(F)Rosy-Cheeks on a Peaceful Black Friday

 

It's always nice when Thanksgiving falls right before the weekend.  In this case that leads into a 4 day weekend.  Yesterday was spent with a couple of old friends and a few new, and a large afternoon feast.  I saw it was still cold, -17C, and debated spending a quiet day indoors, maybe doing some Black Friday shopping.  I quickly discovered there are new shipping surcharges being applied from my favorite online go to shops, and decided if I need it I can find it locally.  So I made one very quick stop in a surprisingly quiet big box store, and felt a bit inspired by the fresh snow on all the trees.

So I tried to find some warm layers and headed down to the Eagle River Nature Center set on a quick walk.  I knew this time I didn't need the snowshoes, and since it was already late afternoon just did a quick lap to the viewing decks, up the start of dewmound trail, back down the cumulous connector, and up to 4 corners.  I was hoping I might time it for a twilight moose in the river...but it was not meant to be today.

It was, however, a gorgeous walk in the woods.  The Eagle River Nature Center is a great place to get out into the woods, without being too far out on your own.  There is a staffed visitor center from 10-5 most days, and well marked and groomed trails.  You are always likely to run into a few people (and dogs), but also never likely to feel crowded.  The trails are well marked, so anyone visiting out of town can feel quite relaxed on these trails.  This time of year most of the visitors are doing some cross country skiing.

As it was a little later in the day, the light was just starting glow, and reflect off the waters and mountains like pink marshmallow fluff.  But no moose for me today.

I have never seen this very shallow stream completely frozen over.  In the summer salmon make their way all the way back here, dozens of miles inland.  Today it is just me and the twilight listening to water move slowly by.

I admit my cheeks got a little rosy (or (F)rosy) in the cooler weather, but it was worth it!  Happy one of my work colleagues knitted me a nice warm scarf last winter as well!

No harm in getting a little cold, when it's just a short drive back to your cozy warm house and cozy warm cat (who insists you keep your distance until properly thawed.  Cats are judgy like that).

Winter Wonderland

 It was crisp out today, even  by Canada standards.  I threw the snowshoes in the car and headed to the Eagle River Nature Center hoping to find some powdery trails to practice a bit more in.  I was surprised to see my car panel read -20C outside (yes, I still cannot speak Fahrenheit).  I was also surprised that I was still gung ho to go, since that's pretty cold by standards in the Anchorage bowl (it's usually a bit warmer being near the coast/inlet)

So glad I did!  It was an absolutely gorgeous, desolate, quiet day.  Just the sounds of my own feet crunching in the snow, and the odd woodpecker rhythmically pecking away.  I encountered a handful of people but less than 10 in 2 hours, so it was like having the place to myself.

When I looked online for places to do beginning snowshoeing, Eagle River Nature Center is one of the spots listed.  I was thinking the main trail to the viewing decks would be solid pack, but some of the other trails would not be.  Turns out they are all groomed somewhat, so after a few minutes of looking silly, and one foray down a hill through a wooded area just to satisfy my inner child and go offroad, and starting along the Albert loop and reaffirming the trails were groomer, I took them off and carried them for the most part.  They might come in handy here on an icy day, but in the soft packed powder, the Sorels alone were just fine.

Despite it being -20C, the river is still bubbling along.  It was a stunning scene.

Up at the viewing decks, it was all still, calm, and snowy white.  I confess I just had the cell phone with me, no camera, and it was struggling to capture a pic that was anything but midnight blue, so this was about the truest to real that I could get in that spot with the light.

Along the board walks the river was battling between flowing and freezing at the surface, with many frozen spheres moving on the surface.

Along the Albert loops, there is an offshoot called the Geological tour.  This was the road less travelled, and made for my snowshoes.  So I did get to put them on and go mucking through deep snow for a while.  I was following the path of a lone skier who eventually gave up as the ski tracks turned to deep footprints.  Definately the right spot for the snowshoes.

