swish, swish… slide… swish, swish... swish, swish…

Today I went skiing for the first time this season! (Cross-country… just in case you’ve forgotten that I live atop flatland.) There have been so many opportune days that I’ve missed so far and I wasn’t going to let that happen today, another windless day. I’ve skied maybe ½ a dozen times, self-taught, and I still feel like I don’t exactly know what I’m doing. It’s not difficult; it just seems I should be using some sort of technique, besides keeping myself from sliding around on the crusty snow. Pederson informed me that I should push back on the skis and just use the poles for balance. I do this, however I’m still seeking the glorious glide. My quest remains.

Around 4:00 I aimed towards Akiuk, 2.5 miles mostly W of Nunap. My plan was to just ski as far as I could for 30 minutes and then come back. By the time I reached my goal, I wasn’t satisfied with the dump being my turning point. Akiuk was just one more lake away really. The air was crisp; everything so still and clear.

Deanna, I stopped by to visit you, but you must have been at school. Subsequently, Vicki was a host for me for about 30 minutes. That was a fun, quick visit. Thanks, Vicki! ^_^ I haven’t seen you in person for a while anyway.

Initially I was thinking that the sun would set around 5:30. Though, on my way over I quickly realized that it was happening at 4:30. I dressed adequately enough, but a little too sparse, especially for the trek back. The hair and part of my hat next to my face became enveloped in frosty ice, my thumbs were a tad numb, and my eyelashes kept freezing. I had to close my eyes to warm them up enough to blink. It was a bit chilly; surprisingly I was still comfortable. The return journey was all during twilight with a blue tint, ground to sky, and still clear. I made it back just before pitch black dark befell around 6ish; my thermometer says it’s -12.5 F. Good times!

P.S. You may already do this, as I do, including reading comments on other's pages. {I'm not a stalker; people are just fascinating & lets face it, I love my friends.} If you haven't looked at the "good vibe bloggers" sites on my list, it's worthwhile to take a peek. They're writing some pretty good stuff these days. Many are relevant to the area where I live: from 'musings from afar' to 'getting there from here'. Enjoy!

Put your warm 'dogs' on

A friend of mine sent me this e-mail today w/ this picture taken from what looks like where the steps to my old classroom are. I had forgotten about the Yup'ik saying "akerta-gguq aliimatengqertuq, nengllipiaqatarluni (the sun has gloves on both hands)." In other words, it's going to be cold. Quyana, Liz for the reminder!

This also makes me recall a time when we took the class out for recess & there was this nice slick sheet of ice that we were enjoying sliding on. I noticed a doll frozen beneath, except for it's face & the tips of it's hands. I still have a photo in my Dirty Dolly Collection. The aide, Jamie, working w/ our class told me that this meant there was going to be a long winter. Well, it was.


"A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, for "beside the sun") is a common bright circular spot on a solar halo. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Often, two sun dogs can be seen (one on each side of the sun) simultaneously." - James Barthelman wrote this to Liz.

Amendment: I just read someone's blog (Alisha whom I still haven't met) that said the temp. today (11-19) at 12:01 am was 10 below zero in Bethel. This sets a new record, as the old one was set in 1973 at 9 below. The info. came from the Ntl Weather Service. Expect more broken records this year. I just hope it warms up enough to give us bountiful snow. Behold the sundog. =)

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Get Fuzzy has decided to tackle this invariable question, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Finally, I think the world can set their mind at rest knowing the conclusion.

S = Satchel, the dog
B = Bucky, the kat


S: Hey, Buck! Why did the chicken cross the road?

B: That's an interesting question. I've done some thinking on the subject and I've come up with a theory.
You see, a chicken's perception of the definition of "space' is very different from yours or mine.
Whereas we understand the linear definition of the boundaries of the pavement and can make judgments on the future direction of the moving objects... vehicles, if you will ...
The chicken may only see an unconnected patchwork of shapes and movements.
It is my contention therefore, that the chicken doesn't even know he's crossing what we would call a "road."

S: My juice cap says "To get to the other side".

B: Well, sure, sometimes the other side is just cooler.

The above script is copyrighted 2005 to Darby Conley.

P.S. Did you see the video below? That speech makes me aspire to be a better person.

Can I get an amen?

AMEN!

The president-elect of the US is Barack H. Obama!
He will be our 44th and first minority president!

"You've gotta fight, for your right..."

to VOOOOOOOOOOTTE!

(That's close to what the Beastie Boys were singing about, isn't it?)

It's election day in the US. If you're 18 & registered, go vote... even if you don't think your vote will matter.