Northern Zazu

This n that

2011-11-29T03:30:00.001-09:00

Bluff overlooking Teklanika River, Denali Natʻl Park, Alaska

What am I most proud of? Heʻs standing there in front of me. Over 15 years in the making and an ever amazing work in progress. The most precious part of my life. My son, Connor.

He has stood up for kids who were being bullied. Years afterward, he was bullied but somehow found it within himself to walk away and not give the offender the satisfaction of knowing he was bothered by it. I really donʻt think thereʻs a mean bone in his body.

Heʻll play video games till the cows come home but will help me out with ideas for crafts Iʻm completing. Proof that kids can make something without a joystick, left trigger, X to jump and Y to exit.

He loves to ride a fast, stinky, noisy snowmachine across the tundra but is content to sit quietly and fish on a summer day. Or hike the river with Auntie Ti.

When he was in first grade, someone made fun of him for coloring a giraffe green. It hurt his feelings very much. He told me about it when he got home. I asked if he remembered what Iʻd always told him about art. He said, "yes, you said art is whatever you make it and you can do it however you want because thatʻs why itʻs called art". His teacher said the next time they had an art project Connor very nicely shared our thought about what art is. There were no more problems and, in fact, the other kid loosened up with his own art guidelines. Too funny! Wonder if there were purple hippopotomuses and pink iguanas in class that day.

Oh and heʻs taller than me. In case he reads this at some point Iʻd better include it. Taller. Taller. Taller.

At times the teenage attitude rears its ugly head. Thankfully not often so far. We butt heads at times but thatʻs to be expected. No grudges are held and things resolve quickly because we talk. Ok sometimes we go to separate rooms to cool off but in the end itʻs only a matter of minutes before weʻre back on track.

He has a heart of gold, filled with love and kindness. As painful as it is at times to see him hurt by words or actions, heʻs well enough grounded that he bounces back. Onward and upward!

He has remained true to himself and not been swayed by the "in crowd" to do otherwise. In fact, one kid told him "you never want to do anything (drinking, out past curfew, shoplift) because your dadʻs a cop and your momʻs a dispatcher" to which he answered "No! I donʻt want to do those things because theyʻre wrong to do no matter who my parents are". Bam! (And, yes, I know itʻs dumbfounding to think kids his age are already drinking. Unfortunately in my line of work weʻve seen them as young as 10 years old.) Heʻs a freshman now and, though high school years can be rough, so far so good.

Letʻs hope his strength and character hold strong. I know there will be slips along the way but isnʻt that how you learn life best? He has family here to support him through it all, too, which I think in many cases tips the scales in a kidʻs favor.
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On an earlier post mentioning the trip to Teklanika, pictured above and below, my sister commented: "Interesting how sometimes we forget how quickly our little babies are maturing. How we just assumed all these years that they were ignoring those 'boring' moments with us. When in actuality they have weaved them so quietly into their own fuzzy sweaters of life that they love to snuggle with. Sis" Love the way you worded that, Sis. And oh how true.

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Eyes forward

2011-11-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

Ever get that uneasy feeling?

Kodak moments

2011-09-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

To those with an eye for photography, the lighting is far from perfect in these photos. The viewer has no connection to the image so they may critique it. But I see the events before and after the shutter button was pressed.

Pictures can take us back in time. They can trigger memories and feelings stored away in our psyche. If you look at a familiar picture say of your child or your vacation, chances are youʻre not judging it for first place ribbon potential. Instead your mind begins playing like a movie as you recall the time surrounding when the image was captured onto a disk or film negative. Younger readers may need to refer to Websterʻs to understand "film negative". Aged myself with that statement, I suppose.

The first photo was taken from the gravel bars of the Teklanika River in Denali Park in mid-August at around midnight. It was during a three day trip with Ti and her daughter, Des and my son, Connor. We had finalized plans a month earlier and were excited for time to pass so we could head out to The Park. As luck would have it, the dynamics of family life in my house changed dramatically the week before our trip. Nevertheless we ventured on and enjoyed ourselves. So for me the moon rising photo reminds me of how the world is calm even when life may jostle you around. It reminds me of my precious son as he hugged me tight during a hike earlier that day and said, "Itʻll be okay, Mom". Kids see through whatever facade you put up to protect them from your worries and pain. It reminds me of untapped strength in myself and those whom I hold dear.

The sunset picture was taken while Connor and I drove six hours home to Fairbanks from Anchorage recently. He hooked up his iPod to the car stereo and we sang along to everything from Black Eyed Peas to Godsmack to Keltik Elektrik. We made the usual stops along the way for munchies and restrooms. He even worked on his homework! The autumn colors were the most spectacular theyʻve ever been north of Broad Pass. I decided, however, that we wouldnʻt make photo stops since Connor had school the next day. He was tired and we had two more hours to drive. Yet as we zipped past a scenic lookout at 65mph, he shut off the radio, turned to me and pointed out the window, "You HAVE to pull over Mom! Look at the sky, no WAY are you passing this up!". Sure the sunset was gorgeous! But when I look at the photo, I see a teenage boy who enjoyed a stop to view natureʻs beauty. A boy who unabashedly sang a duet with his 40-something mom to My Humps; he was Will I Am and I was Fergie. Probably good we were confined to the soundproof car. Then there was the semi driver who flipped on his overhead floodlights, turned them to point into our eyes and purposely blinded us as he came down hill toward us. Not sure what his issue was! And I remember miles of no music as my boy and I chatted about trivial things and life issues.

A picture is indeed worth a thousand words and endless memories.

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Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky ~ Rabindranath Tagore

Come a little closer, you look yummy

2011-09-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Lynx at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier, AK
(ignore the cage blur in forefront of photo)

Grizzly at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier, AK

Tennyson

2011-08-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

"Tears, Idle Tears"

- Alfred Lord Tennyson

Tears, idle tears, I knownot what they mean,
Tears from the depth of some divine despair
Rise in the heart, and gather in the eyes,
In looking on the happy autumn-fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.

   Fresh as the first beam glitteringon a sail,
That brings our friends up from the underworld,
Sad as the last which reddens over one
That sinks with all we love below the verge;
So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more.

   Ah, sad and strange as in darksummer dawns
The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds
To dying ears, when unto dying eyes
The casement slowly grows a glimmering square;
So sad, so strange, the days that are no more.

   Dear as remembered kisses afterdeath,
And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned
On lips that are for others; deep as love,
Deep as first love, and wild with all regret;
O Death in Life, the days that are no more!

Thematic Photographic 156 - Red

2011-08-08T02:54:00.003-08:00

Meet Lucy. Sure Iʻd like to say I took these photos while diving in some exotic locale but Iʻm an above the water kind of gal. And Lucy here is a giant Pacific octopus living at the Seward Sea Life Center in Seward, Alaska. Sheʻs HUGE! Huge looking in the photos anyhow.

At the time of this photo, Lucyʻs bulbous head was only about the size of a small cantalope. She was young. Average size for her species full grown is 16ʻ total length and 110 pounds. Theyʻre able to move up to 700 pounds with those strong arms!

It was mesmerizing to watch Lucy effortlessly maneuver over every square inch of her tank. She never stopped moving. All eight arms constantly reaching in different directions. Her color would shift from a dull orange-red to deep or bright red if someone stepped near her tank wearing red.

(For more Thematic Photographic, visit Carmi at Written Inc. Itʻll be time well spent.)

Become one with the deck

2011-07-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

Perched on the cable for Zazuʻs run

They saw Mom nearby but she wouldnʻt come up while I was visible.

They look a little miffed about lunch being late.

Mom hanging out waiting for me to scram.

Yippee, lunch time!

Magic invisibility blanket. Donʻt knock it, it worked.

Met any good eggplants lately?

2011-07-12T21:10:00.004-08:00

"If opportunity doesnʻt knock, build a door."~~ Milton Berle

Walking around what is nicknamed "Glitter Gulch" near Denali Park I passed other pedestrians, cars, bridges, trees, a river, buildings and.......a door. It stands perfectly upright about ten steps off the pedestrian/bike path along the main highway. For a split second I was perplexed then intrigued. Then a little light went on in my head and shortly after passing this door I built my own door of opportunity and took the first step toward a business venture in Glitter Gulch. More on that at another date.

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it,

bearing within him the image of a cathedral."~Antoine de Saint-Expéry, Flight to Arras, 1942

Naturally I didnʻt open the grey door in the picture here. After all it is marked "Private". The mind whirls with logical thoughts of what might be on the other side, doesnʻt it? A shanty shack? A modern, luxurious mansion? Iʻll tell you itʻs most likely a shack since just past those trees the hillside drops at a severe angle down to the swift running Nenana River. Not a lot of real-estate on which to build mansions (or cathedrals). But Iʻll bet whoever lives there is as happy as a lark being able to spend their summer in Denali Park.

"I doubt that the imagination can be suppressed. If you truly eradicated it in

a child, he would grow up to be an eggplant."~Ursula K. LeGuin, The Language of the Night

Enough with logic. I love to imagine ludicrous things where logic dictates otherwise. Imagination keeps the mind and heart young. Expressing it out loud can quite often generate odd looks from folks. Oh well never you mind those eggplants walking around. They donʻt know what theyʻre missing. Whatʻs on the other side of the door? My sister says itʻs the Other Narnia. Maybe itʻs a time portal back to when paved roads and motorized vehicles didnʻt exist. Perhaps to the future, though thatʻd take all the fun out of living day to day I think. Or is it the door to immortality? Or might you become the wind or a dragon if you step through? A superhero? Yes the possibilities are endless! Unless, of course, youʻre an eggplant in which case you stepped through to find.......gravel and trees alongside the highway beside a grey door marked "Private". I for one am NOT an eggplant and I doubt you are either. So tell me what happens if you step through the door......

Eyes forward

2011-07-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

Bald eagle seems a fitting photo for July 4. (photo taken in Homer, AK)

Zazu-magoo

2011-06-29T10:51:00.000-08:00

camping from Fairbanks to Soldotna

This is Zazu. Heʻs 12-years old now. Heʻs a mix of chow and husky. A split-second earlier his head was on his paws and the big brown eyes were peering up at my son and I. My son said it looked like Puss n Boots from the Shrek movies.

In 1999 when I visited the local animal shelter, Zazu was in a pen alone. As folks walked by he sat quietly but intently watching "the humans" from the back area of his pen. As I walked by, he bounded to the front of his pen and began bow-wowing and warbling at me. If youʻve ever been around huskies you know the kind of warbling, talky-bark thing to which Iʻm referring. I stopped to "talk" with him and noticed he would barely use his back right paw. As I continued walking through the Shelter, the talkative dog sat back down but kept watching. Quietly. Until I walked by to leave and once again was greeted by bow-wowing and husky-speak.