It has been a while since I was at the nature center.  I think the lesson for next time is that it's probably a better spot to bring the camera than the snowshoes.  But with blue skies and all this beauty, still a fabulous afternoon stroll.

Oh, and further to my post Bezmars-o, just want to highlight that I am sporting another "buy local" item, likely to be my most frequently worn piece of clothing the next several months -- my Alaska Chicks Company wool beanie.  Super warm and comfy,  I initially gave one as a gift, then decided I needed to go back and get one for me too.  Sunny blue skies, sunny smiling face while walking in a winter wonderland.  Thanks for another great day Alaska!

Dang I love days like these

I've worked easier jobs.  I've lived more glamorous days.  I miss both of those things on many days.  But not this day.  After 14 inches of fresh powdery snow on Wednesday night, today was the inaugural walk in my first set of snowshoes.  And it was fabulous.

Fortunately, I chose well in choosing a spot to call home, and I was literally able to amble out of the front door, strap on the snowshoes, and be in this in about 100 steps.

I wanted to do the first walk right by the house, since I wasn't really sure if there was a knack or skill involved with this.  If nothing else, I could crawl home if it ended badly.  It's possible I'm doing it wrong, but really it was just walking.  And a lovely walk indeed.

Down by the river there were some moose tracks, and a lone eagle flew overhead, probably amused by my delight at lumbering through the deep snow.  It was nice, and quiet, and people free -- my favorite weekend things!

My summer hiking poles work well in the winter as well.  You can add "snow baskets" to the poles in winter, but the powder was so deep and soft neither pole nor snowshoe was really staying right on top of it.  It was nice to not have to worry about ice or slipping on the downhill parts.  Looks like it will still be a while before I can walk on the river.  Will wait til I see a few fat tire bikers cross safely first.

Yup.  Days like these make the harder ones worth it.  Thanks Alaska.  Stay awesome.

Bezmars-o

 Everyone at work has already been talking about Christmas shopping.  Maybe it's because we're a reeeeally long way from true metropolitan shopping.  But they are talking about getting the orders in quickly.  The mail will be slow.  There's a shortage of everything.  And then, they say they are ordering from Amazon early.

Don't do it, I said.  Remember the great toilet paper panic buying of 2020.  Do we need to collapse the fragile supply chain ordering this year's equivalent of the furby.  But more importantly, Jeff Bezos just went to space.  The ultra rich are so damn rich they can have their own rockets.  What happens if Jeff Bezos DOES get to Mars?  And if he's the first one there, does he get to plant a flag and claim it as his own colony?  Would we have to call it Bezmars?  It would be werid.  Bizarro...or shall I say, Bezmarso.

That said, I still love Christmas, and Christmas shopping....I am just going to try very hard to not fund an intergalactic takeover by the billionaires.  To be clear, there is a very good chance that everything I purchase will further spread the wealth gap between me (the poor consumer) and the merchant...but I can feel reasonably good about it if there are no space ships in the employee parking lot when I go to peruse their wares.

The other bee in my shopping bonnet this year is related to climate change and finding smaller sources, possibly sustainable gifts.  Yeah, I am going there.  Climate change is real  (and so is COVID but that's another post for another time).  Back in the 80's and the school days, and all the scary stuff they talked about is happening.  To be fair, we thought it was going to be from our hairspray (and even more so Bon Jovi's hairspray) and freon, so it wasn't completely accurate (nor did my choice in music truly lead to the decline of the western civilization as was also theorized at the time).

So, I have come across some reasonable products that I like that may make their way into gift bags this year, and all of them check some of the boxes as well -- none are perfect and carbon footprint free.  Heck, even when I washed ducks, I burned fossil fuels to get to the duck scrubbing location.

1st up -- Blueland products.  I got this for me for my birthday this year (that and I adopted my re-used shelter cat Mr. Muffins).  This is the glass bottles for hand soap where you add water and a soap tablet --  bottles are re-useable, recyclable if you ever break or get rid of, and, the tablets are small so you save save some carbon footprint by shipping small tablet refills, rather than giant bottles of soap (which are mostly water anyway).  

