looks like the pictures have loaded correctly today.  i have had a busy few days.  working on my personal to do list.  tomorrow i should really tackle some WARIS to do things before i head back to work again.

 i busily made all sorts of appointments the other day.  one to check my knee, another to have a look see at my vessels and yet another for a new dentist.  now to switch hair dressers i think will be my next move...at 50 i'm feeling the need to purge those in my life who really aren't pleasing me professionally.  no more silly obligations...i am paying them so i should be able to switch guilt free!! it's not personal, it's business!!

 today was another stellar day...all my pics got loaded last night on my shutterfly account and today i got the annual calendars made along with getting my christmas card and address labels made as well!!  my to do list is always ongoing but it's been in a rut for sometime...a chronic state of undone!

 of course, i voted today as well.  not enthusiastically, but still i did my civic duty in an attempt to try and protect the wildlife and lands of Alaska...not sure how it will all turn out as it's still fairly early.  as of the moment our soon to be ex mayor and current governor are a bit behind, which is good except that a republican who just changed to undeclared is not likely to have made any huge belief/value changes just because he changed clubs for the moment.

 our antiquated and getting more nuts each year congressman seems to be far ahead of his democrat...i'm not entirely sure how the same people who are voting to legalize marijuana also are voting for this nimrod, unless they are smoking pot as they color in those little ovals...  the salmon seem to be winning as are those who earn minimum wages.

 Blossom looks quite cozy on my bed.  i was in the middle of making it when she jumped on.  so i made it in shifts as she moved about to increase her comfort.  still just have that corner left to make.  just like making beds at the hospital, one side at a time!  i know Q you would have just made her get off the bed so you could complete the task...or more likely your dogs know where they are supposed to sleep.  she never really sleeps in my bed though and i will admit i took advantage of her snugglyness to get some Blossom snuggle time in.  she's not a snuggly dog.

 Monday walk was enjoyable as always. i woke up and made some pumpkin bread.  today i woke early as i'd made a massage appointment. my regular massage therapist is out on maternity leave, which is a bummer. was hoping to get my knee feeling better.  walks short these last few days.  not sure if i just overdid it over the weekend?  who knows.  i have that appointment on Thursday. i also work that night so i hope it doesn't go too long.  i just don't think this is just a smidgee of arthritis...if it is i'm really a wimp!

 today after my massage and voting i grabbed Rio and made her join us out there.  it was a slow walk.  easy for her to manage.  we cruised back along the creek.  nothing but dead fish seen today.  walked and talked a bit with Issacs person.  no hurry.  i guess there were amazing  northern lights last night....really early this morning like maybe 4-5 am..not a time i will be awake.  i'll look out again tonight.  i'm not one to stay up all night for this nor am i one to sit outside for hours in the freezing temperatures with a camera.  it's another one of those things that i think it sounds lovely but i know i won't be doing.

 i cruised over to potters..i really need to load my kicksled in.  debated driving further, but opted to return home and get to that calendar.  happy i did.  great to have that done.  now i can create the Christmas gift list and slowly make my way through that.

 a bit depressed tonight...it's not looking very good for my walrus with the people who appear to be getting voted in....!   it's always so odd to me that the party that seems to appeal to the religious right are the ones that seem to care very little about the earth and animals that were created for them by God and also care very little for the humans they share the earth with who are less fortunate than themselves. if Jesus were voting i see him protecting the earth and the animals and the poor....the way he tossed those tables with the money guys...well i'm just saying!

 it was funny the other day i was at the post office checking our po box...more returned envelopes, but the counters at the post office were loaded and overflowing with election crap!!  no matter who wins/loses the good thing about tomorrow is all those signs will come down, the mail will stop delivering endless papers, my phone will stop ringing for polls and people will stop coming to my front door...!! (other than JW"S and mormons anyway)

 Tom Magliozzi passed away this week.  for those who don't know him he's the older brother on 'Car Talk' on NPR.  i listened when i woke up at the right time.  they've played reruns for a few years now.  Magliozzi  apparently suffered from alztheimers.  very sad...the guy had  a great laugh and that show always just made me laugh. what  a great gift to be able to make people laugh every week.  i have a cd of greatest hits by car talk.  they had an old interview on NPR today as i was driving around.  got to laugh again at them.

 ok, this picture below...doesn't it look like some dude is standing on the ice right below where i wrote dude?  just tree trunks...looks kinda spooky in the picture though.

 i always like all the ice formations.  should have hit south bivouac, that creek can get some nice formations near the bridge.

 got the heater guy tomorrow afternoon so i'll need to get up and moving again tomorrow.

 the ice forms in these cool sheets.  the reflection is pretty. enjoyed just strolling and enjoying it all.  i took pictures but none of them really did the beauty justice.

 one thing this election has proven beyond anything is that we need to save our democracy from being bought by the highest bidder, there need to be limits on money spent and on the ability of outside groups to fund elections.  it's immoral the amount of money that was spent on this election, not just in Alaska but across the nation...a total waste of money that could have been used elsewhere.  who knows what or who to believe...except to not believe anyone until proven otherwise, which never happens.

 the system is corrupted.

 the trees are pretty.

 suppose i will torture myself and check the election results as they are before i crash for the night. i've had 1/4 glass of wine which for me means i'm drunk.  haha.  i'm pretty weak.

 watched 'yaya sisterhood' last night.  tonight i put in '4 weddings and a funeral' always good for a laugh.  the other day i watched 'a long way down' i think it was called.  quirky flick. i like quirky though.

 a few shots of skaters on the ice. looks great out there. lots of cool ice bubble shots just waiting for me to get my cleats and kicksled out.  perhaps i should go enjoy the sunset there if the heater dude isn't too late getting to my place.  3-5 is the window.

 sunset is getting closer to 4:30 now i think.

 better to have voted and lost than to not vote at all and just be completely cynical i guess.  may be tough to think of my thankful fors ....:-)

but here goes.  A.  thankful to have my calendars created and ordered.  i ordered 25, hope that is enough.  B.  thankful for all the pretty ice formations that made me forget the election for a few minutes.  C.  thankful for my massage which also helped me forget everything for a few minutes.  my knot count is down and that always feels good.