The beginning of the end ... of winter

Fresh snow dumped on Anchorage and temperatures dropped back into the 20s just in time for Fur Rendezvous -- or Fur Rondy as the locals call it -- this weekend. It's the community event's 75th anniversary, including world championship sled dog racing (short distances, high speeds, unlike the cross-state Iditarod in March), hockey, ice skating, snow sculpting, outhouse races and the running of the reindeer downtown. Basically a celebration of all things Alaska. It's considered the beginning of the end of winter. Originally it signified celebrated the return of the fur trappers from their winter hauls. The sled dog race trail runs the side street to our apartment building. Davin and I went out to watch the teams run by today.

Turnagain Talent

Davin performed in a poem ensemble, "The Whirligig Beatles" with kids in his class at the school talent show. It was super cute. The whole show was a kick. There were third-graders singing Taylor Swift, a sister-act of Irish dancers in full regalia, a couple boys in Hawaiian shirts singing Bob Seger's "Drift Away" and more than one version of acts featuring each of the following: "Naturally," "The Climb" and "Disturbia." The finally was a six-grader in hot pink skinny jeans singing Paramore's "Crush, Crush, Crush" much to the delight of her peers. Parents in the audience played Paparazzi.

Now with bigger pictures!

I've redesigned my blog again. Actually, I just picked a new template to accommodate bigger photos and then made a few tweaks. Alaska's so pretty, I need space to display it properly. Hope you like it!

40 Degrees and slushy

So I didn't get out for a walk on my long weekend after all. Instead I was stuck inside with something very much like the flu (it might have actually been the flu, but I didn't bother with the doctor).

But eventually I did brave the outdoors this week for a slushy walk to the bookstore with my boys.

 

Last time I photographed this walk it looked like this.

 Davin carves "Davin was here" into the snow mount built of months of snowplow refuse.

A muddy, slushy mess

It rained today. That's never good in Anchorage in February. So much for having washed my car recently. Maybe I'll make some pictures of the brown mess of everything tomorrow during my "Patriot's Day" off from work.