The next day I took my son with me to see this funny dog who seemingly ignored other humans. The dog who had all but yelled at me as I walked past him. And wouldnʻt you know it, the red dog repeated his performance on my second visit. It was then I figured for whatever reason this fuzzy curly tail canine had to come home with us. I asked the staff why he limped. They said he was owned by a street person who had accidentally stepped on the dogʻs back paw. All the bones in the paw were broken. The street person knew they couldnʻt take care of a wounded dog and brought it to the shelter.

Day three. My son, my husband and I returned to the Shelter to adopt the dog with the broken foot. Several other people were there to adopt other animals, however, two families were interested in the same dog as us. This meant a drawing of names would occur to determine who gets to adopt. Itʻs not a first come first serve thing. Everyone stands in a room together hoping their name is drawn. And Iʻll tell you itʻs a strange mix of excitement and guilt to hear your name drawn. We won! Yippee! Then I saw the sad little face of the child across the room whose name wasnʻt drawn. Ugh.

The red dog was happy to see us come to take him home. The x-rays confirmed every bone in his foot was broken. It healed with no treatment or complications. Quite honestly Iʻm not even 100% sure it was his right back paw or the left, thatʻs how perfectly it healed. I named him Zazu after the character from Lion King, my favorite Disney movie.

Iʻm convinced that Zazu chose me as much as I chose him that day at the Shelter. Heʻs definitely a Mommyʻs dog as he pretty much ignores the "other humans" as he sees fit. Right now it means Iʻm the one most covered in fur since itʻs shedding season. I swear thereʻs a whole dog in the Dyson each time I vacuum which right now is a daily chore.

Thematic Photographic #150 - Signs that make us wonder

2011-06-21T03:29:00.001-08:00

No smoking life vest under my seat?! What a relief.

Is this where the saying, "let me change into something more comfortable" began?

Pass. Thank you.

No touchy! Got it.

Wordless Wednesday - Beecause I can

2011-06-08T00:16:00.000-08:00

What's your point?

2011-05-24T03:06:00.001-08:00

Didn't expect to see me up here, did you? Yeah, I could tell by the way you hit the brakes and flipped around in the middle of the highway to come back. I'm just enjoying a midnight snack. You do know it's midnight, right? And your friend there in the car with you has to be at work at 7am. What's that? You want a couple pictures? Okay, no problem, I know I'm cute up here looking deceivingly fluffy. Besides the mosquitoes are hungry, too, and by the looks of the black cloud swarming your head you won't stay long. I've got all night.
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Hi, PJ here. Shortly after I left I'm certain the porcupine and mosquitoes were high-fiving each other and laughing it up. In fact, the mosquitoes probably said something to the effect, "Thanks Earl. Works every time. Silly humans stop to fawn over you and we get lunch. Score!!". Queue music, The Circle of Life.

A day at the park

2011-05-24T02:12:00.002-08:00

Caribou in Denali Park

Willow ptarmigan, Denali Park (photo by B. Geier)

Willow ptarmigan, Denali Park

Porcupine in trees, Denali Park near Savage Creek (photo by B. Geier)


Mama moose & baby moose, Denali Park (photo by B. Geier)

Caribou in Denali Park (photo by B. Geier)

Thematic Photographic 146 - Aerial

2011-05-17T22:42:00.001-08:00

Flying to Maui last month it was hard to resist getting a crick in the neck while admiring the blue sky and fluffy white clouds below the aircraft.

The view changed often. Varying between a hundred shades of blue and more cloud formations than you could ever describe. In childhood there were always rabbits, dogs, fish and igloos in the clouds. I looked but didn't find any of them on this day.

Relaxing comes easy when tropical sands are the destination and I felt pretty relaxed. Then I looked out once again and saw this. For whatever reason, any remaining tension fell away like a silk veil. It was as though I was silently floating at the edge of the stratosphere, a breath away from leaving this Earth and entering the heavens. Silent. Weightless. Pure. And I understood why astronauts are in awe each time they look down on our Blue Planet.

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(For more Thematic Photographic visit Carmi at Written Inc.)

Keālia Pond

2011-05-03T00:24:00.001-08:00

Hawaiian Stilt / Himantopus mexicanus knudseni / Ae‘o (one standing tall). Endangered.

They're about 15" long and their legs are almost as long as their bodies.

Life on Mars

2011-05-01T21:33:00.001-08:00

About a five minute walk from the car through green pastures to the edge of a cliff and you'll think you've arrived on a different planet.

Saltwater has sprayed up from the ocean over time and eaten away at the rocks here creating the most amazing geological eye candy. These were near Nakalele Blowhole off the Honoapi'ilani Highway north of Kapalua. Beautiful up here! So diverse in it's scenery that I forgot I had the camera and missed multitudes of indescribable rock formations.

Magical moments

2011-04-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

Yertl the Turtle is what my son and I used to call sea turtles when he was a toddler. We'd walk over very early in the morning to sit on the black rock point at the beach. The sun would begin it's ascent over the dormant volcano, Haleakala, and soon burn off the shadow of night, replacing it with warmth and blue sky. We'd choose a fairly smooth rock on which to perch then silently watch the ocean. Nary a peep would come from my son as he'd sit beside me or on my lap. His blue-grey eyes sweeping left then right. Intent on seeing the shell or better still the head bob up for air.

"I see him, Mom" he'd say excitedly but not too loudly. He'd point in the direction of movement with those indescribably cute little child hands. The hands that every Mom knows and misses as her child grows up. He'd turn his head to be sure I'd heard him and I'd see the excitement in his eyes. He'd look and look again. Then he'd sit back on my lap and we'd make up stories about what Yertl might be doing today.

"I think he's eating seaweed, Mom" to which I'd agree. "How come the waves don't bother him?" to which the answer was it's his home and he's very, very strong. "Where are the other turtles?" was apparently not answered to his liking when I said, "They're probably done with breakfast and are swimming somewhere else now". My son, big hearted and ever-caring, kept his eyes on Yertl and said tenderly, "Well, that's not very nice. His friends should have woke him up so they could all go together".

Today as I went snorkeling I saw Yertl. In fact, Yertl was quite content floating along so closely to me that we could have kissed. I moved backward by circling my arms to push water and slowly distance us. Yet he seemed happy to follow me. Maybe Yertl saw us all those years ago watching him and feeling badly that his friends didn't wake him. That's what the little boy of years ago might think. But we know better.

My son is a teenager now and, of course, has a more mature view of what Yertl does. It doesn't mean, however, that his mom wouldn't have loved to have shared her magical Yertl encounter with him.

Who goes there?

2011-04-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Many a critter skittered, waddled, walked and crawled on the beach before 7am.

Toadally unexpected

2011-04-27T16:16:00.001-08:00

These purple beauties demanded their photo be taken and I obligingly took several. I sat by the pond for several minutes looking at them and the breathtaking view out over the Pacific Ocean along the Hana Highway. At one point in my peripheral view, it seemed the lily pads moved, surged up. I watched the pond intently. No movement, perhaps the Maui sun has baked my brain.

A cooling wind stirred. I leaned my head back to watch the palm fronds sway against the backdrop of the tropical blue sky. When I decided to get up off the ground, I looked squarely into two angry eyes staring intently at me. She sat still so I did the same. I sat still some more. She moved......toward me, grumbled something that if interpreted was most likely akin to "Mama's gonna mess you up". It was then that I saw many black tadpoles wriggling amongst the lily pads and Mama's feet. Not one to aggravate the wildlife, I packed up and moved on with the day.

It would seem she is a Cane Toad. Also called Marine Toad or Bufo marinus. They like to be near water for breeding and apparently it's breeding/birthing time on Maui by the looks of this one up above. They secrete a poisonous substance from the glands in their neck if they feel threatened. A dog could die if they bite one. Scientists strongly advise against licking them as it can cause a horrible tongue fungus or even death. What??!?! Here I was looking for a stick laying about on which to have a Toadipop. Sorry, you'd clearly have to be stoned out of your gourd to lick a toad. Just sayin'.

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-22T22:18:00.001-08:00

Birthday boy, Artemis

Artemis (aka #1018 or The A.I. Baby around campus)

Lightning (aka #739 around campus)

Pure luck afforded me the privilege one year ago today to be present when the reindeer you see in the first two photos was born. Go here to read more on that.

Although there was no pomp and circumstance--he is after all a research animal--I thought it only fitting to get a baby's first birthday photo. Thank you to George Aguiar of the Reindeer Research Program at UAF for taking the time to listen to my silly request to find out The Baby's number and location. Without his help, I would never have figured out which reindeer was the right one. Additionally helpful was the website for the Reindeer Research Program listing all the reindeer names. So now I can tell you that #1018 was dubbed Artemis.

The bottom photo is Lightning. She's Artemis' mom. Seems only fair to include her since she did all the work. Last time I saw her she was worn out from a long birth, the poor girl. Looking good now though, wouldn't you say?

If you'd like to take part in naming a reindeer, here's a link. Go ahead. Use your imagination. Put a name in the hat and maybe your name will be chosen for some lucky reindeer!

Where's my mama?

2011-04-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

pausing for a bite to eat

This little guy or gal (??) visited our back yard last night. For lack of knowing if he's a she or she's a he, we named it Saskatoon. You weren't expecting Pat or Terry, were you? After silently munching on willow, Saskatoon slowly ventured over the hillside and into the valley. The snow loudly shooshed down the slope and winter's dried, brittle underbrush cracked loudly letting us know the route taken. We never saw or heard Mama in the area. Maybe 'Toon is alone in the world. We'll be keeping an out for more visits though.

Thematic Photographic #141 - Windows

2011-04-12T11:00:00.001-08:00

Zazu in role of Sad Dog

Just a few minutes prior to this photo Zazu was bounding around the living room, playful. "Smiling" the way dogs sometimes do. Flashing chestnut colored catch-me-if-you-can eyes up at me as he'd slam his front paws down, bum in the air, tail wagging. A barely audible "boof" said "you're it, chase me". We played for a couple more minutes then I stepped onto the deck, leaving him inside.

A single glass window separated us. Yet his eyes stared off into eternity. My heart sank at the sight. Yes he's a dog but his eyes could be the windows to his soul too. Sad eyes. Cruelly left there alone in the world. Oh, the despair! Woe is him. He pretended not to notice me. Even as I spoke aloud letting him know I'd be right back. Apparently though he's an elite member of CAG (Canine Actor's Guild). His eyes never acknowledged outside contact. Nary a twitch of a doggie brow was seen. The ears remained stick straight. Oooh this Sad Dog character was good, deserving of a Wag-Emmy Award.

Not surprisingly Sad Dog was nowhere to be found when I re-entered the house. Just Zazu, aka Happy Dog, greeted his human upon my return from the far, far away side of the evil window.

(For more Thematic Photographic 141 - Windows, visit Carmi at Written Inc. You'll be glad you did. Guaranteed.)

Thematic Photographic #140 - By Land, Sea or Air

2011-04-05T18:22:00.003-08:00

Now that's a porta-potty!

