HOT AIR BALLOON:
You just never know what you are going to see when you look out the window here at the clinic...moose, skiers, skijorers, dog sleds....and today, two big, bright, colorful hot air balloons floating not 100 yards from the window. Only in Alaska!
Of course, the down side IS the temperature! It is supposed to be 30 below tonight! I can't even imagine that! Yesterday when I came to work it was -3, at noon it was -13 and when I went home it was 11 above. Of course, that was wherever I was when I thought to look at the temperature. There is a huge variation from place to place in the bowl.
There were Northern Lights last night but I missed them! I was tucked in my bed in the basement. Apparently they were low on the horizon and fairly localized to one area...which is, according to my Northern Lights expert, unusual.
I'll stay in touch-if I don't freeze to death tonight!

FUR RONDY......I went to some fur rondy events on Sunday. I had to work Saturday but I did see some of the dog teams racing across the bridge and down the trail in front of the office (where else but Alaska?).
Check out the site for the history of the event.. also there is a neat web cam. If you check the schedule you can see events on the web cam....4th and D is where it is currently set up and that is where the dog sled races started on Sunday. I think that may be where the Iditarod starts-it would be way cool to watch the dogs and mushers take off from the web cam!!!! All the fun, none of the cold! (If you check out the Iditarod site I think you can watch it from there also-look for me in my big white coat!).
Anyway, we went downtown for breakfast and sat in the window of the cafe and watched the mushers unload their dogs and harness them to the sleds. Then we went and watched some of the teams start (they start at 2 minute intervals).
The dogs get so excited they started howling and whining to get going-when they get harnessed in they will pull against the sled (which is being held back by the musher standing on the break and a snow machine they are hooked to) they are so eager to go some of them have all four feet off the ground...then they pull up to the start and get the countdown...10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...GO and the musher releases from the snow machine and let the dogs go. And boy, do they shoot off the start line!!!
One team was Alaskan Malamutes but the dogs have been bred for speed and other breeds have been introduced...especially hound (which really surprised me). The dogs are like long distance runners-very, very lean! Hardly any look like Huskies or Malamutes.
I also watched the skijoring. This is a sport where the dog is actually harnessed to the skier and he pulls the skier...the skier has to actually ski also! They say any dog that is over 30 pounds can potentially be trained to skijor...lots of people start out with their pets and it is a sport that a lot of people over 50 participate in!!! The funniest thing I've heard is that last year there was a Yorkie entered to skijor (obviously less than 30 pounds)!!!!
German Shorthair Pointers have been introduced as sled dogs and are really popular in skijoring...many of the people that were sking with their dogs also hunted with them...a multipurpose dog for all the seasons of Alaska! RB, I am thinking Hunter might like it up here!
Most of the people up are really rugged and love the outdoors, they also love their dogs...naturally leading to activities where dog and his person work together. In fact, come to think of it, RB, I think you, Kaeli and Hunter would be in heaven!
Well, I have to get ready for tomorrow. I don't have any pictures of the activities (I accidently missed the reindeer races-mostly kids being pulled on sleds) because my camera just couldn't handle the temperatures-I didn't put a warmer in the case which I will do next weekend for the Iditarod and the weekend after that when I go winter fishing in Homer (more on that later).

Temperature tonight is supposed to be 20 BELOW!!!! We had just a day of snow the last time I blogged and nothing more. I am afraid my love affair with Alaska is becoming somewhat strained. The temperature has fallen into the low single digits to below zero this week but the sun is shining-beautiful outside but who can stand to be out there. I really hate the cold without any snow...and it's in the upper 60s to low 70s in Texas. I am ready to go home-can't wait for the 22nd of March!

IT"S SNOWING AGAIN!!!!
I am so glad it is finally snowing again! It has snowed all day long in spite of the weather forecast that said scattered snow showers today, light snow tonight and none tomorrow. I am really ready for some snow even though it means slick roads...oh, and just in time the company e-mailed me yesterday that I have to turn my all wheel drive back in for a sedan tomorrow. Oh, well.
I have to say I have some worries about our society. In search of a quick fix since I was tired and didn't have any groceries at the house, I sunk to new lows and went through the drive-in window at McDonald's. (I knew where it was because the otherwise nice view across the lake is ruined by the golden arches shining brightly above it all.) Anyway, I drove up waited a second while the guy in front of me gave his order, pulled up behind him at "the first window", waited just barely long enough for me to get my money out of my pocket, pulled up and paid a very apologetic woman who was "sorry about the wait"....what wait-oh, you mean the 15 seconds? I pulled forward to another attendant who was holding my food out the window (I guess I was supposed to grab it as I drove by without stopping and causing "the wait." I was pondering how we have become a society who can not tolerate any delay in gratification as I pulled out into traffic only to notice the newest Alaska Club (the exclusive chain of workout clubs in Anchorage)...this one is Alaska Club Express! Yes, I have heard the TV ads-they promise to get you in shape with a 30 minute workout as opposed to.....what the hour or so people spend at the fitness club. I used to do that....I really enjoyed it....I had friends that I would work out with...then we might chat....and maybe sit in the hot tub or sauna...and finally gather everything up and return to the real world of jobs and families. And here I thought I was having a good time instead I was wasting tiime!!!! We really need to slow down and taste our food, enjoy our workouts and smell the roses!
Well, that is my rant for the day....gotta work Saturday but plan on posting pics Sunday....
Have a good one!

