Day One, New Years Day, 2011

After getting up and feeding the dogs, I decided to take them for a walk once it got light enough out, around 10:00 AM. We went over to our favorite trail and the girls had a great time running, playing and sniffing. For the entire month of December, we were housebound because the temperatures didn’t get much above 20 below, so it was wonderful to breathe the fresh air again. Didn’t see any moose today, just some snowshoe hare tracks and a couple ravens. 

Day Two, 1/2/2011

Not much can tear Matt away from the NFL playoffs, but a day with weather above 20 degrees in January will do the trick.


We went cross-country skiing at one of our favorite trails in Fairbanks. With our down hill ski options limited and the weather being so harsh much of the winter, cross-country skiing is a very popular pastime in the Interior.


After grabbing a bite at home, we headed into North Pole proper to view the ice sculptures at the “Christmas in Ice” display. Today was the last day it was open, and a perfectly beautiful evening to go.

The holidays are officially over now, it’s back to work tomorrow and I am wiped out. But I can say with all certainty that we made the most of a rare balmy winter’s day.

Day Three, 1/3/2011

This evening I noticed the girls curled up in front of the Monitor stove. The heat feels good on their old bones. The oldest has lived through about a dozen North Pole winters and the younger is not far behind. The Monitor stoves are an efficient way to heat a small space. A good percentage of folks up here live in dry cabins, and the Monitor or Toyo stoves are the perfect heat source for them. They run on oil, but are very efficient and reliable.

Day Four, 1/4/2011

After work today I stopped by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Fairbanks office because I’d heard about a group of folks camping out there in order to be the first in line for a moose tag tomorrow morning. Occasionally ADF&G will open a hunt at an unexpected time in an unexpected area with a limited quantity of tags as part of their game management strategy. I guess these guys didn’t want to take any chances on missing out. For some families in Alaska, wild game is all that fills their freezers for the year. It’s better for you than store bought ground beef and tastes better, as well.

Day Five, 1/5/2011

This morning there was a dense fog advisory across the Interior. The photo shows the remnants of that fog at around 11:00 am. I’m here to tell you that it’s not too much fun trying to navigate through this pea soup in the pitch black of 6:30 am. You just have to really slow down and plan on taking an extra 15 minutes or so to get to work. Maybe 30 if there’s a fender bender like the one I saw along the way today.

Day Six, 1/6/2011

Thursday night is yoga night at our house. Matt rocks the warm up pose known as Warrior Two.

It snowed steadily all day today and the roads were a tad slick at the intersections again. Matt drove to Fort Greely and back today for work, and was stuck behind a tractor-trailer for a good portion of the trip home. The truck wasn’t going much over 40 mph, which is a safe speed for him, but can sometimes create problems for those behind him. The drifting, blowing snow that kicks up can blind a driver following a large, slow moving truck and make for some “white knuckle” driving. 

However, everyone is now home safe and sound, and some relaxing sun salutations and balance postures are sure to calm our nerves and let the blood flow back through our knuckles!

Day Seven, 1/7/2011

The license plate number of the car in this photo that I took through my windshield at the intersection of University Avenue and Airport Way this afternoon has been blurred out. Partially to protect the innocent, but mostly to keep my ass from being sued. I think the frame around the plate says it all about the surrealism of our existence here.

Day Eight, 1/8/2011

It was a slightly chillier but still gorgeous day. The sky was bright blue and the fresh snow on the trees that fell during the night was stunning against it.

Back at home, Matt took out the four-wheeler and plowed the snow in the driveway, a chore we saw our next-door neighbor taking care of earlier today. The plows that can be added to the wench on the front of a four-wheeler are perfect for snow removal of driveways and access roads, and are common and well used around here. 

Day Nine, 1/9/2011

Today was a day for getting caught up before another week begins. I did the laundry and grocery shopping, and finished putting the rest of the Christmas decorations away.

The girls and I did a little exploring on the way to the Commissary. The church parking lots were all packed of course, it being a Sunday. In North Pole we practically have a church on every corner. There are all of the usual denominations, as well as an Asian church, a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and a large Mormon contingent.

