I am still busy preparing for my First Friday, but I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I even had time today to write my family newsletter. I haven't printed it, or created my holiday cards, but I hope to get to all of that at least by the 15th. It will be good to breathe freely again - and get back on a regular sleep schedule. I've got my days and nights mixed up, but it's working out OK. With Steve being on day work this week, he has to get up at 3:30am. I just stay up until he gets up. He gets the bed to himself, which leads to a more restful sleep for him, and I get the silence of the wee hours to work uninterrupted. Even the dog and the cat are asleep!

I never finished up with my gratitude entries for November. I left off on November 21st - the day before Thanksgiving. I did write them down in my paper journal - quick scribbles made in an attempt to remain sane. Although it's now December, I wanted to finish what I started for the month of November. I admit that there were some days when I was really grasping to find something to be thankful for. I was tired and overworked, and the stress was messing with my mood and my sleep patterns.

We are down to 4 hours and 39 minutes of day (but have about 7 hours of visible light). Sleeping late is great, because I tend to wake when the sun comes up over the horizon. But when it's once again dipping below only a few hours later, it can be a bit of a downer. I am glad we're almost to December 21st and will start gaining back daylight again.

I have found that my night owl schedule has been very beneficial during the last few weeks. Staying up until 3-4am and then sleeping until 10-11am seems to be just the right schedule to keep during this time of the year. I actually have more energy than I've ever had in winter. I just wish I had the energy and motivation to get out and go walking, at least before it gets too cold.

Speaking of cold, we don't have any cold here. We're still having fairly warm weather considering it's November. Right now (8pm) it's 8F above zero. I hope this doesn't mean we'll still be below zero in March!

The night before last, Steve and I took a drive over to Willow Creek Clothing to talk to the owner Joanne, and to see the space again. We figured out where we're going to display my photos, which is good. I'm so glad Steve is off from work and will be helping me to cart my stuff over there. (He's my hero!)

Before stopping in to see Joanne, we took a short drive around town. I was in need of fresh air and fresh sights, after spending the entire week in the house working on photos and my website. Our first stop took us to Pioneer Park (aka Alaskaland) so that I could enjoy the pretty Christmas lights on the old cabins in Gold Rush Town. It wasn't quite dark enough to get the full impact of the colored lights, but I took some photos anyway. I love Gold Rush Town and never grow tired of walking through it - especially in the winter when the lights are hung. There were still quite a few workman at the park, finishing up the decorating. I'll go back sometime after dark - with my tripod - to get more photos.

We also took a drive down to the Chena Lakes Flood Project to watch the sun go down. The sky was a pretty orange and yellow and the range was visible on the horizon. Steve drove up to the top of the berm so I could get a clear shot of the sky. Although the temperature was warmer there than it was at our house, standing up on the hill meant standing in the wind. While the wind wasn't too terribly strong, it was strong enough to cause a chill to travel through my body. I couldn't wait to get back in the warm car with Steve. I suppose it's time I started regularly wearing my long underwear - just in case.

We took the long way home from downtown Fairbanks. We decided to cut through Fort Wainwright and veer off to Birch Hill to watch the snowboarders for a short time. There weren't too many enthusiasts on the hill, but it was still early. It was hard to get photos, since the lighting was so low, and the boarders were moving so fast - but the few I did manage to get really indicate motion, which I like. This is a photo of Birch Hill at right, and the downtown lights at left. You can see the reflection of my headlights in a passing car in the photo.

I haven't seen the northern lights in a long while. With the late hours I've been keeping recently, I'm constantly looking out at the night sky with the hopes that they will appear. The forecast has said that they would be quiet, but it's been wrong in the past. For the most part, skies have been very clear. The stars are bright and twinkle in the early morning hours. The moon shines a brilliant light upon the yard, illuminating the trees and sending long shadows across my driveway. I happened to be outside taking photos of the night trees, when a car drove by. I set a long shutter speed to catch the orange streaks of the car's headlights and brake lights with my camera.

I still have quite a few things to do before Friday, so I suspect tomorrow I'll be working inside all day once again. We're both looking forward to Saturday, and our short trip to Anchorage. I'm sure the R&R will do us good. I'm looking forward to exploring the *BIG* city at this time of year - our first time going to Anchorage around Christmas. Hopefully, the weather will be agreeable. I'm glad we're flying and not driving. :)

Happy December to all my readers. I hope you all have a magical month, and spend many happy and loving moments with those you love.