Out of Seasonal Sync

It's mid-late October and I'm just amazed by the weather in my new hometown. The evening temps have been in the high 40's while it's gotten up to 60 during midday. For a chick coming down from Alaska, this is just crazy.

I thought this great weather might be a fluke because, well, weather all over the world seems to be fluking out lately.

The other day, one of my neighbors asked when I would be getting a car and if I would be joining the Plow Club. Plow Club? Apparently, there is a guy who comes around to plow the parking lot during the winter. He not only does the plowing, but he cleans off the tenants' cars. And all that service is for a very reasonable price each time. I asked how many times a year the service is needed and was told, "Oh, maybe 3, sometimes 4, times." What??? Back in Alaska, we'd need that dude to just park his plow in the driveway for an every morning clean up.

Of course, I don't want to get too happy about having milder weather. It will be my luck that this is the year everyone will remember as the one when we got freak snowstorms every day.

Like I tell people here, I don't mind winter. I've done over 40 of them in Alaska. What I mind is a never-ending winter. The 4 seasons in Alaska were: Winter, Snow Breakup, Great Summer, End of Summer. Right now, I'm still able to take my trash out in the mornings without the cold making my nose run. Yesterday, I forgot to empty the garbage in the morning and some thrown out food started to smell. I made a midnight run out to the dumpster in my PJs and no jacket. I couldn't believe the mild temps. I actually stood outside for a few minutes to look up at the night sky. Wow.

Now, I haven't been taking many photos lately because I've been a little sick, but here's a shot I got yesterday while out looking for used cars.

That tree was dazzling

 This one is from around a week ago. It's out back of the building where the trash dumpsters are.

Probably taken mid-day

Nevertheless, I did make sure to get a nice winter coat and some boots for the winter. Since the weather will be (hopefully) seasonal and mild, I think I might not get as depressed as I usually do during the winter months. I still have my cheap little SAD light out, just in case!

Peace
--Free

Why Leave NOW???

I'm getting packed for the sibling reunion in AZ & when I looked outside a couple hours ago, this is what I saw:

That's not ice rain or melting snow. That right there is a summer kind of rain shower...

 When I got up this morning, it was because it was too hot to sleep. I was throwing the window up and angling the fan right at my spot in the bed.... It's NOVEMBER. Seriously, Nature?

I'm not complaining. There are so many things I dislike about winter:

1. Cold weather
2. Snow
3. Ice
4. Crazy, reckless drivers
5. Cold weather
6. Snow...

I put the cold weather and snow twice because they are the two things that make me hate winter AND mornings. If the car is parked outside, I have to go and shovel it out, shovel it off, defrost the windows, and warm the interior. It's a good twenty-minute job sometimes. 

But not this winter (yet)!

This morning, I stepped out to prep the car and almost fell on my butt. Not because it was icy, but because it was so warm my body went into shock. I didn't even bother to warm up the car. No need wasting gas on that, right?

It was 41 degrees when I took this photo. In NOVEMBER. In Alaska.

If you think I'm complaining, I am - but not about the weather. My thing is, we are leaving tonight for the sibling reunion in Arizona. So... we maybe should have planned that for January? When the weather might actually be more Alaska-like?

Peace

--Free

Signs of (an Alaska) Summer

There are about 10 ways we Alaskans can tell that summer is finally about to be here:

I can almost smell summer coming. (Hamburgers. Summer smells like hamburgers.)

1. The fam uncovers the grill and hoses out the coolers.
2. The 13 coats of dirt on your car start to bother you.
3. Ladies start putting on their morning makeup in direct sunlight so they don't scare small babies later in the day.
4. The "break-up" weather has created ponds of water so deep along the sidewalks that I start wishing I knew how to swim. Just in case.
5. If the break-up "ponds" don't get you, the potholes hidden underneath will.
6. If the potholes don't get you, the maniac drivers happy to see asphalt will.
7. People rush the weather by coming outside too soon in shorts and flip-flops.
8. It's fun to watch someone in flip-flops trying to step over the patches of un-melted snow.
9. After having complained all winter about the darkness, you now grumble because the sun is up way before you have to be.
10. You finally start working on losing those pounds you won't be able to continue hiding under your winter clothes.

Peace

--Free

Ain't This About A Blip?

I said I wasn't going to complain.

I'm not complaining.

My mouth is just hanging open in disbelief.

Pretty sure I'm not the only one who woke up to this view and said, "This is some bulls**t!"

Hopefully, the sun will be shining on my birthday - at the end of June!

SMH...


Peace
--Free

Wait Five Minutes and the Weather Will...

Just a photo post of the great time the roomie and I had yesterday on our day-drive to Beluga Point.

If this is the view from the Walmart parking lot, imagine how gorgeous this place is on the open road!

Just a few minutes drive from our apartment, up the Seward Highway.

Nice, clear,dry roads. Not a lot of seasonal traffic yet.

Just a bit farther up to the pull-off

Beluga Point
(Want to ride the train this summer!)

That's not fire & smoke in distance; it's a falls with the sunlight hitting the water just right! Cool, huh?

Yep, some lucky folk live up there. What a view!

We had a great day. Rode around getting out errands done in beautiful sunlight. Spent a few moments at Beluga Point, looking at the scenery. Complained about how freezing cold the wind was. Should have kept our mouths shut...

This is what we woke up to this morning:

I weep...
(View from our living room window earlier today.)

I guess that's what we get for complaining about the cold, huh? Got served an order of snow to go with it.

Peace
--Free

Weather-Bugged

I love Weatherbug. I have the app on my phone, I have the extension on my browser... Just love it. When it comes to the weather, I am always in need-to-know mode.

One of my friends lives in Sydney, Australia. I can even check out his weather when I just feel like hating him. He's always ranting about how beautiful the photos of Alaska are. Can't wait until the day he visits. I have plans to leave him on the side of the road in deep snow for about five minutes.  Not long enough for him to really hate me something awful, but long enough that he won't be so chipper about Alaska winters.

Anyway.

I am posting to talk about the glorious weather we are having. So freaking sunny, I feel like I have overdosed on happiness.

One question, though: why is it going to be so much warmer later in the day?

3 p.m. - 36 degrees...

7 p.m. - 40 degrees

But, really, do I care?

Mostly sunny and FORTY degrees on Thursday. Whoo-hoo!

Nope. Not when Thursday is looking that good. Shoot, that's practically sunbathing weather for (some of) us Alaskans. I stay covered with sunscreen myself, but, dangit, won't it be nice to feel some of that sunshine!!!

If you haven't figured it out by now, it doesn't take much to make me happy.

Let's celebrate with a song. (Change "rain" to "snow" & "gone" to "almost gone" and we've got a hit folks!)

Peace
--Free

You Want Cute - Or Comedy?

The weather is apparently having a mood. Here in Anchorage, the temps have parked themselves in the 30-40F range for the past couple weeks. In Australia, they are having a heatwave the The Vandellas didn't sing about. A Net-friend of mine was down near Detroit and felt temps near the 60's,

What is really going on?

Whatever is happening, parts of me love it and part of me is worried. The happy parts are up top: my head and heart are just thrilled. My ass? Not so much. Because this is what the ground looked like today:

Just try switching your ass to walk cute. Break a bone you never heard of.

On the other hand, looking upwards, it was prettier:

 I kept my balance and did the "cute" walk long enough to be flirted with, but the poor man walked into a door while he was checking me out. (~sigh~ I still got it!)

When I checked on an auntie in Texas yesterday, I learned out Alaska temp was a few degrees warmer than Fort Worth's. That's some tricky business.

Hope things are safe wherever you are.

Peace
--Free