It’s been said by some Fairbanksans that if you live in North Pole, you must either be a redneck or a religious fanatic. This sweeping stereotypical statement is obviously born of ignorance, but the most surprising thing to me is that this attitude comes mostly from those who proudly claim to be liberal and open-minded. Go figure.

On the way home I was driving behind an AKDOT gravel truck (50 feet behind, like the warning says). After we get fresh snow, you’ll see these guys out dropping gravel at the intersections, which keeps folks from sliding out in to oncoming traffic. It also keeps our windshields cracked, but I supposed the tradeoff is not having the rest of our vehicles and our bodies cracked!

Day Ten, 1/10/2011

It was back to work today, and then at home wondering what to cook for dinner. Nothing unique to the Interior there. I decided to make salmon cakes, and that’s fairly common across the country as well. It’s a recipe I had occasionally growing up in the south for dinner, made from canned salmon from the grocery store. A little salt and pepper, a sleeve of crackers and some eggs to bind and you’ve got a tasty and fairly healthy dish. The difference now is that I get to make these particular salmon cakes from yesterday’s leftover grilled salmon, which was made from Copper River salmon that we caught ourselves last summer and have stored in the freezer.

What a treat! This is some of the most sought after salmon in the world, served in sushi joints in Japan, and five star restaurants everywhere. You can’t find any better. It’s 100 percent wild and delicious. 

Day 11, 1/11/2011

I was feeling a bit under the weather today, so I stayed home in case I had the bug that’s been going around lately. Better safe than sorry, and it’s bad enough feeling sick yourself without sharing the wealth with others.

As I was convalescing in my living room, I saw a cow moose and her two calves run across our front yard, and was able to get a couple photos out of our second story window.

This is something we see a lot of around here. In the summer, instead of having deer come in the yard and help themselves to our garden, we have moose eating the cabbages.  It drives the dogs crazy, they bark through the window but it doesn’t really bother the moose. They are used to seeing dogs, and the truth is, in a confrontation, the moose wouldn’t have a lot to worry about.

A pack of wolves is another story, though. We did have a string of wolf sightings last year around the fringes of North Pole and Fairbanks, and even some attacks on dogs. So far this year, they have been keeping their distance. It’s a good thing for them, for the majority of Alaskan citizens are well armed, and won’t hesitate to shoot in defense of life and property, and that includes their pets.

Day 12, 1/12/2011

As I’m home again today, attempting to feign a semblance of productivity in my weakened state by folding clothes, Static the cat is determined to hinder my progress. Or maybe this is actually his way of trying to help???

Day 13, 1/13/2011

From a vantage point atop Lakloey Hill, the sun sets behind the Alaska Range.

The Alaska mountain range is over 150 miles south of Fairbanks, and is home to this continent’s tallest peak, Mount McKinley, also known as Denali. On a beautiful cold evening like this, you can see the range clearly even from this far away.

Day 14, 1/14/2011

A popular misconception is that because Alaska is a state rich in oil, that the gas prices should be lower for us. That is not the case. This photo was taken yesterday at decidedly the cheapest place in Fairbanks to get gas.

Alaska is sparsely populated, and notoriously tough to get around in (just look at any channel on TV right now, there are several shows about it). Because of the small market and lack of efficiency that is present in the industry in the lower 48, costs are driven up, which translates to higher numbers at the pumps.

It is but one of the sacrifices we make to live here.

Day 15, 1/15/2011

Alaska is so vast and has such varied terrain and high mountains that the different regions create their own weather systems. The Interior is sometimes referred to as an “arctic desert” because of the arid climate here. When the heaters and wood stoves are working all day and night, it just adds to the dryness in the air.

Though we keep a humidifier going all the time at our house, I get electrocuted several times a day just touching things. My skin is very dry all winter, but my hands suffer the most. Time to reapply the hand salve!

Day 16, 1/16/2011

Today we celebrated our son’s birthday, which was actually a couple days ago. He said he’d rather have one of his Dad’s grilled steaks than anything he could get at a restaurant in town. It was -30 degrees out yesterday, and Matt’s cutoff for outdoor grilling is normally -20, but since it’s a birthday meal, he made an exception.