Driving across Washington state one autumn I managed to choose the time of day when truckers were out in force. There were belly dumps of gravel, truckloads of bovine, a chemical load or two, the usual grocery haulers and oodles of the usual other stuff on wheels. What I didn't expect to see was a restroom in the middle of the road. I'd imagine it's final destination might have been a park or roadside rest area. Or maybe it was being retired. Wonder if anyone ventured inside when he pulled over?

Driving. You never know what you'll see.

(Thank you to Carmi of Written Inc for another fun topic By Land, Sea or Air)

Give a little whistle, whoo hoo

2011-03-20T07:00:00.040-08:00

Clap your hands. They'll dance.

Whistle when they're bright. They'll swoop down to scoop you away into the Heavens.

Mom grew up in northern Newfoundland with three sisters and four brothers. Among many things they believed the above two tales of the Northern Lights to be true. As kids they'd stand outside quietly looking up at the winter sky. Someone would clap or whistle and cause a stampede of screaming kids to run into the house, afraid to stay out to test if the tale was fact or fiction. If the Lights became extremely bright or began dancing wildly, well, that only added to the screams and running speed. Merv, Hope, Sarah, Kie, Ange, Dex, Gene and Jan are all still here to tell the stories so we'll never know what might have happened if one of them hadn't made it indoors.

I've a feeling it was most likely my Grandfather doing the clapping or whistling just to watch the group skitter along. Perhaps not. But I remember Grandpa being devious. One need only look for the telltale glint in his blue eyes. Then came a grin which soon gave way to a hearty laugh. Yes b'y. Yes maid. He was a funny one dat one.

Thematic Photographic #137 - Late

2011-03-17T01:03:00.004-08:00

Each week a different theme at Carmi at written inc. This week's theme "Late".

Friday night a friend and I took off down the highway with our cameras. The intent was to photograph Northern Lights. While we didn't come back with many auroral photographs of note we did have a grand time.

We packed the car with camera cases, tripods, hot tea, hot coffee, hot food and warm clothing as we began driving at 10:30pm. We parked about 20 miles outside of town at a small turn-out off the highway. It was well below zero on the thermometer and a wicked cold wind was blowing. It was nice and quiet in the car. For about two minutes. Food! (Promise a hungry friend good food and one must deliver as soon as the car is in "park".) Appetite sated we chatted and watched for the Aurora. What to do in these conditions? Open the roof on the Jeep, of course! Never mind the arctic weather! As long as it was open, we figured we might as well stand up and peer out into the night, right? Right. Cameras in hand, of course. The Big Dipper was kind enough to pose for a shot or twelve.

As time passed with no auroral activity, we closed up shop and headed home only to find a crew working around the clock to thaw the ground and install a culvert beneath the highway. Sweet! Floodlights illuminated the steam rising up from the roadside and a huge crane hovered above it all. Couldn't pass that up! We parked up the road and walked down the shoulder of the pitch black icy highway toward the work sight. To be noted, an 18-wheeler barreling down the road at 60+mph looks and sounds far more ominous when you're standing alongside the guardrail than it does from inside the confines of your vehicle. Naturally this was when the Northern Lights began dancing above us.

Two crazy Alaskan women on a mission to photograph whatever caught our fancy and have a laughing good time in the process. Late? Yeah. Dark and cold? Heck yes. Worth it? Any time spent with a friend is worth it. Add two cameras and it only gets better.

Almost five hours later, we decided to call it a night and headed home around 3am. Is that considered late or early by the way? (Next time, Ti, we'll know the better vantage points for the Lights. But knowing us, we won't stick by the plan or the rules. Rules? No such things.)

Some single block

2011-03-03T12:05:00.000-09:00

The Ice Returneth

2011-02-24T23:12:00.000-09:00


"Metamorphosis" by Ronald Daanen/Germany and Ina Timling/Netherlands	.

The ice is back in Fairbanks!!! This evening at 9pm all single-block competitors were to have completed sculpting their solid water art. Judging happens tonight with white lighting as seen in this photo. The award ceremony is at 8pm tomorrow. After the ceremony, some pieces will be illuminated by colored lighting or a combo of white and colored. The exhibit lasts until March 27 when, if they haven't melted, a dozer will come through the Ice Park and knock each sculpture down for safety's sake.

Come back later in the week for more photos of these magical moments frozen in time.

Aloof on a Looff

2011-02-16T22:29:00.004-09:00

Athena (white outside row) alongside Stella (white middle row)

Geri the Giraffe

Daisy the Wishing Horse

The most beautiful carousel I've ever ridden or seen resides in Riverfront Park, Spokane, WA. There are many versions about what's occurred during the life of this moving work of art. I'll share the story I'm most familiar with.

The carousel was designed by Charles I.D. Looff and was a wedding gift for his daughter, Emma Vogel, and her husband, Louis Vogel. The Vogels owned Natatorium Park in Spokane, Washington, where the carousel began operating in July 1909. It remained there until the park closed in 1967 at which time the park's rides were dismantled and sold with the exception of the carousel. It was placed into storage.

The carousel was later sold to the City of Spokane with thoughts of placing it in World Expo '74. However, this idea was scratched when it was believed the high volume of fair goers would cause undue wear and tear on the equipment and wooden animals. During Expo '74 a Bavarian restaurant was built. The Expo ended, the restaurant closed and the building became home to the carousel. On May 8, 1975 the music played once again as the wooden menagerie came back to life in Riverfront Park where it operates to this day. This antique carousel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

There are 54 horses, 1 giraffe, 1 tiger and two chariots. It still contains the original 1900 Ruth & Sohn Band Organ. The organ was manufactured in Waldkirch, Germany and imported by Looff around 1900. A digitized recording plays now when the carousel operates because the original players rolls for the organ are deteriorating.

This Looff operates year round. On a summer afternoon it's fun to ride as the wind blows through your hair and music plays. Little kids laugh as their parents hold them on their horse or stand off to the side taking pictures of their little cherub faces. Oddly enough my favorite part of the ride comes when the music stops and the carousel continues spinning silently, slowly coming to a gentle stop. Something about the soft whir of the machinery and silent glide of the horses allows for a moment of reminiscing of days gone by. The most beautiful of times, however, comes after the sun has set. Dozens of clear light bulbs shine down like stars and give a brilliant luster to the polished wood and painted horses. Each brass pole rising up from the base of the ride sparkles, shines. Each horse, tiger, giraffe and dragon chariot takes on a magical appearance as if you've stepped into a child's fairy tale. And at the center of it all are mirrors reflecting back all the joy and magic of this simple non-adrenalin evoking ride.

Perhaps my affinity for this carousel stems from knowing that it all sprang from the hands of a man expressing his love for his daughter. It seems so few things are made from the heart for the pure joy of giving any more. Or maybe it's because I've only been on a couple carousels in my lifetime and certainly none compare to the beauty of this one. Whatever the reason, it always draws me back for a ride or a photo or just a look at the craftsmanship whenever I'm in Spokane.

Billy Bob -- He's the stand-in when a horse is out for refurbishing.

Hey Mom

2011-01-18T20:31:00.008-09:00

My son. What a goof and a clown! He likes to make people laugh. When he laughs or has a big smile there's a dimple high on each cheek.

One of his favorite things to do is see if he's taller than me. He'll say "Mom stand still" then walk up to me, turn so we're back to back then put his hand atop our heads. "HA! Not yet Buddy!" was always my response........until last month. The realization that he'd grown taller than me came with his dad as the official witness/height judge. Again, I heard "Mom stand still" then with excited anticipation he yelled "Dad come here". Again with the measuring thing, ugh!

This time when I turned to say "Ha" I was looking into twinkling eyes, an ear-to-ear grin and, yes, those dimples. Giggle, giggle. "I'm taller than you". Giggle, giggle. His laugh made me laugh as usual.

PS: To put the height thing in perspective, I occasionally need assistance getting items from the top shelf at the grocery store so really there's not much challenge in being taller than Mom. Let the teasing commence. It's already begun with "need me to reach that for you", "can you see over me, Mom", "duck, oh wait, you don't need to duck do you Mom?". They say turnabout is fair play but since I never ever ever teased my ~~short~~ mom then I can already say this isn't fair. (ahem)

Smoke signals

2011-01-03T00:09:00.000-09:00

One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever come to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on the way.
                                                                          ~Vincent Van Gogh

Fly Away with Me

2010-12-22T14:18:00.001-09:00

Never mind that it's -30 outside my door right now and almost Christmas. I'm stepping out of season and a little summer color never hurt anyone anyhow. (Taken at Pacific Science Center, Seattle, last week)

Snoqualmie Falls

2010-12-11T12:35:00.002-09:00

Hankering for something to do in the afternoon and not wanting to be in a city, I hopped in the car and drove out to Snoqualmie Falls. I'd been told that with the recent down-pour of rain in the area along with melting snow the waterworks should be phenomenal.

The thundering sound of water crashing 268' down into the basin could be heard long before walking into view of the falls themselves. The wind driven spray drenched the observation decks with a fine mist. Now and again the winds would shift and allow brief mist-free moments for onlookers to take photos then quickly stash their cameras into pockets or under jackets when the winds shifted yet again.

Signs posted in the area said "Trail closed until 2013". Asking around I found out the trail goes down to the river and another observation deck and along the way you can look through the windows of the powerhouse to see turbines generating hydroelectric power. There was a lot of construction equipment making upgrades to the hydroelectric production both at the top of the falls as well as past the observation decks. (Normally I read the tourist info signs, however, this time did not. Just enjoyed the Falls. Therefore, the link about the hydroelectric project is provided. I hold no view on PSE or this project.)

On queue

2010-12-02T11:06:00.001-09:00

On winter's Arctic stage, the moon gets the lead role. The sun makes only brief appearances, sporting the most brilliant of wardrobes. Perhaps the moon's attire is less colorful but it accessorizes with a few strategically placed jewels to sparkle and glint and grab some attention.

Not yet wanting to take center stage early this morning the moon hovered along the mountaintops. It was barely luminous, veiled in a cloud the color of smokey amber. Jupiter, however, was raring to go and hung above taunting Luna to come out and play. In little over ten minutes, the horizon was smudged with shades of persimmon melting up into the cerulean blue atmosphere as night was soon to be pushed away by day. The Sun was awake, about to make its grand entrance. As if on queue, Luna sprung to life and less than ten minutes later the above scene took place. Making her own way across the sky, the moon appeared as a brightly glowing pendant hanging by an invisible thread from a sparkling jewel in the sky. A red carpet just won't do when you're as beautiful as the moon and stars alighting upon the rich blue of a passing night.

The fire's out

2010-10-07T13:57:00.003-08:00

Fireweed beginning to bloom.

Fireweed going to seed.

No wonder it's so prolific. There are 80,000 seeds per plant!

Fireweed. The metamorphosis from spring to autumn is cool to see. It doesn't just bloom then shrivel up, turn brown, wilt and die. It puts on quite a show as if to say "look what I can do".

