Winter fun! When in Alaska, do as Alaskans!

Well, now that winter has set in for the next few months, we are trying successfully to embrace it. Don and I took cross country ski lessons. It is amazing when it is 20 degrees with blowing wind or 4 degrees without wind, one can actually get hot! The first night of lessons the wind was blowing so hard, it was blowing me across an open space without me even moving my legs! We learned the basics, how to slow down, glide, go up hills and saw a few things demonstrated that I can't do. It can be fun and hard work.

Don and I went out to practice, and I screamed ( I can hear my children laughing) when I went down the hills too fast. There are small tracks to put your skis in and then glide on each foot. When going downhill, I can double pole and not use my legs at all. That day I "crashed and burned" twice, including once hitting my neck and head hard. It is not easy for me to get up when I fall, so Don usually pulls me up.

Don had heard about a 1/4 mile speed skate track and went try it out. It is only one of six in the country. The ice wasn't too smooth and he wasn't very impressed.

As you can see there are icicles everywhere. Some are very long and pretty.

The mountains are white and pretty. That picture has a sunset glow on them. The sun rises about 10 am and sets about 3;45 pm. The sun is so low in the sky at midday, I am not sure if it is rising or setting.

Last night we had about 5 inches of snow. The backyard looks pretty deep and the front has a berm between the sidewalk and the street. All of the neighborhood streets are icy. The main roads have tracks in them, and the highways are clearer. I also fell on an icy street and hurt my wrist earlier this week. Fortunately, it healed in a few days. I was annoyed at myself for not having on my cleats and will be more diligent about it in the future.

So far the snow is still pretty and I sometimes think it is not too cold at 15 degrees!