Alaskan Ride Home . . .

Alaska in the summertime is filled with many unique sights and you never know what to expect on any given day. On this drive home today was no exception.

The weather now is finally approaching the norms for this time of year as we slowly make our way towards seventy degrees. We are consistently hitting the sixty degree days now with temperatures dipping into the forty’s at night but since we are now into our full light season it does not take things long to warm up. The sun is rising now at 4:30 am and setting below the horizon around 11:30 pm so the time period with the sun physically out of sight it remains light outside.

Birds chirp seemingly confused by the seasonal changes. It is common to hear them outside an open window when you’re trying to get some sleep. They cannot be found during the darkness of winter and gladly sing all summer long giving anyone within earshot a song.

When I left work this afternoon it was not a clear blue sky kind of day but one where the clouds were rolling in with the slight chance of overnight rain. The winds were blowing from Turnagain Arm down the mountainside into town. But even as this change was taking place it was apparent that in everyone’s mind it was summertime.

People riding bicycles were everywhere . . . on the many bike trails found throughout the city and on the streets all over Anchorage. There was the mom riding her 10 speed pulling a small ‘bicycle baby stroller trailer’. As I drove by the small child was happily screaming as they made their way next to the traffic.

It was not long before I saw my first moose on Tudor in the greenbelt close to Lake Otis Parkway. It was a bull showing off his velvet rack as he munched on a willow close to the roadway. I continued down Tudor driving by many people who were working to prepare our Renaissance Festival which opens in two weeks. Knights and wenches will be in abundance during the month long pageant at the Dozier Dog Mushing Track. Everyone was busy making sure the wind expected tonight would not blow down the displays or exhibits being set up.

I turned down Baxter Road past the burned out apartment building that caught fire a few weeks ago. The demolition continues for a new start shortly but there were many people in the neighborhood playing, walking, or riding bicycles a welcome sight from the many fire and emergency vehicles that I saw in the early morning fire.

I passed Cheney Lake and the whole area was alive with people. The ice has only been off for several weeks now but the playground was full of children playing and there were several canoes paddling their way across the lake while many geese were in the water or on the banks. The walking trail going along the bank found new moms walking their babies in multicolored strollers while several moose ate flowers along the edges. The moose will be dropping their newborns anytime now so seeing these magnificent animals ambling along is still a special feeling for me.

I pick up my grand daughter from school and arrive home to find my two red tailed squirrels waiting for me to put a few peanuts and some sunflower seeds for them to stash away or eat on the deck railing. They are great to watch as the make multiple trips every ninety seconds gathering the food I place out on their feeder every afternoon.

After an enjoyable ride home from another busy day working it was a nice way to ease into another blog entry while watching The Deadliest Catch and The Alaska Experiment on Discovery Channel.

Ice