Sled Dog Comfort or Doberman Comfort

31 October 2012
8:11 PM

Sunrise at	9:37 AM	in direction	124°	East-southeast
Sunset at	5:30 PM	in direction	236°	Southwest

Duration of day: 7 hours, 52 minutes (6 minutes, 44 seconds shorter than yesterday)

I won't claim to understand the differences between all Alaskan huskies and our Dobermans, but there is a decided difference when comparing comfort seeking.

I was working at home yesterday and over time the dogs sought out their favorite places while I worked.  Cutter went into his sleep time crate.  That room is somewhat cooler and he has the comfort of his smells and a roof over his head, something I discovered earlier when I posted a similar photo.  The quiet, the coolness, being able to stretch his whole body out while being fully covered is prime.

Mr. Snooze

The dobermans, well they take the notion of comfort in a whole different direction.

Who says Dobermans don't like winter?

We started with just one cushion by the wood stove.   Then it was clear two would be better.  Then, even though there are several other places, all quite comfortable to sit or lie upon, all three gathered by the fire.  The odd hound out paces and circles.  Our oldest dog, Mira Bai, actually whines her sorrow at not having a nice spot by the fire.  Three cushions are a necessity and they all need to be relatively close to the front of the stove for maximum warmth.  A favored position is body on the cushion and head on the stone hearth.  How can that be comfortable?

Another difference is that I was able to walk in past Cutter a few times before he decided I wasn't up to my usual and maybe he should check it out.  He was aware of me, but didn't see any reason to over react, as it were.  The dobermans actually were all lying with heads down until I got up to take a photo.  Just my getting up caused all three to raise their heads.  Our location in the house, Gary or me, is important.  None of the dobermans are ever very far away from either of us.

The one thing that is exactly the same is the way they ask for affection.  All four dogs come up nudge and my hand for head scratching and loving.  They are such sweet creatures.

Darkness Increases - Not So Slowly

26 October 2012
8:49 AM

Sunrise at	9:21 AM	in direction	119°	East-southeast
Sunset at	5:47 PM	in direction	240°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 8 hours, 26 minutes (6 minutes, 44 seconds shorter than yesterday)

The big deal about today is the start of Civil Twilight - 8:28 AM.  Yes indeed.  I came in at 7:00 in the dark and worked for an hour and a half with it mostly dark when I glance out the windows.  We have been driving in at 8:15 and arriving about 8:30 and each day there was some degree of light.  Today, suddenly, no light.  It is overcast, and that greatly affects the quality of twilight.   Nevertheless, the change still feels sudden to me.

The flag circle remains dark with campus lighting still lit.

My Blue Max lights are getting regular use now.  The one on my desk at work, the one by my reading chair near the wood stove in the common room, and the one by the bed all contribute to my sense of well-being.  I did post information and photos about the summer solstice in the blog, but normally, I do not mark the passing of time and daylight as we approach the sun's zenith in our part of the world.  But I do take heed of the encroaching darkness.  There have been years that I counted the days to solstice - just to assure myself that the time of increased darkness would soon be past.  That tendency has lessened a bit, but I do take heed of the encroaching darkness.

I do adjust how I do things for the duration of the deep winter months, November through January.  For example, today I went out at midday to work the dogs in agility training.  I leisurely set up the jumps I wanted to use outside, then put each of the two dogs, Aria and JayJay, through the training exercises.  Then I returned the jumps to winter storage and went into the back yard to scoop poop.  Again the process was leisurely.  I had plenty of daylight to work in.  One month from now, I will skip the agility training because it will probably be too cold, but also, I will need to make sure that anything that needs light gets done in the time I have.  For example, I will still be sure to be out at midday so I can see clearly enough to keep the dog yard clean.  There are some things you simply can't do well with a head lamp.

Also, I will bring up a plant light I store in the garage for the ficus tree.  Three plants do well enough through solstice without the extra lighting; the ficus does great with just a bit of concentrated light.  Another benefits from being near the Blue Max floor lamp behind my reading chair and the third will need to be moved downstairs next week. 

The plants aren't the only living species that require extra light.  We turn on two deck lights to the southeast and one the illuminates a good section of the back yard for the dogs when they go out.  It is especially important for our oldest dog, sweet Mira Bai.  She can no longer see in the dark.  She will not extend too far beyond the steps.  The other three, two dobermans and one sled dog, still explore to the end of the fence, but as it gets darker and colder, the two dobies, at least will begin to restrict their pathways outside too.  As it gets darker and colder, the concentration of dog feces increases within the range of the light. 

