nopin

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Warming up... gradually

So, temps look to be in the -30s F today, as our recent cold snap releases its grip from our collective throat. Thursday, I walked across campus to borrow some stuff from the friends in the physics building, and realized that I didn't have to cover my face. So Friday morning, I took the girls for a brief run, and felt comfortably warm, and the girls ran on on four paws, instead of three at a time, while keeping one warmly tucked against their bellies.

On my way into campus today, I saw an oddly familiar sight that I hadn't seen in a while--a packed tour bus. Evidently, Fairbanks is a big tourist destination for the Japanese in Winter, particularly for honeymooners. I think they believe it is good luck to conceive a baby under the Northern Lights. Well, this luck will be stingy givin' for a few years, as the solar cycle is at its minimum, and the Northern Lights will be infrequent and less spectacular. I read some tourist literature that informed its readers that if one stays in Fairbanks for 3 nights, he would have a 70% chance of seeing the Northern Lights. I hope no one books a flight based on this misinformation! I have only seen the Northern Lights about 5 times this Winter so far.

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