“If a given combination of trees, mountains, water, and houses, say a landscape, is beautiful, it is not so by itself, but because of me, of my favor, of the idea or feeling I attach to it.”
~ Charles Baudelaire ~

The last few days went by very quickly. Steve was off from work and I loved having him home with me. We took care of a lot of errands together, and went for a drive up the Steese Highway on Tuesday. We also had a most wonderful dinner at Lavelle's Bistro later that evening, using a $100 gift card that Steve got from his company, as a reward for not losing any time for accidents for the last quarter. Every employee received this gift card (a Visa card that could be used anywhere), and we decided to use it on a splurge, rather than something sensible.

I've been spending a lot of time mounting, matting and framing even more photos. I feel like I have so much work left to do in preparation for my First Friday event. The dining room is a mess with supplies and photos strewn from one end of the table to the other.

Before I go on, I don't want to forget to post my gratitude entries for the past several days:

November 5th: This morning I am thankful for a really good cup of coffee. I just can't get my day started without a caffeine jolt. We use only Millstone flavored coffees with flavored creamer. Today I'm drinking Vanilla Nut Coffee with Cinnamon Creamer. It's quite good.

November 6th: Today I am thankful for blue skies, snowy landscapes, beautiful surroundings, and a really cute husband who makes my tummy do flip flops when he smiles at me that certain way.

November 7th: Today I am thankful for the half of a cinnamon bun, I had left from my visit to The Cookie Jar on Saturday. I microwaved it and the cinnamon and icing got all gooey and it was really, really, good! I washed it down with hazelnut coffee with vanilla caramel creamer, and now I'm on a sugar high. But I am most thankful for the gift certificate Steve got from his employer, which we used last night for dinner.

November 8th: Today I am thankful for winter sunsets. After running errands with my honey yesterday afternoon, we drove home under a setting sun. Not only did Steve stop so I could take photos, but also found a place away from traffic and electric wires so I could continue to take photos. We sat for 15 minutes in his truck, watching the sun go down together. I don't remember the last time we took the time to just stop and watch. It was beautiful.

On Tuesday, we left the house before sunrise (which occurs at 9am now), so we could stop and gas up the truck before making the drive up the Steese Hwy. Our destination was Davidson Ditch (mile 57), where we hoped to follow the side road into the White Mountains Rec Area and to the campground.

The skies were colored pink with the light of the sun before it showed itself above the horizon. While others on the road were making their way to work, we were greatly anticipating our scenic drive 60 miles northeast of the city.

As Steve pumped gas, the sun began to show just above the treeline. I noticed a sun pillar shooting skyward from the glowing ball, and pointed it out to Steve. It was then that we noticed the sundogs on either side. (Also known as parhelia) It's too bad I had to take the photo from the gas station parking lot, but I'm glad I didn't wait, as it was gone in a matter of moments.

The highway was clear of snow, and slippery spots were minimal. Going around some of the sharp turns, we slowed down to only 20mph, as Steve has experience with this road on his work commute and knows where the slippery areas are. The turnoff for the mine is at mile 20. We continued past there another 40 miles. The photo at left is my favorite from our outing. We just happened to be crossing a bridge over an almost frozen river, as the orange glow of the sun came over the hills and illuminated the bare trees. I love the orange reflection in the little sliver of river. A good case of being in the right place at the right time!

Our plan to drive into the White Mountains didn't happen. We diverted onto the road that runs over the hills and towards the campgrounds, but the snow got deeper and deeper as we drove. As the road got steeper, and the snow got deeper, the back end of the truck began to lose traction. We just didn't have enough weight in the back to make the trip. Since we were on a narrow road which hugged a hill - with a steep drop off on the left - we had no choice but to go in reverse all the way back to the highway - a full 1/2 mile. I was pretty nervous, but didn't let on to Steve. I think he was a bit nervous himself. I'm glad we made it back to the highway, and plowed roads! Now we know the only way we're going to get the opportunity to explore that area is on snowmachines or by dogsled. Perhaps someday.

View of the White Mountains	Sun coming over the hill	Steese Highway	Road into White Mountains
My wonderful hubby	Steese Highway	Steese Highway	Frosted Spruce
Almost Frozen Stream	Cabin on a Frozen Pond	Denali on the Horizon (faint)	Back to North Pole

After our drive, we rested for a little while before going out to dinner at Lavelle's Bistro. Lavelle's is located on the lower level of the Springhill Suites Hotel, and is known for its food and wine selection. Since we were using a gift card for our evening out, we decided to throw caution to the wind and enjoy ourselves. I wanted to try a new wine, and chose Clos du Val Merlot. It was delicious, and I had a second glass. Steve indulged in a double shot of Glenlivet on the rocks (x2). For dinner, I started with the French Onion Soup (highly recommended by a friend of mine), which filled me up so much that I changed my dinner order and decided on a chicken Caesar salad instead. Steve had a wonderful cut of prime rib with sautéed snow peas and peppers, and a baked potato.

