Monthly Archives: October 2011
Hockey Karma
Alaska had their annual hockey tourney this weekend, and we had Anchorage, Nebraska Omaha and Mercyhurst in town for what turned out to be some pretty good hockey. I went to three of the four games and saw the Alaska schools sweep.
I noticed the Golden Gophers swept Duluth as well. Not a bad hockey weekend at all.
But what’s with those Longhorns?
Liberty Falls
These falls were right behind my campsite on the way to Chitina. The sun was already setting when I arrived, but I tried to take a few pictures with the 120 shooter. The color shot was the last on the roll, then I switched over to B&W to see how the camera runs through that. By the time I switched, and then hiked up closer to the falls, it was definitely dusk. Still, I kind of like it dark…
On a side note, and in an effort to vent: People are pigs. Absolute, squealing, blasted pigs. My site wasn’t bad, but it was off and by itself. Garbage was spewn over the other sites, and they left out “family packs” of chicken, probably bought at Wal-Mart, still full of chicken juice. In grizzly bear country! As far as I am concerned, whoever left the packs derserve to meet up with a hungry bruin as it fattens up for hibernation, but don’t drag the rest of us into your quest to become bear scat. Damn, was I one cranky SOB when I walked around cleaning up after the a*******. I met a young couple who had just spent the day at the mines; they found things even worse at their site. But we’re a family friendly blog here at Circle to Circle, and I won’t relate what was found. Mainly because I can’t relay the information without cussing in full color.
If you come to Alaska to experience this incredibly beautiful country, we’d really appreciate it if you cleaned up after yourselves, you filthy bastards.
The Old 66 Can Still Shoot
Not bad colors from a fifty year old camera. I’m curious to get it out again.
Ahhh… it was so nice that weekend, the sun was out, the leaves still had color, and I was in a t-shirt! And today? Today we had snow in the air all day, and I don’t think we went above 31 degs.
The Back Yard
Forty-eight hours ago, The Pond was open water, with only a little icing over in the corners showing up overnight. Twenty-four hours ago, The Pond had a sheen of ice across most of its surface, but it melted over the course of the day. Today, The Pond is frozen over, and I have serious doubts that we will see open water until next April or May.
Welcome to the countdown.
Pre-Retro?
WordPress, like much of the planet, have some tributes going around to Steve Jobs & Apple. I haven’t ventured over to the “Computer” categories on here, but I have seen some of the new themes offered. One has the Retro Label: It offers the original Macintosh as a backdrop, with several early Mac “features” for your page.
Now, I admit, I didn’t exactly jump on the Apple Bandwagon. It was more like someone bought me a ticket and I’ve been going back to ride the line ever since. I’m not a computer guy at all; I get as amused with people waiting to hear The Keynote, as they get frustrated by my obvious apathy. To go even further with the sacrilege: A computer is just another tool in my world. Just like a cell phone is only a tool to be used at my convenience. If I want to talk to someone I have it on me, when I don’t feel like being interrupted, I forget the phone in the truck. Contrary to popular belief, a cell phone can be ‘misplaced’ for an entire weekend, and miraculously found on Monday morning.
But don’t get me wrong. I totally understand the homage and respect being shown to Steve Jobs this past week. I even thought the Apple logo with the Jobs profile bitten out of it was a pretty cool design. The man was arguably a genius and he developed a line of products that swept the world. Still… is a Macintosh already retro?
La Nina vs. Interior Alaska
The Experts at The Climate Prediction Center are calling for “enhanced chances that the three-month average temperature (Dec-Feb) will be significantly colder than normal across much of Interior Alaska as well as from the Aleutian Islands to the panhandle. There are also enhanced chances of significantly below normal precipitation across much of the eastern Interior”.
Sweet.
Oddly enough, we’re already behind schedule, as it were. The first hard frost was already two weeks late from average. By October 1 we have usually had our first snowfall of an inch or more, but we haven’t seen any of the evil white stuff yet this year.
But one thing we all agree on: It Is Coming.
“He travels fastest who travels alone . . . but not after the frost has dropped below zero fifty degrees or more. —Yukon Code. —“To Build A Fire”
Getting The Itch
“Under the big oak trees of my place at Sag Harbor sat Rocinante, handsome and self-contained, and neighbors came to visit, some neighbors we didn’t even know we had. I saw in their eyes something I was to see over and over in every part of the nation – a burning desire to go, to move, to get under way, anyplace, away from Here. They spoke quietly of how they wanted to go someday, to move about, free and unanchored, not toward something but away from something. I saw this look and heard this yearning everywhere in every state I visited. Nearly every American hungers to move. One small boy about thirteen years old came back every day. He stood apart shyly and looked at Rocinante; he peered in the door, even lay on the ground and studied the heavy-duty springs. He was a silent, ubiquitous small boy. He even came at night to stare at Rocinante. After a week he could stand it no longer. His words wrestled their way hellbent through his shyness. He said, ‘If you’ll take me with you, why, I’ll do anything. I’ll cook, I’ll wash all the dishes, and do all the work and I’ll take care of you.’
Unfortunately for me I knew his longing. ‘I wish I could,’ I said. ‘But the school board and your parents and lots of others say I can’t.’
‘I’ll do anything,’ he said. And I believe he would. I don’t think he ever gave up until I drove away without him. He had the dream I’ve had all my life, and there is no cure.”
—John Steinbeck
“Travels With Charley”
That way lies madness.
Chitina!
Chitina, Alaska.
Population as of the 2000 census: 123.
The Dipnetting Capital of Alaska, Chitina sits along the Copper River where it meets the Chitina River.
Salmon Rules.
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