pups are playing outside

 loved these of Ivy. she is easy to photograph and has mad model skills.  SH noted this yesterday on our walk . she seems to be learning the art of posing.  haha.

 these are from morning wake up.  sun coming through the window.

 a few below taken on SH phone that she shared...thanks.

 these are back to me though.  anyway.  someone posted name something you did as a kid that would be surprising to the current generations..well something like that.  i said freedom.  i am forever grateful that i had so much freedom as a kid.  very few kids seem to have this gift now. everything they do, everywhere they go they are in the company of an adult it seems.  we just had so much freedom as kids.  we were free to wander the neighborhoods and explore and adventure.  our imaginations were then free to explore and adventure as well.

 we had no cell phones so we were totally our of contact from our parents for hours.

 Tusker and i snuggling yesterday morning.  my pups are out in the yard entertaining each other.  it was tough getting two of them at once, but moments like this, watching them from my office playing i am grateful they have each other.  i just can't fill that niche in their lives and going to the dog park on occasion or meeting other friends with dogs wouldn't be as much fun for them.

 they have a new tunnel again.  it keeps moving all over the back yard.  oops...here they come...just heard the crash through the dog door.  haha.

 this is Ivy disrupting snuggle time with Tusker yesterday.  she sat right on top of him.  haha.  they are the best entertainment.  at times i've been chastised in the past for spending money on dogs.  i just respond that people often spend money on RV's that they use a few times a year or snowmachines they use a few times a year. i get entertainment value from the dogs daily/hourly.  when you figure cost of dog vs daily entertainment value....dogs are a great deal.

 this one above is another SH shot.  loved the light that fell just on her face.

 the rest are my shots.  these first are from the Monday walk.

 had to edit a few of these dog ones as as someone's private parts were showing...and it wasn't Ivy Rose.  haha.

 JT brought this amazing looking tennis ball launcher to the walk...sadly, the thing is not as impressive of a launcher as it appears.

 the dogs all had a great time

 at one point the bag of tennis balls got dropped and Winston was determined to get them all into his mouth at once.

 these are from a walk out Glen Alps Trailhead.

 crazy news day yesterday.  watched a good part of Obama's farewell speech.  i thought it was really well done.  i do feel he has conducted himself with great dignity through his presidency...a sad contrast to what we have coming at us.  i will miss him and his family, especially for this respect they have shown the office.

 i am constantly amazed that those who oppose him have taken in so much fake news about him, but only seem to believe news is fake when it is directed at their choice.  there is fake news on both sides...for the past 8 years it's been directed at Obama though...now it's their turn.  they think liberals whine...that is all i've heard out of this upcoming administration though.

 he uses his twitter feed to whine to all.  Strep used her acceptance speech to shred him.  he whines...his followers whine.  one posted something about Denzel Washington chastising Strep for using this platform and that they are like all of us...the irony is that he just used his own celebrity to chastise her.  they are fine with this..fine with anything as long as it goes along with their closed view of our world.  it's pretty sad.  we all have freedom of speech.  they rally for freedom to have guns but seem to not be concerned about potential loss of freedom of speech.....as they say the pen is mightier than the sword and we should all be wary of this.

 Dick finally held a press conference today and yet he absolutely refused to answer questions by certain press members who he said were rude and fake news.  he will only take questions from press that he deems to be on his side.  in truth...if checks and balances hold, this will only make these news agencies work harder to uncover those things he has so far kept hidden...his financial issues and conflicts.

 liked the shadows across from us

 he has conflicts and his followers seem to show no concern...as long as he keeps saying what they want to hear.  they don't even seem to have much concern for themselves....as he and his cabinet and congress set in destroying things that actually have protected them and they have depended on.   now when i say followers i mean those who are totally die hard Drumpfies.  i think there are many who voted for him who did so with some trepidation and just hated HRC.  Just as many who voted for her did so with great trepidation.  this of course goes along with my thought that we need a new party..."The Rationalist Party" because i still have hope and belief that the vast majority of the people of these United States are not without some rational thoughts/opinions about the current state.

