Healy Heatwave in my Heart

The last day of November!   Welcome.   I felt like I was already in the depths of winter, although it's still only autumn.   Now, with these high temperatures, I feel like I went back in time a few months.   OR, forward in time to spring.   


Check this OUT...

Thirty ABOVE 0°  Wow.  The temperature has increased 60° in the past four days.   Pretty much summer.   Breaking out the flip-flops, tank top and trucker hat!   Heck ya.   Seriously though, it feels legitimately WARM out now.   I almost feel a little robbed of my winter splendor.  I was settling into the bitter cold slow down.   Now, I feel rather revived and ready for... for... well, I don't know, but I'm ready!   However, I KNOW the bitter cold is coming... perhaps on the wind!   


Now the wind brings the warmth up from the south, and with it, takes my hoar frost!   

The high winds have also knocked all the clumps of snow from the spruce trees and created a moonscape in my yard...

OH, so two nights ago I was REALLY excited as the Aurora forecast was "active" at a 4 out of 9.   The sky was clear and cool, and I had high hopes.  At about 10 PM there was a little activity, but it died down pretty quick.   I stayed awake until about midnight, but still nothing.   So heavy-hearted I went up to my loft to fall asleep.   I awoke at about 3 AM, and could see a bright yet diffused light in the sky north/east of my cabin.   I shook the sleep out of my brain, and went down the ladder to check it out.   Aurora WAS active, but she was now covered with a thick layer of clouds.   I tried to take some pictures, however the effect is not as interesting as I would have hoped...

In news NOT weather related... I'm starting a new puzzle!   This puzzle looks pretty intense.   Every piece appears to be a unique shape, and most look nothing like what I think of when I think "puzzle piece".   I'm pretty excited to see if this puzzle is going to be totes awesome or just push me over the edge of insanity...

Well, I'm going to go head outside with my slippahs, sunscreen and lawn chair and take advantage of this indian summer...

Candy Drawer, Frosty-Hoar and So Much More!

It's MULTIPLYING and GROWING!  My cabin is starting to morph into some strange looking cave dwelling plant.   Or it just looks like it has a skin disease.   Ew.  

Happy Thanksgiving!   Let's talk turkey!   Or, in my case, I'll talk about a lovely winter squash stuffed with wild rice and cranberries.   Yum!   I spent the holiday up in Fairbanks with my wonderful friends Jersey and Maizura.   The latter made me a wonderful selection of veggie friendly fair... and how!  

My delightfully gorgeous hostess...

And likewise devilishly handsome host...

Watch out!  Turkey really brings out the ANIMAL in Maizura...

It was truly nice to spend time some place other than my cabin, and also talk to people other than myself!   Maizura even has two cats that actually do something other than hide.  I forgot they can do that!   


Also... I'm not the only one with frost on the inside of my windows!   Seems pretty much every Alaskan home has some frost inside the windows.   I feel better...

I've been feeling lately as though my days are getting away from me.   It could be the sunlight slipping away a little more each day.   Seems the more time I have to "waste" the more time I WILL waste.  Eh, tomorrow I'll TOTALLY get more done...;)


Here's some animal sightings around my cabin today...


First... birds!  Including, Gray Jay on a stick!

Who's digging around behind my outhouse??  Is it a wolf, a coyote or a husky?
You decide...

Last night Aurora came out to play a little!   She was just hanging out on the horizon most of the night, with only a few playful licks above the treeline.  Not the best pictures, but I did notice how sweet the big dipper is just posted in the sky right above my porch.  This was rated a 2 out of 9 on the activity scale for Aurora.   Bring on a 9!

So, just last night this was the temperature...

Now, get out your swimsuits and flip-flops, it's time for a HEATWAVE!  Here's the current temperature...

Like, WOW.   The reports say it's supposed to heat up to over 20 degrees!  Hello global warming!  


I'm ready to picnic!

Package of the Week from Walt...

Citrus, books, pancake guy, football and more pixie sticks and bubble gum than an army of children could consume!   Love it baby:)  I know what I'm filling the magpie feeder with!  Yikes!


AND finally... wish you were here Mattea.................