House sitting....
It is a beautiful, sunny day here in Anchorage. I am house sitting for a couple of doctors I work with-they have gone to Kona for two weeks-lucky me!
I am in love with the great room-especially the kitchen....and the loft office...and maybe most of all the jacuzzi tub in the master suite!
I am lucky enough to be spending my birthday here...and I am off work. So, I gave myself a little party. I had birthday cake, passion tea (iced) from Starbuck's and some presents-bath stuff and two movies to watch on the humongous TV. My hubby somehow managed to time the arrival of my birthday card for just the right day!
I'm off to the party...Happy Birthday To Me...Happy Birthday To Me....Happy Birthday Dear Me...Happy Birthday To ME!!!!!

THE WEATHER IS BORRRING:
I am really ready for some snow!!! If this is not the end of winter, and everyone assures me it isn't, then I am ready for some snow! The weather forecast is for the teens at night and the upper 20s to mid 30s in the day. Our only chance of snow is tonight and that is only about an inch. Of course, I have noticed that weather forecasting in Alaska is sort of hit and miss.....but, still I am pretty tired of this weather! I miss the snow!!!

THE PERFECT DIET-I have discovered the perfect diet. Here is my menu:
Breakfast: Greens and eggs
Midmorning: 1 cup cottage cheese or 1 ounce farmer or mozzarella cheese
Lunch: Meat, beef, chicken or turkey and green beans with dill
Midafternoon: Strawberries or blueberries
Dinner: More beef, chicken and turkey and more greens
Beaverages: Green tea, water, and soda water

Now you may ask, why is that the perfect diet? Here is why: it covers the Adkins diet, the Eating 4 Your Blood Type Diet, The Eat Every 3 Hours Diet, and the PH Balance Diet and the Fasting Diet (after I eat this long enough I will be glad to fast). So, how can you go wrong?

IT'S A BIG, WILD LIFE.........That's the new logo, or brand, for Anchorage. It's a big, wild life...here I am in Anchorage living a big, wild life!!!!!
Today I went downtown to take pictures of the Children's Ice Sculpture Park. The warm temps last week did some damage to the sculptures but they were still beautiful! At night they have colored lights on them! It's just fabulous but I don't know if I can get good pictures of that.
My camera kept freezing up so I eventually had to stop and go home....my fingers and feet were in agreement with the camera that it was time to call it a day!
Hope you enjoy the pictures!

THE CHINOOK....The temperature in Anchorage is 48 at 7:30 this morning. It is 33 in Texas with scattered snow. Strange!
Everyone tells me this is a Chinook and not the end of winter. But, there is no high wind...just a light breeze, sunshine and warm weather.

WEATHER REPORT:
It is a beautiful day in Alaska. The weather the last week has been moderate (here it is referred to as warm but those of you in the lower 48 would probably not agree). The temperatures have been in the upper 30s to mid 40s! The snow is melting. The roads, at least the main roads, are bascially clear. I even saw holes in the ice at two lakes.
Today I went to work in the day light (sort of) and came home in the daylight! It was just beautiful! I had to go for my routine drug screen (every 6 months) so I left later than usual (missed my 6 am water aerobics class!). It was about 8:30 and the sun was rising behind the mountains-they looked like flat black movie backdrops with fake light shining from behind them! When I came out of the Quest Lab place to go to work it was about 9 and the mountains looked normal with all of the snow and hills and valleys...and the sun was higher so the sky was a baby blue with pink whispy clouds-it was just gorgeous!!!
When I left work it was 4:45 and daylight outside-it was probably around 5:30 or 6 before it got dark! Between the mild weather and the increased daylight I have spring fever....I have been assured that it is NOT Spring! Sure feels like it to me!!!
I discovered that if you want to see pictures and not read all the blah, blah, blah you can go to my web album and see all of the web albums I have published (and future ones too) and just look through them without reading the ongoing verbal diarrhea!
Off to my room in the basement where I have a new book and a new friend! Mike sent me the cutest little red monkey with a sign that says "love you"....it is very soft and cuddley! Not a subsitute for my hubby but a nice gift and soft to prop my book on!