A sunset in Montana, while riding Amtrak’s Empire Builder.
Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak 35mm, Ektar 100
Category Archives: photography
Chutes Montmorency
Going back over the falls:
Québec, Canada
Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak 35mm, Ektar 100
Snowy Pioneer Park
Historic cabins within the park
I spent some time walking through Pioneer Park, which was originally known as Alaskaland. The temperature was hovering just above zero at the time, and there was absolutely no one else in the park. None of the buildings were open either, with the tourist season running from Memorial Weekend to Labor Day Weekend.
The Last Lady of the River
The SS Nenana today:
In 1957, the SS Nenana was brought to Fairbanks. She was docked on the Chena River and became a restaurant and boatel. By 1960, her new owners were not making enough money in the venture, so the Nenana sat unused until 1965. During that time, souvenir hunters hit the old sternwheeler hard.
The 100th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska was closing in at that time. “Alaskaland”, a borough park dedicated to Fairbanks history, had just opened, and the SS Nenana would be a welcomed addition. A channel was dug from the Chena River to the park, and the old sternwheeler was floated in.
That is where one can find her today. In 1986, the Nenana saw an extensive restoration. Working off of old photos and the original floor plan, the renovation took six years. Some original items from the ship were found, others had to be fabricated.
The SS Nenana is one of only three steam-powered passenger sternwheelers left in the United States, and of the three, the Nenana is the largest. She is also the first sternwheeler to be built from blue-prints.
Time and the elements have once again taken their toll on the Nenana. Recently, the borough has closed the interior of the ship to summer tours. Another renovation of the old sternwheeler looks to be on the horizon. Without it, the ship will be dismantled. The “Friends of the SS Nenana” are gearing up to “stabilize and restore this one of a kind piece of history”.
SS Nenana display at the Noel Wien Library, Fairbanks; installed by the Friends of the SS Nenana, notice the original blue prints
Along the shores of Lake Erie
An early morning, September hike along the shoreline of Lake Erie.
Location: Rock Point Provincial Park; Camera: Leica M3; Film: Kodak 35mm Ektar 100
A pair of Trumpeters
A pair of trumpeter swans are annual summer residents of the neighborhood. They nest off of a large shallow lake in the back forty, but usually arrive before the ice has gone out. For the first few weeks, they can be seen swimming in, what is really no more than a glorified puddle, until the lake thaws. The swans are not often seen in this small pond near the cabins, but they do make an appearance or two every summer. This visit took place in August of 2018.
Camera: Leica M3/135mm Leitz lens; Film: Kodak 35mm, Ektar 100
Winter Wonder
“He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.”
— John Burroughs
Happy Winter Solstice
High noon in Alaska’s Interior
It’s going to be an active Solstice, with a Full “Cold Moon”, and the Ursid meteor shower. The American Meteor Society expects peak activity to be around 11 sporadic meteors per hour just before dawn in the mid-Northern Hemisphere. With the full moon, they may be a tad difficult to spot.
Also early Friday morning, Mercury and Jupiter can be seen in the southeast sky just before dawn at only .9 degrees apart, which is about two moon-diameters.
The Fairbanks Weather Almanac:
Details for Dec 20, 2018
Low Temp………….. -24F
Avg Low………….. -13F
Record Low……….. -48F
High Temp……………- 7F
Avg High…………….+ 5F
Record High………….+40F
Wind……………….. 0 mph
Sunrise……………. 10:59am
Sunset…………….. 2:41pm
Length of Day………. 3 hours, 42 minutes; which was NO LOSS from the previous day!
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