blossom in the wind...

 it's kinda cute.  she's just a fun dog.  i love, love, love her locks.  her hair is probably over 4-5 inches long and wavy...i so envy her curls!!

 she probably wishes it were straighter...haha..isn't that how it always is.  i let her off leash for a few minutes but the water was pretty rough due to the winds and blossom is obsessive about water so i didn't want to risk it.  the tide was coming in and it comes in fast when it comes in.

 not too many ice chunks out there anymore. it's going fast.

 always a pretty walk out there.

 it really was windy though and so photography was a bit more of a challenge.

 the leash is a bit of an indicator.

 i wasn't alone out there though.  Alaskans are pretty tough...there were loads of folks out enjoying the warmer weather.  the wind wasn't as cold as it has felt in colder times of year so a sure sign that warmth is returning.

 the tide had come in a lot in the less than hour time i spent battling the wind on the beach itself.  there were places to hide from the wind.  the trail down did have spots with some good breezes blowing.

 didn't see any moose out there.  on windy days they tend to find a nice spot to chill out in...or at times they bolt and run like crazy so i do keep a good eye out for them.  i've seen them running and i wouldn't want to be in their path if they are spooked by the wind.

 animals are easily spooked in these conditions, i'm sure us humans aren't the only ones aware that the bears will be waking up soon.

 the light was pretty out this afternoon.  it could have been my sun glasses made it look prettier.  it wasn't especially bright out much of the day, actually quite cloudy. the glasses helped keep the sand and wind from chewing up my cornea's.

 a favorite tree out there.  i always have to stop and admire it and take it's photo.

 i'm sure i'd be very bummed if it fell down in one of these wind storms.

 blossom was quite happy to find several places to settle down into a  nice cold puddle.

 didn't take many pictures over the past several day hikes.  these were out on a walk out campbell airstrip trailhead.  just saw several trees with these unique marks, thought them strange....Q?

 also hit the bog on the day i was on call and yesterday i never pulled out the camera and just did a loop of gasline and then some inside trails.  those little inside trails can be a bit confusing.  overall i'm aware that i'm in a certain area but which direction i'm heading isn't always entirely clear.

 am for sure carrying my bear spray and an air horn this year...added that in.  why not, right?

 as i was returning to the car there were people in coming down the hill with two dogs, off leash.  they saw that blossom was on leash so they caught up their dogs and put them on leash.  as our dogs got close to each other the larger of their dogs lunged towards blossom and began growling.

 nothing bad happened and thankfully she had her dog on a leash, but what cracked me up was that she said several times as she was pulling her growling dog back to her, "he's just kidding?".  as if dogs have some sort of sense of humor when it comes to these things.

 i don't believe her dog was just kidding...

 probably a lot of the same scenery. the ice remnants are always interesting to me.

 such a unique beach.

 part of the mud is dry and cracked, lots of cool patterns.  if i wasn't at risk of being blown away i may have taken more of these sorts of photos.

 blossom looks thrilled.

 these ones below were cool i thought.  the ice bergs are clearly not your pristine looking ice bergs. they are loaded with mud and glacial silt.

 the run off looked cool as the ice melted away.

 the trail across the pond is obviously a bad idea at this point.  trails that are only accessible in winter and leaving me to find different trails to wander.

 i know i'm probably rambling a bit today.  i slept good but still feel sleepy today.

 never got called in on friday.  never sleep good those days and then last night i worked up in the renal care unit.  they have recently been demoted it seems.  they no longer have in room monitors and will soon be under the same management as the med-surg floor i hear.

 not a bad night really, took some time to sort out the stuff the nurse before me had left and i got a transfer from a rehab place with out any report...always nice.

 yes, a few more of my favorite tree

 there are a few things that perhaps they may want to adjust and not have on this changed unit.  i'm just a float girl though.  ACC must be slow as the nurses are getting floated as sitters.

 on the hill before heading down. that trail was really quite clear.  one little patch of ice mixed with the sand.

 more dried mud

 rio opted out for todays walk.  in the end she was quite wise. it was fine for blossom and i but i really don't think rio would have enjoyed the wind.

 haven't officially stopped the monday walks for the season but i have a dentist appointment tomorrow so i may just next monday is final walk of the season...then i can be free to play a bit more and start taking longer ventures from anchorage.

 we've had pretty clear roads and i really should get these tires changed over sooner than later.

 we may still get some snow though and there is a lot of mud out there.

 just got my first dvd of "call the midwife".  everyone seems to have liked it so i thought i'd check it out.  may make me stay away from the maternity ward...i ponder adding it as a place to orient as they seem to always need people and i bet post baby is probably pretty easy work really.

 i'm not really into the whole uterus check and lochia check stuff. probably will add units on as long as i stay in float pool.  kinda nice to have the options of testing out new places i guess.

 cool ice meltage

 more blossom in the wind shots.  the leash is being held by me and i'm right in front of blossom so that should give you some indication of the wind

 thoughts, prayers and hopeful vibes go out to my friend and her family in Texas...still battling on.  sounds like things have gotten pretty tough.  they've had so many steps forward followed by leaps backwards.  so hard to stay hopeful and i'm impressed at how her husband has seemed to handle it all with such a positive spirit. i hope them peace, in the end after you have prayed and it's gone on for months you have to leave it all in the hands of a higher power and trust that there is some sort of plan to all the madness and suffering that sometimes seems to accompany life. i think many voices have spoken and our hopes are known.

i shall do my grateful for's and get on with my evening...1...the season changes, it's never dull here in Alaska, never stagnant, the times are always changing as is the view.  2...warm bed to snuggle in to.  3...tasty food from serrano's/tequilla kitchen....sure was good tonight!!