slept through a 4.7 aftershock....

 last night was the first night i really got some good sleep post earthquake. figure i must be getting back to normal if i slept through the 4.7 quake. i still slept with the light on in the hall, for sure boots in the room and flashlight at the bedside...but real true deep sleep.  actually went upstairs and took a nap at like 6pm probably.  woke to perhaps a little aftershock sometime after 10pm. stayed up and rambled around a bit before really crashing.

 fresh cracks on the trails today since before the big one anyway. we did a loop in N.  Bivouac.  braved the icy roads up to it.   we opted to just do Campbell airstrip for Mondays walk...just so icy...hoping for snow soon...lots of it to get a good coat over this ice.  people are skating the side streets.

 several schools have earthquake damage so many are taking several days off for repairs, some will take longer. there is a row of homes in the Jewel lake area that have structural damage.  engineers are checking homes for damage.  they are tagging them red, yellow or green. amazingly a few of those main roads that were horribly damaged Friday have already been repaired and are functional.  gotta give our road crews a lot of credit. Alaska Rail also had some major issues which have been repaired already.

 as you can see below, my fridge is back in my kitchen.  lights are working.  my handyman has been busy this first part of the week and last week doing detail work and working floors and electric.  so lights are up in the living room area as well.  amazing to have lights out there where i have never had them before.

 the counters are measured and will have to wait 5 weeks for those to arrive and be installed.  so I'll keep in touch with him as there are many things that will need to wait until them.  still details and the floor to sort out.  i won't have enough of the old laminate to cover the new kitchen area.  i just told him to be creative.  so we will probably make a rectangle area out like an area rug out of a different material.  I'm sure it will turn out cool.  i like things to be creative and I'd hate to waste good flooring.

 he has been getting phone calls like crazy for folks needing a handyman post earthquake so he will be busy with other projects but says he will stop in my place as well while we wait for the counters to get other things done that are on the list still. 

 seeing the progress made me want to put a little Christmas in the place, despite probably not doing the whole decoration thing this year, so i bought Skelly and SJ ( Skelly JR) some Christmas PJ's and a few plastic Christmas trees for the front deck as well. will have to work more on the other Skelly friends and get the front scene set up.  that will probably be the main festive part of the year.

 oh crap...just read that our new Governor Elect has hired back Doug Vincent-Lang to run Fish and Game...the same man who took away funding for Round Island.  this totally sucks...bad news for walrus and for Round Island...

 nothing i can do about this, but know it is bad and that he probably will remember me and not fondly. 

 so since the fridge was no longer in the living room, i took the opportunity to pain that last corner of blue and then paint the trim as well.

 another crack related to the quake on Friday

 it was a beautiful day out there today.  it's not easy on the joints walking on all that ice though, even with cleats.

 I'm sure it's tough on the dogs as well. 

 the green dots showed up in many of these pictures. my friend MT says these are Blossom and Rio Catalina joining us for a walk.

 hopefully keeping us safe from aftershocks

 there is my sweet girl.   when we got home i trimmed the hair around her face, ears and eyes again.  too cute a face not too see.  Tusker i like to leave longer...his beard seems manly and handsome to me.

 below was one of my favorite pictures of the day.  several on fb seemed to like it as well.

 got several Christmas cards sent off today as well.  I've been pretty productive even in my sleepy, fuzzy brain state.

 also got several calendar sent off.  lots of Christmas stuff to do though.  pretty far behind...only 20 days til Christmas!!  oh no!!

 so great to get the fridge out and the lights on...it's been so dark!  very happy to be able to at least have light and get that huge fridge out of the main living space.

 ended up moving the living room furniture around so i could clean behind the couch and paint more of the trim back there.  works with the light too.

 the new living room lights appeared to be more movable than they seem to be, but i still think they will work well.  the most important part really is that  the electric is in to there.  why the builders thought it would be a good idea to not put lights in the main living area is beyond me

 the after shot...looks pretty good i think.  all trimmed out.  still some little projects for me to do.  felt good to get a layer of dust up though.  so much dust has collected from the mess that happens with a remodel project

 as of Monday we had over 1400 aftershocks...most were under 4's but we did have 17 that were over 4's and 5 that were over 5's.  that does seem to have slowed a bit, but still gets your heart racing every time you start to feel the shake start. the quakes in the 4's and 5's can happen over the next several weeks they say, but should be tapering off after that time.

