Friday, January 16, 2009

Weekend at the Beach

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Some southern friends of mine spent time at the beach recently. Slightly envious, I headed for a beach of my own. The ambient temperature was in the negative thirties. I know, not exactly typical beach weather, but beautiful nonetheless. This shot was taken from the shore of the Arctic Ocean in Barrow. I spent the weekend there visiting with friends, enjoying restaurant food, and shopping in actual stores...all rare luxuries.

The whale bones and umiaq (skin boat) frames in the photo above mark the historic site of a former whaling headquarters from the days when ships had sails, whale oil burned in lamps, and whale baleen was used to make women's corsets. Today, Brower's Cafe inhabits that space. And they make a great breakfast, no corsets involved (thank goodness!).

This time of year, the moon is seldom visible (at least in Atqasuk) because of persistent cloud cover. So it was an unexpected treat to be graced with this mesmerizing, pearl-like glow throughout the entire weekend.

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I've heard it said, though reports are conflicting, that Alaska consumes more ice cream per capita than any other state. Well, we must be at the top of the drive-through coffee shack list as well. These little businesses are popping up everywhere across the state and now Barrow boasts one of its own. Unfortunately, when we stopped by on the way to my flight, it was closed. Maybe next time.

Aarigaa Java...what a great name!

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The visit was way too short, but the flight home was uneventful. That's a reasonable trade-off, in my book. Now my freezer is relatively full, as is my heart after precious quiet time spent with friends.

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I can honestly say, it was a great weekend at the beach!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I got one of those blogsend emails this time with this posting, but I realize that it's definitely hit or miss - but mostly MISS. I looked back and found several posts that I haven't seen...I never got an email for those. Anyway, it was fun catching up. I love all your photos and "messages". You inspire me (not to take pictures of my dirty windows though:) Hope your new year is going well.

Love you,
Jackie

Anonymous said...

Hi Kimberlee, Guess I was one of those southern friends at the beach. It wasn't typical beach weather there either, but not near as cold as what you had! It was so nice to slow down the pace. Your pictures are great and I love the moon photo. No wonder it has inspired so many to write about its wonder and fascination. Thank you for your beach scene!

Anonymous said...

Hey,
Love the Luna photo.. awesome, I tried to photograph it here in Lower Alabama but it didn't turn out so GRAND. Glad you had a great wkend. It has been chilly down here. I am ready for beach weather I think. Not August, but spring. tammy

S N B said...

Well, I clicked "post" on my own beach story and checked to see if you had a new post and....you had written about the beach too! It is a long-distance connection, but a connection, all the same. I am fascinated how differently we live, and yet have things very much in common. You will be laughing when you read that I wrote that it was cold at the beach.

R.Powers said...

My post today was beachy, but you still win for beach with the stiffest water!

Beautiful moon and beach shot.

Kimberlee said...

Jackie...
I'm not sure what happens with the auto-email thing or why it wouldn't be happening. Could it be going to your trash folder, maybe? Thank you for hanging in there and catching up when you can. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun if you didn't. :) Love you, too.


Laurie B in SC...
Yep, you were definitely one of those to which I referred. :) I'm so glad you were able to get away and relax a little before heading back to the grind. And, yes, in my opinion the moon adds magic wherever it shows up. :)


Tammy...
I guess I can understand your readiness for spring, but down South it seems like the distance between comfortably warm and unbearably hot is way too short! Thanks for saying hello. :)


SNB...
That is funny that we both ended up writing about the beach. In fact, I've read several blog posts about the beach in the last few days. Must be a January thing. :) And about your post, wind makes all the difference, doesn't it? Thanks for stopping by!


FC...
That's hilarious! I guess the stiff water is a plus with our low-light conditions, but not so great for wildlife sighting. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Kimberlee!
Very nice. I will bookmark your blog page. very impressive. Keep up the great work. You are leaving your imprint all over the world here.

Blessings, Mark Conway, Kenai Peninsula-Ransomed Heart friend.

Kimberlee said...

Hi, Mark.
Thanks so much for stopping by! It's great to hear from you. I look forward to chatting more. Blessings to you as well.