Anchorage Springs Spring

We thought it would never come, but it is the beautiful season in Alaska. Trees are budding out, and sun is warm and moods are good. Just remember to not look down, because the puddles this year are bigger than usual, what with the record amount of snow.

Surely we have to accept some sadness along the way, such as some house fires, roofs falling in with the weight of the snow, and the recent find of a missing barista who disappeared two months ago.

But spring is also the season for birthing of new pups for future Iditarod Races, and also the moose calves will be appearing out of nowhere with their offspring, as well as the 'city' bears.

The new baseball season will be upon us shortly, and the Anchorage Bucs are moving their offices to the former gym on the park strip. (City-owned) That will make them lots closer to the Ball Park, and it's a new ball game without the founder/manager with us . . . he passed away over the winter.

One blunder I feel the city made was their choice of a 'statue' outside the newly expanded museum.

Note this picture, oops, it's upside down, too . . .which I scanned from a magazine, so it lacks quality, however, you can see that it is a bunch of blocks sitting on the grass (no foundation), on the far corner of the museum property. You might think it was created by a nursery school in their tinker toy class, but no . .. the half million dollar structure was designed by a Brit, who supposedly had great credentials. Oh, well, it's still a beautiful city and it's MY city. I'll try to update my posts a little more often, really!

Christmas Season in Anchorage

I have several drafts which will not post, so I'll try to update the October posting here, and if it does work, I'll tell you about our Christmas season, because there's a lot happening in Anchorage, and to me, personally, too!

Wild Winter in Anchorage

If 'wild' and 'cold' go together, this is the winter of both. However, everytime I compare our winters with those back East, I think this is still the place to live. There was a period of time when the temperative did not rise above zero, but now it's a balmy fifteen degrees or so, and there are indoor and outdoor choices to fill your days. The ice sculptures in Town Square are quite beautiful and a stroll thru this park is a delight.

The University offers so much that you could be flitting back and forth between the Planetarium show at the Conoco-Phillips Science Building, Folk Festival in The Wendy Williamson Auditorium, Jazz Benefits at the Arts Building, and Sports events on both the campus and the Sullivan Arena.

Skiing dominates the outdoor sports, with downhill skiing at Alyeska Resort, which is 40 miles south of town, and cross country skiing at Kincaid Park being the dominent venus for these.

Plans are gearing up for the Fur Rendezvous celebration, which promises to the big lead-in weeks to the Iditarod Raes. So it won't be long until the long dark days are over and we will have survived another year of an Alaskan winter. It's still a good time to visit Anchorage before the big crowds of summer start arriving.

Br-r-r - Chilly in Anchorage

You'd think that after 43 winters here, one would get used to the winter chills. Wrong ... it doesn't happen. There is a plus side to this, tho'.. . . hmmm, let me think. Well, when the snow falls, everything looks so clean and bright and white! It's wise to park your car in a covered area, as 6" of snow on the roof is really heavy to shovel off, and I empathize with my neighbors with driveways to clear. It's just the advantage of living in a condo.

As darkness falls before 4 p.m. now, activities increase and you'll find a wealth of bazaars, plays, concerts, symphony, x-c skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, indoor tennis, Sunday football and other events. With Christmas around the corner, we have several parties for the young ones, and of course, office parties for the not-young ones, who think they are.

The Pioneers of Alaska - Women's Igloo #4 - has a big one with 85 kids coming. I know the number because we wrapped that many present for them. The Petroleum Club, likewise, has a heap of children for their party, too, and the committee does a super job of picking presents to match the guests.

You really would enjoy seeing our winter, as well as the tourist-crowded summer, as we have a lot to do, or do NOTHING AT ALL!