Monthly Archives: January 2021

Trust Me Guys

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This is a weird day, typical of a year of weird weather. One day six inches of snow falls. A few days later, the temperature rises well above freezing and all the snow falls off all the trees. Maybe in a week or even a few days, snowy winter may return. 

            There are positives about today’s conditions even though wind and rain slam the car while I park it along the edge of Fritz Cove. Rain starts to soak my parka as I walk to where I can get a good view of a half-a-dozen sea lions. They are chasing feed near the mouth of a small creek. I’ve caught silver salmon while trolling past this sight on summer days. Today sea lions are doing something similar. Three or four of them pull up half out of the water and caste me hard stares. Don’t worry my hungry friends, I’ve already put away my salmon gear for the winter. 

Charged Up Poodle

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We grabbed our snow shoes when we left the house this morning. With snow accumulating in glacier country, Aki’s other owner and I wanted to make sure we could still travel over the moraine. There was no need for the snowshoes. Others before us have already stomped a nice little trail around Moose Lake. 

            Heavy snow clung to all the trees and bushes lining the trail. The snow pulled down the thinner trunks, forcing us to slip under some of them if we wanted to make it round the lake. If the temperature continues to drop, we will be able to cross the lake ice. Aki doesn’t care. She is on fire today, dashing down the trail then flying back toward us. When not running, she stops to sniff spots under trees where snow can’t reach.   

Deep Slice of Winter

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Finally, some sticking snow. At least that what Aki’s other owner and I think as we head up Basin Road. I had to shovel five inches of it off the driveway to open up a path toward the mountains. It’s snowed off and on the past few days but the weather was too warm for the flakes to even reach the ground. All that changed last night.

            A neighbor carrying cross country skis shouts out, “Happy new year” as she headed toward the Perseverance Trail. In the past I’ve skied into the mountains from our home on mornings like this. But now, the temperature is already climbing and rain will soon shrink last night’s snow blanket. According to the weather service, we are about to be hammered by warm, rain gray. 

Only a Row of Mergansers

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This morning, when no wind disturbed the spruce trees lining Mendenhall Lake, Aki and walked from the Old Skater’s Cabin to the Mendenhall River. The parking lot was empty when we started. No humans were there walking the trail or posing for selfies on the lake shore. It would have perfect if eagles or even crows showed themselves. But, as far as the dog and I could tell, we had the beauty to ourselves.

            I wasn’t too bothered by the lack of wildlife. When we left the lake shore for the river trail, we might be greeted by the small family of swans that winter on the river. Because of the softening weather patterns, some birds have decided to spend the whole year here. Canada geese fly over the tidal meadows most winter days. They are much noisier than the golden eyes, mallards, and mergansers that watch them fly over.

            It was one of those high cloud days, where the light was gray but nothing could interfere with our views of mountain ridges and glacier tops. I could see patches of blue sky above the glacier, which formed a turquoise colored snake out of the ice. 

            I was disappointed by a lack of swans on the river. But on the opposite side of the river, a long line of mergansers slept on the snow-covered beach.  

Aki Takes Control

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Aki and I were late to start our walk today. She had been stuck in the house all morning, which I had spent in the local park with our  neighborhood Tai Chi group. I was in a great mood while walking back to get Aki. Thick clouds had broken up open over the park, letting sunshine make new snow on the cottonwood trees sparkle.

            The little dog didn’t greet me at the door. She didn’t appear for a treat when I heated up a quick lunch in the microwave. It took me 10 minutes to find her hiding under the bed. She only acknowledged my presence after her other human carried out from under the bed.

            Knowing how things had to be this late on the last day of the year, I surrendered all decision-control to the ten pound poodle. Knowing this, she stopped every few seconds to pee or smell something left by another dog. In what seemed like a day’s worth of daylight, we wandered onto the flats near the Federal Building, wandering up narrow streets and across footbridges until I had enough. I thought I’d would have had to carry the little poodle up the hill. But Aki relinquished control, to voluntarily follow me home.