A Good Christmas!

Pictures say it all. I don't think I can add anything to it. I hope every one's was just as merry!

Merry Christmas!

Snowy Obstacle

While driving on Sunday I came across the obstacle course at Camp Carroll. The snow had taken over and wasn't allowing anyone to use it.

It was all quiet awaiting for another day when it is again full of people trying to conquer its walls.

Winter Solstice

Today is winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter. We will have 5 hours and 27 minutes of daylight. From here we start gettting more and more daylight everyday until summer solstice.

For those of you who observe this day, Happy Solstice!

Stealing friends pets

I don't have a dog any more since Aggie passed on. So I'm a friend to people who do have dogs so I can spoil their dog. You've seen pictures of Belle here before. Well she's in the Christmas spirit for sure.

I don't think she likes the hood up, but she was a good girl all the same.

This last photograph I took while with a friend while we were visiting Ft. Rich.

Frostier yet!

I'm trying some different things with my post. I've been having trouble uploading pictures with blogger, so I've been going straight from Picasa. Their size is different. Small is smaller and medium is larger. So I'm going to try medium centered and text in between the pictures. Let's see how it goes.

I went out Sunday morning just in search of more stuff that is covered in frost. I was like a kid and his first time in a Toys"R"Us store. It's just really cool out there. I was wondering if Leonty thought out writing in frost on this backstop. Eva didn't get a lot of room did she.

Executive Order 2836 of April 10, 1918, President Wilson directed that burial land be made available, without charge, to the public. The Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery was born. I went there today because I saw all of these beautiful trees covered in frost while driving by. I don't know anyone personally that is buried there.

The Russian Orthodox Church is very strong in Alaska's history. It's presence in here is everywhere. The frost was hanging heavy on everything. The quietness of the cemetery is indescribable. I was the only visitor, but I didn't feel alone.

The cemetery is surrounded by businesses and tall buildings, but you couldn't hardly see them. The trees were thick and full because of the frost making a really neat sound and view barrier. I'm going to have to return, as a visitor that is.

More from today.

A Frosty Walk

We've been getting a lot of fog and it's been causing a lot of hoar frost and everything is a beautiful frosty white.

I went for a walk around West Chester Lagoon yesterday morning before work. It sure is pretty and the blanketing of frost made it real quiet.

There were plenty of people jogging, riding bikes and walking, but I'm not sure they were seeing what they had all around them. The frost build up was making everything like new. Though I've walked its trails many of times, I was taking so many pictures people must have thought I was a tourist.

I must say, when I've thought I've seen it all, this wonderful state shows me something new. The neat thing about it, it's right in my backyard. We just have to get out and see it. If you put your blinders on and just go back and forth to work, or to the stores, you going to miss it all. If you don't like the cold, you better head south. Bundle up and get out there.

I'm sure there are plenty of folk who are tired of the fog and frost. This moose was enjoying the Popsicle branches. It liked it so much it was all over its face and it didn't care. It took a few glances at me taking pictures and went right back at its special treat. There was plenty of it to be found.

These life vest are waiting for next spring. The city puts them at all parks that have a lake or creek to make sure all kids a a floatation device if they are taken out on the water.

Anchorage likes to be called the City of Lights. Right now it's the City of White.




More Around Anchorage.

Foggy and Frosty

We've been having a lot of fog lately. Even though I prefer the sun, it's nice how it made everything so frosty.

A day that will live in infamy

President Roosevelt's famous Infamy Speech was delivered at 12:30 p.m. on December 8, 1941, one day after the Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. The name derives from the first line of the speech: Roosevelt describing the previous day as "a date which will live in infamy".

Within an hour of the speech, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan and officially brought the U.S. into World War II. The address is regarded as one of the most famous American political speeches of the 20th century.

Alaska was just a territory, but it would soon be playing an important role in United States History. Anchorage would be a staging area for the military. There would also be a big push to build a highway connecting it to the lower 48 and parts of the Aleutian Chain would be the first U.S. territory held by enemy forces since the War of 1812.

Sunrise, Sunset

It was a little challenging today getting my chores and shopping done. We have been having some gorgeous sunrises lately, but today topped all. And to boot, you don't have to get up early to see them. All you have to do is pay attention.

I was scrambling around this morning trying to get some clean shots with as little noise as possible. What was funny, I found out my friend Britt was doing the same thing at the same time and neither of us knew about the other.

On thedrive back home tonight, the sky was just on fire. I headed down to the port where I figured I might get some good shots. There was quite a bit of noise in the way, but some of it just added to the effect of the shot.

Anyway, what a gorgeous sunrise and sunset we had today.

Check out more here.

Chiily morning

Sorry my post have been few and far. I've been pretty busy and also the weather hasn't been all that great for taking photographs. This morning was the best in a while and maybe my attitude was better also.

Driving down Old Seward Highway, this mom and her calf made my eyes open wide and had Lucille hugging the shoulder. Once I got my wits together, I grabbed my camera and jumped out. The calf wouldn't come back out of the brush, but mom stood guard and maybe posed a little before they moved on.

That bench looked a little cold there as it watches more of the sunrise.