Although a headlamp is sufficient for loading the wheel barrow and bringing in wood to stack, the task is much easier during the day.  Earlier this fall, there was no hurry about when wood would be carried in.  Now, just as we hope to do our other chores during day light, bringing in enough wood at once becomes more desirable.  We may not have enough wood to get through the week, and it will have to be hauled in during the evening.  Since it has remained mild, 20F on average, we don't need much and it's not an issue.  But soon, Gary will concentrate on bringing in as much wood as it takes to fill our garage wood stacking racks.  He will do that in hopes of not having to bring in more wood until December, around the Christmas break, or even January.  He will take advantage of the daylight for that chore.

The one task I don't really think needs daylight is shoveling the deck.  I think it is easier to shovel the walk between the deck stairs and the driveway, but going out on the deck in mid winter and shoveling during the dark hours is one of my favorite activities.  Serenity, crisp air, and the satisfaction of doing a necessary job are my reward.

Prologue

24 October 2012
7:30 PM

Sunrise at	9:14 AM	in direction	117°	East-southeast
Sunset at	5:54 PM	in direction	242°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 8 hours, 40 minutes (6 minutes, 44 seconds shorter than yesterday)

0 – Prologue

They met in a downtown coffee house - not the one they'd preferred for Saturday coffee while doing errands.  She'd only been at this coffee house a few times.  It was good place to meet when meeting and chatting with friends wasn't the goal.

She arrived before he, and passed time by examining the art hanging on the grey blue walls.  The pieces were abstract representations of regional life constructed from fabric, metals, and glass scraps blended into pastel chalks and watercolor.  She hadn't recognized the artist's name.  Another time she would have been more interested, but today she had other things to think about and tend to.

She took a table near the window to get the morning light, and to watch for him.  When he arrived, sandy hair blowing about the familiar ruddy skin of his forehead and blue eyes, her eyes moistened with unshed tears.  She blinked and let the moment pass.

They talked over necessary last minute details, the children, visits, which things he'd forgot to pack and would need shipped, and of course, money.  There would be enough on both; she would be fine and he would send support and help with the children's school expenses - now and when they entered college.  She'd probably move back to the Lower 48 once her current contract was finished so he'd not be so far from them.  They didn't talk about his destination, what prompted him to go, nor who was waiting for him there.  They didn't reminisce on the good times, although there had been good times. 

Over the last few years, despite a life that looked as it were a shared one, they had drifted a part.  When he'd received an offer in the Lower 48, he’d taken it.  After that, after accepting the offer, he’d told her he was leaving.  He hadn't liked Alaska nearly as much as he thought he would.  

Finished with their hot drinks, there wasn't much reason to tarry.  He had a long way to drive over the next several days.  They walked out into the sunshine.  She was dressed more warmly than the late May temperatures required, but she'd noticed clouds to the south; wet, cooler temperatures seemed in the offing later that day.  He wore his characteristic tee shirt under a plaid shirt, unbuttoned and rolled up sleeves to the elbow, the Alaskan man’s paunch he’d gained over the winter outlined clearly under the tee.  He’d probably lose that pretty fast where he was going, she thought.

The children were in school - they didn't know he hadn't left town yet, having said their tearful goodbyes the night before.  Without really talking about it, they both had known they would need to meet alone; that she would be the last one he'd see before driving south.

He walked her to her car.  They walked casually, as if they were on an afternoon stroll, maybe to prolong, just a little bit, the life they had together.  When they came even with her worn, forest green, but amazingly reliable Subaru, he turned to face her, leaning against it by the front left wheel.

"I wish it hadn't come to this," was all he said.

Watching the pavement, she nodded.  "I know.  I feel that way too."

"Where did we go wrong?  We always seemed so in sync, so close.  How did it stop; when did it stop being that way?"

She shrugged and then looked up at him and smiled slightly, "Maybe it was Alaska.  They say it either makes or breaks relationships.  What we were didn't mesh with what it means to live here, I guess."

He paused and then nodded.  "Yeah, we had very different ways of adapting to it all didn't we?"

Now it was her turn to nod. "Yep.  I definitely became more private, more inward over time and slower to move through things.  You got involved in absolutely everything to keep you mind off the dark and the cold."

"Didn't work, did it?"  he said wryly.

The defeated, half smile touched her lips again, this time accompanied by eyes that conveyed, whether she intended or not, the finality of it all, "Apparently not," was her only reply.

Grabbing her hands suddenly he looked into her eyes.  "I do love you.  I never stopped loving you, despite it all."

She didn't attempt to take her hands away, even though his words sent waves of emotional pain through her body.  Despite her wounded spirit, she knew he meant it, despite what he'd done. 

"A person has to survive however they can," was all she said about his decision to leave her and the family.  "I still love you, too.  You know that."

He grabbed her then and they stood holding each other, saying nothing.  Her head was resting in his shoulder where it had lain so many times.  His chin rested against her hair.  She could feel his heart beating.

Finally, he stood back, moving his hands to her arms.  He gave her that cockeyed grin even though his eyes were somber.  Softly he said, "See ya, Babe."  Then he turned and walked away without looking back.

