sunday morning wanderings.

 headed for the coast again today.  hard to beat.  listening to train now.  they have some great stuff.  anyway.  i walked out at potter to mchugh trail and then after i'd walked a bit up there with blossom we headed down to potters marsh.

 can't say it was an inspirational photo op day....but there are no bad days for photographers in alaska, just better days and not as perfect days.

 blossom again, cares less where we wander only that we get out each day and that a tennis ball or frisbee fly through the air.

 these culverts will not be draining for sometime and the creeks were all frozen solid as well.

 first i enjoyed reading the daily paper.  sunday is always a great day to lounge in bed and devour a paper.  yes, real paper still.

 some frost out there.  there is a cover of snow on potters.  there are a few spots that people have cleared for skating and there were bikers out there, mostly walkers with dogs like myself.

 guess a guy who killed a local girl has now killed himself in prison.  apparently it is coming to light that he was really a serial killer.  several other deaths in the lower 48.  good thing he got caught and also good that he took himself out before he caused more heartache.  my heart goes out to all the family's.  at least they won't have to go through a trial and all that pain.

 good thing i got my vaccine, sounds like we've already had several cases of whooping cough. the last thing i ever need is pertussis.  nasty bug.  i always feel so badly for the babies.  they seem miserable.

 there was also an article about frozen debris lobes up north. one in particular is headed slowly downhill and will eventually cause trouble on the dalton highway just south of atigan pass.  another marker of global warming.  the signs are more evident up here in the cold north.  unlike a regular landslide that happens quickly these are partially frozen grounds.  this one has been noted to be moving for at least 10 years.

 these flows were first studied in the 70's and 80's.  at first it was noted there were area's of what was termed "drunken trees" in the brooks range.  they look all discombobulated due to the movement of the land around them.  strange. it will be a spendy fix to save the road and protect the pipeline.  in this area it is buried.  they guesstimate the road will be destroyed within 10 years and the pipeline impacted within 20 years.  will have to look at my pictures and see if i have any areas that look like there are drunken trees.  interesting article.  just another sign of things to come.

 these are out on potters. the sun was low and i always love the colours that appear in our winter sunshine.

 lots of frost, pretty trampled up at this point.  it was fun to get out there finally though.  will have to add it as another option to play on in the winter.  it's just not one i think of very often.  many others do though as there was a lot of foot and dog traffic out there today.

 went and saw "Lincoln" tonight with friends.  great acting in this.  funny that sally fields was the wife of lincoln, played by i'm guessing a much younger actor.  it was  very well done though i must say.  a gentleman behind us was giving some commentary...what really happened here and there.  it is hollywood, one must accept some poetic license as it were.  we are aware it's not a documentary.   it's like writing fiction vs nonfiction.  we can't ever know exactly how things were, but if you call it the right thing you can gloss over a few details or alter it to make it more meaningful.

 it is always interesting to me how far the republican party has gone from it's roots.  they were a bit of a radical conservative group.  times have changed.  i think this often of the church of my youth as well, so different from my childhood and certainly miles different than when the founder created it.  eventually, all changes and you have to decide for yourself if the changes are good or bad i guess.

 freeing the slaves was not good for the big business in the south or so it seemed at that time.  overall, clearly, they had the vision that world opinion was moving away from slave labor.  again the republicans at the time were more for the people than the corporation...times change. parties change.  

 i did like the pussywillow/cat...whatever they are called.  i was trying to get a few shots of these.

 took this one of blossom and i.  she looks great in the light...me...well i'm all covered and warm.

 anyway, "Lincoln" was a great flick and i'd recommend it highly.

 i'm sure it will win some awards this year.  the costumes and makeup were well done.  such a different time.

 a few other good movies out there.  they seem to come in groups.  there was a preview for a movie about the tsunami in asia several years back now.  i almost needed tissues just to get through the preview.  will have to bring a box of tissue for that showing.

 still want to get to that museum exhibit.  have been a slacker...have been enjoying getting outside so much and sleeping in...really that is what has hindered me.

 tomorrow i have to get moving early enough to get to the employee health place and get my dang tb test read.  they figured i was due when i got my shot the other day so i ended up with an extra shot.  have had so many tb tests over my years.  it was required when i trained/volunteered as a zoo keeper in los angeles so probably annual tests since my early 20's.  primates get tb.  they get tested on their eyelids by the way, that way you only have to capture they once.

 a bit of the frost in the sunshine out on potters marsh.

 i went to the other side, over the rail to check out the sunset on the beach area over there.

 the rocks were coated with frost.  probably would have been some fun photo ops out here, but i was getting a wee bit chilly by this time and it was getting later. i had hopes of getting my swim in.  still sore, but i think i could have swung it today.  just pop a few ibuprofen.  tomorrow for sure!!!

 sometimes when i get back it's best to curl up under the electric blanket with a book or something.  of course, this leads to a nap and i was wanting to catch the movie tonight.  it's good for me to have some social interaction from time to time.

 the rail.  frosted as well.

 just frost.  thought it looked pretty cool

 got the bulk of the christmas cards off in the mail.  yippee!! check!!  still a handful that i need new addresses on.  then all the cards that will become part of packages/gifts to be sent out.

 ate cookies for breakfast this morning. doesn't last too long, but it does taste good.  on the plus side jeff saw my cookie scooper and now wants one.  love when people are easy to shop for.  hope i can find one!!

 more frosty rocks.  so cool!!

 i know i did the icicle thing last week...who could be bored with that though.  still cool.

 redoubt off in the distance.  there was a car where i went over and i was on the other side of the tracks trying to figure out where that occupant was...then he spoke from between the rocks.  about scared the crap out of me.

well, to the end of another exciting blog entry.  a blog of daily walks.  does encourage me to walk, alter where i walk and to look around me as i walk.  thank you for inspiring me to get out and enjoy all that i have been blessed to live in. it's an awesome life!!