The best part is the two entire houseguests I have had in the last 3 months in COVID surge-land up here have both commented that they LOVE my foaming hand soap and bottles, and both wanted to know where they could get them.  They look nice, and they are a guest pleaser, so these are making somebody's gift this year.

As an aside, there are several other companies doing similar product lines, including Doterra.  I fully expect some of the Doterra hand lotions to end up in some gifts this year as well.

Another cool product I have fallen in love with is Prose haircare.  It costs a bit more than your standard drug store haircare...probably about the same salon care, but it's really good.  You fill out an online questionaire and get a formula tailored to your hair needs.  When it's time for re-order, you also rate the product on how it met the needs you asked for...and will tweak the formula to improve with each order.  My hair has gotten curlier as I have gotten older...also drier and fuzzier.  What I notice is my hair is sooooo soft now.   And less fuzzy.   I love the fragrance I picked, and have to say, so far I am smitten.  Yes, the bottle has your name on it.  And they let you opt out of the plastic pumps on refills, because, every bit reducuced counts they say on their website, and me (and the global turtle population) agree.  I wish the bottles were glass as well, but they are plastic.

So this year, as I look to smaller companies, more eco-friendly options, I am also reminded of one of the hit gifts from last Christmas.  Jerky in a box, from a small company in Drake, Saskatchewan (population 250) -- you know I have a soft spot for small town Saskatchewan.  This gift was definitely a winner!

And a local Eagle River favorite spot -- Alaska chicks.  Gifted someone a wool beanie the other day and it was so cute I went back and grabbed another for me.

Advertising?  Not really, because I don't get paid for these recommendations.  Just thought I would give a shout out to some of the little(er) guys who make great gifts, without creating space junk  and rocket fumes off the profits.

Lost...as in MIA

 When I started this blog years ago in the Bermuda Triangle, lostbutloving it was the perfect tag line.  Seems like a long time ago, and perhaps the better tag line these days is Lost...MIA.  I got lost in the non-stop demands of work, and all the stressful things that come along with getting older.

I don't know what Found might look like, but am definately looking for that path.  I have been slowly bushwacking my way back to self this past month.  I realized I miss writing.  It doesn't matter if no one reads it.  It doesn't matter if I don't have anything exciting to say.  I just miss the days where I would site down and jot down some thoughts, or funny stories.  Writing helps me store things in my memories.  Writing feels like an old friend.

And so, here I am again.  I don't know that I can commit to sitting down and writing a blog every day.  Or that I am even interesting enough to do so any more.  But like anything else, it starts with one post.  And heaven knows there are enough random musings in my brain.

At one point this was a daily update for friends who might be far away, a photo collection for those who planned to visit so they could pick which places they wanted to see when they arrived.  I guess since I've been MIA for so long, it doesn't have to be anything at all.

So will start with Happy Halloween.  Tis the joyous day of the year where it's about as normal as it's going to get to dress up your cat.  So I am all over that.

This fluffly little lap-dragon is Mufasa.  Mufasa is a super fluffy, 8 yr old (allegedly) who found himself at a local cat rescue.  2020 was a hard year on many fronts, and one particularly crappy part was November 3, when my cuddly panther Aiden died of a congenital kidney disease.  Harry and I limped along, just the two us of, but in August I decided it was time to bring someone in to hopefully keep Harry company during the day, and someone who might like to snuggle a bit, coz Harry is not a cuddle cat.  Mufasa, aka the Moof (and sometimes, ridiculously, I may call him Mr. Muffins), came home one weekend after my birthday on an 'extended trial'.  We all know no one would buy my claim of "fostering" ever again after the Panthers foster episode turned permanent.  No one really bought the extended trial either.

And so this guy, who is clearly very tolerant, has joined the Alaska family.  He tolerates both Harry and I, me a little more so than Harry, but they are slowly becoming friends.

If you are wondering what Harry was for Halloween, he made it very clear that he was already Halloween themed 365 days a year.  You can tell how he judged me for even thinking about dressing him up.

