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So I've told myself all summer long that I was going down to the train station and rail yard to shoot trains... now summer is over and I still haven't made it down there. It's always one thing or another, and the important things get put off or pushed aside. Not work, or paying of the bills, or the necessary chores we must perform to keep our lives and families running like a well oiled machine... I mean the things that give us reason to work. Our passions, our desires, our dreams... those things that give us reason to get up and push through the mundane. Every day I get up and tell myself that I will not waste a minute of the day, that I will 'eat desert first because life is too short'... and every day inevitably something, or several somethings get in the way. So, today once again I resolve to make every minute count... to take time to do some of the things I love... maybe I'll get down to the rail station today and spend some time. After all, life is too short...
I know I said I had more photographs to post but only got around to this one...Kind of a bad week for me as my son is leaving Alaska for Alabama Saturday...He's marrying a beautiful little girl who we love very much, but still, it's so hard to see him go... he says they may be back in the spring for the upcoming work season, so I guess we will see... anyway... I probably won't post anymore this week...
It's been awhile since I have been here... the end of summer has been a rush.Things are quieter now, the tourists have gone home...The air is a bit cooler...The leaves are changing...The mood is quiet and somber as we soak up the last few warm days of the season and contemplate the long winter ahead.Time to prepare...Mentally as well as physically.Although here in Fairbanks we don't have to deal with as much darkness as some places further north, our days become very short, very dark, and very, very, cold.
I've seen -60 degree temperatures here in the interior... you get use to it. You learn to adjust.
For all the hardships the weather brings, I still would not live anywhere else... (although 4 years ago when I moved here from southern Alabama, I was sure I would freeze to death!!!)So we drove the Denali Highway yesterday, about 100 miles of dirt road!!! Some of the most amazing scenery you can imagine, and no matter how hard one tries, you can never quite capture the breathtaking glory of the mountains...So I share with you the last few glimpses of Autumn... I have more images to post, so will probably be back in a day or two with those...
I had to laugh, because a Sunday drive turned into a 500 mile excursion!!! Easy to do in these parts!!! But well worth it!!!And well worth doing again...
I managed to escape, once more, to the serenity of George Lake... probably the last trip out there for the season I'm sorry to say. Accessible only by jet boat, air boat or float plane, this is truly is a peaceful spot, and a wonderful place to get away from the stresses of every day life. This shot was pure luck... we were actually on our way back out along the river, flying along in a jet boat and I looked up and there he was... a beautiful young bald eagle... as large as an adult but not old enough to have his color yet... He was moving, we were moving... all I could do was point my camera up and hope for the best!!! I fired off a number of shots and ended up with this!!! It struck me, watching him, how beautiful, simple and harmonious life can be... how life goes on all around us and how much we truly miss. This is yet another lesson for me, to keep me going and making the effort to appreciate all this land has to offer. To fill my life with peace, love and beautiful things... and to avoid the conflict and turmoil that seems to engulf, not the world itself, but mankind. The sun rises and sets, the earth turns, and life goes on in spite of us.
I want to be part of that...
Another morning at the lake... I think I need many more of these before the Winter sets in.Not in the greatest of moods over the past few days, aches and pains from old injuries acting up so I've been a bit short fused... very out of character for me.So this morning I am taking a deep breath, a handful of Advil and regrouping. Maybe an ice pack or two!!!Then I intend to search for the perfect piece of ground with a lakefront view and get busy with putting the finishing touches on a design for a wonderful little house. It's very open, not many walls, lots of light and air. A loft for studio space and plenty of room for Bud to have his own office. It's a very casual plan, and suits us perfectly. There are things we are both wanting to pursue and we will need to have a good base of operations... for us, there is no place like home. I've never been one for big fancy houses... too much wasted unused space. But for now I'm grabbing an ice pack and putting my feet up and hopefully tomorrow, I'll feel a bit better.
