great day to read...rain, rain and more rain....

 i did finally get motivated and got out to walk Miss Blossom.  Rio opted out, surprise, surprise.  texted a few people and Lena took me up on a walk. that is the pipeline above.  not too many great viewing opportunities on that short section of the Richardson Highway, but the pipeline does show up from time to time.

 Lena and i walked out South Bivouac.  we were going to do at least a portion of Spencer Loop, but they are doing trailwork out there so we just headed the other direction. less big hills, but we still got a few calories burned i'm sure

 my latest WARIS letters are almost written..bought envelopes at costco so i can begin to plan our envelope stuffing/addressing gathering.

 also was online looking up prices for renting out places to do some sort of gathering with a talk...the zoo place is out.  $800/hr. yikes!!  public buildings like UAA and some community gathering sites also charge but much less.  i think UAA was the cheapest.  will have to see what other options exist on our tight WARIS budget.  i'm all about getting the word out as cheaply as possible.

 still waiting for kickstarter to release the monies we were able to fun through that.  yet another reason to not bother with them again.

 such amazing landscapes on these road trips.  you can never get enough of it and you do feel obligated to take pictures at every turn.  awesome!

 i think this mountain is in Wrangell-St Elias.

 stopped at this lake along the way as the reflections were pretty.

 and at this one because of the pipeline.

 not excited to head back to work already tomorrow night. i am missing that 6 day off stretch.  i'll get it after this little stretch.  will have to take advantage of the days off and take a drive while i still have driving weather. don't like to do that in the snow and cold. may be able to get that envelope stuffing gathering at the house in as well.  will be looking for volunteers...i'll provide food and you can play pool when you get tired of stuffing and addressing envelopes.  social and work...always good.

 want to feel like i'm getting some stuff accomplished.  much of it now is just waiting for the IRS.  then i'll need to push for donations more i guess.  that could be another letter writing campaign...i am hoping that some of the past visitors to the island will be interested in helping out a bit more once they know the situation and that there are people trying to make noise and get changes to this decision made.

 someone posted a video on facebook just a bit ago. it was about something i'd seen a tedtalks about not too long ago.  interesting research after the wolves were reintroduced out in yellowstone.  the hoofstock changed where they hung out which caused the plants and trees to grow, which caused various birds and animals to return to the new growth, also caused the banks of the rivers and such to hold more true....removing a species from any ecosystem has dramatic impacts. adding it back can reverse the negative impact from removing them...that is a positive thing.

 of course, i do laugh as everytime i have played a video on facebook with wolves howling my cats get unnerved and bolt out of the room.  they do not like that sound.  it's a primal reaction.  funny.

 loved the color reflections on this lake

 so pretty.

 went out to eat tonight with a friend at the Arctic Roadrunner.  the place has been there forever and i've never been there.  really just a burger joint.  my friend said it would be quiet...not tonight.  tonight person after person showed up with an instrument and soon the place was very loud with old country/campy tunes.  i wish i could tell you it was good...but it really wasn't.  my head is fuzzy...ever since that concussion earlier this year when i am around loud noise like that i can find myself fuzzy afterwards for quite some time. i think i'm done with that joint.

 nice to catch up with my friend.  she's had a lot going on these past weeks so i'm happy i could chill with her.  we ended up standing outside in the rain after a bit just talking, but with the rain i was getting chilled.  fuzzy brain and cold.

 beautiful leaves out there.

 soon i will just curl up with my book that i'm reading.  it's the latest Wally Lamb. he writes these long, long novels. have felt like i haven't been keeping up with my reading and i do enjoy reading.  easy to get sucked into other things, but nothing beats a good book on  a rainy day.

 yet another pretty pond/lake.

 fireweed...always pretty. that is the color of the paint in my bedroom. i have never tired of it.  i actually took a photo of walrus from round island with me to lowes years ago and matched that color to a paint color.  that color was called "fireweed".

 this should be the Matanuska Glacier. you can see it for miles before you ever get to the terminus of it.

 the thing is huge.

 just some weeds on the side of the road but i always think they look cool

 two women in their 90's were able to get married after 72 years together.  kind of a cool story.  with all the bad news a little good news is always refreshing.

 this is Lions Head...guess it does kind of look like a lion lying down.

 pretty mountain from the distance, even prettier with the fall colors surrounding it.

 then i got up and personal with the glacier for  a few hours.  who can blame me...enjoy the beauty while you can

 haven't drive down to the access since i first drove up from Ketchikan with my friend Carla.  i actually think the little path/road i took down to the front of the glacier was probably the old path..it's no doubt receded a bit since then.

 i had no cleats and i was on my own so i didn't get too nuts out there.  you are walking on ice.  many people were much braver than i with less appropriate shoes.  perhaps i just understand the risks more...or i'm just a chicken.  i'm sure i would have been more brave and wandered more had i been with others and had i had cleats on.

 the things look pretty stable, but they are in motion and it's best to respect water, no matter what form it takes i find.

 another commentary in the paper monday the 8th.  it was by John Strasenburgh.  it was about these new policies being laid out by Bates  and enacted by others like Vincent-Lang.  the 32 special area's/critical habitats.  i'll post it to the facebook pages.  no mention of Round Island specifically, but i am happy to see that this does keep popping up in  the news.  sad that these sorts of people are put in these positions.  you would think anyone placed in decision making roles in Fish and Game would actually have respect for the land and the animals and want to preserve and protect.  that isn't how it works though.

 you can see others further out there on the glacier. you are on the ice.

 off to read...

thankful for- a.  good books and rainy days b.  friends who are willing to walk in the rain c.  cheese...