Journals of June Creek: December 2012

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Merry Holidays From Antares!

Christmas has come and gone, and with it the shortest days of the year! The sun is now slowly, but surely, showing it's self more and more each day.

Mister Walt, Ernie, Hadley and I were lucky enough to receive many lovely holiday cards this year. Thanks to everyone for making us feel connected even though we're thousands of miles away!:)

Walt and I went up to Jersey and Maizura's for Christmas fun again this year. Good times were had by all... even her cats who enjoyed a special dinner and sleeping on a pillow on a bigger pillow...

See you next year!!

Friday, December 21, 2012

End of the World, or at Least the Warmth...

Well, it's Winter Solstice time again! Four hours of sunlight, and then twenty long hours of darkness. And this is a COLD one!

The end times are supposed to be filled with fire and zombies and rising tides, but here in Healy we're all just slowly freezing to death. It's still hard for me to get used to the fact that when I go outside, even for a MINUTE, I need to be wearing gloves or my hands begin burning and throbbing from the shear chill cold in the air. Yesterday, after I finished washing dishes, I remembered that I had to plug my car in, and went right out. My hand nearly froze to the handle of the door as I was closing it! Gloves, gloves, gloves!

Winter in Alaska has it's many challenges, but the rewards are plentiful as well! The daily visual splendors keep me in awe as I tediously plug, unplug, warm up and dig out my truck multiple times a day:)

OMG... IT'S HAPPENING, THE END!!!! Oh, never mind... just old Aurora...

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Take a Look, It's Blown Away By Chinook

So, last year I was in awe of the dramatic temperature rise that occurred for a week or so in December. This year I learned that this is actually a normal yearly occurrence... like, what?

Chinook Winds!

I'm not sure of the exact science behind it, but something to do with warm winds blowing through and pushing out the cold air. Over the weekend, the winds of which I speak blew through Healy, causing all of the snow from the trees and tundra to swirl and blow across the land. The temperature went from -20° to 20° above 0 in a matter of HOURS!

The Chinook caused not only disarray and unrest across the tundra, but also in my cabin. Walt and I stayed up past three in the morning rearranging our cabin and playing with the cats who also seemed antsy due to the crazy winds. Full moons may bring out Werewolves, but Chinooks bring out Werecats!:)

Most of the frost/snow on branches and such around the cabin blew away, but there was some hold outs... like the frost formed from the heater exhaust. Are there shoes in there?!?

The locals all say that this is the "coldest" Chinook Wind they can remember as usually it warms up to 50 above 0, and this year it only got up to 25 above. At any rate, it's nice to be able to go outside in just a light jacket and not have icicles hanging off of my eyelashes and nostrils:)

Is... is that YOU sun!?!?!? What are you hiding from? It's okay to come out from behind the mountains... I swear! Just take a peek...