there.

 back on the main powerline trail.

 another large area of ice overflow.

 the light sure looked pretty on it.

got an "american photo" magazine in the mail today.  it did have my name on it though i didn't order it.  gift? sample?  if it comes again next month i'll know. thanks to whoever..i shall go curl up and check it out.  keep warm out there.