What I’m Thinking . . . Dark or Light

The house if full of people again as the guests who come up to fish every year are here. One friend of the family who lives in Florida and works at my favorite place Disney World, arrived almost a week ago and has fished in several areas with my brother in law. We tried to get up this morning after about an hour and a half of sleep to fish on Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage but it was pouring down rain so we opted to stay put an let those hardcore fisherman who braved the downpour all the fish. We waited most of the day for things to let up to head out but it waited until now to stop so I think everyone has found other things to do.

Charlie my father in law arrived Thursday after a week’s road trip relocating his belongings and vehicles to Alaska from Utah. We have the parking lot now that we expected with everyone’s vehicles here now. Deb’s rig is in the garage as well as mine (I do not drive often as I have a company rig) and in the driveway out front there is my work rig, the motorhome (it will go in the back after the guest leave) and either Charlie’s rig or it will alternate with my Brother in law’s who is parked in the back of the house right now. There is also the 12’ long trailer parked out back. Too many vehicles, lot’s of parking though so it is alright until we build the second garage/apartment later this year.

The situation with my daughter who has been sick (and is currently in the hospital in Seattle) is improving. Several tests have shown a couple of things wrong with her and combined have been wreaking havoc with her system. The doctor’s will be having a conference tomorrow so I think we will have a clearer understanding of what is wrong and what can be done to fix things.

Gus the dog has been driving me nuts all day as he is not sure about the rain and going outside when it’s pouring has him either quickly doing his business or like right now holding it. He has been on a schedule for pooping just after he eats with almost clockwork precision and tonight he is refusing to go for me. A little time on the porch is called for as long as I do not hear any eagles’ overhead that could swoop down and grab him flying off as has happened here with several small animals. That’s all I would need . . . my wife return home to find Gus was prey to a few of our eagles.

As we head away from the light now and back towards the darkness of another winter I am wondering exactly when our summer will arrive. We have yet to have the temperature hit seventy (70) degrees. The sunny days are nice with the mid sixties but it would be great for a few ‘normal’ days before we start to lose the warmth again.

That leads me into tonight’s What I’m Thinking . . .

What misconceptions I think people have about Alaska? (Outside in the lower 48 Americans and in other countries)

That it's always dark and that we get tons of snow.

The dark thing is easily cleared up.

Winter = dark.

Summer = light.

In almost exact opposite amounts . . . Not really but we would like to think so. The feeling here is everyone endures the winter darkness to enjoy the abundant sun during the summer months.

There are many activities during both seasons depending on what you are into and there is always something going on regardless the time of year. Extremes is the only way to describe it . . . we have both all year long and trying to find the time for rest, or a little down time is hard to come by. I thought it was just me but talking to friends and business contacts it seems that everyone has that same problem.

Alaska is located in a sub arctic desert, so while we do get nominal amounts of moisture, whether as rain or snow . . . the water tends to stick around. Unmelted snow creates huge piles in the winter hundreds of feet tall stored all over town from the snowplows and unevaporated or permafrost-blocked water pools in the summer, creating millions of lakes, lovely marshes beneath the tussocks and grassy meadows in its path.

All to support the wildlife found here.

Ice