This and That

27 July 2012
5:55 PM

Sunrise at	9:53 AM	in direction	136°	Southeast
Sunset at	4:15 PM	in direction	225°	Southwest

Duration of day: 6 hours, 21 minutes (6 minutes, 34 seconds longer than yesterday)

Usually, I focus on a particular topic and provide as much detail as I've a mind to about that topic. Today is mostly a what's-happening-around with a couple of photos thrown in for interest.  That's because today things are happening on several topics I've chatted about  .. so here we go.

First two favorite subjects of mine overlap .. my son and dog sled racing.

Lorien/Sled Dog Racing
This week is a training run/race and SP Kennel entered two teams.  The race is small and appeals to those who need more training miles along with rookies who are doing qualifying mid-distance races for the Yukon Quest and Iditarod. Lorien's article is read by himself with audio clips from some of our favorite mushers:  Dallas Seavey, Karen Ramstead, and Aliy Zirkle.  The article on the the Don Bowers Memorial Race is here:  Don Bowers Sled Dog Race gets underway in Willow.  Standings for the race can be found at Current Standings for Don Bowers 200/300.

The Weather
After a week of the temperatures holding in the mid range between -20F and -25 or so, it had dived back to cold, cold weather.  At 11:53 today, -40F was posted at Ft. Wainwright and -36F at the Fairbanks International Airport.  I was becoming aware that while we had been holding at a steady temperature considered somewhat comfortable for Fairbanks winter, we were not edging up at all; edging up could be a sign that the cold weather pattern could break.  But I really, truly did not expect we'd plunge back into -40F or colder temperatures.  Tonight's lows are expected to be -40F to -50F.  Yikes!  On our deck it is -30F and we are putting on booties as well as coats on the Dobies now.  Even Lindy Hop, my daughter's and son-in-law's big husky is not lingering outside.

The Yukon Quest
I am volunteering for the Yukon Quest again this weekend.  Tomorrow I will return to Summit Logistics to assist veteranarians with Vet Checks for rookies who must be checked by the race vets and any veterans who opt to use the YQ vets for their pre-race checks.  Each dog must be approved for running the race and although I have heard about these checks and I know what they are looking for in general, it is my first time actually being there.  I will scribe for a vet .. more on this tomorrow.

Sun Light and Sky Light
The winter sky continues to get brighter and lighter longer.  You can see by what I posted at the top of the today's blog, we are almost gaining 7 minutes of daylight a day now.  One of my plants that has over wintered very well in the past got sickly this year.  I think its roots may have gotten too cold near the window.  I have had to place it near a plant light for over a month now to keep it leafing just enough to photosynthesis and stay alive.  Today the sun light was really wonderful in the house, and it was the first day I turned off the plant light and put it in natural sunlight.  You could almost hear the audible sigh of relief from among the house plants.

Trips to the Outside
Teresa and Jamie are coming home from Hawaii early morning on Sunday (close to midnight).  They are leaving a tropical paradise to return to deep cold.  We are now planning on a trip Outside the second week full week of March.  Hope nothing interferes with that trip!

Two More Photos
I forgot to post the photo of the hillside to the north of campus where it was misty and snowing yesterday.  Here it is:

Snowing on the hills with a suggestion of blue at the top.

And since I was working at home today to keep Mom out of the severe cold, I was able catch the change in sunlight across the yard.  So, here is how I now see midday sun hitting the snow in our yard across the driveway.  When I attempted to take a photo before in this direction, the sun was low in the sky and obscured by trees and buildings at this same time.  This angle of light was too fleeting and narrow.  Now the light stretches from the road to our circular drive.

Renda and Healy
Last week, January 19th, the Renda completed delivery of it fuel pay load.  The next day, the USCG Cutter began the process of freeing the Renda from the ice where it had been allowed to freeze in place.    On the 21st they began the trip south.  Yesterday, they'd traveled 230 miles south of Nome, but they had only progressed through half of the ice.  Alaska Dispatch has the most recent update:  Renda: Go Tanker Go.

Guess that covers most of it.