We are proud of Josh. On the checklist of things you hope to accomplish raising a productive citizen in this world, he has completed all the blocks and then some. Here’s a list that doesn’t begin to cover everything, but gives you an idea…

The basics:

Finished high school – check

Never been in jail – check

Hard worker – check

Respectful and polite - check

The extras:

Fiercely independent – check

Served his country including two tours in Iraq with the Air Force – check

Bows his head to pray over every meal (whether the rest of us do or not) – check

Is always eager and willing to learn something new – check

Will sacrifice to help a friend in need – check

Will take time out of his busy, ass-busting day to help a drunk get across an icy street without falling down – check

Again, the list goes on, but we are certainly pleased with the product of whatever component we imparted in the process of making him the man he has become. 

Day 17, 1/17/2011

Dash dash.

That’s what we see on our digital thermometer if it’s colder than -35 degrees outside. Today was a cold one. But tomorrow the forecast is only -10 degrees, so we’ll be having a heatwave.

Day 18, 1/18/2011

A Nanook ice sculpture stands sentry over the lower UAF campus as the sun begins to set on this January afternoon.

Recurrent ice sculptures are the norm in the greater Fairbanks area. Some businesses even use them for advertising. They are eye-catching works of art that draw people in to take a closer look, and generally remain intact until mid March to mid April.

With Fairbanks being the ice art capitol of the world, there are several residents to call upon that are handy with a chainsaw and a block of ice.

Day 19, 1/19/2011

The Water Wagon drives by on its way to a delivery. 

This truck belongs to one of the vendors who deliver water to homes that don’t have city or well water. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are a lot of dry cabins up here, as well as homes that can’t dig a well on the property because of permafrost. 

Permafrost can wreak havoc on homeowners in several ways, one being actually heaving the ground under your house up in the winter, and having parts of it sink down in the summer as the ground underneath begins to melt. It also does a number on our road system, keeping construction crews working on patching up the same holes every spring.

Day 20, 1/20/2011

Fairbanks’ answer to the Santa Monica Pier sign. 

Seconds before I snapped this photo, a small car drove under it, onto and across the Chena river; the driver no doubt taking a short cut to his neighborhood.

Day 21, 1/21/2011

Ravens roosting over the outdoor section of the local Lowes home improvement store.

I didn’t count them, but there must be 50 – 100 birds in there. It’s convenient for them, because they don’t have to go far to get to the dumpsters. This method of scavenging has earned them the nickname “dumpster duck.” A lot of people complain about them, but I feel that they are taken for granted. I like the ravens, and am impressed by their ability to survive these Alaska winters. No flying south for these guys, talk about Tougher in Alaska!

Day 22, 1/22/2011

The promise of a warmer weekend quickly faded as we watched the thermometer go from 14 below to dash dash again over the course of the day.

Matt brought some brightly colored flowers home from the grocery store. A reminder that even though we’re only halfway through winter, the glorious interior Alaskan summer will eventually emerge from under the snow once again.

Though we didn’t get outside, we had a nice get together with friends, and the good food and good company is a big factor in getting through these dark, cold winter months.

Day 23, 1/23/2011

A pair of black-capped chickadees stop at the bird feeder outside our kitchen window for a bite to eat.

These remarkable little songbirds stick around with the ravens when other species depart for the south at the first sign of winter. In order to survive the harsh situation outside they rely on their heavy down coats, as well as a few other modifications such as the ability to lower their core body temperature (which can be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the air temperature outside!) at night to reduce the amount of fat they need to burn to keep warm.

Amazing! And a lot hardier than me!

Day 24, 1/24/2011

A haiku I call “Ode to a Frozen Vehicle”

It is a blessing

to have a garage where I

can keep my car warm.

Day 25, 1/25/2011

When we first moved here in August of 1999, one of the first unfamiliar phenomena I witnessed was called a sun dog. It is a rainbow halo around the sun made of ice crystals in cirrus clouds. It’s said to be the harbinger of colder weather coming.