 George HW Bush #41 will be laid to rest today.  i did not always agree with his agenda but unlike this current resident of the White House, i never questioned that he had good intentions.  may he rest in peace. 

 the road ahead for this current POTUS appears to be getting darker and darker indeed.   Flynn has apparently been very helpful and remorseful i guess.  i had feared he would kill himself from the guilt of the magnitude of his actions...but this is much better.  Mueller's office has even requested that as reward for his assistance he not get time.  Manaford though, was found to be lying and giving information to Trumps lawyers so he has lost his plea deal and will no doubt get time.  Cohen is also seeming to be cooperating as is Gates, who worked with Manaford. 

 the truth has a way of getting out.  most folks have a conscience and those who don't will eventually be known. 

 it's gonna be a rocky road for a bit with our nation..but hopefully good will prevail.

 grateful for A. lights  B.  the fridge being out of the living room  C.  sleep, sweet sleep...off to get more.  :-)

Dust Bunnies and Aftershocks...

 went to dog park yesterday and then drove down to watch the last of the sunset at Potters...needed to be reminded of all the good of nature.  lots of new cracks in lake ice at University Lake...

 you can see a few out on this cracked up ice skating...fools say I, but they did not die.  many fools were also out with their kids climbing around on the roads that are collapsed.  I've always felt that no photo op is worth being a fool...

 cracks on land and on the ice on lake

 the dogs were pretty fascinated by the scents coming from these smaller cracks at the park on land.

 a guy and his dog....Zeus will probably not be with us much longer.  when i met dane friends they said it was a bit of a farewell walk for this puppy yesterday.  i joined them for a loop at the park.  the dog is fairly young, but a large breed.  his heart....always so sad.

 the aftershocks do seem to be slowing a bit though we have had loads of them this weekend. today i think they have been mostly fairly small. 

 i braved the crawl space, which looks fine.

 you can see the break up of ice caused by the quake above nicely.

 i also tackled a bigger clean up in the bedroom.  as i put stuff back i realized how much crap had collected and how many dust bunnies were tucked away...so a deep clean today. tossing crap.

 my nieces recent loss of her home to a fire did keep my stuff in perspective.  easier to just trash stuff today knowing how little it all matters. the house appears sound and that is the most important thing. one couple in Eagle River had the home they were in buckle and fall into a crack formed. the photo I'd seen from a distance really didn't show what happened.  watched a video today where the guy walked right up to the house and you could see the garage was like 9 feet below where the main ground level originally was. thankfully, his husband was in a room in the back and not in a front room...he and the pets were fine and escaped with assistance of neighbors.

 JM had some extra special treats to offer the dogs so they were pretty happy here.

 Callista braves the ice, that was all smooth ice a few days before

 i also managed to salvage Alanis Morissette and Sister Hazel from the old boom box.  off to the dump with the relic from my past...I'll keep the music from my past though.  I'm sentimental that way.

 chatted with my sister for a bit.  she had called right after the quake but i think i have minimal memory of that conversation.  i was pretty shook up as it were and the aftershocks were coming pretty fast and furious that first hour.

 Tusker is becoming by guide...if it's over a 4 he seems to make his way out the dog door to the yard.

 overall they have been pretty chill through all of this.

 water has been determined safe to drink after the city checked it.  so that is good.  saw video of the Seward Highway. loads of rocks fell, the pipe seems intact though.

 traffic is getting through with areas of traffic work arounds.  i haven't wanted to add to traffic plus last night the wind was gusting a bit so now roads are ice.  some talk of snow tomorrow, which we'd all be good with.  below is a crack at the park, not on ice.

 very grateful to my handyman who made it over on Friday.  he helped fix my water heater that was leaking after the quake and i think his being there helped me feel safe enough to brave a nap while he worked downstairs. 

 when i came down the main kitchen lights were turned on for the first time.  kind of odd as so many were without power that day and i had lights for the first time.  he had just connected the wires while he worked on the side panels for the attached island and by the fridge.  he's trying to get that all ready for them to measure. hoping i can get that rescheduled tomorrow. perhaps he also wanted to make sure there was no damage...there wasn't. 

 probably saved a lot of mess having my kitchen in boxes for this.  also much of my native art pieces were packed away as well since i had been painting the mantel.

 pups sniffing cool stuff through the cracks in the earth

 broken ice.

 no deaths, not really tons of damage. the running joke in the area is thank the left leaners...we are the ones that push for regulations and codes which is what saved our arses in this big quake.  haha. this city has clearly done a great job ensuring buildings are built to a certain standard.  lots of tiles down, some pipes i think as well as water damage from fire sprinklers going off.  schools will be closed a bit.

 the UAA craft fair was either cancelled or date changed i think.  the native craft fair went on...i made a purchase without going...my friend GT saw something she was sure I'd like and texted me while i was at the dog park. 