She opened the car door, got in, fastened the seat beat, and started the engine.  She drove across the Cushman Bridge heading north and then turned up Phillips Field road.  Finding a spot out of traffic, she pulled over and sat in silence, staring at nothing in particular.  She wanted to sob, even wail at her loss; she wanted to vent her fear and worry and even some anger. 

She did none of that.  She would need to pick up Josh from school in a few hours.  She didn't want obvious traces of grief on her face.  The children had enough of their own sorrows.   But she could not dislodge the hollow feeling in her stomach and heart.  She could not fill the emptiness.

And so a life of single minded, quiet endurance and perseverance began.

Fairbanks Writers - National Novel Writing Month

22 October 2012
7:59 PM

Sunrise at	9:08 AM	in direction	116°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:01 PM	in direction	244°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 8 hours, 53 minutes (6 minutes, 43 seconds shorter than yesterday)

I would love to see a compilation of statistics about Alaskans.  Personally, I would expect there to be quite a few "per capitas" in the mix.  Some of those statistics would not be so great - per capita more suicides than any other state, per capita more alcoholics, per capita more incidents of multiple sclerosis, per capita more deaths due to trespassing!

I did some checking and I am not surprised to report that "per capita income is over $40,000 per year ranking it 15th in the nation.  And it's GDP is ranked at number 1 due to oil and gas production in the state.  But then I would also expect some really fun facts about Alaskans - per capita more writers, per capita more artisits, per capita more dogs per family, per capital more musicians.  And from writing in the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) program along with other Alaskans, I know that our collective output of words has struck me as high for such a small population.

I have written two novels and completed the minimum word count.  I wrote a novel about an Alaskan mother of grown children who is looking for new experiences now that she is no longer needed to keep her family together emotionally and financially.  I tried to convey what it was like to live in Fairbanks, but I am fairly sure I fell short.  Through many, many revisions, it became more a novel of a person in transition who happened to live in Fairbanks.

My second novel was science fiction.  The words just flew out of me, but I have not even revised it or read it since.  It wasn't that I didn't like the novel.  I think it actually has promise, but along with the promise is truly, truly hard work to make it gel.  Writing soft or hard science fiction still requires creating story lines and events that are believable within the context of the world created.  I did not have time to go back and tighten it up, so it sits waiting.

I read somewhere, I think maybe in a novel by an Fairbanksian, that people in Fairbanks love to join things and be involved in lots of activities.  Well, when it is dark and bitterly cold, a person does need focus, right?  So, I know that I certainly have my plate as full as I can handle it - agility twice a week, conformation dog shows, blogging nearly daily, working full time, exercising regularly, and now I am thinking I will try to write another novel this November.  That is probably crazy.  How can I possibly blog, NaNoWriMo, work agility classes and home training, and the dog show in early November - not to mention Thanksgiving!

But I went to the planning meeting at the College Coffee House anyway.  I think I was seeking motivation and also, why not see what the other NaNoWriMo aficionados are like here in Fairbanks? They met my expectations - nice, decent people who enjoy one another as much as they enjoy writing.  It is a social event as well as a way to gain more writing skills and motivations.

So, shamelessly, some of my blog may become snippets of novel writing through November.  Because one of the ways I cope with the impending darkness and cold is to focus on activities that give me pleasure.  Writing is definitely one of those activities.

Sikuliaq - An Amazing Research Ship

21 October 2012
8:43 PM

Sunrise at	9:05 AM	in direction	115°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:05 PM	in direction	245°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 9 hours (6 minutes, 43 seconds shorter than yesterday)

I attended the UAF sponsored celebration of Sikuliaq's christening at Davis Concert Hall yesterday.  See Hundreds Help Launch R/V Sikuliaq in Wisconsin.  Our extended family member (family by love rather than marriage or blood), Vera Alexander, worked with Bob Elsner for decades to bring a polar region capable research vessel to life.  The agenda included a slide show of the vessel from various angles, comments from Alaska's two senators, short presentations by the Dean of the School of Fisheries and Oceanography and Vera, a video of a musical piece composed in honor of the vessels christening and finally  a series of videos of the boats launch into the Menomonee River.

The launch videos were taken from several different angles and all were immensely satisfying as the boat slid in at a 60 degree angle, fell to its side, tipped to the opposite side and then gradually righted.  Its sea worthiness was attested to by its launching as we witnessed how it could be buffeted by waves and remain afloat.

Professor Emeritus, Robert Elsner, began thinking about this vessel over 50 years ago during his term at Scripps Institute of Oceanography.  I found that tidbit interesting; he began pursuit of this dream nearly a decade before I had the good luck to be a student assistant for Theodore Bullock, a neuroscientist researching sonar capability in marine mammals and "electric" fish.  My introduction to oceanography as a discipline did not encourage me to pursue it as a career, but did create a life-long interest in that body of research.  My own love of the ocean, and the Pacific Ocean in particular was cemented at that time when I lived in La Jolla while attending UCSD.