These three foot to four foot tall plants carpet entire fields and hillsides in Alaska, especially in fire ravaged or clear-cut areas where they're one of the first plants to take up residence. The stems and leaves shoot out about six inches from the stalk. Each of those stems is tipped by a four-petal magenta flower; they blossom from the bottom of the plant to the top.

It morphs into an entirely different looking plant when fall arrives. Those stick straight stems become curly Q spirals covered in white fluffiness that from a distance look like cotton candy. Walk up closer though and you'll find the tiniest brown flecks of seeds interspersed in there. How many seeds? I wondered. 80,000 seeds per plant! Impressive. Those seeds apparently live in the soil seed bank for years. When a new fire or soil disturbance occurs to open up the ground to light again, the seeds germinate and POOF fireweed abounds once more. They also spread by root and quite often one plant becomes a large patch.

They, yes the same "they" whose names we never know, say fireweed is a good way to gauge the onset of winter. The closer to the top of the stalk the flowers bloom then the closer we are to winter. I've never remembered to check the correlation from year to year to test the theory.

So there you have it. Information you will never need. I can't help it. The little things in nature amaze me. Oh heck all of nature is downright amazing. And now....on to six months of winter.

Wordless Wednesday -- Pick a color, any color

2010-09-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

Denali (aka Mt McKinley)

Fairbanks, Alaska

White River area in western Washington

Wordless Wednesday -- My, what big teeth you have!

2010-09-21T17:25:00.003-08:00

Just in Case

2010-09-20T00:38:00.003-08:00

Salad bar

2010-09-19T00:37:00.001-08:00


Yum, harvest time! We'll just help ourselves, thanks.

Let me tamp this dirt down for you a bit.

Oooh, dessert too?! Berries-on-a-stick, my fave!

Lady, if you're expecting tip or payment, kiss this.

Wordless Wednesday -- If they could talk, the stories they'd tell

2010-09-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

6-E-21

2010-08-21T01:38:00.007-08:00

Riding past the monuments and museums on a double-decker bus we saw the sights of DC. Every place we went was packed with people from all walks of life from around the globe. There was constant chatter, narrators, cameras, groups wearing like-colored shirts. It was duly noted that the National Mall falls under the National Parks which explains why it's all so clean, neat and kept up. It's good to see that the most visited area of DC is kept clean for all the world to see.

But on the second day of our visit my son and I decided to venture down to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. For some reason I thought "memorial" preceded by "national" might mean that it, too, would be perfectly kept and clean like the National Mall. Not so much. Perhaps because I've been a police dispatcher for almost 16 years I'm a bit too critical of what I expected versus what I saw. It wasn't dumpy, just less kept up than I had imagined. Other than a couple street folks sleeping on one of the walls we were the only visitors. They kept to themselves, lazing in the shade of the trees. My son said, "At least they aren't laying on the side of the wall where the names are engraved." Okay, I can live with that. No one sleeping there at all would be better but he makes a valid observation. We wondered if maybe they knew some of the names listed there. Possibly not but one never knows. We pushed judgment aside and went about our business.

At each of the four corners of the Memorial are podiums. Each podium is stocked with papers and pencils in order to do a rubbing of an officer's name from the Memorial if you so desire. Each station has a thick book listing all of the names carved there. All 18,983 of them. It's wrong that so many names need be listed there. Each name belongs to a person who was near and dear to someone in this world. The story of how they died is known all too well by those left behind and more importantly how they lived is remembered constantly. Stories are told and memories passed on with smiles and laughter, tears and heartache. My son found the name he was looking for then took a paper and pencil.

The Memorial was being renovated this year, restricting access to some of the panels. There were two men working on this day; they were beginning to put materials away and clean up. I noticed my son sitting on the grass, looking a little long in the face as I approached him. "Did you get your rubbing, buddy?" I inquired. The answer came as his eyes welled up. "No, I'm not allowed over there", he said quietly as he plucked a few blades of grass and looked down to avoid eye contact. My heart stopped with the realization that the panel may be unavailable. One of the workers hollered over, asking if we needed into the area where they were working. I told him "yeah I think so" to which he responded "it'll be 30-45 minutes if you feel like waiting". He sounded exasperated. We guessed the heat and long day of working in the sun had worn down his people skills. We sat on the grass as time passed by. We'd flown across the continent and were due to fly home the next day. If we had to wait till midnight, we were waiting!

Almost 45 minutes later, the other worker walked over to ask which panel we needed then motioned for us to come look closer just in case the name was accessible. Wouldn't you know the panel was covered in resurfacing solution and was too sticky to do a rubbing! Know what else though? The man who had motioned us over is the man who engraved each and every name on the monument. He said to hold on a minute. He walked over to his workbench, got out a single razor blade, knelt down and scraped off the area covering the name my son needed to access. He didn't have to. He could easily have said "sorry it's not possible" but instead he took five minutes of his time to motion us over, find the name, scrape it off and stand by to be sure the rubbing turned out legible, unobstructed by the goo of resurfacing.

My son knows we already have a rubbing of this officer's name at home. He also knows this officer is the reason he still has a dad in this world which is why it was so important to make this rubbing with his own hands. Thank you to the man who took five minutes out of his day to allow a 13-year old boy access to Panel 6-E-21/John K Lamm (Kevin). You helped make a memory that will last a lifetime, I assure you. Thank you also for engraving these names in remembrance of all the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

And........thank you, Kevin. Wish you were still here.

Little guys of the forest

2010-08-19T22:42:00.001-08:00

He thought I'd continued down the trail.

This little guy is about 4"-5" long beak to tail.

Wordless Wednesday -- Seward Sea Life Center

2010-07-27T18:44:00.000-08:00

Fowl weather

2010-07-26T01:13:00.000-08:00

Happy trails

2010-07-25T23:21:00.003-08:00

Max and Me; he's eating grass can't pose for a picture

Seward, Alaska, is about 500 miles from home. It's on the coast of Alaska amongst beautiful mountains, lush green with glaciers and bits of snow still visible from town. Sea otters frolic, seagulls abound, cormorants dive down for a fish lunch and porpoise leap in the bay. It's a great place for salmon fishing but that's not on the agenda during this visit. We're going on a horse back ride. This sounds fun!

My sister, Marcy, has gone riding with this company two other times. She tells me the lead horse is named Max. He's 1700 pounds of horse, part draft horse, absolutely a gorgeous animal. The trail guide is a tiny woman who rides Max. She carries a .457 in case a grizzly stops by for a visit during the ride. However, Marcy tells me, the gun has never been needed because Max has no problem taking on a grizzly. In fact, he's trained to do so; he's huge and kicks at the bears. The bears leave. Hmm, okay. I'd love to see a grizzly! Preferably on the far side of the bay or field or as a speck on the mountainside though. Or a postcard. That works, too.

We arrive at the corral at 2:30pm, rides begin at 3pm. We check in and sign the waiver of liability. There's also a helmet waiver to sign if you so desire. For those of you who know me, it's a given that I did NOT waive the helmet. For those of you who don't know me, I have had six concussions in my life and don't take chances with my noggin meeting the ground or other hard objects. There's enough loopiness upstairs here and I prefer to remain status quo.

Our trail guide is Mariah. She asks who's been on horses before. A couple hands go up including mine. She asks how many times we've each ridden or how much experience we have. Well, heck, I'm a seasoned veteran at this horse riding stuff! Truly I am. I always choose the black horse with his head held high as he trots around, jumping up and down as the music plays. The wind whirls past as I reach for the brass ring. You have to lean off the horse to do that you know. Skill I tell you. Skill. Really, I've got the carousel thing down pat. Haven't been thrown from one yet. Real, live horses though? One ride under my belt in my entire life. Rather sad actually. So experience? None.

Okay now we're each given our horse assignments. I get up onto my horse, Gus, with no problem. Didn't even need a step stool. Only problem is the stirrups which are already at their shortest point are too long for my short legs to reach. Mariah assigns me to a different horse named Max. Max?! Mariah tells me he's very docile, knows the trail and is very easy to handle. Uh huh, okay. Naturally I take her word for this because I know for liability reasons she'll not allow an inexperienced rider on a crazy horse. In the back of my mind, I'm remembering what Marcy told me about Max. Paula in nature translates to bear bait, right? Oh well, live it up I say. Standing beside Max it appears the stirrups hang just below shoulder height to me. Step stool please. This should be interesting.

About twenty minutes into the ride, I realize I forgot something very important back at the camper. My bike riding shorts. You know the ones with the padded butt. Because right about now I'm wondering how the hell anyone can do this for any length of time. It's gonna be a race to the ice packs when we're done two hours from now. The only other physical problem is human knees are not meant to be in this splayed position for any length of time. Aye sheewawah! Ouch.

Max knows the trail all right and requires no steering at all. This is easy. We're in the forest and I'm ducking under branches, leaning back when we go downhill and forward when we go uphill. It's gorgeous out here. Kawam! Knee meet tree, tree meet knee. Okay now I'll remember to steer this humongous horse whose girth is wider than the trail especially when in the heavily forested area. Dang trees don't move when you run into them. Eeeesh!

We cross a creek and the river a couple times and come out onto the flats near the ocean. From here you can see the only building to survive the earthquake of 1964 in Seward. The ground dropped 10' in this area after the quake. Mind boggling to think of that kind of power and the changes that occurred in just a few minutes. As we go across the sea grass, Max breaks into a trot. Oh, God, I'm gonna die! Fairbanks woman last seen running into Pacific Ocean on a black horse....story at 11. Just a slight pull on the reins brings him back to walking. Whew, one crisis averted! He knows we'll be stopping soon so he and his equine buddies can snack on the grass. That's why he sped up. Good thing there's grass around because he's already bitten the butt of the horse in front of us twice!

military building survived earthquake of 1964

We cross the river a couple more times. Mariah points out bear scat along the shore as we cross. Looks old, that's good. Looking for bear tracks I find several sets at different points along the way. Pretty sure they don't look too recent. Yeah, I'm sticking with that thought because I actually don't know if they're old or new. Several minutes later we're on black sandy ground and there two different sets of moose tracks. Okay, dinner for the bear whose tracks we saw earlier, right?

bald eagle nest, approximately 1000 pounds; see the eagle chick

The bear tracks, eagles, 1000 pound eagle nest and beautiful scenery distract me from the discomforts of my knees and bottom. I can see the corral once again. This ride has been wonderful but I'm ready to get out of the saddle, stand up on solid ground. I never thought the sight of a step stool would be so welcome. Mariah says the stool is wobbly and to be careful. I can guarantee my knees are more wobbly and my backside isn't sure what to think of this whole adventure. I now know why cowboys walk the way they do.

