Between Wednesday and Thursday...

The day is spent and I'm well past tired, but I thought I'd share some things that caught my eye sometime between Wednesday and Thursday.

I spotted these interesting icicles clinging to the curved side of my fuel tank. In the photo above, my neighbor's son (a former student of mine) runs past my house, enjoying the sunshine that is getting brighter and lasting longer every day.



I am just dying to photograph snowflakes. I've tried a couple of things and this is the best I can do with my current (very old) camera. In spite of the poor quality...can you see the shimmering snowflake closest to the center of the photo? I think it looks like the Star of David....what do you think?



I snapped a shot of my neighbor as he was crossing the pond in front of my house. I didn't realize until I saw the larger version of this photo that he was waving to me. I hope I waved to him as well...I couldn't quite remember!



These tires are on the playground in front of the school. Due to the warmer temperatures last week, the tires have recently emerged from the thick layer of snow that's been concealing them for most of the winter.



Precious claimed the pushed-snow mountain as her own. Actually, I think she was looking for caribou. She surprised a couple the other day and ended up chasing them about a mile across the river before giving up. She's a lab...she just wanted to retrieve something!



These icicles are hanging from my roof, covered in frost.



Click on any photo to see a larger image.

Snow Much Enthusiasm!

I think it's pretty obvious that my dogs enjoy snow as much as I do. For the last two or three days we've been experiencing April showers of the frozen variety. It snowed all day today and tonight...it's still snowing! With an ambient temperature of 9 degrees above zero and relatively little wind, this is frisky-making weather without a doubt.

And I love it.




I really like the softness of this type of snow. The silliq, snow made crusty and hard by wind, has been covered with nutagaq, freshly fallen, unpacked snow. The sheen of silliq is interesting, but nutagaq is friendly and inviting. Just walking through it is fun.



As I was walking home from school today, I noticed footprints leading up to the roof of these old "hotel" living quarters. If the nice weather continues, unexpected footprints will appear all over the village. To kids, all the world is a playground and the more unexpected, the better.

Just What the Doctor Ordered

It's that time of year. The time of year when Spring grabs hold of the reins, but Winter refuses to let go. And so a tug-of-war ensues. Temperatures fluctuate by as many as forty degrees (or more) over the course of the day. Roofs are dripping, yet the water freezes when it hits the ground.

The settled snow across the tundra has sheen to it. Warmed by the sun and buffed by the wind, it has developed a glossy crust that shines and crunches with every step. The unpaved road has become fickle. In the morning it calls for snow boots, but by the evening it's clear that rubber boots would have been a better choice.

Carried by the wind, laughter playfully dances across the village. Like little parka squirrels emerging from their burrows, the children are out taking full advantage of the comparative warmth. Drifts and enormous piles of pushed snow create natural playgrounds perfect for sliding or digging or staging a snowball fight. Tonka traverses snow just as well as soil or sand.

Right this minute, it's snowing outside. Big, fat globs of wet snow are swirling around my window. Inch upon inch, the snow is building, covering the mud, making the world pristine again. Though the wind growls a little, the snow is quiet and inspires a coziness that smoothes those feathers ruffled by a busy, stressful week.

As I look out the window, my breath freezes on the glass. With a smile, I reach up and etch out a prescription: One full day of tranquility, to be taken slowly, preferably with hot chocolate, guitar music, and a good book.

Ah...just what the doctor ordered.

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The mountain of snow beside my house has become something of the ultimate sandbox. Not only is snow fun to slide on and dig in, but it holds its shape much better than sand ever could. So roads and caves will last and last, at least until the sun breaks up the party.

The two dark spots to the right of the Tonka truck are the beginnings of snow caves. Having grown up in the South, I am basically fascinated by that kind of thing and I am tempted to get out there, myself.

My next door neighbor and summertime walking buddy makes the most of what's left of her swing set.

Two buddies take turns swinging each other. The swing's chains had to be looped over the top of the swing set frame to provide clearance for swinging. There is about two feet of packed snow under the children's feet.

Mud and muck alternate with snow and ice this time of year. My snow boots don't like it much and, I must admit, neither do I.