So Professor Elsner made a point of sailing every ice breaking ship that he could possibly be invited to board.  Weighing what he thought was effective and what was not, he concluded what became common knowledge, Finnish ice breakers stood out as the best.  In fact Russian ice breakers are supplied by Finland's ship building industry.  These became the basis of the first in a series of three designs and tests of his designs.  Vera explained that they create a test bed to scale that can mimic conditions in the ocean that are projected for the vessel.  Each design successfully passed the test, but each design although worthy remained without funding.

The State of Alaska finally stepped in to promote the cause with the National Science Foundation.  When Obama's administration instituted the Recovery Act as part of its stimulus package, the funding for the Sikuliaq was granted by Congress.  The funding for this ship was the largest single grant in the program.  As you can imagine, there are the detractors.  One theme can be summarized by the question, "Why put that much money into one research vessel when it could have been dispersed throughout the communities for broader educational goals?"

 Yet, as the polar ice diminishes, research in the region becomes important economically and environmentally.  The goals of this type of research will impact all people, not just in the US, but the world.  It will be used by those interested in understanding how we will survive the climatic changes, what resources are available for exploitation, how marine mammals and fish will be affected by change .. and even how life has been maintained under these extremely cold conditions for centuries.

The long range goals and findings can be essential to our ability to move forward as a world community, but that fact is lost on those whose immediate concerns are ensuring their own children's education can be properly funded.

For my part, I was thrilled and actually, emotional, as the significance of the Sikuliaq's place in oceanographic research began to sink in .. and UAF will operate it out of its home port in Seward, Alaska.

As a side note, working for Theordore Bullock's group, while not prompting me to pursue science at that time, is what tipped me off that History was not going to be professional interest.  It has remained an avocation, but the surprise was, I was fascinated by the research I was reading and appreciated the analytical skills required.  Analysis and technology ultimately appealed to me more than reviewing historical tomes as a way to make a living.  I put that leaning toward analytical thinking to work in computer science, the field in which I took my Masters of Science.

It's Official - First Winter Has Arrived

19 October 2012
10:46 PM

Sunrise at	8:58 AM	in direction	113°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:12 PM	in direction	247°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 9 hours, 13 minutes (6 minutes, 43 seconds shorter than yesterday)

North from campus - homes along the lower hills,
heavier snow along the higher ridge

The temperature has not risen above freezing since the snow earlier this week.  Snow is not predicted over next week, but the temperatures will remain low so the roads will clear.  Gradually the deck will be free of snow as it evaporates, but overall, snow will remain on the ground without melting.

Gary calls this the first winter.  We do have three winters.  First  winter starts in September or October.  Even though snow is on the ground, temperatures are mild.  This week they have hovered between the teens and mid 20s Fahrenheit.  The weather is chilly, but pleasant.  Temperatures will remain comfortable in early winter, extending into the negative teens.  Then we have deep winter where the temperatures range from -20F and lower.  As expected, it intensifies as we near solstice and we experience extreme cold periodically through February and sometimes well into March. Later in the spring, we have late winter where the temperatures creep back up to the lower negative range, gradually slipping into temperatures above 0F.  Winter is not over, though, until break up.

Right now, since it is very mild, I am wearing no long underway and a lighter weight coat.  I carry light weight wool gloves, but don't really need them between the car and office.  The steering wheel can be chilly, so I will put them on in the evening when we return home.  But, we are not plugging in the car, wearing hats, heavier winter clothes or following through with any other deep winter habits.

We will be soon though.  It is nearly November already.  The end of the year is just around the corner and with it the end of this journal for 2012.

Campus walkways from the Wood Center 

The Real Deal

15 October 2012
8:33 PM

Sunrise at	8:46 AM	in direction	109°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:26 PM	in direction	250°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 9 hours, 40 minutes (6 minutes, 42 seconds shorter than yesterday)

It snowed today.  In fact, it is still snowing.  For Fairbanks that does not mean a huge accumulation of snow, probably no more than 2 to 3 inches, but the significance is that the temperature has not topped 30F in several days and we are not likely to see this snow melt.  I say likely because the weather is, well, the weather and a certain degree of unpredictability goes with the territory.  But snow is likely every day of the week and only one day next this week has a predicted high near 30F.  So, having marched all those disclaimers out, it is likely that this is the foundation snow of the year.

The roads, as expected, require caution.  Even though it didn't rain before the snow started, and the temperature never topped 27F, the roads are still slick due to the latent warmth lingering in the ground.  A fine patina of slick was on the sidewalks and roads.  But as the temperatures remain low, folks finally get their snow tires on, and the ground joins the air temperatures to become not just cold, but really cold, things improve. 

