How much snow?

A lot of people have been asking me lately how much snow we have on the ground in Fairbanks. Well, here's my answer. About this much,

What's Been Going On?

So, it's Tuesday evening, and I was sitting here thinking...hmmm, what should I do? And then it came to me! Hey, I have a blog!! Don't I? I haven't updated it in a while, but I bet it's still active, and when I checked, it was! OK, it hasn't been that long, but from all the people who have been harassing me about updating it, you would think it has been. I guess it's hard to make your life seem exciting when it's cold and dark outside, but that is rapidly changing with about nine hours of daylight greeting us this time of year.

I realized that I never mentioned the holidays other than to say that I didn't get out of Alaska to visit my family for Christmas. I do however have a few pictures from Thanksgiving, which was celebrated at Carrie and Duff's house this year. It was a warm, inviting setting complete with a long table,


tons of food,


and lots of friends.


I also had a great Christmas, but I didn't use the old camera much, so I don't have a whole lot to show for it. Carrie and Duff had a rockin' Christmas Eve party, and then a wonderful Christmas was spent in Delta at Jeff and Ellie's feasting on their homegrown pig. Then it turned really, really cold out (-40) from December 27 through January 12 but broke with a record high temperature of 52 degrees Fahrenheit, which was very welcomed and deserved.


What else have I been up to? I went to Kieran's 1st birthday party, complete with an out of town grandparent and plenty of little girlfriends running around.


New Years was bitterly cold, but we still managed to get our butts outside and enjoy a fantastic fireworks display at the stroke of midnight.


Since I missed visiting family over Christmas, a late January trip had to do as a stand in. Little did I know there would be a four inch ice storm with five inches of snow to follow. We were stuck in the house for a couple of days, but I suppose that is what a vacation is all about, relaxing. I tried to take a picture of the yard covered in a deep sheet of ice, but I'm not sure how well it turned out. Use your imaginations...see the shiny surface??


The trip wasn't all spent in isolation, I was able to visit some people, and Mom invited her side of the family over to visit. It was great to see everyone, and to see all of the great projects Mom has finished in the last year. Attendees demanded a showing, and she didn't disappoint. Various sewing projects were displayed,


while the crowd oohed and aahed.


Back in Alaska, this past weekend brought another baby shower. This time the guest of honor was Cashell. I think Thea is excited to have another little friend coming in to the world.


Yes, true to tradition, there were plenty of games,


and super cute gifts (Great job on the booties, Lauren!).


Unfortunately I didn't get a very good picture of pregnant Cashell. Hopefully this one will suffice until I take a better one.


Well, that's all for now. We've been doing the same ski races this winter as we have the past couple of years. I'll try to get some pictures up from those in the near future.

Hot Chocolate Anyone?

What do people in Fairbanks, Alaska, do when the temperatures have been hovering near -40 degrees for a week and a half?


Apparently they drink hot chocolate. Who knew? Maybe I should stock up. Stay warm!

Stuck but not Stranded

Well, it wasn't in my plans to be in Alaska for Christmas, but that's how it has turned out. You can't control Mother Nature!

I'm just glad my flight got cancelled before I got out of Alaska because I could have easily gotten stuck in the Seattle airport for the 25th. Yikes!

Chick Here for Fairbanks Daily News Miner Article

Happy holidays to all!!

Tolovana Pilgrimage

Every December, about fifteen friends make the trip from Fairbanks to Tolovana Hot Springs, but this year was different. New babies and people on vacations left us with only four of 'the gang' going this year, plus three other people we know who just happened to be going the same weekend, which was a welcome surprise.

If you do it right, every trip to Tolovana begins with breakfast at the Hilltop Truck Stop where the menu includes such items as the Train Wreck (which Jeremy tackled with some help from Tom), the Breaker Breaker Breakfast, and the Trucker's Special. Ah yes, after breakfast at Hilltop, you won't have to worry about eating lunch, which is nice because it is an eleven mile trail in to the hot springs and can require a bit of effort to get there.


Usually the parking lot at the trailhead is super windy, but we lucked out with just a slight breeze and pretty good temperatures.


Jeremy and Tom mushed in,


Dianna handled the snow machine with giant gear sled in tow, and I trotted around on my own two feet with a sled for the downhills.


These downhills aren't just downhills. They are sometimes STEEP, which just adds to the fun.


The sled on the snow machine had a little bit of trouble with some soft snow on the way in, but other than that, things went pretty well. Tom took my picture upon arrival, and I was surprised to see that I wasn't even all that frosty.


From there on out, we enjoyed four days and three nights of eating, relaxing, exploring a bit, and soaking in the hot tub under mostly clear skies and temperatures that I think remained above zero. What a life! Good food. Good friends. No email. No cell phone. No plumbing. No electricity. It was great!

The cabin...


The view from the cabin...


The 'Upper' Tub...


Checking out the Airstrip...


Visits from Emma, Brian, and Emily helped to break up the day.


Before we knew it, it was time to head back home. The trip out was beautiful with gorgeous views of the White Mountains, Alaska Range, Denali, and the Minto Flats.



Of course, it wouldn't be a complete trip to Tolovana without just a little bit of drama...on the way home, a flat tire on the snowmachine trailer rounded out the trip.