a little touch of heaven..

 wasn't sure where to head after i'd slept most of the day away after working three.  finally headed off to Point Worzonof to catch the sunset.  the light was awesome as you can see it shining on this snowman above.  this guy was created by other sunset watchers i suspect by the airport.

 of course, i must admit there were a few swear words uttered as i battled traffic to get to this place and enjoy the relaxing views.  could people drive any slower some days.  haha.

 actually these first ones are from another sunset between shifts. i took the girls out to a little loop in North Bivouac.  these were back on Tudor.  i pulled over and enjoyed the sunset.  it's so early these days.  we are almost to solstice.  love winter sunsets...they are absolutely spectacular!!

 i checked on our little critter tree and was delighted at what i saw.  all of the muffins placed by MT had been eaten.  i suspect a very nimble moose carefully plucked each off the branches and enjoyed a treat.  nothing else was disturbed.  so funny!

 great to get a little walk in between shifts.  usually i just hit the bog or the streets but this day i got myself up and out of bed and was able to enjoy the day.

 one morning as i drove home there was an ice fog.  love when the trees get coated with frost on mornings like that.  the ones on the other side of town today looked to have been coated nicely. wish i had been able to explore those a bit.  perhaps tomorrow i'll make another run at it all.

 trying to walk down on the beach at Pt Worzonof was no easy task.  even with the knee discomfort i find myself nervous about surgery and making this thing worse before it gets better.  walking is so theraputic for me that i find i'm anxious about going without for a bit.  i just try to keep reminding myself that it will be better eventually.

 on the way back from Point Worzonof i stopped at the airport post office to mail off the rest of the packages. i still have one package i'd like to mail but that one can wait.  hit a few more stores last week and finished the stuff to mail off!! felt good to be done for the most part with the post office.  several of the packages i mailed last week have already arrived.

 i got home and put the lights up on the tree just in time for the O family to come help me decorate, which has been the tradition.  we had a nice time as always chatting and decorating.  Blossom and Rio were thrilled to have company.  will post those pictures tomorrow.

 the tree looks lovely.  the house smells great...still lots of stuff to do this weekend.  the to do list is always present.  i'm done with work for a bit though.  hoping this heals faster than expected and that i only need crutches for the shortest time.  i've never been very coordinated at the crutch walking thing.  would like to get off of those fast.

 spent my work week in Peds icu.  always so strange anymore to have the same patients for more than one night or more than a few hours considering how often i'm in the ER.  great to work with my fun peds co-workers.  even got to utilize another friend who has moved to the iv start team.  the one little girl was entertained by us all and i heard her declare to her mom that she never wants to go to any other hospital.  hard to get a teenagers approval, but we did!!  

 these are back to my little drive down to the waters edge today.

 the light on downtown was so pretty.

 it's the simple stuff too...the frost.  i always love the frost.

 some Christmas cards are trickling in . i'm so happy that i am not the only person who still likes to send out real cards.  i'm sure it will soon be a thing of the past as most people only send out greetings on facebook and other social sites.

 my laptop may be permenantly damaged.  i stupidly opened some silly video and as soon as you open it this high pitched screaming started and didn't stop.  i was unable to close out of it and my computer hasn't been the same since.  finally was able to run it through a scan...couldn't even open it forever...but it still isn't right.  drat those computer viruses.  my computers are both getting old...which apparently only takes a few years anymore.

 a few more shots of downtown.

 was happy to hear that a guy who went after a police officer here and his dog with a machete was sentenced to 4 years for slashing the dog up.  the dog survived but was injured.  4 years doesn't seem enough but it's hard to get any longer sentences for cruelty against animal charges...this despite lots of proof that people who do these things to animals generally eventually do the same or worse to their fellow humans.
they still do not have any leads last i heard on the poor dog that got it's throat slashed and was hung in a tree.  it's that a lovely thing to do to a dog.  we are surrounded by some pretty horrible people.

 this is just the fence at the airport, but i thought it looked cool bathed in the light.

 wanted to go down closer to the waters edge but i didn't have my cleats on and it was super slick.  cleats tomorrow i think.

 DVL is no longer at fish and game. feel like singing!! he was the director who made the decision to remove the staff from Round Island and take away all the funding.  hopefully, they put in a more reasonable person to replace him and we can reverse this decision.  write letters, more letters.  this advocacy stuff is mostly letters and phone calls i find.  also a lot of leads that go dead.  have spent a lot of this year chasing my tail so it's hard to know if you make a difference.  i think in general i have, just by existing.  you become the thorn...we should have another board meeting soon just to try and plan what is next.   the tedious work of getting it all started is getting behind me.

 so often i feel like i've done so little and then when i really think about all i have done i realize i haven't really been such a slacker. my desk is a mess...i for sure need to clear that up.

 wishing we had a see's candy shop here.  they do sell some boxes up here but i like certain ones...like the chocolate milk patties.  nummy.  i used to go pick up a quarter pound box every so often.  it's not like i do not have enough chocolate at my place.  everyone at work was pretty happy to see that i still carry a supply.

