Summer is summering!

Lookie this Teeny Tiny Orb Weaver! I posted it to a Facebook group called "Spiders of Alaska" thinking it was a baby, but nope. Apparently it's a fully grown adult male.

These wild Arctic roses are the earlier blooming flowers each year. They smell sweet and faint, like you had put on a dab of rose perfume earle in the day and now it's evening.

And bluebells are the other early bloomer that shows up en masse.

Last Saturday we hiked to the top of Wickersham Dome. It was also the first truly warm day of the season and we were all quite hot! We finished all of our water, which is generally a bad sign (I think one should always carry excess water). But I think we were not in real danger because we were with a group and on a well-known trail. I photographed some pretty mountain flowers, like this anemone:

And these Dame's Rockets:

And one of my favorites, these teeny-tiny mountain azaleas:

And another of my favorites, woolly lousewort:

Phew! They were pooped afterwards! They even let me take a break from Second Walk!

We are also switching back to warm-weather foods, like sticky noodles:

And fully loaded huevos rancheros, with beans for extra fiber and protein:

And omelettes:

A champagne problem for DL: Every meal is a battle to free him from Cricket snuggles.

Two-paw days are harder than one-paw days:

Wishing all 17 of my readers a Happy Summer!

Spring has sprung

Like a punch in the face, but a very lovely one! All green stuff all around, and the scent of rain on alder shoots. A sweet, cloying scent joined it this morning, which has to mean flowering things. Chokecherry trees are not uncommon around Fairbanks. Our power company used to give out saplings, because as they cut the tall trees along the power line rights of way, they don't want to just leave us with stumps or bare earth, so they give out trees that don't grow very high. However, in recent years as the climate has warmed, chokecherries have come to be considered an invasive. Oops.

Both the girls were due for updated shots, so to the vet we went. Look how calm they are!

Cricket updated her rabies.

And Raven updated her kennel cough.

And just last weekend! What have we here?

Finally something for the bees! Violas!

And dandelions!

Bluebells will be soon! I saw their buds!

Spring is springing

Apologies for the long lapse in posting. It has been an exhausting winter, and it's been slow to end. But spring is springing at last! The willows are putting out their fluffy little catkins, which is usually the sign of true warm weather. Migratory birds arrive when it's still cold!

The Isberg Trail is now pretty much snow-free.

Do you think they are comfy? I sure hope they are comfy.

Yesterday we decided to walk part of the Equinox Trail, on the side of Ester Dome.

Selfie!

Did I succeed in making this twig in front of a trickle of rainwater look like a log in front of a waterfall?

Here we are at the bottom of the infamous Chute. The race course has you run down it. I have done the race 3 times and each time *walked* down it, very carefully!

My fuzzy things on the couch!

And what have we here?

Fairy slippers, just appeared this morning!

Moseying up to the ridge.

There is a steep bit here, too. The Isberg Chute!

Raven

Cricket

Classic Fairbanks birch shot:

Happy Spring to all 14 of my loyal readers!

It's Official! Aaaaand... More Signs of Spring

Look! We officially got the Coldest Winter on Record!

Having lived through Fairbanks' Coldest Winter in Recorded History (records starting in 1904) has gotta be some real bragging rights! OK enough of that. Now we are transitioning to spring. This upcoming weekend may be our last weekend skiing until the creek opens up and we lose trail access. The snow has gotten hard packed into ice and I am walking the girls in Icebugs. Snow is dripping off rooftops and making icicles. For us it's our drainspouts!

DL has to cut a channel to drain this one, otherwise it makes a patch of ice behind the house.

It was "only" this amount of total snow accumulation though. It would have made for nicer skiing, had it not been so cold.

Last weekend I felt confident enough in the spring that I put away my heavy coats and boots and got out some lighter clothes and unlined Bean boots. I'm ready for mud season!

Last weekend, DL and I joined the 1200 in Fairbanks and 8.1 million nationwide to stand for democracy.

I like the UU church. :)

The girls' winter coats will start dumping soon. I thought I'd photograph peak fuzzy paws. Here is Cricket's peak fuzz:

And here is Raven's:

Here they are snuggling with Daaaaaaaaddy:

And here is my midterm exam prep!

When I was in my 20s, the "common wisdom" for women in male-dominated fields was to dress like a man and act like a man and for Heaven's sake quit bringing cookies to events. It undermines you and makes you look like you are a server not an engineer in your own right. Well screw that! I want to bring cookies because I'm nice, and my students deserve cookies!! And I have tenure now so!

A few weeks ago I attended the thesis defense of a very bright young lady I had known since she was a freshman. She wore a flowy, floral dress and I was sort of fascinated and delighted at how much times had changed. I'd *never* have worn a floral print dress when I was her age. It would have been considered unprofessional. But now it's 30 years later, and women can look feminine if they damn well want to! I took photos of her standing in front of per presentation and sent them to her and told her I was so proud.😍

Happy Spring!

Sunrise: approximately 7:54 AM AKDT
Sunset: approximately 8:06 PM AKDT