Without the tip, our check came to $110. A large portion of this tab was from the spirits we enjoyed, but it was so worth it! It was nice to enjoy good food, good drink, and always wonderful conversation with my husband. In true date fashion, we did a lot of flirting and hand-holding, and even took a walk along the river before driving home. We really need to do this more often. Thank you Fort Knox Mine for the gift card!

The river isn't frozen over yet, but the Christmas lights are now hung up on the streetlights and along the pedestrian bridge. I had my camera with me and took some photos as we walked and drove downtown.

Downtown Fairbanks	The Pedestrian Bridge	Looking towards Cushman St.	Modern architecture among old buildings.
Fairbanks Courthouse	Some people have asked why the holiday lights are already up downtown. Lights are put up early here (or left up year round) because it gets too cold to put them up later in the year!	Deserted downtown streets

Yesterday afternoon, Steve and I had to run some errands. On our way home, the sun was going down. It was only 3:45pm, and I was shocked at how early sunset was occurring, until Steve reminded me that Daylight Savings Time has made our days shorter in the afternoon. I managed to snap a few photos out of the moving truck on the way home. When we got closer to home, Steve pulled off on a side road and parked so I could take some photos without electrical lines in the way. We sat there for ten minutes, watching the colors of the sky change and the sun sink lower. It was beautiful. I realized that it's been a long time since we actually sat and watched the sun set together. Definitely something else we have to do more often! Click here if you'd like some sunset wallpaper for your computer desktop (1024x768)

Yesterday, spur of the moment, Steve and I decided we'd like to celebrate our birthdays in Anchorage. Steve's birthday is December 8th, and mine is the 14th. We always celebrate both our birthdays on the weekend between them. It just so happens that Steve is off for a week over his birthday. We found reasonable airline tickets, a rental car, and lodging and just couldn't pass up the opportunity to get away for a few days. We could have saved some money by driving, but it takes about 7 hours to get from Fairbanks to Anchorage. It's only an hour by air. You just can't beat the convenience. We're excited about our little getaway since we'll be able to shop, eat at different restaurants, and do some sight-seeing. We know to check a couple of huge suitcases to bring our loot home in. *grin*

---

In closing, I want to mention an email I received the other day from a very talented poet named Laurence Overmire. Laurence saw that I had quoted excerpts of his poem entitled "Aurora Borealis" in my October 1st 2006 journal entry, and thanked me for sharing his work with all of you. He also gave me the link to the full poem, as well as his website where he has more of his poetry posted. I wanted to pass this information along to you.

Here is his poem in its entirety. (You can view it online here)

Aurora Borealis

I looked up
At a black-diamond sky
Crested with stars
And the moon burned gold in the Alaskan night.

And there in the west like a thief in the dark
Crept a shadowy wisp of smoky gray
Barely discernible
Hovering
Waiting
Like a falcon for its prey…

Then swift as a serpent it slithered through the air
In a blaze of green-blue light
And it lingered there
Glowing
A strange, ethereal haze…

A flash from the east, I turned my head
A flash from the north, I turned again
And the heavens were splashed in shimmering light
Pastel blue ribbons brushed with crimson
In giant arcs did span the clouds
The bold, defiant strokes of an artist’s hand
Emblazoned on the canvas of the midnight sky.

I looked again
And the air exploded in billowing waves of sulfurous fire
Swirling mist
Diaphanous dust
Cascading color
What vaporous nymphs and spritely fauns
Danced there on the jeweled black
Pouring libations from invisible vials
Their cacophony of light midst the silent stars?

Then the wind blew softly ‘cross the arctic ice
And the goddess of night reclaimed her throne
Her ebony cloak enwrapped the skies
And cast its shadow on the sleeping Earth
Once more.

And I looked within
What awe and wonder
Had I heard with my eyes
And seen with my heart
For everything was nothing
And nothing was everything
But something wasn’t anything
As it was

Before.

~ Laurence Overmire ~

Read more about Laurence at his website. Many thanks to you, Laurence, for writing a poem that so aptly describes the experience of watching the aurora borealis.