The Denali High Life: Champagne of Last Frontiers

Best $2.37 I ever spent?   Hands down... Lock De-Icer.   


I got Darla Moose Mobile started today (with help from Audrey's Hair Dryer) so I could make a trip into the Park.   I stopped at the gas station to get some... gas!  In the time it took for me to pump the gas, my ignition froze again.   So while paying for my gas, I picked up some lock de-icer.   One spray from that little canister, and I was on my way!   Pretty much amazing... but... not as amazing as Alaska, and more specifically, Denali Park area...

The Nenana River is on it's way to freezing over.   She's not quite there yet though.   As I stood on the bridge taking pictures of the area, I could hear the crunching sounds as pieces of ice floating down the river would connect with the ice forming on the edges of the river.   I could watch the ice chunks melding together to soon form a solid mass across the liquid river.   


There was lots of steam rising off the river in the bitter cold sunlight.   That steam helped create some amazing hoar frost on ALL the surroundings.   It was neat:)   


I should mention, the temperatures in the area ranged from -20° to -30°.   It was COLD.  


Pretty much my favorite place on earth...

Well, not so much the trail head... but ya...

In the last picture, there's a BEAVER den right behind me.   I guess they're holing up for the winter?:)   I was REALLY tempted to try and walk out on the frozen lake, but I thought better of it (don't worry mom:)  If I wasn't alone, I'm sure I would have given it a try though...

Doesn't this this bunny track look like a bunny??

That was most definitely the most rough time I've had at Horseshoe Lake...

Brrrrrrrr...


I made it back home, where it's warm, and I caught a glimpse of the cat that lives with me...

I cooked some beans, washed my week-dirty hair, had a beer and watched the soothing azure settle over Healy...

Winter Ambitions and Frozen Ignitions

The needle keeps dropping on the thermometer, and with it my morale.   Okay, being over dramatic again:)  However... these -10° or lower temps are noticeably different than even the 0° to -5° ones.  My car surely noticed the difference...


Yesterday I woke up a little earlier than usual with the hopes of driving over by the Park entrance and doing some wandering around by Horseshoe Lake.   I plugged in the block heater on Darla and ate some breakfast and drank some delicious coffee and watched the sun rise.   After a few hours, I was ready to go!   I unplugged old Darla and attempted to turn her engine over.   The key slid into the ignition, but try as I might, I couldn't turn it.   I pushed the clutch in and out, turned the wheel, played with the shifter... nothing.    Frozen.  Now began my Macgyveresque attempts at unfreezing the ignition.   Long story short, let's just say the tools involved a heat lamp, matches, candle, heating pad and my warm breath.   Nothing... that is, besides me getting my tongue stuck to my car key... sorry, no pictures available:)


Cue my hero... my neighbor Audrey!   She came over today with two sled dogs and a magnificent HAIR DRYER.   I blasted the ignition on high heat for about two minutes and voila... we have ignition!  

Everyday certainly brings new lessons for me.   Lesson learned: open your mind more!  Hairdryers are NOT just for prissy girls that want to style their hair.   Audrey only had one to apply plastic over the windows of her cabin:)   I've definitely come to appreciate pretty much ANYTHING that creates heat.   Note to self: buy a cheap lighter!   

No, your eyes are NOT playing tricks on you... that IS frost on the INSIDE of my window!   Like, whoa, it's COLD.   Next note to self: get some foam window edging!  


A positive outcome of all my freeze induced immobility is that I finished some sweet slippers for my poor cold, frostbitten feet...

The cold is really affecting my feet more than any other of my extremities to be sure.   I wear double wool socks in my bunny boots, and after only about 15 minutes outside, my toes are FROZEN.   Yikes!   I've been doing a nightly baking soda bath for my sorry looking feet... but as you can see, the facilities are pretty ghetto...

Dear Santa, this year instead of a crystal growing kit, how about a... 
FOOT-SPA!

Other than frozen cars and feet, I'm holding up okay.   Everyone thought I'd go a little cuckoo living alone in a cabin in Alaska, HUH, how silly.   I'm perfectly normal... oh, hold on Bean Face Man, can't you see I'm trying to finish my blog?  I know, I know, it's dinner time...