Despite the marvelous time we had in Homer, it's always so wonderful to come home. I really missed my 'girls' and they missed me. I've had a cat attached to my hip since we arrived home on Wednesday. And oh how I missed my bed. I didn't get much sleep at all while traveling. The beds at Elmendorf AFB were hard and bouncy. Every time Steve rolled over I woke up. And they kept the heat set on *incinerate*, which didn't make things any better. We opened the windows, despite the snow flurries. The bed in Homer was much better, thank goodness. And it didn't get too hot in the room which was another plus.

But boy, have we been sleeping well since we got home! I love our bed.

We had the most wonderful welcome home last week. Our first night back to North Pole, the aurora was active and quite visible from my front yard. Despite the fact that I was tired from the long drive home, I just had to go outside and watch (and photograph). Steve wasn't quite so enthusiastic; the sight of our bed was much more beautiful than the sight of the northern lights.

On Thursday evening, I attended a meeting at The Pagoda restaurant, with some members of the photography group I belong to. We had a great turnout, but the restaurant wasn't very conducive to conversation while sitting at a long table. We had to scream to be heard at either end. The next time we're going to try to meet a better venue, or perhaps we'll get together on a shooting adventure. It's really great to get together with folks who share my passion, and who are a wealth of information about tips, techniques, and photography.

The aurora was predicted to be active again that evening, so I set up my camera and made regular glances out the window to watch the night sky. The stars were amazingly bright, and hardly a cloud could be seen. Perfect conditions! My vigilance was rewarded with the appearance of a strong green band that spanned the sky to the west of my house. I donned several layers of warm clothes (it was a chilly 15F), tucked a few extra batteries in my pockets because I knew the cold will eventually kill the one in my camera.

Standing outside, I watched what I now consider a "typical" display. A wide band of green crossed the sky down near the end of my street. I only took a few photographs; keeping my fingers crossed that the lights would become more active. Suddenly the sky came alive with a bright, undulating curtain of green. The lights were so bright at times, that the dark yard around my house was illuminated with a green glow. It was spectacular - the best display I've seen in a long while!

At one point the lights spanned the entire sky above my head. I couldn't tilt my camera back far enough to shoot straight up, but I stood with my head bent completely back, gazing straight up into the heavens. I felt emotion well up inside, and small tears formed in the corner of my eyes. There are times when the experience is so special - so extraordinary - that I feel I should pinch myself to prove that it is real, and that I am truly standing in Alaska seeing something that few ever get the chance to see. How blessed I am!

		I saw Eternity the other night, Like a great ring of pure and endless light, All calm, as it was bright... ~ Henry Vaughan, "I Saw Eternity" ~

On Saturday, I met my friend Celeste and we drove over to Plant Kingdom to see if any flowers were blooming at the nursery. There were a few blooms here and there, but not enough to help us with the fantasy that spring is almost here. There was plenty of green though. Thousands of seedlings in pots covered the many tables throughout. I think I was more thrilled with the ladybugs that clung to the window, no doubt absorbing the warmth of the sun.

We stopped to grab lunch before making our way to Holm Town Nursery. We chose Roundup Steakhouse on S. Cushman. The last time I ate at the Roundup was several years ago. I wasn't very impressed with the food, or the prices, then. I chose a "Flying Pig" sandwich, which is basically a bun with ham, turkey, cheese, and bacon (much like a club sandwich without the extra bread), with a side of curly fries. The sandwich was only so-so, and the fries were pretty lousy. Celeste opted for a cheese steak sandwich, loaded with peppers, onions, etc. and steak fries. I didn't ask her how her sandwich was. Later on that afternoon, my stomach was a little upset. I don't think I'll be going back to eat there.

Holm Town Nursery had a lot more color - but not so much in flowering plants. What I love about Holm Town is their large assortment of garden supplies, garden art, paving tiles, planting tables, pots, etc. There were so many adorable things to add to a garden, and I wished I had an outdoor space to decorate. A sunroom or a solarium would be nice too.

I fell in love with a huge set of chimes. They were 88" long and are called "Chimes of King David Windsinger Chimes". Their $500+ price tag made me back off pretty quickly though. The tone was gorgeous - like church bells - so deep and resonating. (You can hear their sound on the website here) They were so big and heavy, that it would take an awful amount of wind to make them play. Hearing them brought back memories of our time living in Florida. We had a screened in balcony/porch off of the living room in our apartment, and I had a half dozen wind chimes hanging out there which tinkled with the slightest breeze. Can you tell I'm ready for spring?

Steve's off for the next couple of days. Tomorrow he has to fly to Anchorage for another medical appointment. He's still working on getting his disability rating, and all of these appointments at the VA are necessary before they can make a determination. I wish that he could take care of all these visits here in Fairbanks/Ft .Wainwright, but the small VA clinic on post doesn't seem to have the capabilities to handle much. Steve's not quite sure what they do here. His trips to Anchorage are not only costly (to the VA), but are a major inconvenience too - as he's gone for 8 hours or more for a 1-hour appointment due to flight schedules. I'll be glad when this is behind us.

It's hard to believe that April begins tomorrow. This year is speeding by so quickly. I can't wait for spring and summer to arrive, but at the same time I know that they will go by quickly too. We had snow flurries this morning for a couple of hours. Accumulation was less than an inch, but seeing the snow made me realize that we've got more than a few weeks before buds appear on the trees.