the only thing dancing in the skies in town is snowflakes!

 there will be no aurora dancing in this town tonight.i believe this is a seal skin above stretched out.  i really have no idea though.  these are the last from Barrow and below that are nearly the last from September...!!  will be ready to hit October just as Nov begins. i've already posted some of october anyway...so not really as far behind as i was.  summer activities just take time.

 we headed to the craft room at the museum.  great to see the artists at work.  i understand they bring the boats in here when they are putting on the seal skins. in the summers they have times when the artists put out their art and you can purchase it.

 we all had fun meeting and chatting with all these artists and yes...some cash was spent.  they saw us coming i'm sure.

 icing my knee which i haven't done for some time.  feels great just may have overdone the jump roping last night.  :-)  nothing bad...just on occasion the icing feels great after a work out.

 walked super fast for part of the walk today.  step count was over 15,000 for the day.

 Wally in beige brought me my baleen baskets...he's called a few more times with more baskets.  he's in town again.  i think i'm good for awhile.

 this is a polar bear hide.  looks a bit rough

 the only dog yard left in Barrow.

 today i ended up walking Rovers run out the back trails over to homestead trail and then back down. wasn't really thinking i'd hit rovers but then..in the parking lot there was this guy that kinda creeped me out.  he was ahead of me and then dipped under the bridge to the water.

 a few minutes later i noticed he was behind me.  now the guy could be perfectly fine....but when you are single and female you learn to keep one eye on  the situation at hand.  best to avoid attacks by being aware of your situation and following your gut instincts. a bunch of bikers were at the trail exchange so i used their activity to book down Rovers hoping the guy would go the other way.

 of course, then your brain can take over a bit and get you freaked out more.  so i was walking at a good clip and checking behind me often.  now i was thinking...great i'm on this less traveled side trail and if he was following me and did see me head this way, well i'll be more at risk of attack...so i freaked myself out more and walked faster.

 whale shoulder blade.  below looks almost grizzly to me, not sure though.

 more seal i think.

 anyway...finally today a biker came towards me...of course i was looking back and the biker scared the crap out of me.  so i had  a laugh and told him that this dude had freaked me out.  i asked him to watch for the guy with the yellow leather work gloves and he thought the dude looked off to please return and walk me out.  the guy was nice enough and said he would.  soon several other bikers/runners came through and i was able to chill.

 the rest of the walk was more relaxing and at a more normal pace.

 Veterinary clinic is run through the borough with locum vets coming through or doing contracts.  one of the nicer buildings in town

 Libs wanders around some old boats laying about.

 when i was nearly back to my car i heard a bit of a commotion ahead.  very soon i saw a guy running with one dog on leash and 3 bikers with 2 dogs off leash.  i had Blossom sit beside me to allow them all to pass. the one loose dog did a growly thing and headed right toward Blossom. i really didn't get that the dog was in attack mode and the owner was saying the dog was actually nice...blah, blah.

 it made Blossom a bit nervous though so she jumped up and behind me.  as soon as that lady passed she got off her bike threw it down and started running around screaming at the dog, "i'm sick of you freaking out..."  she was having a fit.  of course, i think the dog thought it was all just great fun...oh cool, you are getting off your bike and we are playing a new game...how fun is this!!

 it was pretty funny and sad.  i mean we all have those embarrassing freak out moments. i've had my share...usually with Rio...she can be quite stubborn and needy.  thankfully, i've always been able to control myself in public places and my only freak out moments have been unwitnessed.  no judgement...it was kind of funny though to observe.  Blossom and i moved along.

 Rio ate the one small rice meal i gave her, otherwise she just drank.  i think she's on the better end of her colitis...

 happy to report that she slept downstairs last night.  i woke a few times and checked on her.  i seemed to hear her wandering around down there and got her outside.  she is again downstairs snoring away. perhaps she has figured out that coming upstairs is too much work for her right now.

 if she can adapt to living downstairs she has more time.  very minimal activity is really required for her life at this stage.  observing her, it does seem to be her back legs.

 the rest of these are from a day hike i took with a friend out South fork.  beautiful day!!

 we headed up hanging valley, but stopped short of the tarns.

 just getting out there is always great.

 no big mountain today.  clouded up eventually.  snow now...but light.

 i did make a tiny polka dog snowman on the trail. my friend that i chatted with was laughing that i had carried the food coloring with me.  they are small.  the snow isn't easy to pack once the temperatures drop...

 we are solid in the 20's now.

 the freeze up is happening.  ice is forming the ground is frozen.  winter is here.

