Thanksgiving III

An even zero this morning at eleven a.m. and a high of eight by afternoon. The sunset last night was a pleasant sight for my dreary, white-washed sore eyes. Its been thick fog, low ceilings and cold all week, with the first good sign of a break this morning for Thanksgiving. The third year up here for turkey and pie is always a good milestone, third times a charm is often what people say. Duck was on the menu, not turkey or grouse, but a nice little canadian duck. No, I was not the hunter and yes it was from the store. As much as it pains me to say such a thing, I wasn't able to provide the sacrificial bird of my own accord. Nevertheless, it was a very nice change, a great, rich and robust flavor in the fat which made for a fantastic gravy. The meat itself was nothing to go on about but the gravy sure is. Pumpkin pie, quinoa and a few sprigs of fresh parsley from my window sill grown plants… A little color and good for one bite. I had made the pie last night, wanting it chilled after a discussion of which was better, warm or cold. So with that said, the smell was all to tempting and I had cut the first slice out before the duck had even seen the fires of an oven. I had to cut one more slice for dinner, and one more shortly before bed. After all, it is a celebration day, a holiday and a feasting day.
I won't be able to burn off the calories with all the rats in their race tomorrow while shopping, maybe a swim will do.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and hopefully it is a good start to the holiday season.

Running the Gamut

Temperatures have fluctuated more than 50 degrees recently, but a common theme these past few days would have to be just plain cold. Snow has fallen, melted, fallen and blown away time and again. Rain, wind, sun and then repeat is the theme. Ice has started to accumulate on the lake in coves and bays where there isn't enough movement and the lake ice begins. It will fluctuate a bit, forming and breaking, melting and growing but one of these days it will be here for good.
There are limited things to do around the property, and even more so for exercise, so swimming has been a nice change of pace. The water temperature is a steady 35, and it really isn't noticeable with the suit on, hood and gloves. The cold part is actually the time between taking the suit off and the shower. Either way, it is very peaceful to be floating out there, doing laps and drifting with the current. I can't say how much longer this will last, but I hope to continue while the temperatures are above zero, and will most likely find a few days a month to get out there all through the winter and into the spring.
There have been some absolutely beautiful moments up here with the sun rising at a lower angle, combined with low temperatures that make a nice fog and decent photos.
And the best part of all, the fox is back! I can't be sure its the same one as years past, being extra friendly and carefree, though how many tame foxes are there in the wild? I won't complain if its not the same one, at least its company. Here are some photos of the past week or more. I'm hoping to have a nice Thanksgiving up here in a week, and hoping that a fox will join me for the holiday feast. The menu should be close to the following- Duck (whole/roasted), Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie. I might add some yams or something else, but likely there will be too much food as it is, and more would be gluttony. We'll see.

Enjoy-

Someday never comes

A break in the rain was the warmest reception Alaska has had to offer in the past month, and only but three or four times. I wasn't afraid to take advantage of the calm, before another storm I might add and this time it would be snow. I spent a little time on the river, boating up and down while enjoying whole heartily a dry and bug free evening. A solid month of showers, flurries and or both has the river raging at its peak, generally spring time flow. The usual boulders and identifying landscape are submerged and all to elusive while the rapids have grown more intense and creating quite the echoing roar. I have had the enjoyment of riding the river in its full length a few times now, both for work and pleasure. During the last severe wind storm, I had lost all communications to what I had believed was due to natures uneasy temperament around this time of year. However it was a logistical error on someones part back in the big city to announce a switch over in modem frequency... needless to say I, along with a few dozen other remotely located people around the state were isolated further by this oversight. Nearly a week later, a rainy boat ride into Aleknagik, a nice drive into Dillingham, there at the airport sat a new modem for me and all would soon be well.
The time away from computers and phones was a short lived and exhausting little ordeal, going through the emotions of boredom, excitement and wonder, to boredom and deep boredom. I wonder what everyone did when we weren't so connected to the world, having someone a fingers touch away online and yet thousands of miles in between. I'm still at a loss for  words to explain those thoughts and feelings occurring last week.

A rare glimpse of my cabin in sunlight-

The saying is too true... "red sky in morning.... and its going to be one miserable sort of day"

I'm not ready for my surrounding to look like this for six months straight but I'll accept whatever happens. It was a nice change from rain, and it really brightened the cabin inside, something the sun refuses to do. I didn't have to shovel much, but on the side of caution, I made the necessary removals in areas that I keep cleared out in case this was the point of no return. Substantial rains followed and made a massive soupy mess of everything, and the lackluster of gray continues on.