Lucy from Gambell, St. Lawrence Island

14 October 2012
11:22 AM

Sunrise at	8:42 AM	in direction	108°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:30 PM	in direction	251°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 9 hours, 47 minutes (6 minutes, 41 seconds shorter than yesterday)

Lucy and I had dinner out, her last night in Fairbanks.  On our way to drop Gary, my husband, off at Davis Concert Hall for work, she told us that they accomplished what they needed to do at the Presbytery meeting, although it had been hard work and took a long time.  Later as we drove to the Double Eagle Restaurant at the Golf Course, she told me she was taking a year off from her role as Commissioned Ruling Elder (CRE).  She would take time to rest and search inside herself for whether she should shoulder this role in the future.  Until two women in the congregation were commissioned, they would need to fly a CRE from another village or a pastor to perform baptisms and the sacraments.

There was a lot of talk, she said, about thinking outside the box.  How could Christianity compete with the media and the secular mind set of the younger generations?  Then too, Christianity came late to the island, so it was not the practice of several generations.  I thought to myself that they are not alone.  All of the Presbyteries are facing declining congregations.  I appreciated the seriousness with which she reflected on the status of the church.  Later I researched the history of the island in the the Yukon Presbytery annals ( Yukon Presbytery - St. Lawrence Island ) and found that the name of the village was in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Vene Gambell, Presbyterian missionaries, who took over from the Episcopal church who had no missionaries willing to live there. Their mission in St. Lawrence ended tragically when the boat upon which they traveled to return to the island, the Lady Jane Grey, sank. 

While we waited for our meal, talk turned to her life on the island of St. Lawrence.  There are two villages on St. Lawrence, Gambell and Savoonga.  I did not know that it was a migratory landing spot for birds and as a consequence, a destination for adventurous birders in the spring and fall.  I found this link from a bird watching visitor:  Bird-watching in Gambell.  So the economy experiences a small boost during the migratory seasons, but life is chiefly supported by subsistence hunting and fishing. 

They have whaled in small, skin-covered boats for centuries.  She mentioned that in the last decade there was a whaling accident where four people died as they hauled a whale in at night, two of them 11 year old children.  The loss of these four people after a whale hunt still reverberates in her memory as such loses are rare and was compounded by the death of children: Four Missing or Dead. 

Lucy spoke honestly of the skill the residents show in carving walrus and baleen.  Islanders are among the few native populations that have the right to sell ivory and other artifacts from their island.  That is because they opted to own the land rather than be supported by the government as a result of the Alaska Native Settlement Act in 1971.   Raw materials are in abundance ( Bering Sea Treasures ).  From these materials scrimshaw, carvings, cribbage boards, and jewelry are created (Alaska Native Arts - St. Lawrence Island).

Lucy has three children.  Two have their own families, but her youngest was born much later and at sixteen is still living at home.  She has five grand children.  Her husband was a subsistence hunter until his retirement and now is an aide at the elementary school.  She spoke highly of the UAF Distance Education program, which allows native peoples to complete their education not only while living in their village, but providing programs and focus that fit best within the culture of the villagers.  She is a substance abuse counselor in her village, and commented how fortunate she was to have done her practicum in Nome.  She told me they have a vision of creating a detox center in their region for those who need the three to seven day period of abstinence before they turn to their psychological dependence.

 In the link I provided above, Bering Sea Treasures, at the very bottom is a photo of the insulated sewer and water pipes.  Lucy told me water and sewer systems were install about 20 years ago and it made an incredible difference in the lives of the villagers.  She can not imagine living without this convenience now.  She also asked about programs to further increase insulation of homes.  Being dependent on heating oil is an unwelcome expense for everyone living at lower latitudes in Alaska, but it is a hardship for those who live above timber line on the tundra.  They even power their electricity with fuel oil.  I promised to provide her with contact information for the Cold Climate Research Center (CCRC) and the Alternative Center for Energy and Power (ACEP).

We talked about the dilemma that women face - everyone gets attention and what they need before the mother and wife - and how at some point, we realized we needed to care for ourselves so those who depended on us could hope to have us healthy and able to help them in the future. She talked about how difficult it was to find time for herself and her spiritual life.  She commented several times that she was blessed to have the opportunity to stay in our apartment.  She had time to be alone with God, something that is not easy to come by at home.  I was humbled by her words.  I would not have seen our apartment as more than a comfortable place to stay without her telling me so.

There are several things I wanted to experience in life that have so far eluded me and some that I have experienced.  I have been up behind a dog team on a sled, although I would really, really like to be able to have my own small team.  I have not had grand children, which often causes me deep sorrow.  I want to visit a native village.  St. Lawrence, despite its remote location, is the one I want to visit.  I would very much like to see Lucy again.

