Alaska

Hard to believe, dear readers, but NaBloPoMo(Fo) is almost done. Five more posts, including this one, and that’s one every single day in November. I received a notice this morning from one of the organizers about the end and how there will be winners … winners?! Do I get points for posting while on a week-long trip to Alaska?!

Speaking of, I have been in Alaska since last Thursday doing one thing or another. I thought that for today’s post I’d share some of the stuff I’ve been seeing. There is a lot as far as beautiful scenery goes here. It is fairly cold scenery. Arriving here from Texas is like being stuck suddenly in a freezer. Of course, the Alaskans think they’ve been having balmy days lately, so I’m a big dork in my coat, scarf and hat and they’re walking around in shorts and a t-shirt …

So here’s some really pretty pictures of some really pretty scenery in the great north. Enjoy!

Standing in Earthquake Park looking across the salty mudflats (muddy saltflats?) and the Cook Inlet to Anchorage with the Chugach Mountain Range in the background.

That’s the Hatcher Range of the Talkeetna Mountains (Hatcher Pass) in the background across the Cook inlet.

Jeff in the Chugach State Forest on a snowy ridge overlooking Anchorage.

A view east down the Matanuska River in the Matanuska Valley. It’s a wide glacier valley and most of the river is frozen over right now.

Looking across the taiga - the Copper River Valley - at the Wrangell St. Elias Mountain Range. That’s Mt. Drum (12,010 ft) on the left and Mt. Wrangell (14,163 ft - top hiding in the clouds) on the right. The road is Highway 1 to Glennallen.

The sun begins to set over the Cook inlet. We were traveling along the Seward highway which runs along the inlet going south to the ocean. This looks across to the end of the Turnagain Arm. This is probably the most beautiful drive I’ve seen. The mountains come up straight from the water.

Happy Thanksgiving! (part 2)

So mostly Thanksgiving for me is about food, which is awesome because I love food. There are some usual, oft-requested suspects on this menu (green bean casserole) and things I do slightly differently each time (stuffing).

I confess: this is not actually today’s menu. It’s tomorrow’s, because I can’t fix dinner from several thousand feet in the air. At the moment this is posting, I am struggling with baggage in Salt Lake City preparing to board a plane to Anchorage. I wrote this early Thursday morning. So instead tomorrow Jeff and I will be eating this with my lovely brother in Alaska. I will return with pictures! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! (part 1)

I love Thanksgiving - of the winter holidays, this is my favorite.  My husband and I were married the day after Thanksgiving as well - it was the 29th that year, but I think I’ll always think of it as the day after Thanksgiving.  It’s five years this year!   Woo!

I believe in the Thanksgiving idea of inter-cultural sharing.  The Austin InterFaith group has an annual Thanksgiving celebration that I love.  The executive director (CEO, rather) of the nonprofit I work for is a big part of Austin InterFaith.  She’s awesome.  I’ve never met anyone who devoted themselves to ideals and the welfare of others like her.  She has more community service under her belt than I thought it was possible to have!!

This cornucopia and fabric vegetables were some of my very favorite items growing up.  I remember playing with them for hours.  I think my mom was afraid I was going to destroy them, but never!  I loved them too much.  I plan to add to this vegetable stash, in fact, now that she’s given me these precious items.

Tomorrow morning I shall be flying to Alaska to visit my brother for the holiday.  So exciting!  I’ve never been to Alaska before.  Have I mentioned I love fall!?!?

This polka-dot pumpkin is where I got my fascination with fabric pumpkins.  I LOVE this pumpkin.  Obviously, kitten does too!

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