 Blossom is all for it.  a bit tougher for Rio.

 dark earlier tonight...thanks day light savings.

 always great chatting with family and friends.  so did get to do that today.  gave me a chance to snuggle with Rio as well.

 enjoying my pumpkin bread and turkey soup.  nummy..!!

 man that was a beautiful day.  always love fall. it's so short, but so amazing.

 our friends in Russia are sending submarines and spy ships around the undersea cables that carry most of the global internet communications.  they are pushing more and more into the arctic....there has been talk of decreasing the military presence in Alaska. thankfully, that has been put on hold.  not a big fan of the new senator but he is putting in this effort which i can applaud. not sure what they are up to over there...but now is not the time to back off protecting our coast lines.

 a guy was working on his truck in Togiak and it fell on him, killing him.  Togiak is where one flies to and catches a small boat out to Round Island.  when i read of any death in Togiak i become concerned that the one guy who does the transport has been harmed and i feel relief when it's not Paul...not that i would wish harm on anyone.  it's just that getting to Round Island is tough and made tougher as it's hard to find transport.  some years have been worse than others.  for a long time Terry went out but he's stopped.  thankfully, we got lucky and he returned for the year we returned for my second trip.

 in my dream of dreams...what would i want WARIS to be able to do for Round Island.  if we had loads of money it would be ideal to be able to purchase a boat for Fish and Game so they would have steady transport.  then to be able to maintain it and help with costs to keep it staffed with a captain.  that is a dream.  not likely anytime soon.  i'm still learning how to manage the non-profit.  much for me to learn.  you never get anything done in life if you don't stick your neck out there some times.

 life can be scary but you have to just work through the fear and discomfort and insecurities and make it happen.  i saw that quote in a readers digest as i was creating WARIS.  can't recall it exactly and not sure where i put that little paper...something about you act when the fear of doing something  is eclipsed by the fear of what will happen if you don't do anything.  one person can make a difference.  we all have a voice...make sure yours is heard from time to time.

 am I the best person to help the walrus and Round Island...?  I'm sure there are many out there who are more qualified but believe me....none of them were interested.  i remember how excited the guy at fish and game was when i called him.  i was so scared making all these cold calls. it's not easy to do, but then you tell yourself it's not about you....it's about the walrus...it's about Round Island...and you pick up the phone and you write the emails and you write articles and go to the Governors office and get a petition going and make a calendar and stickers...

 fish and game was thrilled to have someone show interest in being the friends group for this amazing place.  he'd encouraged people to do it for years...but nobody did.  so here we are...

 so often i find in life you think you are doing something or going somewhere and you think it's just this lovely fun trip or thing.  years later you see that something bigger than yourself was perhaps at work.  with Round Island...here i am trying to be a voice for this amazing place.  for our trip to the Chilkoot Trail it was about Martha.  a lifetime dream that none of us knew about and yet, we all helped her obtain that dream before she died.

 you never know who's life you are impacting with the smallest of things.  be true to yourself and follow those gut instincts.  whether it means walking faster on the trails or starting a friends group for a place you love. often i feel inadequate and then something will happen in life and you will feel exuberant!!  life is highs and lows and sometimes it's those tedious middles where you are just plugging along hoping things will all work out.

 grateful i have great people in my life who are positive when i need positive and realistic when i need a reality check.  people who laugh with me when life is grand and who sit quietly when i'm overwhelmed or in pain.

 the tarns are just over that bump ahead.  we turned back this day.

 Blossom looks so deep in thought.

 loved this with the trail with some snow on it.

 falling is a part of life.  you have to learn to laugh at those times when you fall or you fail and carry on.  my periods of greatest growth were probably also the times i felt the most scared.  those were generally in times of change, big moves, job changes.  it's both scary and exciting.  6 months later give or take you start to see how easy it all really was.  most of the worry was in your head.

 i see so many people stay in bad relationships or in bad jobs...the fear of change really stops people from happiness.  change is rough initially, but ultimately it's how we grow as people.  fall, get back up, fall, get back up.  fall, get stomped on...get back up.  :-)

 admit when you screw up, admit that you are fallable.  this quest for perfection is a scam.  we aren't perfect nor will we ever be.  we are just humans trying to get through each day of our lives.  peace be with you...may you all find joy in your hearts and in your lives.

thankful for:  A.  people who take the time to read all my ramblings... :-)  B.  freedom of speech that allows me to ramble on and for you to read my ramblings.  C.  when you escape creepy people unscathed...real or imagined.  good night.