 sleeping lady across the water there.

 lots of pancake ice...big round pancake shaped ice floes.  always love the ice of the inlet.

 these are off the opposite direction of the sunset. nice pinks in the sky

 i was the only one down by the water.  must be cause the sunset is so early. lots of folks are still working at 3 when it's going down.

 got a very nice note in our WARIS po box this week.  some one in Palmer took the time to write and thank us for forming the group and working on behalf of the sanctuary and the walrus. i have a handful of other lovely notes...it really does help on those days when i hit the dead ends to know that we are supported and are representing many folks who want the same for this place.

 there are so many places that need our protection on this earth.   i wish i could do more to protect the beautiful places and amazing animals but i do feel good about protecting this one place and this small group of animals.  you never know if you can make a difference but it's best to put forth the effort.  as a friend said when i was starting this..."you can't make it worse by trying".  i once again feel hopeful now that DVL is out.  here is hoping someone with more insight into the future of Alaska's lands and animals is put in to replace him.

 i really hate that the beautiful places become pawns in political battles.  the walrus are just trying to go about their lives peacefully...they do not have an opinion about issues that they do not realize exist.

 the Iditarod trail is a bit less treacherous apparently. the area known as the Farewell Burn was opened up and widened.  lots of injuries last year in that section due to lack of snow and a trail dangerous too thin for a team of dogs to run through.  now the talk is of fixing the Dalzell Gorge area.  i feel like after last year the race has been altered forever.  it's kind of sad.

 they were given emergency buttons to push to get assistance.  it doesn't seem like much but i think it will totally change the race.  i mean now it opens it up to many who would be afraid to run the race, now they will assume that there is an escape hatch whereas before you were going to have to be dependent on your own survival skills.  man (or woman) vs the elements.  i think that makes you push yourself further knowing help isn't coming.  the Iditarod folks may have just opened a can of worms for themselves. how much more money will it cost to manage a race where you are now spending money "rescuing" people who probably should have never attempted a race like this to begin with.

 the sky was so awesome tonight.

 at least 50 souls from a fishing vessel are feared dead...only 7 were found in a life boat.  the south Korean vessel was lost from the waters closer to the Russian side in the Bering Sea.  those waters are cold and rough...no way they will find any more survivors at this point.  that is a huge loss.  those poor families.  the boat began sinking in rough seas, there is talk that the evacuation order came too late to save them.

 that is fire island out there. and some pink sky and water!!

 another dog beating case out of Bethel...that poor dog was beaten to death with a flashlight...that guy got 6 months for animal cruelty. the guy had been drinking and wanted to intimidate his sister?  i think people are starting to take more notice of these types of cases and the people who commit them.  lots of evidence that points to these perpetrators becoming more cruel over time.

 came home to bits of a cat food tin being gnawed up and distorted all over the house.  had no idea that dogs would be able to smell through the can that there was cat food in there. good to know though.  it was sitting on a table when i left, unopened...silly dogs!

 i will sleep good tonight. took an evening nap.  i am a fan of napping. if i'm tired i have no problem curling up under my electric throw for 20-30 min.  i don't need much to feel revived!

 they gave me the triple last night.  was steady, not out of control.  i think at some point there was a little earthquake. i was in a room and we all felt it.  must have been big enough but not too big.  the hospital seems to be full of psych issues. it's been a rough year for folks and attempted suicides are keeping us busy.  the flu season seems to be a pretty rough one. i guess the flu vaccine this year missed the mark.  so far i have survived without catching the nasty bugs my co-workers have been catching.  the perks of having little to no social life i guess...haha.

 i'd be perfectly happy to skip the gi bug that has gone around and the flu bug sounds like it's put people out for days and is a strong and brutal one.

 more pink...i just love it!!

 can't believe i got lucky at the post office both times i went.  always awesome!!

 will have to make the most of these next few days.  clean the house, get some last minute shopping done, do some baking.  work on that to do list that i tend to ignore

 need to start thinking and prepping for next summers adventures.  there are the things that i have never done that i still need to check off my list...Kennicott for sure!!  have put that off way too long.  should hit katmai for the bears and the valley of ten thousand smokes, Barrow and i'd also like to go to Kobuk forest..the desert of the north.  sounds pretty cool to me.  i think you can fly in from Fairbanks or Kotzebue...hmmm.  will have to investigate.

 this is a tree's roots, just liked it against the sky

 well, i have come to the end of yet another exciting blog entry...hehe.

thankful fors...
a....good health and the ability to be outside enjoying the beauty of this place
b...fun and helpful co-workers.  i do miss my peds crew some days.  fun to be able to chill with them all this week.
c....friends and family, nobody can satisfy all of your needs but the more friends you have the more likely that all the most important needs you have will be taken care of ....we all need a little help sometimes in this world and i'm so happy that i have support and kindness in the form of friends and family