Up early this morning... I'm not really a morning person, but was reminded today how much I miss by indulging myself in just "5 more minutes". (Which inevitably turns into 10, then 15... then 20...)So this morning was the exception to the rule. I found myself out, once again, at Moose Lake. This place is fast becoming one of my favorite spots.It struck me as I looked at the photographs I took this morning, how, by just turning my head to the right or to the left, the world looks completely different.I spend a lot of time out here, and have taken quite a few photos, all of them different... all of them unique.Amazing... how much we take for granted.Each and every day, we get a do over...Every time we open our eyes is another chance to see the world in a whole new light...Move to the left, move to the right, turn your head, spin around... open your eyes and what do you see?Isn't life amazing???The world around us is constantly changing, and magnificently beautiful.If this is a dream... then perhaps... just 5 more minutes...
Well, admittedly not the most picturesque scene...However, driving home from Eielson AFB yesterday I shot this to show you what we are dealing with here in the 'Interior'... (an affection term we Alaskan's use to describe the middle of the state where we live)...Smoke from several forest and brush fires burning to the west and blowing our way, this is the result. Actually, in the few years I've lived in Fairbanks this is not the worst I've seen... 2006 was way worse.I don't have breathing problems or issues with the smoke (although according to the experts, when it gets to this point, it is actually really not healthy to breath)... I love the smell of smoke. But after a few days one does long for fresh air, it does get oppressive. This was taken at 2PM yesterday afternoon... this morning we woke to find the smoke was even thicker. It has started to rain now, which may serve to quiet the fires somewhat, and calm the air. Unpredictable at best. Since moving here, I have seen a summer of smoke, a summer of cold and rain, a summer of bees... I know there was another but it escapes me right now. So far this has been a summer of heat and now smoke. I like the smoke, it keeps the temperatures down, which in my opinion, is the lesser of two evils... LOL... I am on my way out the door in a few minutes... I'll keep you posted!!!
This 4th of July weekend was spent out on George Lake just south of Delta Junction, Alaska.Not being particularly fond of water myself I was a bit apprehensive about the boat ride... (the jet boat ride) across the silt laden Tanana River. Much to my dismay the water was just as high, brown, and fast moving as it always is... but 2 or 3 minutes into the trip I found myself actually enjoying the ride...(Of course the fact that our "Captain" for the weekend is a good friend of ours and had cinched my life vest just a bit tighter than anyone elses, and was particularly attentive helped, and I started to relax...) By the time we reached the creek that links the river and the lake I was too fascinated to remember how frightened I am of water... we flew along this snakelike stretch of water, skimming over fallen trees and grasslands effortlessly... in a stretch of probably 1/4 mile we probably saw 5 large moose cows grazing along the banks. That is until we came along!!!As we approached the lake the shoreline fell away on either side to reveal George Lake. Dotted along the shoreline by the occasional vacation cabin... beautiful, clear and sparkling. Like so many places here in Alaska, pristine... We jetted across the lake and found ourselves at camp. A wonderful secluded patch of ground adorned with two large cabins and an open air kitchen.Words can't express how quickly the stress of the 'real world' fades away in a place like this.We fished, we swam, myself rather tentatively for the most part.We enjoyed a huge campfire complete with roasted marshmallows...And the company of two very special friends.The most perplexing question of the day was whether, in fact, we were skinny dipping or chunky dunking...I can't wait to go back...
Yesterday morning was spent sitting in the gravel on a lake with my toes in the cool water.There was a young moose cow grazing along the bank on the other side of the lake. I shot a few frames but couldn't do the scene justice so I just set down the camera and took it all in... the sun, the breeze, the feel of the cool water and sand on my feet... Today I'm going back, I will take my camera as well as a piece of dichroic glass I am working on. I had started out the week with a chunk of turquois, but couldn't seem to wrap my brain around it and after several failed attempts to find a direction for the piece, I finally just put it down. This same piece of rock has sat looking at me for over a year. Sometimes it just happens that way. One day I will glance over and shout 'EUREKA!!!" And create something beautiful, all the while wondering why I didn't 'think of that in the first place'!!!For now, I am packing up the truck and headed down the road to one of my 'secret spots' where I will take the time to appreciate exactly what life is all about once more...