My niece, Naomai; my sister, Marcy; moi

Wordless Wednesday--Sleeplessss in Sssseattle....zoo that is

2010-06-15T23:06:00.001-08:00

Not the Marriott

2010-06-12T21:26:00.004-08:00

STANDARD ROOM: Blindingly bright lights. Curtains on metal rings that zing along a metal rail near the ceiling.   A thin mattress void of support or cushion. Crisp sheets too small for the mattress. Towels woven from a cotton/sandpaper mix. Pliable object approximately 18"x30" covered with a vinyl-like casing which is inside a white cotton bag. Object resists all attempts at fluffing. Rumor has it this is a pillow. Restroom has large entry, motion detector light and faucet, non-absorbent paper towels and strategically placed bars on the wall to grab should you attempt to meet with the floor prior to actually wanting to do so. There's even a pull-cord for room service in there. Pass on that for now, thank you.

AMENITIES: Silver tray on silver legs adjusted for bed occupant height. Not user friendly as it has no wheels for sliding it closer for actual usability. Need second set of hands in order for this to work. Blankets, made of slightly more cotton than sandpaper, come preheated. These appear upon demand, score!   Large, easy to read remote control device for entertainment. Depending on your mood this can apply to the television or other humans in the vicinity. Pressing the "on/off" button gets the t.v. with about twenty channels to choose from. T.V. volume comes out of the remote so be sure to keep it within earshot. Pressing the "call" button activates centrally located humans. An audible "beee-boooooop" sound will be heard from the device followed by a "beee-boooooop" echo heard down the hall. A voice will converse with you then the room service mentioned earlier shows up with a blanket, water, pillow-like thing or whatever. Sliding glass hallway entry doors to each room unhinge from the top rail to become swing out doors for easy access when returning roll-away bed to the room.

BEWARE USER! Room service may show up unannounced with large amounts of blue fluid, requesting you drink it within a certain time frame. Staff may also come equipped with poky needles, syringes and vials. It's a give and take world though. They'll take blood. You get anti-nausea stuff and some pills and only minimal argument from them when you refuse pain meds. Their billing department receives an inordinate amount of cash from the insurance company for the night's visit. You walk away with a diagnosis, follow-up instructions, Rx for your enjoyment over the next ten days and an expensive pink flowerpot. The nurse worried the car ride home may turn me a little more green than normal, saying she didn't "mean to be the glass half empty type but better safe than sorry" as she handed it to us. So technically, it wasn't a flowerpot.....just a pretty expensive pink plastic pail paid for by Premera.

Friday night in the E.R. Seems in younger days there were better things to do on the weekend.

Wordless Wednesday -- Magnolia

2010-06-01T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thar she blows!

2010-05-25T01:11:00.004-08:00

A few photos of the two transient Orca pods seen during the day spent with Island Adventures Whale Watching. Captain Carl, Naturalist Mike (also a Captain) and Naturalist Brooke were wonderful! The tour lasted 5.5 hours and I for one didn't want the day to end. If you're ever able to get to Anacortes, WA for a day of whale watching this is the company I'd recommend.

We followed the first pod for what seemed like a couple hours. They frolicked around and even showed us their bellies. Seeing a second pod was a bonus. When they started hunting a harbor seal between our boat and a sailboat, well, that was just down right amazing!

Meet Captain Hook

2010-05-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

This is Captain Hook, also known as T40. He's part of a transient whale pod in the San Juan Islands near Anacortes, Washington. And, yes, that's the corner of our whale tour boat in the photo. Absolutely the most amazing day of whale watching EVER! More photos to come.

Wakey wakey

2010-04-30T02:20:00.011-08:00

Small snow berms hide in the shade covered with dirt, insulated from the sun. Road dust clings to trees, inhibiting their bloom. Brown grass lazes around, too tired to be green. Alaska sleeps then awakens only to hit the snooze button, not quite ready to come out from undercover. Perhaps a dowsing of water will end this slumber.

Freshly fallen rain. Splitter-splatter, kerplop and kadoink! It falls from the sky to wash the Earth clean. Gently at first but Winter's drudgery needs a stern scrubbing and soon a deluge pours down to scour the sleeping beauty of the North.

Wind whooshes through the corridors between buildings. Flags whip around high on posts. Trees sway with the ebb and flow of the unseen force, bending in hopes of not breaking. The lonesome howl of the wind careens past like otherworldly spirits on an express train to the next town.

Nature unleashes a minor tantrum then subsides. Satisfied to have been heard. Gleeful that Winter has been sent to its room to allow Spring and Summer to come out and play. Nature has said her piece and is now at peace as night arrives.

The warmth of day still radiates from the ground and is met by the cool, damp air of night. Over the field and marsh, a fog hovers silently.   Its delicate tendrils extend out with a life of their own and swirl with the slightest disturbance in air current.

The air. Oh, how fresh the aroma that permeates the air after a rain! Breathe it in deeply! Let it fill your lungs. You are at once relaxed and rejuvenated by the crisp, clean air. Life giving.

It's midnight and there are no other cars around during the drive home. Tiny water droplets spin off the tires creating the only real noise, almost soothing in its monotony. A few stars twinkle in half the night sky. Enough light comes over the horizon to keep the other half of the sky illuminated in a deep, azure blue. A small reminder that in the Land of the Midnight Sun nightfall will soon be non-existent.

The North is washed clean. Fresh. Ready to start anew when the sun next rises. In the blink of an eye, the Earth will wake up and green leaves will appear seemingly overnight. The cold, harsh Alaska that has survived another winter will find a reprieve in the upcoming months. A beautiful sight to behold.

No red-nosed reindeer here

2010-04-22T23:47:00.009-08:00

Lightning and her newborn calf (only a couple hours old)

Born April 22, 2010 @ UAF Reindeer Research Project

On the day before my own birthday, I witnessed the birth of a reindeer. If that's not one of the best presents ever then I don't know what is. The opportunity came along quite by accident. After spending the early afternoon photographing migrating birds at Creamers Field in town and driving around the back roads, I soon found myself on UAF Campus. Driving alongside the enclosures at the Reindeer Research Project, a female reindeer plopped onto the ground on her left side. She swayed her head back and forth several times and was moving her right leg around. She certainly looked uncomfortable enough to be in labor but I really had no idea if this was calving season or not. Sure enough the contractions came on strong and about half an hour later voila a baby reindeer entered the world right before my eyes!

The Mom's name is Lightning and the baby as of yet is unnamed though I did find out it's a boy. This year UAF participated in an Artificial Insemination program for reindeer using frozen/thawed sperm. The donor sperm traveled frozen from Canada to UAF where it was thawed then injected into seven reindeer. Lightning was the only one to carry to full term. This was the first documented birth of a reindeer using this insemination process. A birth that made world agricultural history!

Adrift in a bubble

2010-04-07T23:56:00.012-08:00

I've never thought of myself as a very passionate person. Probably the only thing I'm close to passionate about is my photography. I realize it's because I can see the world through the lens and not have to be directly involved in it. I can be on the outskirts blurred into obscurity. Unnoticed, uninterrupted, under no obligation to respond or interact. Maybe that's why I take more pictures of objects, scenes and animals rather than people.

My imagination can be set free through the lens. I come up with a "picture" in my mind then hope to capture or translate it onto film/mega pixels. It's fun to see the results. I'll admit it can also be frustrating when the end result refuses to mimic the image in my mind's eye. But those so called failures are only avenues to new successes. Several dozen pictures typically lead to only a couple keepers.

Photography is my way of leaving this world and going adrift in my own bubble. Capturing the big picture then absorbing all the intricacies contained within. Time slows and sounds wither near to silence, my breathing relaxes and my mind opens up. Colors seem more vibrant, the tiniest details appear larger than life. Or perhaps today those colors would be more luring if showcased in varying tones of black, grey and white. Or maybe stepping back blurs the details and showcases the towering mountains in the big picture. The possibilities are endless!

It can be the perfect hobby for a person with a short attention span ~~ subject matter can change moment to moment. It can be a never ending challenge for the perfectionist ~~ beauty in the eye of the ever critical beholder is hard to attain. It can be a curse for someone who refuses to give up ~~ just one more angle or exposure or shutter speed. Well, I'm all of those things rolled into one. I know it can be exhausting if you're unlucky enough to be around me in my photographer mode. Which is why I reign myself in and rarely take photos any more unless I'm alone or with someone who knew the purpose of the day was to explore and take time to really see the world with me. My imaginary bubble bursts, loudly, when I know my passion is an inconvenience for those around me. And, you're right, I sometimes don't know when to say when. Sometimes I don't want to. Sometimes it's my way of finding me again. And if I ask you to come along with me and my camera it's because I value your company and have allowed you into that part of my world. If I don't ask you to come along, it just means I need "me" time. Nothing personal.

Anticipating the end product is like being a kid on Christmas morning. It's a great feeling to see the frozen image come out exactly the way you envisioned it. For all the seemingly selfish "me" time spent out in the field, I have to admit there are a number of photos taken because I know someone who'd love to have them. THE BEST FEELING of all is seeing the smile a simple photo can bring. Like when, without knowing, I captured the happy essence of a little girl fishing for the first time, eyes bright, smile beaming. Her mom got a little teary eyed with happiness as she held the photo. It's those moments that make my passion worthwhile.

Soul Mates

2010-03-23T12:13:00.006-08:00

It lived there alone.

In a small room

Warmed only

by a dim light.

Needing to be noticed.

Seeking to be understood.

Knowing it may wither

in the echo of silence.

Without warning

another

came along.

It entered.

Unannounced.

The golden glow

of the warmest light

now filled the once tiny room.

This visitor was not a stranger!

One had not lived alone

but rather apart from

the Other for a lifetime or more.

The minds and bodies long ago

returned to the Earth.
Physical lives long forgotten.

But what of their Souls?

Spirited away

unto the wings of time

Quietly given safe harbor
until

Fate released them into new forms

Perhaps never to meet again.

Yet

On this night

They did meet again.

Their eyes gazing into one another.
Never parting

Two danced as One.

A perfect dance.

Unrehearsed.

Floating,
twirling,
stepping
in perfect time

to the melody of

Her heart.

His heart.

Her soul.

His soul.

Intertwined as One
as they were meant to be.

Residing no longer in a tiny room warmed by a dim light.

~~PJ

Start with a Whisper

2010-03-15T12:52:00.003-08:00

You found your words. You found your voice. You grow with each experience you're able to voice into those words.

Let go of little pieces of pain and two things happen. 1) You have room for more good things inside of yourself. 2) Those little pieces you set free fill voids in other lives who receive them.

They float away in each word you whisper, like seeds blowing in the wind, softly touching down on other lives as they go. The pain, hurt, anger, disappointment, disillusionment and God knows what else has been held in your hands, heart and soul for more than long enough. Because you choose to be in touch with Our World, you've molded, polished and beautifully shaped dark moments into shimmering points of light. Sun. Solara. You. The light of day burns brighter than any darkness. It's the light of day that gives tiny seeds the strength to sprout when no one notices them doing so. Before long the most brilliant green of a tiny leaf appears, unfolding. Blink again and there's the most beautiful blossom where once only dark Earth lived. You've brought so much into the light of day for so many people just by whispering. Light. Understanding. Permission. Hope.

