tubing Arctic Valley and snow sculptures

 above pic is  by Karen Rode.  our little group spent a few hours out at Arctic Valley ski area on Sunday.  for avid sledders, going up there for some tubing seemed like a good idea. sledding and tubing are not just for kids.  $15 for 1.5 hours which i thought was pretty decent.  you get pulled up the little hill and we got many runs in.

 these are all mixed up.  the light was fairly flat for the snow sculptures but as always there were some pretty good ones.  I'm impressed by the details.  hopefully i get a chance in Fairbanks to see the ice sculptures again.  seems a bit early for the bigger ones but the smaller ones should be done.  looking like cold temperatures for the restart again.  highs of -10  i think.  may leave the pups home and just book up and down.

 Ivy gives me a good yawn this morning.  she goes in for her spay in the morning.  early in the morning.  i called today and they didn't seem the least bit concerned that she was finishing her heat cycle. she seems to be done actually.

 nice group for the Monday walk today.  last day needing to protect her virginity.  whew!! maybe having an incision will slow her jumping tendencies...doubtful.  did try on her post op surgical lycra suit.  Tusker was already trying to chew it off of her.  hopefully she doesn't really need it at all, but the cone and a dog door wouldn't work at all.  it did look pretty funny on her.  they have them in cool designs and colors but didn't have her size.

 my back/body is a wee bit sore post tubing yesterday but i felt better since speedy said hers was too.  SH has a bruise on her face from rescuing Syd who's tube flipped over onto ours...we rode down in groups mostly.  i screamed, everyone screamed.  then there was a great deal of laughter. it was great to just laugh and laugh.

 with this government take over as it seems to be there has not been much cause for laughter.  every day is stressful.  he is incapable of calm.  a narcissist with borderline tendencies and perhaps a manic side to him.  we are all forced to go on this ride with him.  the GOP seems fine with all, refuses to even consider investigating or looking into his many financial issues. the rich get richer and apparently now they do so on our tax dollars.  at some point we lost control of our government and let it be bought by the highest bidder.  so many just have opted out of voting or involvement.

 the only way out is for people to get involved, for people to vote in actual decent people who are less prone to bribery.  all is not lost yet, but this man and the GOP are causing chaos across the globe at the moment.  hoping control returns to the government before irreparable harm has occurred.

 took a few photos with the phone.  seemed unwise to carry my bigger camera but it probably would have been fairly safe.  i did use my GoPro, thanks Jeff!!  we got some fun videos.  i feared i swore too much on most of them as i apparently tend to say, shit, shit, shit, shit for much of the rides down.  haha.

 liked this mouse and cheese one

 our day started pretty cloudy/foggy but then the clouds/fog all lifted and it was absolutely stunning out there.

 another morning shot of Ivy. she is NPO at this point.  put up the food.  they said she could drink water.

 i'm scheduled for a massage tomorrow which will be great.  much needed...more for POTUS related stress than tubing, but a massage is always good for me.

 the ski area hasn't been groomed in a bit.  this place is all volunteer so they only have so much money for day to day operations.  it's right here in Anchorage though.

 Tusker in the car.

 Albert Einstein i think.

this iitoo has unleashed the white freaks.  incidences, bomb threats, murder even has increased.  it's so scary and easy to see how these horrible historical events get started.  most of us feel we are seeing history repeat itself at some level.  it's unsettling and terrifying.  this element of society is generally kept at bay due to social constraints against this behavior but sadly, this administration has made them feel empowered.

 selfie.  still trying to figure out the go pro, i think i got some decent movie clips today...even if i looked silly with the head gear..haha. this activity seemed perfectly suited for the gopro

 this shot below is also by Karen Rode.  we are hooked up and headed back up the hill.  pretty chill on our tubes.

 liked the detail of the keys in this one.

 i try to not let myself get too sucked in or angry over these things that i can't control.  it's hard to look away though.  seems like each day is some other hell that you are amazed is allowed to continue.  there are worse hells, i need to remember...though this one can get much worse very quickly.  i suspect the anxiety is the anticipation of the worse that could happen.  there is also just an intense sadness that this nation of ours, one that we love, feels as if it is at great risk.  i try to convince myself that those who seem to follow the iitoo like cult members do not wish to lose our democracy and will come to their senses at some point...it doesn't really seem possible though.

 still, we walk, we go tubing, life for the most part seems to move forward...of course, i am white so i have not been the target of those who hate anyone that doesn't look like them or think like them or believe like them.  there is a Jewish place of worship just down the street.  there were many bomb threats today at synagogues.  ours included.  nothing was found, but it happened.  children in the day care there were escorted out of building and sent  home early.  it's depressing.  i don't want this element of our society to be feeling empowered and acting on this.  i want a POTUS who would send a clear message that this is not to be tolerated, this one has done the opposite though.

 above pic was by SH.

 this one is pretty cool i think below

 will be anxious tomorrow...hoping all goes fine with Ivy Rose.  poor girl.

 the tow line...up into the abyss.  it was some pretty steep skiing it seems.

 the tow line stopped once so we did have to walk up once.  made us all appreciate that tow line.

 a wise owl...

 there was one lady who got all ruffled as they ran out of the larger sized tubes.  Syd is in the stage where the small tube was just a bit too small for her.  we'd gotten there early and had our tubes...in my opinion it's really just first come first serve.  not everyone tubed over and over for the entire time and if she'd been patient a bigger tube came available pretty fast.  some people just like to make a scene.  she was just talking loudly to nobody/everyone that if you pay for a child's ticket you only get a small tube...the price for child/adult is the same.  i guess the lady's daughter was trying to get her to shut up...she was embarrassed by this behavior.

 I'm always just laughing to myself...we are tubing.  it's a totally chill and fun activity....if you are pissed on a day out tubing there is probably no possible way of making you happy.

 she fits perfectly on the larger sized tube...

 well, i  have to drive to the vets super early so i better crash for the night.

grateful for:  A.  the siblings that i really get along with and enjoy talking with.  i know I'm supposed to say them all but there are a few that i feel much closer to.  those who are active participants.  in life we all make the choice to be involved in the lives of those we care about.  I'm just trying to say that i appreciate the effort that many of my siblings have made over the years to include me in their lives despite the distance and that we don't always agree on everything.  thank you  B.  being able to laugh loudly and forget the things that you can't always change..at least for a few minutes C.  my sweet and lovable puppies...best wishes to Ivy on her surgery tomorrow.