Morning Skies - Night Skies

12 October 2012
9:35 PM

Sunrise at	8:36 AM	in direction	107°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:37 PM	in direction	253°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 10 hours (6 minutes, 41 seconds shorter than yesterday)

The return of day and night brings with it the lovely interplay of light and dark that occurs at dawn and dusk.  I took photos of this same angle in the spring as the sun hours increased, and now I capture it as the light decreases.  It is still beautiful.  When traces of cloud exist, the hues of angled sunlight stream up across the sky.  When the sky is clear at the horizon, an intense gold at the horizon meets blues and grays.

The transitions are especially enchanting here, to my way of thinking, because it changes so much from day to day.  I am always amazed at the speed with which we move from one stage of light and dark to the other.  I guess the in between time, September to November and February to April, are the times which used to feel the most "normal" to me.  There is a balance of light and dark.  The work day and outside activities and chores begin with the rising sun and end with its setting.

As I wrote that last sentence, I realized I don't feel that way as much now.  The days being completely light or mostly dark has also become natural to me and I experience the months where it alternates between day and night as transitional seasons rather than "normal".

The grace of return to the dark time is the aurora are now visible.  I heard on the radio, earlier today, that the aurora activity was predicted to be quiet; a value of 2 (or quiet) on a scale of 0 to 9 based on the Aurora Forecast that the Geophysical Institute on campus posts daily.  The announcer noted that aurora was unlikely, but still there would be a chance to see them.

As chance would have it, I was out tonight.  First I went to Pioneer Park to serve spaghetti in celebration of the Yukon Quest's 30th anniversary.  When the line became a trickle, I visited with Aliy, Allen, and Jodi Bailey for awhile and then left.

And, as chance would have it, Lucy Apatiki of St. Lawrence Island is staying in the downstairs apartment.  St. Lawrence Island is the 6th largest island in the United States, which just goes to show that we do not have many islands within our borders.  Gambell, Lucy's home, is about 36 miles from the Chukchi Pennisula in Siberia, Russia.  She is attending the Yukon Presbytery meeting, hosted at University Community Presbyterian Church.  I volunteered to house her and when I left Pioneer Park, it had been my intent to go home, but instead I found myself driving over to the church.

They were just settling into the scripture reading and sermon when I arrived and I stayed, so I could take her home, but also because I wanted to be there.  It was one of those moments when I was actually listening to my soul speak and was guided to what I needed.  Then, when we drove home, magic!  On the horizon I saw the aurora and pointed them out to Lucy.  She said she does not see them as often as we do because it is so often cloudy in the Bering Sea - only in the deep of winter when it is exceptionally cold.  As we drove, we watched the light patterns expand from a suggestion of lines across the horizon to well defined displays.

I took photos, of course, and they are not stellar.  I don't have the caliber of camera needed and I was not in the vantage point to get a full sky image, and I really had no experience of taking photos of the aurora.  But in keeping with many other shots I've published,  the photos suggest what I saw from my deck tonight.  I say "suggests" because I never quite got it right.  All I could see at first was black and had to trust I was point the right way.  Then I increased the magnitude and got more color, but lost the perspective.  I know I needed to change a setting, but in the dark, I really was not sure which one that could be.  I was really surprised that I actually captured some images!

The anomaly of the digital world, however, is that the images render well on the display screen of my digital camera, but have not translated well into iPhoto.  So what I have below, unedited can only be seen when opened to the full size and on my laptop, the screen must be tilted in just the right way.  In that way it is true to life, as aurora when quiet, although visible to the human eye across the entire expanse of sky, are subtle and elusive.

What joy that my eye can see clearly what the camera and computer can not.

Cutter - Again

8 October 2012
8:23 PM

Sunrise at	8:24 AM	in direction	103°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:51 PM	in direction	257°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 10 hours, 27 minutes (6 minutes, 39 seconds shorter than yesterday)

Cutter sits on command.  He also has decided he does not like going downstairs with JayJay during the day - even if yummy filled bones are offered.  He never took to any of the dog beds lying around the house - not once.  I kept trying to place them near where he likes to sleep at night.  He would just move.  Finally, I brought up a collapsible crate, set it up with the padding that he did accept from downstairs and waited.

I saw him go in and then back out several times.  Then he lay down just in front of the entrance.  I inwardly sighed.  Oh, well - good try.  But, when I woke in the morning, he was comfortably stretched out inside.  He has a spot of his own that comes closer to the cushy comfort sought by the other three dogs.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

It looks as though Cutter will join my son's very lonely Alaskan husky in Talkeetna over the winter.  Arlo howls and howls and howls when left alone without another dog.  He goes everywhere in Lorien's car since his closest pack mates are here in Fairbanks.  Lorien and I have talked this back and forth ever since Aliy made the determination that Cutter could leave the kennel.  For awhile, Lorien considered changing his living arrangement, which put everything on hold.  Then he decided to stay where he was and now wants Cutter to join him and Arlo.  His goal is to be able to skijor and he told me more about Arlo's reaction to skiing with him alone.