I count myself lucky to be your friend. Again. We knew each other somewhere before this life and our paths have intertwined once more. I love you. Sister spirits. You and me.

Baby steps, frog leaps, snail pace or lightening speed. We're in this together.

(This was written for a friend of mine. She found the courage to write about a part of her life that had caused her pain for years. Although her story which prompted this posting is private and has found an appropriate forum in which to be told, I wanted to share these encouraging words with you too. Sometimes life's experiences, good bad or otherwise, need to see the light of day. No one has to go it alone.)

Ice Alaska 2010 - Part II

2010-03-10T08:47:00.001-09:00

A few more pictures taken last night. The visit wasn't near as much fun without you, Ti! We have to drag Jeffy with us on the next go round.

Ice Alaska 2010 -- Part I

2010-03-05T00:03:00.003-09:00

Here are a couple pictures of some single block sculptures. Multi-block wasn't finished yet but we had the chance to photograph some of the work in process.

Thank you to my trusty and creative assistant (smiles and hugs here), Ti, for showing me that the work in progress can be more fascinating than the finished project! Whoudda thunk.

Ice Octo

2010-03-04T00:54:00.033-09:00

Yep, it's that time of year again! When ice carvers from around the world travel to Fairbanks, Alaska to showcase their talent at the World Ice Art Championship. And what talent there is!

Blue Ring Octopus // 1st Place Realistic // Single Block

USA ~ Junichi Nakamura and Heather Brice

Wordless Wednesday -- Tiger for Ti

2010-03-02T21:42:00.004-09:00

Posted for my friend, Ti, who like Zeus here represents strength hidden in unassumingly quiet beauty

Go to Wordless Wednesday for more pictures from people around the globe.

Snow Moon

2010-02-28T23:00:00.008-09:00

Child Moon by Carl Sundborg

The child's wonder

At the old moon

Comes back nightly.

She points her finger

To the far silent yellow thing

Shining through the branches

Filtering on the leaves a golden sand,

Crying with her little tongue, "See the moon!"

And in her bed fading to sleep

With babblings of the moon on her little mouth.

2010-02-25T11:39:00.002-09:00

Yellow warbler, UAF Botanical Garden

Sometimes the seemingly small things in life can brighten the entire world.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul,
and sings the tune--without the words,
and never stops at all.
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me."
~Emily Dickinson

Wordless Wednesday -- What's abuzz in your world?

2010-02-24T20:40:00.001-09:00

Yes, I know it's still winter which is precisely why I decided we needed a splash of color today.

On the road again.....

2010-02-22T12:52:00.004-09:00

The Road of Life doesn't come with a map but isn't unlike the road on which you drive your car.

The Road of Life has
     blind curves ~~ you never know what's next
          caution signs ~~ not always visible or noticed in time
               speed limits ~~ for some it's pedal to the metal
                    school zones ~~ slow down and take notice
                         detours ~~ a challenge to find your way back
                    scenic viewpoints ~~ enjoy them at length
               rest areas ~~ catch your breath and regroup
          barriers for safety ~~ there but not unbreakable
   EXIT RAMP ~~ no thanks!

Don't know the words? Just hummmmmm

2010-02-20T13:54:00.003-09:00

Well, these little buggers are hard to track into a photo opp! I sporadically, or spastically if you were an onlooker, attempted for an afternoon to photograph these tiny hummingbirds in Mancos, Colorado two years ago. I'd never tried tracking tiny birds with a lens but it was so much fun!!! Love a good challenge!

They're quite noisy. Chittering, whirring and trilling at each other. The thrum of their wings is amazingly loud as they zip past no further than two feet from your head. You can't help but wonder if they could impale you with those crazy beaks. I mean a bird could have poor depth perception, right? I digress. My relatives who fill the feeders said there are two different kinds of hummers partaking of the red nectar. What I heard next kind of surprised me. It's nature, I know, but apparently they're very aggressive between species. I was told the green and brown ones pictured here refuse to share the feeder if it's "their turn" and will attack and sometimes kill the smaller hummers who are unlucky or brave enough to fly up for a snack at the wrong time. This is one restaurant you don't want to arrive at without a reservation! Glad I never got to see the fracas with my own eyes.

Tranquility

2010-02-16T22:37:00.007-09:00

"Tranquility" carved by USA/Thailand, World Ice Art Championship, Fairbanks, Alaska in 2009

According to Merriam-Webster, tranquility is-- 1. a) free from agitation of mind or spirit, b) free from disturbance or turmoil; 2) unvarying in aspect. According to a team of ice sculptors from USA/Thailand, tranquility looks like this sculpture.

Amidst all that swirls around in my head, heart and soul and the world around me I manage at times to find tranquility. Now and again it floats above my conscious thoughts like a feather on a summer breeze, drifting just out of reach. More often than not, however, it's nowhere to be seen. Lost in the daily routine of work, errands, chores and the general hubbub of life. I tell myself tranquility is out there. Peacefully, quietly calling me. I have to or else lose my sanity to the chaos of my thoughts.

I center back toward what is known to calm and comfort me. During an Alaska winter, it's gazing at the stars with the occasional benefit of Northern Lights dancing amongst them like a velvet curtain swirling on a silent stage. It's listening to the quiet breeze rustling through the tree tops, feeling the cold air brush against my face and taking in breaths of crisp clean air. It's in these moments I can allow myself to relax. Focus inward to touch what's ailing my spirit and coax it out into the open. Where I can see without doubts. I can feel without fear. I can hold true what my soul tells me. A couple days ago I wrote about passion. Passion tells me spirits connect in this world for reasons known to no one and those reasons are rooted in goodness. Tonight, tranquility whispers softly that these spirits are destined in some way to connect again and I'm at peace once more.

Passion

2010-02-13T13:56:00.005-09:00

“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.” -D.H. Lawrence

A friend of mine had the above quote on her website and I felt it had to be shared here, too. Adding in my own two cents I'd say I believe genuine heartfelt passion is rare, special and priceless. It comes in all forms. Never keep a damper on it; never regret expressing it.

Sails and whales

2010-02-08T20:07:00.046-09:00

Took a drive out to Ho'okipa Beach, Maui today to see what the surf was like. The wind was blowing and the surf was up. A local resident said typically conditions are either right for surfers OR windsurfers but not both at the same time. Rounding the corner on the highway approaching the beach, it became quickly apparent that conditions were right for windsurfers and even a couple kite-surfers, too. I figured I'd try my hand at photographing the brightly colored butterfly wings whisking across the surf.

If you look in the background of the photos above, you'll see two Pacific humpback whales breaching! I noticed a splash as the last picture was taken but thought nothing of it, packed up and went back to the car. I had no idea the whales were in the pictures till everything was downloaded to my computer. They aren't perfect pictures by any means but what are the chances of getting such a back drop? Something seemingly minor like being in the right place at the right time and coming away with unexpected pictures like these has certainly made me smile all day.

(Thank you to my friend Robin for the perfect title for these pictures "Sails and Whales".)

Maui sunsets

2010-02-03T20:47:00.007-09:00

Maui scenery

2010-02-03T20:43:00.002-09:00

Rainbow eucalyptus trees, Hana Hwy, Maui Iao Needle in Iao Valley, Maui

High Moon

2010-02-02T00:45:00.011-09:00

On the morning of the Wolf Moon, I was sound asleep at 6am until a text message buzzed in from a friend. The message? It said "get down to the beach NOW with your camera, full moon setting". The majority of my brain was still in a fog but the section labeled "photo opp" jolted awake. I grabbed my camera bag and five minutes later trudged down to the beach in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops with morning hair all askew. I got there in time to see a big, bright slightly orange-tinged moon setting into the calm ocean amid a thin smudge of low clouds. In less than ten minutes the moon had gone from high and bright to good-bye and gone. Sorry to say, no decent pictures were taken. I went back to the condo, put away my camera and took a nap. I'd try again another day.

Being somewhat intelligent I figured that if the moon was full the night before and it set the night before then it'd still look full and would set again 24 hours later, right? I optimistically set my alarm for 5:45am. Did I forget to mention it was very cloudy and rainy when I went to sleep? It was very cloudy and rainy when the alarm went off, too. No moon in sight. And so.....I went back to sleep.

Apply the aforementioned train of thought once again except with a 48 hour delay from Day One. When I awoke before the crack of dawn on this particular morning the sky was crystal clear and the moon shone intensely bright. Score! Woohoo, I was finally going to photograph the moon-set!

Maybe not. The photo you see above is the result of two things. #1--Me not paying attention in science class or astronomy class to comprehend the moon's irrational pattern night to night. This became highly evident when the moon showed no sign of giving up it's position in the sky as I thought it should when the sun was rising. #2--It was 6am. I was on vacation and awake when I'd rather be sleeping and by golly I was going to take pictures of that moon, regardless of the results.

The picture turned out okay. The light down the middle of the ocean and on the wave in the forefront was the moonlight reflecting off the water. The rising sun was lighting up the clouds to the left of the moon. After being on the beach for over a half hour the moon only moved from the 1 o'clock position to where it's seen in the picture. Wolf Moon, brightest moon of 2010 and beautiful even though I was two days late! Stubborn moon. Just doesn't know when to quit. Apparently neither do I.

2010-01-30T19:37:00.040-09:00

Jodo Mission, Lahaina, Maui -- (above) 12' high bronze Buddhist statue dedicated in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigrants to Hawaii; (below) pagoda at the Jodo Mission.

Of course I had to get some flower photos today, too. These are hibiscus around the condo.

2010-01-28T15:19:00.000-09:00

Whale Tale

2010-01-28T15:14:00.003-09:00

This morning I boarded a 20' rigid inflatable boat off the shores of Kihei, Maui in hopes of seeing Pacific humpback whales. The little boat is powered by two 225HP motors so it zooms along at a pretty good clip. The wind has been blowing hard and made for a bouncy boat ride so photo opportunities were slim. When the boat was under power, it was a choice between hanging on for dear life or taking photos. I chose dear life. I only took four pictures before deciding to stow the camera in the waterproof bin on the boat rather than risk having it splashed or sprayed with saltwater. I, however, was not allowed to stow myself and shortly after closing the bin met face first with a wave that promptly soaked me from head to toe. Saltwater tastes disgusting!! Naturally, the other three or four waves coming over the bow found me just as I was drying out from the first onslaught. Oh, well, with temps in the 80s and the sun shining and whales breaching 100 yards from our boat I won't complain. It was fun!!! So much fun in fact that I'm going to go out again when the winds calm and I can keep my camera out. Keep your fingers crossed for a good whale breech photo. It could happen.