This morning on my way to work I saw the analogous moon dog, though I’m not so sure anymore about the cold weather comin’ legend, since it was 18 below then and only 3 below right now…

Day 26, 1/26/2011

This log cabin tree house looking structure is called a food cache.

The homesteaders in Alaska needed (and still need) a way to keep their food safe from ground dwelling critters of all types that would find it irresistible. Using the resources they had available, they made a pantry on stilts.

In the greater Fairbanks area, you see these everywhere. Some are in use, but most of the ones in town are ornamental, there as homage to a little piece of our state’s history, like this one on the UAF Inter-Aleutians Campus.

Day 27, 1/27/2011

Since I didn’t make it out of the office all day and nothing interesting appeared outside my window, the subject of today’s entry will be the drive to work.

We got some fresh snow overnight and throughout the morning. I love the sight of the snow, and playing in it. I don’t care much for having to drive in it.

With the dry climate here, the snow gets kicked up on the road by the cars that are driving over it and swirls and twirls around in the air. It can be pretty, even hypnotic, but when you’re moving along in the dark on an icy road with cars in front of you and cars behind you, it’s important to be able to see where you’re going.

A few miles into my commute, a snowshoe hare runs out in the road in front of me, and I slow down but I can’t slam on the brakes because it won’t do any good, I’ll just keep sliding. It makes it across the road and then for some insane reason decides to turn around and run back across from whence it came toward the lane I’m in. I tried to slow down a bit again, (mind you there’s a car behind me) and that crazy rabbit stops right in front of me, looks straight at me for a second, and takes off again. By now I’ve done all I can do. I just reluctantly glance over to the rear view mirror hoping he has all the right moves. Whew! No dead bunny in the road! I caught a glimpse of his little white tail disappearing into the darkness. That little joker was lucky today. 

Day 28, 1/28/2011

It was really tough deciding which photo to post for today since I covered a lot of ground and had several settings and activities to choose from, but after seeing something so atypical that it actually made the newspaper, I decided to go with that one.

This morning while I was out and about, the sun started to rise. The colors were so stunning that I had to find a good spot and get some pictures. I decided the best place to get a good view would be next to the Chena Flood Control Project on top of the dike. I drove there as quickly as I could, parked at the bottom and started up the hill with my camera. I saw a man in a truck parked at the top of the hill, and thought he must be enjoying the sunrise as well. When I got to the top and looked down, I was astonished to find 10 moose grazing on the plain. One of the comments below the newspaper article indicated that the moose are there to eat oats growing in the field.

I took several pictures, and before I left, other vehicles were climbing the hill to see. Here is a link to the article: http://www.newsminer.com/pages/full_story/push?article-A+flood+of+moose+in+North+Pole%20&id=11165861&instance=blogs_editors_desk

Day 29, 1/29/2011

The North Pole High School Patriots pose in front of the ice sign in town that displays their name in minus 3 degree weather for a yearbook photo.

Apologies for the quality of the photo. I had a couple from today that turned out better, but this one was still the coolest (no pun intended) even with the motion blur. They just couldn't stand still for some reason. Brrrrrrrrrrr!

Day 30, 1/30/2011

Loading the woodstove for the night.

Woodstoves are a prevalent source of heat in Alaska since the cost of energy is so high here. They are also at the center of a heated (no pun intended) debate between the Fairbanks North Star Borough and its residents. (We don’t have counties in Alaska, different regions are divided into boroughs instead.)

The air quality in the Interior’s populated areas has gotten a failing grade from the Environmental Protection Agency for some time now. One of the contributing factors is particulates in the air, and local government officials have been debating on how to alleviate the problem.

Citizens are up in arms because it has been proposed that older woodstoves become illegal, or forced to be upgraded to cleaner burning ones, and any offenders be given a ticket. With gas prices way up on the high side here, it’s not a popular proposal.

Day 31, 1/31/2011

It’s that time again. No, you can’t even get away from the IRS all the way up here in Alaska.

If you have a Liberty Tax office in your town, then you’ve seen these kids dancing around out on the corner. Well believe it or not, they are crazy enough to do it here, too.

I’ve seen them there at their post when it was 30 below, but today is a good day at work, because it’s a delightful seven above!