I should ask Aliy to explain more about it, but Lorien told me something about dog behavior, and especially in sled dogs, that I had not known before.  He said they do better when with other dogs because they compete with one another.  He said the competition is pulling on their innate instinct to hunt as a pack and they are pushing one another to run down their quarry.  Without that Arlo starts out happy. "Yippee.  I get to run."  But not so very long after, he is bored - there is no other to test himself against.

Cutter will get needed exercise; I won't buy a sled (sad face).  He continues to have a loving home in our family (see Photos from Yesterday's Mushing Lesson for a photo Lorien and his good friend Arlo).  Over the winter, I will still get to see him when Lorien comes up to visit and I go south - which is turning out to be frequent.  Still, he is my best dog in many regards so I want him home over the summer.  His sweetness is genuine.  His appreciation of what we give him, touching.  His stoic personality is very welcome and I might add quite the contrast from Queen JayJay, General Aria, and Covert Agent Mira Bai. 

Healing, Goodbye to Baliem Valley and Onto A Futuristic World

7 October 2012
9:55 PM

Sunrise at	8:21 AM	in direction	102°	East-southeast
Sunset at	6:55 PM	in direction	258°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 10 hours, 33 minutes (6 minutes, 39 seconds shorter than yesterday)

I am better.  Each day I make progress although mornings are still given over to clearing out congestion that accumulated over night; it just doesn't go on all day.  I will return to work tomorrow.

The forecast is interesting.   I mentioned yesterday that snow was in the forecast for those who lived above 2500 feet.  Here is the report for tomorrow:

Columbus Day: Rain. Snow level lowering to 2000 feet elevation in the afternoon. Areas of fog. Highs in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Light winds.

Monday Night: Cloudy. Rain and snow ending in the evening. Above 1000 feet elevation...less than an inch snow accumulation. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. Light winds.

I don't recall the forecast being so precise in suggesting where the snow line will be, but the message is clear.  It is getting colder and be prepared for slippery roads as the weather slides toward winter.  The days are darkening, as evidenced by the length of the day.  We are already well behind those further to south.  I am just glad I don't live in Barrow!

I finished reading the tale of survival and rescue from the Baliem Valley in what is now called Papua.  It was Dutch Guinea at war time.  Confusing is the fact that the country is divided in half and to the east is Papua New Guinea. The settlement where the army air corps base, Hollandia, is now Jayapura.  The Baliem Valley had been charted by Richardd Archbold, but not recorded on maps that the Army had access to.  So when reconnaissance planes unexpectedly flew into the valley, it was considered a new discovery.  Google Map shows the outline of the valley clearly now and the lives of its inhabitants changed forever with the war and it becoming known to the "civilized" world.

Nearly 20% of the book was footnotes and references, which strangely, I read through page by page.   The historian in me, I am sure, loved seeing where each scrap of information he provided us came from.  At the end was a compendium of books that I can read to continue my pursuit of knowledge about that region.  Living in Honiara for a month impressed me deeply.  It is a part of my life I will never forget.

Now I am reading a futuristic novel, Ship Breaker.  When the one of the main characters was referred to as "Boss Girl", I felt shock - were these children working in the bowels of scrapped ships of a bygone era?  That fact was confirmed soon after.

While summer is a time of constant movement, celebration, outdoor get-togethers, and travel, winter is a time to pull inside for quiet absorption through reading, watching movies and TV series, and in my case writing.  The house becomes a safe haven, out of the elements - warm, comfortable, and inviting.  The dark days are lit by Blue Max lamps rated at 96 CRI.  I read the most, write the most, and watch the most HULU programs through winter.  I may even invest in more memory for my computer and buy a few games for my disc.

My illness catalyzed activities that foreshadow many evenings at home in the next few months. 

Being Sick and New Guinea

6 October 2012
7:00 PM

Sunrise at	8:18 AM	in direction	101°	East
Sunset at	6:58 PM	in direction	258°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 10 hours, 40 minutes (6 minutes, 39 seconds shorter than yesterday)

I have been sick for nearly two weeks.  This is a long time for me.  I usually knock this type of illness right out, but with the temperatures remaining warm while the rain keeps it moist, mold spores are everywhere.  Based on mold counts on another day I was unexpectedly coughing and congested over the summer, I think this does not help.  I never experienced this in Colorado.  The high, and truly dry climate seems to suit me better.

I stayed home two days last week, and then again two days this week.  I have not gone out of the house for two days and I truly have developed an early case of cabin fever. I have played Mahjongg Dimensions to the point of seeing the tiles when I close my eyes.  I have gotten very fast and good at it, but I am reaching satiation on that particular game.  I have watched all the hulu.com TV shows I said I was interested in, and in desperation started watching the classic show, My Favorite Martian.  It is funny at times, and cute, and believe me - when you are seeking anything to take your mind off of being in bed, wearing pajamas all day, sipping yet another cup of tea and eating chicken noodles soup - it serves.