 i feel that humans are a large part of our nation..we should strive for a well educated and healthy population...this will make us stronger as a nation.  i see us becoming weaker and weaker though, globally.  part of that is our fear of death.  we have more and more less healthy humans in our population.  those who are healthy need to be utilized to the max to make up for this.  those on right want minimal access to birth control, want no abortions, want medicine to save each live...but they seem unwilling to care for those lives once they are here. they don't want to pay for the medicine or education for these souls.

 they claim to support military and yet, they try to decrease funds to help vets.  they scream that they  and only they support police and yet, certain POTUS to be probably haven't even paid personal taxes for years, which is money that would go to fund police/fire/teachers...  they also don't want to put any restrictions of assault weapons...i would love to see less illegal guns out there and more police.  the money these big corporations don't pay, is money that could pay for more police and more teachers.

 the right is angry at the regulations put on the big corporations.  the truth is increased regulations and unions came to be because the big corporations were greedy and could not be trusted to be fair to those who worked for them or the environment. i've seen this repeatedly.  it's sad.  i'd love there to be no unions or regulations, but sadly, the corporations did this to themselves.

 fog on the west side of the city yesterday.  there was a child missing for a bit...they did find the 3 year old safe thankfully.  as i drove home yesterday in this thick fog...i saw some homeless folks on the side of the road.  they are there all the time, it just seemed more sad and surreal with them in this fog i guess.

 here are pictures i took of Ivy with the light

 this one below was my favorite shadow shot.

 puppies bathed in light.

 i need to get my day started and get these puppies walked before i head back to work again for my three..what will this stretch at work bring?

 dogs get wild on the trails.

 it looks foggy in my part of Anchorage.  my little neighborhood can be a fog catcher though.  it may well be clear a few blocks away.  it is tough to get motivated in the fog though.  i do enjoy the fog though.  rain is the same for me.  once i'm out in it...i love it, but it can be tough to get motivated in.

 went to check on the pups..they are napping in my room

 check out that snow flying

 interesting news yesterday as well about Russian involvement.  he of course, continues to deny this as fake news.  there is some leaking that Putin may have helped him get elected as he has some crap to blackmail him with.  McCain is pushing this to be followed up on.  Drumpf is further trash talking the CIA and FBI over these leaks.  fine if it's leaked about HRC though i guess.  we will have to wait more to find out if these leaks turn out to have any validity.

 actually posted one on my fb which i rarely, rarely post.  it was pretty funny though. i mean if it's at all true it would show him to be a truly discpicable human...i'm not sure even he is capable of the crap they supposedly were planning on  leaking.  i really do want an eye roll emoji from fb...we will need it these next 4 years..

 Ivy is taken down below...not for long . that girl has a lot of  bounce in her.

 Tusker lays in wait.

 so we may be headed for a kakistocracy not sure if this is even a real word, but it seems to fit. supposedly it means a government by the worst people.  fingers crossed, hang on and be ready to run.

 these last are taken from a newer development above Potters Marsh.  i would not be wanting to live in these neighborhoods though they do have great views.  too many big earthquakes and too much snow and ice to live on these roads.  i'm a slow winter driver...apologies to the speedy, fearless winter drivers out there.  coming down these steep and curvy roads make me nervous.

 i would also not be comfortable living on the edge of steep drop offs...one big quake and you and your beautiful views are history.

 looks like more Fata Morgana at sunset across on those mountains.

 the sea of fog looked so dramatic and beautiful

 just caught the last sliver of sunset though.  took some time to drive over there

 i could have watched from Glen Alps parking area but i opted for this.

 pups saw one of those hangliders as we were hiking and Ivy was looking up and barking...as we pulled out of the parking lot the guy landing right in front of us.  the puppies went nuts barking.  it cracked me up.  thankfully, we weren't outside the car when he landed...i doubt i would have been able to control them

 well, it's getting late..i better shower and walk these pups so my house survives the night.

thankful for:  A.  the respect and dignity the current POTUS and family have given to the office, i will surely miss it  B. the birds flying around right outside as i write.  nature is a thing to be in awe of...great and small.  C.  freedom..it was hard fought and i hope it is enduring.