And on that note, it's time to head on down the road for a pandemic-wise Halloween gathering.  Vaccinated, <5 people (pet included), and a little wine to sanitize the throat.  The blog about nothing shall continue at a later date.

Could've Been

My niece.  The budding artist.  A contagious energy.  She was filled with kindness, joy, compassion, curiosity, enthusiasm.  She felt things deeply.  She found humor almost anywhere.  She was just beginning to show her talents for visual arts.  She loved people, and cherished her friends so much.  She loved her music, and was drawn to songs with words that moved her.

12 years ago today, I started my Saturday morning with a call home.  We chatted about your volleyball tournanent, and little things.  We said I love you, because you always gave us that gift.  I never dreamed it would be the last time I heard your voice anyway except in my mind.  I'll never see what could've been.

12 years.  We are left to wonder the paths you'd have walked,  the life you'd be building.  But I know you would be what you always were through it all...curious, alternating between cautious and bold, vibrant, and happy.  I know you'd be surrounded with love from all you shared your spirit with.  This is still true, all these years later.

I pulled up some old photos, some of your 'edits' where you incorporated the things that you were engaged in.  I see the potential you had, and all your creativity -- in the memories you left with the simple things you had.  Your friends, a point and shoot camera, a free software app, your music and words, your perspective and spunk.  This is what remains...that spirit.  

 

The memories of joy, the echo of laughter.  We miss you...today, always, and forever.

Miss you still

 I haven't written anything for so long.  And I guess if I don't write today them I would probably be walking away from the blog forever.  So here I am.

This is a tradition I guess, trying to find words of wisdom to take the place of an in person celebration.  Holding on to cherished memories, afraid to lose one as another will never be able to take it's place.

But it would be your birthday.  You'd be 28.  When I wonder what your life would be like, I remember that 28 was when I finally had the job I really wanted, and I was starting to travel with work friends, always looking for the best postcards to send to you and your brother, hoping to plant seeds of places you would want to go early, so you'd get there earlier than I had.  So you'd go farther.  I remember still being oblivious --.charging through life without ever being aware how fragile it all is.  There's a happiness in that.  And I do imagine you happy, wherever your path would have taken you so far.

We are often surprised at where we end up.  But I always remember marveling at how much you were exactly who you were the very first time I met you.  So that's how I know you'd still have a smile that turned up just on one side when you were having a mischievous thought.  That you'd be fast to smile, and would have shed many tears because of that big, kind heart as well.  I think you'd have spent a lot of time with your Grandma this year, and I suspect you would have shared some of your mom's talents for organizing color and beauty.  You'd probably tease your brother in adulthood as much as you did back then, and counter your dad's humor with your own.  I think you'd still be in touch with all your old friends, and probably the center of activities in the place you had settled on as home.  I like to imagine that we'd have gone shopping in New York, and that once in a while you'd come hang out with your awesome Auntie, or that we'd go lay on a beach and feed all the stray animals for a week.  You'd light up the room for your uncles and Grandpa too, like you always did.

I bet you'd still love  lazy weekends in T-shirt and pajama bottoms.  I know you'd have a cat or three or four.  My music selection would be better with your taste, and how wonderful it would be to sit around and hear you laughing at stupid movies that are too terrible to be truly funny to me.  I know you'd still stay up crazy late and not mind falling asleep with the tv on, then sleep in late and wake up with crazy hair and a monosyllabic vocabulary for the first hour or two.   You'd still love animals.  And color. Talking to your friends.  Laughing about the obscure or the random path of a conversation.  There's so much I can never imagine, but I know most of these simple things would be the same.

Even as the weight of all the time without you adds up year over year, I can still feel my soul lighten just with the thoughts of the time we did have you.  And for everything year I wish was different, there are those precious 16 years that I wouldn't trade for anything.  Having you as my niece, even if only for 16 years, is worth a lifetime of sorrow.

Love you -- today, tomorrow, and always.