Bryant took these pictures while in Mexico. Makes me wish I was there . . . 
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
36 Degrees Warmer
When I left home on Saturday morning for Homer the temperatures were hanging right around zero. Thirty-six hours later, upon my return back to the house the thermometer was 36 degrees warmer. The age old topic of weather never really gets old for me. Put me in a car for a few hundred miles with a thermometer feeding me temperature data every mile along the way and suddenly I have all sorts of weather-related questions to ponder. Throw in the ocean currents from Prince William Sound, a couple mountain passes, and high pressure systems from the north and weather patterns can become complicated and interesting all at once. On the way home when I saw 37 degrees in Cooper Landing, I knew that I was coming home to wind and warm temperatures. But in that 3 1/2 hour stretch between Cooper Landing and the house, temperatures dropped to 21 degrees in Anchorage and only 8 miles from the house it was 24 degrees.
Homer in early winter is still the Homer I remember from my 2nd visit there in November 1993 and the years I spent living there from 1995-1999. Everything slows in Homer as winter rolls around, tourists leave, the boat harbor empties, and the wind kicks up another notch. While there, I debated riding down to the end of the spit, just because . . . . but then really couldn't talk myself into it. Although it has been over 10 years since I drove that spit to work every day, right then and there it didn't feel like that long ago and it felt more like I'd be wasting 30 minutes of time than experience any enjoyment. So I drove on away from the spit to continue on with my mission of dropping the kids off for a visit with their dad and me visiting with friends who I never take the time to see during the summer months as we are busily buzzing around Kachemak Bay on long weekend getaways.
What a nice quick weekend roadtrip that is if you can call a 500 mile drive a quick road trip. Maybe it was the visiting part that was quick? Nonetheless, it was good to touch base with friends and even better to come home when it is 36 degrees warmer!
Homer in early winter is still the Homer I remember from my 2nd visit there in November 1993 and the years I spent living there from 1995-1999. Everything slows in Homer as winter rolls around, tourists leave, the boat harbor empties, and the wind kicks up another notch. While there, I debated riding down to the end of the spit, just because . . . . but then really couldn't talk myself into it. Although it has been over 10 years since I drove that spit to work every day, right then and there it didn't feel like that long ago and it felt more like I'd be wasting 30 minutes of time than experience any enjoyment. So I drove on away from the spit to continue on with my mission of dropping the kids off for a visit with their dad and me visiting with friends who I never take the time to see during the summer months as we are busily buzzing around Kachemak Bay on long weekend getaways.
What a nice quick weekend roadtrip that is if you can call a 500 mile drive a quick road trip. Maybe it was the visiting part that was quick? Nonetheless, it was good to touch base with friends and even better to come home when it is 36 degrees warmer!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Snow!
I came home Monday after work to this cute little snowman on the front porch. When I went to take a picture of him, I noticed the "Hippies Use Backdoor" sign in the background and decided to add the appropriate attire to a snowman banished from entering the front door.
Yes, it finally snowed and it has been snowing steadily since. Everyone I hang out with (i.e. the kids in my house and the kids in my classroom) think it is great. Gus and his buddies are busy dragging their sleds up and down the hill in the backyard while Ollie barks and runs alongside them.
Yes, it finally snowed and it has been snowing steadily since. Everyone I hang out with (i.e. the kids in my house and the kids in my classroom) think it is great. Gus and his buddies are busy dragging their sleds up and down the hill in the backyard while Ollie barks and runs alongside them.
I like seeing the grey and brown disappear, but I am not looking forward to plowing driveways, scraping windshields and icy roads.
Bryant made it into San Carlos, Mexico on Friday evening. Today I'm guessing he will call me to say that the boat sails even better in the Sea of Cortez. Okay, so I'm a little envious . . . and excited. Bryant and I will be back down there in January. Then all of us will be head down there in March and May.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Going South . . . An Update!
Bryant and Myron did take off on Thursday afternoon with the truck and boat for San Carlos, Mexico. This afternoon I talked to him and they were near Great Falls, MT. They weren’t sure if they would drive through the night or pull over for a little more sleep tonight. They stopped the truck and slept in the boat (while it was on the trailer) for 1 hour on Friday night and 4 hours on Saturday night.
So far their biggest obstacle was the 10-30 mph zone, which lasted 11 hours, where they drove only 300 miles. This happened somewhere between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fort Nelson, British Columbia. They ended up on snowpacked washboard roads in that stretch. Even the guy sleeping in the big back seat had a hard time as they were jostled awake every 5 -10 minutes. On Saturday night, they had the luxury of getting lost in downtown Edmonton and had the pleasure of seeing what kind of nightlife is available to the local residents. Through the southern Canadian plains, they did run into some wind that blew the boat almost sideways, but apparently not sideways enough to stop them from moving on through Montana and onto Idaho.
Almost there guys, hang in there!
So far their biggest obstacle was the 10-30 mph zone, which lasted 11 hours, where they drove only 300 miles. This happened somewhere between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fort Nelson, British Columbia. They ended up on snowpacked washboard roads in that stretch. Even the guy sleeping in the big back seat had a hard time as they were jostled awake every 5 -10 minutes. On Saturday night, they had the luxury of getting lost in downtown Edmonton and had the pleasure of seeing what kind of nightlife is available to the local residents. Through the southern Canadian plains, they did run into some wind that blew the boat almost sideways, but apparently not sideways enough to stop them from moving on through Montana and onto Idaho.
Almost there guys, hang in there!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
November 1st, 2009
Well, the kids went trick-or-treating on dry ground. Windy, yes . . . cold, yes. . . full moon, yes - well at least close. . but definately no snow. It still hasn't snowed this season. I'm not complaining, but I am wanting to document this fact as every year since I've lived up here there has been at least one snowfall before Halloween. Most years it melts, but last year we were stuck with it from the first week of October. The National Weather Service has recorded snow as early as September 22nd and as late as November 11th in Anchorage, and I suspect those dates don't differ too much for the valley weather where we live.
All this good weather has been perfect for Bryant to finish the necessary boat preparations for the big trip down south. He's busy winding up the last odds and ends before he leaves on Thursday. The plan is to drive the truck pulling the boat down to San Carlos, Mexico where it will spend the winter under the sunny skies on the eastern shore of the Sea of Cortez. I'll write more about this adventure when the boat leaves our driveway and arrives in its said destination.
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