I periodically look out at the autumn landscape.  The leaves on the ground are turning brown.  The Equisetum Horsetail is completely tan.  The grass of our lawn persists, as do the pansies, Johnny Jump Ups and foliage of the Columbines.  But everywhere else, the perennial native flora has pulled their life energy inward to survive the winter.

I am better.  Not as much better as I would like to be, but definitely better.  Today I began reading Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure and the Most Daring Rescue Mission of World War II.  The title isn't the only thing that is long, I have read 4 chapters and am only 7% through it on my Kindle.  The author, Mitchell Zuckoff, was provided with many letters, journals and Army records for the project.  And he visited with folks that lived through that time.  But I find myself wondering how he will make it into 384 pages worth of details.  It is the story of an sight-seeing flight in the hills of New Guinea that crashes, the three survivors, and their subsequent rescue. 

Nevertheless, it reads well and since I was in Honiara, Solomon Islands, not far from Papua New Guinea for a research project, I have vivid pictures of the landscape from my own adventure into the bush of Guadalcanal Island.  So, I deem this a good way to offset the impeding cold weather of winter.    Inexorably, winter settles in.  Right now the expected snow level is 2500 feet.  Fairbanks is at 400 feet above sea level.  We are probably between 800 feet and 1000 feet at our house, so I am not expecting snow.  Yet, in looking at the predictions for next week, it remains above 40F for a few days and then the highs drop to the 30F range.  Snow will soon follow the rain, and not melt.

Agile - Not Yet

3 October 2012
8:36 PM

Sunrise at	8:09 AM	in direction	98°	East
Sunset at	7:09 PM	in direction	261°	West

Duration of day: 11 hours (6 minutes, 38 seconds shorter than yesterday)

Aria and I have been in agility training together without progressing very much for a while now.  This is our 4th Fall going into classes for agility.  We have not been in class both fall and spring for various reasons.  The first year we were in the fall class and making progress, but we tried to breed her in the spring.  We then could have restarted Fundamentals I, but missed the slot and took random classes here and there.  We were able to get into the second semester of Fundamentals that spring.   The following fall, we started again in novice.  We missed several classes due to Gary's illness and my mother's situation.  As we were just getting our stride, and ready for spring, that class was cancelled because it conflicted with something else in the barn where we train.  We took the class this summer, and we made good progress, but they deemed us not ready to advance to Intermediate and we are repeating the entire novice year again. 

On Thursday, our first class, I found myself wondering if we would EVER get passed novice.  We did really well at the onset.  Our task was to come out of a tunnel, do two jumps and return.  She followed beautifully.  Then our task was to not go to the second jump but return.  She followed beautifully.  Finally we needed to change entries into the tunnel and intersperse all of that with going to the table or doing one or two jumps.  She did all of it wonderfully.

Then we had three jumps in a row.  She took the first, went around the second and jumped the third.  She did that several times - very weird.  We stopped at two and she jumped both.  Finally, we moved back up to three and she did fine.  Then again I was to stop at the second jump and she responded.  Not going forward because I am not going forward does not appear to be the issue.  Getting her to go on is the issue.

Finally we had a tunnel and one jump and she and I did every combination every direction we could think of and she did them all wonderfully.  We were ready for our final run through of the evening.  First several jumps and tunnels were fine.  Then she knocked off a bar in a big jump and following that failed to negotiate a pin wheel.  I remember that same type of turn was our Waterloo in our very first fundamentals class.  You are blasting out of several jumps and then suddenly want her to make a turn to the right.  I was too far ahead of her and she missed it - and went under it.  Then we could not get her to jump it from the angle to matter where I started.  Then I finally set her up to look at it straight on and she did fine and went to the weaves.  She missed one the first time but second time was fine and completed the course with no problem. 

Everyone thought if I'd been more smooth she would have made that turn.  Or if I hadn't gotten so far ahead of her she would have made it or ... it is really easy to criticize another person isn't it?  The question was what would you like to have done better?  Apparently everyone had some strong ideas on what I could do better.  Oddly, none of them were what I thought I should do to prepare her for that jump.  I watched how one woman took time to treat her dog after a series of jumps and in doing so gave herself and the dog a chance to position for the next series of jumps.  It made me think of two things.  One is I should have been slower for Aria (which is weird because she is usually ahead of me).  Then before the turn to the right I should have stopped her, given her a treat, and then given her a clear indication that I wanted her to go over the jump to her right.  I think that would have helped her a lot.

But, the sad thing is I may not follow through with the best of intentions.  I am not a good trainer.  It is easier with JayJay because she follows me absolutely and won't do it at all if she doesn't know exactly what I want.  Aria is a thinker and will offer me what she thinks is a good solution and I don't know how to get her out of doing that and instead do what I ask.

I can see us in novice forever - absolutely forever.