Eagle River Weather

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Alaskan Spring

We have leaves on the trees!

That's one of the things that make me feel like spring has finally reached Alaska. Some others are planting the garden, taking all of the extra insulation down from the yurt, and watching Leo playing with the garden hose (doing his part to add to the greenery).

Here's Nicki enjoying some spring, baby, and dog time down at the Nature Center.

Here is another sign of spring; we can start our hiking trips at 8:00 PM. In the next photo I am up on top of Baldy, a local mountain at 10:00PM. That small, rectangular patch of white on the left in the local Eagle River Fred Meyer. So beautiful and so close to home. The scenery I mean, not Fred Meyer.

Spring also marks the frantic, get-every-summer-time-activity-done-before-it-is-over-and-covered-in-snow mayhem that Alaskans experience during their four "warm" months of the year. Hence the late night hiking.
Spring is also time for skiing. That sun softened snow is the perfect thing for making easy turns. I recently made a Mountain Mama (Nicki) sighting. Here she is making her way up to the top of the local, closed ski area.

She was later seen shredding her way down with magnificent grace and technique. Leo had the foresight to have dinner ready when she returned to the car. Go easy on the Zoo Juice there buddy!

In Kaya news: She is reaching for everything in sight. Guard those toys Leo.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Kid, Yurt, and Moose Photos

Not a whole lot to report from the last couple of weeks so I'm just posting some obligatory photos of the kids for grandmas, of the yurt for yurters, and moose for.....people who like moose.
Kaya is still proving to be an easy keeper. Her favorite thing to do is sleep, just like her mother. She is really filling out and is quite easily busting out of her swaddle.

She likes cutsey outfits.

Though it is not all fun and games. Sometimes she is wailing like any other baby. But, don't worry because Leo has found a way around this. His "headphones," as he calls them are never far from hand.

The snow is gone from around the yurt and we are looking forward to some snowless hiking, gardening, and long sunny days. This photo was taken at 10:00 PM just as the sun was going down.

Here is the moose that visited us the other day and almost trampled our dog Ranger. I took this photo from our well looking at our neighbor's house.

This year's photographic goal? Get a photo of a moose with the yurt in the background.