Alaska Pictures!!! and a Massive Update!

So, I just returned from 3 weeks in Fairbanks, Alaska... my old stomping grounds! Hahaha...
The first weekend I was back, I went to see the formerly UAF Nanooks (now, Alaska Nanooks!?!) play a bit of hockey. Unfortunately they handed the hometown crowd a couple of disappointing losses. Booo... but the following weekend, on the road... won in the first round of the play-offs. Go figure!?!

This next picture was taken from a moving car. I think I saw Denali more times when I was home this time, than I saw it over the summer when I was home for 3 months. Hmmm... very odd. Anyway, this would have been a great picture if I'd only managed to not be in a moving car. Oh, well... Still, it's a pretty picture.





I wanted to ski a lot when I got home, but unfortunately I only managed to go a few times. -20F or colder is no longer a temperature that I function at. Nope... don't like it!! BUT... the skiing was really fun. It's such a good workout. It's just a shame that I couldn't do more of it.
I also got a really cool picture of the full moon while I was home. It was cloudy, snowy... and the moon's pictured through the trees... but I still think the picture works. :-) What do you think?


The last thing I did while I was at home was went to the ice park. Every year Fairbanks holds the world ice art championships. It's amazing... the sculpture at the left is Mt. Iditarod. It has the faces of former Iditarod champions Susan Butcher, and 3 others (can't remember all of them) in the ice. It was pretty cool. There was also a Susan Butcher tribute ice carving as well. That one was AWESOME!
Overall my trip home was good. It had one startling consequence though... I really don't think I could ever live full time in Alaska again. As much as it pains me to say that... I just don't think it's possible now. I like normal seasons... summer, winter, fall, spring... not WINTER, spring, summer, fall, WINTER... sorry folks. NORMAL is ok when it comes to the weather. ;-) There's more to it than that, but that's a major factor for me. Anyway... hope all's well with everyone out there. I'm having a great day... the weather's killer today!! :-)