Life is getting back to normal...

 for the most part...or should i say, my normal?  took a sunday drive today out to the Conservation Center.  it's been awhile since i've been there and it was a pretty day.  that was the best my knee has felt sitting for that long so that is great!!

 my body woke me up at like 4am or something crazy.  when i wake up at that hour i often just peek outside for northern lights.  good show of it at 4 am.  i have no patience for dealing with zero degree temps or figuring out camera settings in those conditions i find.  instead i just popped in and out watching them.  they will get brighter and dimmer.  they were dancing pretty well though last night, especially since we had a full moon and city lights. there are things that one just never bores of living in Alaska...really i never bore of any of it.

 so i was a crazy person in my jammies zipping in/outside.  eventually the lights dimmed and i turned to my electric throw for comfort...

 a friend stopped by asking for some basic camera instructions as she bought a new SLR ( i think we still call them that? not a handheld)  anyway. i'm not the best at instructions as i'm terrible with details and i generally don't really play all that much with all the stuff my camera can do...but i think i gave her enough to get started playing with her new toy.  hope so anyway.

 just showed her the basics of what i do on a regular basis.  the other stuff she can read up on and add in as she learns.  in this amazing state pretty much anyone can get some decent shots with any camera.  photography at higher levels often requires a greater deal of persistence and patience.  i have neither of these traits.  my brain has always bored and jumped about.

 i notice it when i decide to clean the house or some other seemingly simple task.  i may start out cleaning the bathroom or something and then i see this or that and then i am on to another area or project and then i'll flit back to the original task only to be lost in another task.

 did get Blossom's eyes and muzzle trimmed the other day.  we did a loop out at North bivouac.

 temperatures have dropped these past few days.  much colder.  0-10 i'd guess.  i'm suspecting that those above 0 temps will soon be a thing of the past and we may make up for our lack of below zero temperatures last year.

 if you dress right you can deal with pretty much any temps for a period of time.  i always do better moving.  above 10F you tend to warm up after that first 1/2 mile to mile.  under 10 you really don't warm up much, at neg 10...well you are just cold.

 not Blossom though, she doesn't seem to notice the cold...it's that lovely fur of hers.  Rio and i are much more sensitive.  i try to bootie Rio if it's below zero.  may have to hunt her booties down come to think of it.

 tomorrow will be a busy day...DR appointment, PT appointment and massage!! it's also Monday walk day so i'll try and squeeze in some Monday walk stuff between everything else.

 Maybe i should just stop by Moose's Tooth after my massage and get food to go.  hmm...i'll be so relaxed!!

 still building my stair skills.  the top part of the stairs here has a railing on both sides so i can support myself better as i try to take the steps in normal fashion.  not much stairs at work thankfully.  my knee was painful before surgery so i was already adapting to that so i shall probably need to adapt a bit as this continues to heal.  stairs and squats will be a work in progress.

 sleeping is getting easier as well.  before i think some of my sleep issues is that i would wake up often due to bending knee too far or pain or whatever, that is less of an issue.  didn't require an afternoon/evening nap tonight so that is promising as well.

 was jumping about between the zoom, the wide angle and the littler camera.

 these are still a few from the little camera.

 always love black and white and those train tracks.  hopefully, i can start hitting more variety of trails soon.  have kept to trails that i can stay fairly level and that i can let Blossom off leash to play and not have people yell at me.  just easier.

 will have to venture out with her on leash soon and test out the bog.  haven't even tried that one yet.

 nice that a few clouds showed up for a bit...always pretty

 this little gazebo is at the nature center. i actually got out of the car on today's drive and took pictures.  still not overly adventurous but it went well.

 lone black bear out wandering around.  didn't see any other bears out there today.

 i think they don't tend to feed them in the winters to encourage them to hibernate.  bears will get up and wander anyway in nature.

 a few sunset shots from the drive home.  it really was pretty out there.

 these are with the zoom.  much less ice along the road as well.  still found some to check out and take a few shots of.

 they are always cool.

 all new ice on the water since a few days ago.

 loads of goats out and about near windy point.  i'd say 15+

 there were a few fairly close to the road, a few in the brush area, low but they were obscurred by the brush.

 mama and baby....so cute.

 Blossom was just barking...had to investigate.  no idea.  she is the security dog of the house. Rio is the enforcer.  if she can find you....watch out!!  cracked up after i got home.  Rio fell into a deep sleep after their dinner.  snoring on the couch.  i mentioned to Blossom to get her toy...she selected a toy that had gone under the TV stand.  when she couldn't get the thing she let out a bark to request my assistance.  at that bark, Rio flew off the couch barking and hauling arse to the front door.  who knew she could move that fast!!  good to know the enforcer is ready and willing to defend if needed though!

 the musk ox were quite active out there. love them...so cute

 there are a few baby moose that are kept in their own enclosure and also a few baby musk ox kept on their own. not sure why the baby oxen are kept in another place.

 the elk and bison are set for release back into the wild this year...so should be an exciting year there.  those bison have been there for many more years that expected awaiting this date...hope all goes well for them.

 caught this gal with her tongue out.  hehe.

 was hoping to catch some hot air breath but  my timing was off and that lack of patience thing.  just thought it would be cool to get those shots of the air being released from these great beasts in this cold temperature.  oh well.

 a few more animals shots.

 elk butt.

 the little fox has a dead rat in his mouth.  Blossom was barking at this guy and the bear pretty intensely...so fun for her.  she would have preferred a walk i'm sure but i think smelling cool wild animals is fun too!!

 a few last sunset shots

 and i shall get ready to retire a bit early and hope to manage my busy day tomorrow.  wish me luck!!

thankful for:  A. peaceful drives.  i love driving. it always clears my head.  B.  chocolate covered macademia nuts...num!! C.  the sweetest puppies in the world!!