Hello winter!

Well the weather has officially changed up here in the last frontier, and we are well on our way to winter...already. The past week has seen mornings in the upper 20's and today when I got in my car to head to work it was a balmy 22. The cold isn't so bad, but we are getting our first windstorm this evening and it's been a bit blustery. Luckily, the wind is blowing out of the east and not the usual winter NE, which makes for quite a chilly day.

One thing is for certain, experiencing actual seasons really makes you appreciate the beauty of the natural world. Everything has died off or gone dormant for the season and it's a wonderful thing to know that come april life will spring forth out of the ground once again. In Florida, I never really took notice of seasonal changes until the last few years I was there, until I really got into surfing or began exploring the natural areas around oviedo and seminole county. Experiencing these changes forces you to face the world and be more in tune with whats going on in the world...well at least the natural world. No longer can I leave things outside, or expect to have the sun heat the house first thing in the morning, or even count on the fresh produce we have been recieving for the past 4 months. The time for layers is upon us, and I don't mind, because with this change comes snow, and powder and the revelation of experiencing the beautiful alpenglow on the peaks of the talkeetnas and the chugach. I can't wait for Erin and I to be able to head up to hatcher pass or even just around the corner and experience the pinkish hues on the mountains while traversing the trails on cross country skis. I love it here. We love it here and every day is a new suprise.