Tomorrow it's off to Hawaii...and more photo ops

2010-01-25T02:14:00.004-09:00

Who says you can't take good fish pics (like these two fellas below) without being underwater? These were taken at the National Aquarium but I'll visit Maui Ocean Center this week for more opportunities. I know SCUBA is fun for some folks to get up close and personal with the creatures of the sea but I'll stay above water for now.

Just one fish

2010-01-21T08:31:00.004-09:00

This past summer we went camping and hiking in an area about an hour outside of Fairbanks. Who cares that the air was thick with smoke from forest fires burning on all sides of Fairbanks. The daytime temps were warm, evenings a bit nippy. Alaska summers can't be wasted for any reason.

Accompanying us on this trip was my friend, Ti, and her 9-year old daughter, Des. Des and my son, Connor, are like two peas in a pod. They get along famously and both love the outdoors. Des is a quiet girl and is hesitant to ask people for things. Even so I can usually spot when she has an idea or request brewing so I watched her. She'd sidle up to her mom and whisper, turning her head to the side. When she'd turn back my direction, her eyes were twinkling with the hint of a smile. Definitely something brewing. Turns out Des wanted me to teach her how to fish. The women in my family LOVE to fish and now I could pass this on to Des who is like a niece to me. This is too cool!

We were camped between two ponds whose only residents were fish the size of fish sticks, if even that. But the kids wanted to fish so fish they did. They used salmon eggs for bait and bobbers. Des was a quick learner. She and Connor patiently watched bobbers for movement. Time passed. I looked over. No kids. One pole was leaning on a lawn chair, the other laying on the ground. The kids? Over in the camper refueling with snacks and drinks. I hollered, "What if a big fish takes the bait and drags your pole in the water?" Both of them beat feet to the poles. Of course, I was giggling knowing Moby Trout didn't live in this pond. During their next snack foray, one pole was wedged oh so precisely between the arm and supporting leg of a lawn chair. The other pole was weighted down with rocks. Ingenious little buggers.

They alternated between fishing and prop-fishing for HOURS with only nibbles. The fish were so teeny tiny that the itty bitty hooks being used were too big to stay in the fishes' mouths. Des and Connor never gave up even though I had explained to them the prospects for catching a fish were slim to none. "Pleeeeease. We just want to catch one fish then we'll stop." The moms replied, "It's almost 10pm and the adults are tired" to which we heard "But it's still light out, can't we keep going, pleeease? Just one fish. Just one." Blink, blink go the two pairs of pleading eyes backed by smiles and pudgy pinch-me I'm-too-cute cheeks. Yeah, right, Ti and I can't say no to that.

A couple s'mores later Connor got a bite. He set the hook. Then he and Des brought in the fish together. Not because it was huge mind you but because Connor knew Des hadn't caught a fish before and Des was glued next to Connor for the excitement. She was bouncing up and down overjoyed to see a fish coming to shore on the line. Ti and I didn't actually see much of this process but heard the squeals of delight and laughter echoing over to the camper. They brought the fish over to us for photographic evidence to be taken.

Then they set the fish free.....put away the poles and.....sat by the fire. Hunh. Literally "just one fish".

Apple carts

2010-01-19T03:33:00.009-09:00

Several years ago I had a lot going on in my life. Kind of like my apple cart of life got toppled and things were a mess to say the least. I saw it coming down the pipe but refused to acknowledge the impending challenge(s) I'd soon face. I guess I hoped the cart would right itself and, if not, I hoped to have the wherewithal to plow ahead anyhow. In part, I counted myself lucky up to that point in life that nothing bad had ever happened to me. Well, certainly nothing that I hadn't found the strength to conquer. (I'm reminded that "bad" is in the eye of the beholder.) All the details of the overturning cart aren't as important as when the cart was fixed.

One of the many issues at this point in my life was that, for money reasons, I had to change jobs. Not a big deal for some folks but for me my job was the solid point in life, my refuge at times and I was having to leave it. It was in a secluded office with four male co-workers (guys keep their nose out of your business, priceless), there was no first hand public contact, the hours were flexible and the job duties were a perfect match for me. I thrived there! It was very upsetting to leave. One of my supervisors was a lady in Anchorage. One day before I left she said, "Maybe this is God's way of sending you to someone who needs you. And maybe it's His way of putting you near someone you need." Oh peshaw I thought! That couldn't be true. My life was being torn apart and here was this lady making some sense of all the turmoil........of all the nerve.

I started my new job in a building of a sea of 100+ cubicles. My work area consisted of a dozen cubicles, minimal human interaction (I'm okay with that part) doing a job that paid more but could easily have been performed by a monkey or first grader. A living hell that opened at 9am and closed at 5pm. Ugh, life threw me a curve ball. I swung and missed big time. Take me out of the game coach!

After roughly a month of drudgery in this new job, I realized that one of the people in my office had been going through some of the same "life issues" as me. She was a very quiet person, soft spoken but I could see she was smart, well-grounded and not a quitter by any means. Gut feeling told me she had a big heart; one that had been trampled on but nonetheless I could see it was there. I got the feeling that she didn't hold too many people close but then I had a habit of doing the same. She had a daughter who was a couple years younger than my son so we had that in common, too.

This is where the cart began to right itself. This is when I realized that my ex-boss in Anchorage was right. Oh, my God, she was right! Here was THIS woman in my new office who needed me and I needed her. Her name was Ti.

Ti and I quickly became and still are the dearest of friends. In fact, we joke that we're sisters who never met until we were grown adults. She's who I look to when I want to see what strength and calm really are. She's who I admire for her positive kick-life-in-the-butt attitude, her innumerable good qualities, priceless smile and contagious laugh. I know we each have our faults, our weak moments and our "leave me alone" times. We're each good at internalizing things until Life demands we tip our hand a little and lean on someone. Life keeps us busy so Ti and I sometimes don't talk or see each other for periods of time but it's like we never miss a beat when we can catch up to one another. I know we're always here for each other when it counts.

Isn't it strange how life plays out? When your cart is turned upside down with apples strewn everywhere, it's usually for a good reason. I figure all the bad apples had accumulated to excess in my life. Space had to be made for a new crop so Life gave the cart a good, hard kick. Part of this new crop was a new friend named Ti.

PS: Our kids also hit it off without a hitch, like they've always known each other. It does my heart good to see them talk, play and laugh. But that's another blog, another time.

100 Word Challenge

2010-01-12T22:11:00.013-09:00

My dear friend, Ti, blogged about a writing challenge. (She's an eloquent, well-versed, uplifting writer and I love to read her blog.) The challenge itself originates from Velvet Verbosity: write 100 words, no more and no less on the word "nervous".

Here's my own contribution:

"10-60?" I ask. "Code 4" comes the response. My officer is okay.

Phones ring constantly. Radios blare 10-code all night. People scream for help, sirens blast, lights flash but no rest until it all stops. A typical night of traffic stops, burglaries, false alarms, fights, warrant arrests, civil disputes, domestic disturbances, 911 calls for help, traffic accidents, shots fired. It gets hectic. At times, seemingly never ending chaos. Is it too much to ask for peace and quiet?

Another emergency call. Officers on scene. Moments pass.

"10-60?" I ask. Silence.

"10-60?" Silence.

What I wouldn't give for noise right now.

2010-01-10T23:35:00.000-09:00

Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, Newfoundland, Canada

Look, Ma, no zoom lens!

2010-01-08T13:18:00.005-09:00

Bay Bulls, Newfoundland, Canada-Summer 2004
We set out on a wildlife cruise from Bay Bulls, final destination Witless Bay. At the mouth of the harbor not ten minutes after we left the dock, our boat stopped. We sat for about 30-45 minutes roughly 100' from a Zodiac and a kayak. Those tiny boats had the best seat in the house if you ask me. Whales! Big, beautiful, graceful, gentle behemoths of the Atlantic ocean surrounded us. At any given moment there were 6-8 humpback whales swimming around and under the three watercraft. While on the top deck I looked down and saw a left fluke followed by half a whale tail swimming stern to bow directly beneath us. Cool.

The pictures are old and taken with a film camera (a what?) but the memories seem like yesterday. I have other pictures from this trip to Newfoundland that I may post later. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

2010-01-06T22:29:00.000-09:00

Zazu

Star light, star bright

2010-01-03T14:02:00.005-09:00

When I was a little girl I spent many summer nights laying on a blanket on our front lawn looking up at the night sky over Spokane, Washington. I'd look for constellations, shooting stars, watch satellites pass overhead and listen to the quiet evenings of summer.

Now I live in Alaska where stars aren't visible during summer because it's always daylight. Stars are plentiful during our winter nights, however, bundling up like the Michelin Man and possibly becoming a human Popsicle to watch stars just isn't fun.

So for the last couple nights when I get home from work around midnight, I make a cup of hot tea and curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and gaze out my window at the night sky. It's peaceful and serene. The moon is full and beams ethereal light onto the frozen tundra. The stars twinkle in varied colors of light like pinholes in a blanket back-lit by the heavens. The ice fog floats above the river down in the valley. The hoarfrost clings to the trees making it look like they've been sprayed with Christmas tree flocking. I love the peace and quiet of night. My mind wanders back to childhood memories.

I used to wonder what it'd be like to be on a ship navigating a sailboat by the stars, listening to the waves lap up against the keel. I used to wonder how those three wise men found their way around the desert using the North Star. I wondered if Lewis and Clark used the stars to find their way across the continent. I wondered what "ancient people" thought the stars were in the first place. Silly thoughts of a little girl who wanted to explore the world but had no desire to go into space where the stars reside.

I've always watched for shooting stars just knowing I'd be lucky enough to see one......maybe. And when I did see one it was exciting because I was lucky enough to have seen something that lasts only for a split second in time. Just think about it. There are a trillion stars up there, the sky is a huge canvas and you're looking at the precise speck of sky where a shooting star appears. I think that's pretty cool. Some people never see a shooting star in their lifetime and I've been lucky enough to see several. In fact, I saw one just two nights ago! True to form I still blurted out loud "look, a shooting star" even though I was home alone.

I'll always watch the night sky and never lose my fascination with it partly because it reminds me what a small part of the world we each are. There are shooting stars and constant stars up there; we have the same here on Earth. Each person is a one-in-a-million and can make a lasting impression with just a split-second of contact, like a shooting star. I'm sure you can think of someone who's been like that in your life. I know I can. The constant "stars" who regularly shine in your life make the most impact though. I can think of many of them in my life......the family and friends who I love dearly and who love me in return. You know who you are and I'm thankful for every one of you.

Small packages

2009-12-26T17:34:00.009-09:00

They beam down at me from just above my pillow in a mixed shade of green, blue and grey accompanied by a tiny dimple, pearly whites and unruly morning hair. It's my son's eyes, bright and smiling, as he gently nudges my shoulder and softly says, "Mom, are you ready to wake up?". I've only been asleep for an hour and groggily say, "Not really, buddy, why?".

