Bubbles

Winter keeps on playing games and taunting us, seemingly hiding just around the corner like a little kid playing hide and seek. Everyone is ready for the snow to show itself and stay so they can start playing on their skis, snow machines and dog sleds. At the same time folks are really happy to have the extra time to get out and go on one last bike ride or hike and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. While there is no real snow on the ground yet the temperatures did finally start dropping to seasonably reasonable temperatures this weekend. I did not really appreciate how much they had droped until Sunday when I drove past Balaine Lake and noticed people gliding around on ice skates. I thought they were nuts at first for skating on such thin ice so I pulled over to watch. After all just two weeks before UAF had a log rolling competition in that very spot. To my surprise the lake had frozen deep and crystal clear. It was as if I had just crossed over to a wintry Alice in Wonderland so I pulled out my camera and started marveling at all the shapes frozen in the ice. These bubble particularly caught my attention. The way they were layered and textured under the ice blew my mind. I have never seen anything like it. I was not the only one. Many folks that day were stopping by to marvel at the newly frozen lake. I'm sure a few of them returned the next day with skates.

Fall Canoe in the Hot Sun

Fall arrived right on time this year in it's normal fashion. Leaves turned brilliant red, orange and yellow colors, frost rested on the cars at night, then snow started to fall. We even had a few inches of snow sticking to the ground for a few days. Winter was on it's way!

We were convinced it was the end of summer. I'm not goofy to the idea that each year temperatures dip down fooling folks into a sense of winter then rise for a brief period before cooling off again. Indian summers aren't an anomaly. But since our last snow record warm temperatures have surprised everyone. This past weekend was so warm and sunny that Becky and I decided to get the canoe back out and go for a float with our good friends Dave and Amy. We could not have asked for a nicer paddle. We knew the weather would be good but we had no idea how good. By mid-day I was roasting and wishing I had brought a baseball hat and sunscreen to hide from the sun.I was talking with a friend that remembers skiing in early October in the early 90's. Not this year..... Who knows, maybe we will get out for another good paddle before the rivers freeze over and we seeing ice fishing huts on the water instead of canoes.

Fairbanks Fall

It is really hard to beat the beauty of a boreal forest fall with all the berries, vibrant colors, cool crisp morning air and the arrival of dark nights so we can see stars again.Need I say more?
Enjoy your fall.