Since I wrote last, I've been keeping fairly busy. I've had some lazy days too - particularly those days when the wind chill has been at -30F. After five winters in Alaska, I should know better than to get my hopes up the minute a warm breeze blows through town. It's hard to keep in mind that March is traditionally a cold month too. In fact, March last year was when we had the issue with our frozen septic - along with many others in town. Hopefully we've had enough snowfall, to insulate the ground adequately, and won't have to deal with that again this year.

The Ice Park opened officially on February 26th. On the evening of the 25th, I drove through the park with my friend Dianne, to see what kind of progress they had made. I was disappointed to see that the sculptures which were already carved, were covered with paper (to keep the warm sun from melting them). There didn't seem to be too many new sculptures, nor was there anyone carving - no doubt because of the horrible wind chills. We did see quite a few cars parked around the headquarters building. Perhaps they were discussing the situation. The kiddie park was complete at least, so there'd be plenty of fun for the kids.

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The weather has been wonderful lately. The horrible windchills of last weekend disappeared - leaving highs in the 30s and even 40s in their wake. Despite the lovely weather, I spent much of my time preparing for tomorrow night's First Friday event. Last night, we all met at The Grange, to hang our photographs. I am so glad the hard part is over. Now all I have to do is show up tomorrow night.

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My Wall of Photos

First Friday went very well. I had the opportunity to meet and chat with folks in the community - something I really love. I also had the opportunity to meet some of the other members of the Interior Alaska Photography Club (IAPC), and see their beautiful photos. While I only sold one matted and framed print at the show, I've received orders for four more as a direct result of the show. Of course I'm pleased by this, but most importantly I'm pleased that I had the opportunity to present my work, and discuss my passion, with folks who love the scenery of Alaska as much as I do.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my dear friends who came by to show their support. Karen: It was wonderful to see you, and I will definitely be coming by your new office to check out your red chairs. Gip and Carmen: You have always been such great supporters of me and my passion. I appreciate that so much! Celeste and Randy: Thank you for not only coming by to say hello, but for allowing my husband to tag along with you for dinner. Next time, I expect to see Randy's art hanging on the wall with the rest of the group's. And Christine: It was a pleasure to meet you. I do hope we can get together for coffee or lunch sometime. And for anyone who is reading my journal for the first time, as a result of meeting and chatting at First Friday, "Welcome"! You made the event very special for all of us.

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I can't believe a week has passed since my last entry. The week has flown by, as I've been keeping very busy. This weekend was a whirlwind of activity, and I took nearly 800 photos at various events throughout Fairbanks and the surrounding area.

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What a wonderful trip we had to Homer! But, as with every vacation or getaway, Steve and I are happy to be home. We missed our comfortable bed and our furkids very much.

This trip to Homer did exactly as we wanted it to. It afforded us a much-needed change of scenery, allowed us to recharge our batteries with a lot of R&R, and was what we like to call our formal farewell to winter. Granted, winter isn't truly over here in Fairbanks, but it seems to be on its way out in points south. Unless of course a storm drops 30+ inches of snow overnight in the Kenai Mountains - on top of the 53" that was dumped a week prior! This is just what happened the day we arrived in Anchorage.

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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.

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