"I want to give you your Christmas gift" comes the reply. I can tell by the look on his face that he's quite proud of this gift so I start to wake up. The reaction time of a 13-year old boy is mind boggling! In the time it takes me to adjust my pillow and begin sitting up, he flips on the bedside lamp with lightening speed while simultaneously turning to grab a small box from across the room. Hello!!! Bright light! If I had any qualms about waking up they're quickly forgotten as the light infuses my sleepy eyes with painful brightness. Good golly.

He presents me with a tiny black sateen box---the kind that jewelry comes in. Before I open the box, he asks me to remove my current necklace and wear what he is now giving me. Right about now there are a couple thoughts flying through my mind. One is the recollection of some 'beautiful' jewelry that as a little girl I had given my mom for Christmas. Oh, please, God let him have better taste than I did! (Bless you, Mom, for keeping it all these years in spite of the way it looks.) Second and more calming is the fact that he's a fairly good judge of all things Mom and soaks up off-handed comments I make about likes and dislikes.

So I open the box. It's a box in a box. Ever notice how jewelry makers have a knack for nestling one box in another? Is that to protect the contents? I'm unclear on how much jostling it takes to damage a forged metal piece of jewelry packed in a sturdily constructed velveteen cushioned box within a box but, okay, whatever. Pack to your heart's content. I open the smaller interior box.

A new car, a million dollars or the trip of a lifetime pale in comparison to my gift. It's a simple sterling silver open heart shaped pendant. It was handpicked for me by my sweet, sweet son. I give him a huge thank-you hug and kiss on the cheek. I tell him I love him and wonder if he realizes how special he is with his own heart of gold that touches me daily. Of course he knows because all through his life I've told him that he makes my heart smile. Today was certainly no exception! I love you, Connor.

2009-12-23T10:23:00.000-09:00

I know they're supposed to be looking out a window but to me it looks like snowman jail. Yep, that's what I think.

Rockin' and rollin'

2009-12-20T13:11:00.006-09:00

I spent the last week in Maryland attending a class for Earthquake Preparedness. The title struck me as odd because my idea of EQ preparedness is to say "oh sh**" and run like the dickens from the chaos of the world shaking around me. There's really no training required for that response and I've got it down to a science.

Okay so that's not really my response to the ground shaking, rumbling, wooziness also known as earthquakes. They are, however, unnerving to me because they come with no warning. For those few seconds, your heart may race and your world is physically shaken but it all calms down and life is good. Sort of. In reality, you're waiting for the next temblor knowing that they rarely come alone. I compare this to scary movies when you just know for certain that there's another scary guy around the corner.

The class focused on the scope of emergency responses for such events. Whew! Imagine my relief when I realized the class wouldn't be running sprints to the door to see who got out of the building the fastest. Ready.....set......go!

Seriously though. It's astounding to see the scope of agencies, people, equipment, resources, cooperation, coordination and communication (the three C's, they call it) and ingenuity that comes into play during a catastrophe such as an earthquake. Dispatching will still be my role if a catastrophe ever strikes and this class helped emphasize that every role is important. All levels of emergency responders and management will be involved from the upper echelon to the little people. And all levels will have something to contribute, something that puts the extra piece of the puzzle into place.

There's no need for details of lessons learned, presentations or class literature on the blog here though.
It was just nice to go to training that I feel will be useful. It was nice to see that the team truly does consist of everyone. There is some amazing talent out there in the world of emergency responders but I knew that before class began. (wink and smile)

2009-12-10T08:50:00.004-09:00

Surfacing Kingfisher (Japan/Canada)

2009 World Ice Art Championship

1st Place Single Block Realistic category

Paper-mania

2009-12-09T07:51:00.008-09:00

I'm going to be creative on my day off. My goal is to make five Hanukkah cards and ten Christmas cards as requested by a friend at work. This should be simple. I'm very creative when it comes to this stuff. I'll be done in no time.

My ambitions begin with a walk downstairs to the computer/craft room in our house. Amazingly it's pretty organized and straightened up. Almost peaceful. Ahhh, no clutter. Fast forward about twenty minutes.............

The "daybed" is now kasplattered (far worse than splattered) with 12" x 12" scrapbooking papers of a bazillion different Christmas patterns. Some are held together in tablet form, others have been singled out over time for later use. Layered oh so precisely (NOT!) alongside the large papers are roughly a dozen 4" x 6" x 1" paper tablets. These consist of spring season patterns, primary colors, fall colors, Far East motif--aka serene, Rosie Posie motifs--aka fufu, plaids, flowers, dots, lines, bugs, swirls, snowflakes, trees and plain old every day colored paper. Teetering on top of those piles are three 12" x 12" x 1" plastic bins containing, what else, the scraps from all the other papers I've used over time. There isn't a theme to these scraps though I have managed to paperclip bundles together by color.

Hmm? Well, I'm not really finding what I'm looking for. I'll take out more papers. Surely the paper to complete my design is here somewhere. Design? Design. Oh, that's right, I don't have a design in mind. It's just a blurred image of a vague idea derived from spastic brain synapses that I thought might lead to an end product. Oh well. No big deal. Dis is how I roll wid it, ya'll.

Ok. Whew! I got an idea. Got the papers to go with the idea. Got the rotary cutter, paper slicer, Xacto knife and Cricut cutter to make the papers the right size. Just go along with me here, okay? What goes on the papers though? Fast forward another twenty minutes........

The floor in front of the closet has now become the dumping ground for a bevy of clear acrylic holiday themed stamps, two dozen ink pads, two stamp blocks and one stamp cleaning pad. I pick and choose what I'd like to use today. A teeny pair of scissors, a medium pair of scissors, small hole punch, regular hole punch, glue-tape gun (coolest thing ever), vellum adhesive, repositionable adhesive, 2" wide adhesive backing machine, dimensional adhesive dots and two liquid glue sticks are all brought to the card table in the corner by the desk.

Yippee for me! I found a stamp I like in a color I like on paper I like. Sure looks boring just plopped on top of the Christmas paper background on the white card though. Oooohh, I know what I'll do. Only ten minutes lapse this time...........

The desk beside the card table across from the daybed opposite the closet is now host to a small pink tackle box. I've never gone ice fishing so don't worry we're not going there. This box contains itty-bitty eyelets and brads ranging from shades of yellow to shades of black as well as bronze, copper, silver and gold. Each one is about as big around as a pencil eraser. And if you drop the box, all the itty-bittys make a big big mess. Ask me how I know. Of course, I now need my tool set for setting eyelets, right? Get that tool set out.

Good Lord. I need tea! Zazu needs to go outside. My tummy is rumbly. "Be right back" I say out loud as if the explosion of color and doo-dads on tables and beds could understand. At this point, not one card has been assembled. Ugh. The creative process is grueling.

I'm back. This whole assembly process should go quickly now that I have a full tummy and caffeine.

All righty then. In the end, I opted for stamping a cute snowman in black ink onto white paper. Really? With an assortment of papers that would make the 64-count crayon box jealous, I chose white? Go figure. I then decided to color his scarf and hat with some really cool markers that I splurged on this past summer. I trimmed around his rotund snowman figure using the teeny scissors, adhered him to the card with dimensional stickers. He's so cute hovering over the background Christmas themed paper in all his glory. He stands beside a "Happy Holidays" stamped in red ink on, you guessed it, white paper. What's up with that? Add an eyelet on one card, a brad on another or maybe two miniscule buttons and taadaa!! I made six Christmas cards. Shoot, I need four more to complete the order.

Time to tackle the Hanukkah cards. Uhm, I'm not Jewish nor do I know much about any religion. This project makes me a little nervous. I don't want to offend anyone or do anything sacrilegious. Oddly enough this card design comes to me quickly. A menorah, the words "Happy Hanukkah" in beautiful shades of blue and a silver Star of David charm outfit the cards. I use a paper punch to make nine candles for each menorah out of blue vellum and silver paper. I realize that, indeed, I can be extremely patient as evidenced by peeling adhesive off 45 paper candles that are only 1/8" wide by 1/2" tall and putting them on the menorahs.

I often think that card-making is something anyone can do. You come up with a design, put it together and voila a greeting card. A quick, streamlined process with a tangible result.

For me, however, card-making is time consuming. I try to imagine myself as the person receiving the card. Would I like it? Would it bring a smile to my face, my heart, my mind? I wonder what's going through the mind of the recipient, what's going on in their life. I don't claim to know the inner workings of people but I'd like to think that more often than not I get it right when it comes to designing a card that speaks to someone's soul.

For me, card-making is an ever changing idea that culminates in beauty. Quite often my designs are a jumble of disconnected ideas that morph themselves into one final product. I don't sketch blueprints like engineers do. Usually the ideas are fleeting and never get repeated. So chances are if you have a card made by me, it's a one-of-a-kind original. The designs come as I sit at the table and begin my tornado of creativity. The process isn't pretty as you've seen above. It is, however, "how I roll wid it" (smile) and it's almost always productive.

For me, card-making is one of the things I do that makes ME smile. I may not have an abundance of confidence in what I can and can't do in life but I'll tell you this. I can create with my hands something that brings smiles to the world. I can brighten someone's day with a silly old piece of colored papered and smatterings of ink. As I once told a close friend "it's a hug with a fold in the middle". It can travel with you, sit by your bedside, look back at you from the mirror's edge, whatever you'd like.

And that, my friend, is what makes my heart smile. (PS: The aforementioned smile process took about 4 hours but it was worth it)

Frozen Friday

2009-12-04T10:14:00.002-09:00

Aaaaagh!
Sometimes you freeze just the right moment in time.

2009-12-02T14:12:00.002-09:00

Sharing my world

2009-12-02T13:41:00.008-09:00

Today I decided to start blogging. Blogging about what? I'm unsure at this point. Ideas will certainly pop into my brain as the days go by, right? For now, I'm content to roll thoughts around in my head and hope to find a way to put them down on paper. Well, actually into cyberspace as it were.

I'm a 911 dispatcher and, as such, I get to see the worst of people along with the best of them and each day I get a view into all walks of life. Quite often I wonder what makes me tick in this field of work.....why do I do it and how does one survive consistently seeing the not so happy side of society? Some might say, don't take it personally. That's easier said than done and there's an art to doing so.

I know a lot of folks don't appreciate what dispatchers do. That's okay though because you'll probably never find a dispatcher who's in it for the "thank you". No, we do it knowing that what we do is right and good for the most part. (I say 'most part' because believe it or not dispatchers are human, too, and make mistakes.) We do it because it's nice to send help to people and make a positive difference in the world each day, no matter how small. Some days are frustrating just as in any job. But at the end of each day there's at least one call or one dispatch that makes it all worthwhile. We also do it because no two days or calls are ever the same. One minute there's calm, the next minute it's chaos which is why Type A personalities thrive in a dispatch center.

I'm proud of what I do. I believe when I retire I'll be able to look back and smile at what I've done, the people I've met (though if only by phone) and the lives I've touched. It's amazing to me to think of the number of their lives that have touched me and will, in some small way, be with me forever.