 just walked the airstrip today.  it was easy.  ice though.  come on snow.

 apparently Dec 2-8 is Walrus Appreciation Week...love your walrus !

 the rest are from a trek to the beach before the quake. will avoid that area for a bit...until the earth settles a bit...it's like quicksand out there so i have always had that in the back of my mind when i walk there...how terrible it would be to be walking here in the event of a quake.

 it was pretty this day though.

 with these i will finish the November photo's.  still pictures from other months to pop in when there is a dearth of recent shots.

 few things on my mind...first a post about police being killed and a comment that if people would follow Christ or something this would fix society.  I've always thought it odd that so many officers are against gun control, especially those high powered weapons that seem to be killing more of our citizens and our officers. 

 also, looking at history, a great many of humans have been killed in the name of religion.  bringing more people to various religions often seems to just cause more fighting over who has the right God or religion.  can't say religion kills more than it saves, but it certainly has caused a great deal of death and mayhem in our world.

 also, people on the left do not support or condone the killing of officers.  for the most part I'd say all Americans respect and appreciate the work done by the police.  there is always room for improvement...this is not a condemnation of all police officers though.

 another thought I've had since a text exchange...i left the Mormon religion.  there is no way to bridge that really when it comes to family.  they choose to stay while i chose to leave.  i left because i read all the same books they did and i did not find it to be true.  that in no way means they are not allowed to continue to believe, but the fact that i walked away from what they believed is a no win for me really...my leaving is offensive in that my denouncing their truth for myself means i am always somehow denouncing them for believing. i also did extensive reading on other religions and other Christian denominations.  my own study led me to believe that none of them are all true or all false.  that they can all offer you positive words and help you improve yourself in this world.  leaving did not mean i forgot all i read and as far as i know, no new texts have come to light so acting like i know nothing because i walked away is a bit offensive as well.

 i suppose that is easier though...to see me as a void spiritually.  i was stuck in a never ending circle in the church.  if you don't come up with the answer of i believe the church is true your only acceptable option is to return to the scriptures, read, fast, pray and wait to receive personal revelation that the church is indeed true...if you again do not get such a revelation, well the answer absolutely cannot be that the church isn't true because the only answer you are allowed is that the church is true...so as long as you don't get that answer it is you who is at fault, who has failed, and you must once again return to scriptures, fasting and praying until you get the "correct" answer of the church is true.  i never did...staying would make me a hypocrite, staying would be unfair to a partner if i had found one, staying would bring me more unhappiness, staying would make me feel as though i was a continuous imposter. 

 i feel if your religion brings you happiness and the guidance and peace you desire than no matter which religion it is be at peace. if your religion encourages hate towards others and encourages you to force your beliefs on your fellow man, especially through violence, i will not have much respect for it or for you sticking with it. i have never denounced Christianity and it's quite presumptuous to assume as much.  i just find my peace with God from all that  God created.  i believe God is in nature more than in a man made building with predominantly males running and dictating how to believe.

 i believe the message across many religions in the simplest form is all we need to follow. as in Christ, do unto others, Love one another, do not judge.  i do not feel any of us need to be right or that any religion needs to be the one right one for us to return to a place called heaven.  i believe in general many humans want to believe they are right, believe they know better or more than others...i simply believe that religion was never supposed to be so complicated for the common person, which is one of the reasons Jesus message was so simple.  we are commanded to be good and decent to all the humans we share this earth with.  we are also charged with doing the best we can to spare the earth and the creations of this earth.  we do not have to be right, we do have to be kind.  churches are supposed to just help people be better people, they should not become political lobby's.

 i pray, i am not bound by any one set of rules.  i have studied many and have come up with what works for me.  i often find that those who have the strongest faith have the easiest time allowing me to live my life how i wish without having it be offensive to their own beliefs.  I'm sure my Dad was sad that i left the Mormon faith.  he saw my scriptures when he was visiting me in South Dakota i think.  he saw that i had read every passage in every book many times over in my search for the truth that i was supposed to find.  he respected that i searched and he accepted that i didn't find.  he had great faith i believe.  it worked for him.  it brought him the peace that it could not bring me.

 that church made me feel like a failure many times over. 

 peace and good will to all...not sure how festive my season will be.  i have received a pretty prezzie from someone..anyone buy me something from uncommon goods...perhaps there is a card inside.  I'll wait til Christmas and see.  i haven't opened it yet.  thanks to whoever...thinking i may buy a tree for the deck and deck out Skelly.  no point getting tree for inside as the remodel continues. 

thankful for: A.  no structural damage found  B.  decrease in intensity of aftershocks and number  C. calming nerves and clearing brain