Mind you, I do have a pathological affection for cool, rainy, overcast days, so I'm not particularly saddened by this. Besides, if I'm going to buy approximately 1,000,000 Really Cool Things and schlepp them around the fairgrounds in a big bag for six hours, I'd kind of prefer not to A) sweat myself to death and B) have to kill 20 sweat-attracted mosquitos per minute at the same time as schlepping and trying to drink my de-rigeur Fair-time breve (which is evidently required to be approximately the same temperature as the molten core of the Earth). All of which means that the usual "Fair weather" is really rather perfect for me.
On the other hand.... this has been THE rainiest, coolest, most overcast summer I've seen since I moved to the Greatland over a decade ago. It's also now officially the coldest summer on record up here. I haven't minded this much - at least, not as much as most everyone else seems to have done - but even I have caught myself thinking about lying on a tropical beach somewhere for a few days.
Still... cool weather has its advantages. For one thing, if it's pouring down rain you may not mind the fact that you're indoors at work in the summertime in Alaska, where summer is an endless siren song begging you to come outdoors. For another, the mosquitos don't seem to like the rain, so if you DO go out hiking (as I like to) in the rain, you don't have to DEET yourself to death. Besides, you do get interesting clouds...
... and beautiful, lush foliage, thick with ferns... [NOTE: as this is Alaska, you can pretty much guarantee there will be no ticks in there. There may, however, be moose or bears or the occasional crazy Alaskan]...
... and dramatic backdrops for photos of your BF's Cessna......
...AND (as an added bonus) it really makes you appreciate days like this:
The downside, of course, being that I think I'm starting to grow algae in certain anatomical regions that I'd really rather not.
Oh, well... it can't last. September is coming, which means that our usual dose of glorious Indian summer is (with any luck) nearly upon us. And the days are getting shorter, which means that pretty soon algae is going to have a tough time gaining a grip. I hope.
Posts
10 comments:
Okay, now I miss Alaska again. And considering I spent what, a whole 10 days there...
why oh why did you have to post PHOTOS!?
Sigh.
You do realize of course that if you continue to speak good things about Alaska that you'll end up with a bunch of folks wanting to come up for a visit?
I could deal with cool and rainy. Either-or would be fine with me!
J.
Alaska is a big state. You'll all fit. ;)
No. Nonono. No fit. No more. Really. I mean it. No more no more no more.
Until I get there.
*THEN* we'll see about more people.
:p
Hej, sis! Nice little campsite you've set up here. Which way to the moose?
To find moose:
1) Stand up
2) Point directly in front of you with your arm parallel to the ground.
3) Spin in a circle on the spot.
4) Stop when you get dizzy or bored.
5) Walk in the direction you are pointing. Keep going. Keeeeep going... Wait, go around that lake...! Okay, don't go up to that Akita, go around.... Now keep going... There. Moose!
6) Okay, now run. (Moose bites can be pretty nasti, yu know.)
hee hee hee hee hee...!
Those are some beautiful pictures. I have always wanted to visit Alaska. Mind you I have only seen snow twice in my life since I live in Louisiana. HAHA
Thanks! Glad you like the pics! Mind you, if you want to see snow, you can see it any time of year up here.... the glaciers are ice and snow year-round.
Wait a minute....moose bite? You people get close enough to moose to get bitten? And if you tell me that moose like to get too close to you, then I may have to rethink that moving to Alaska bit I previously mentioned.
"Moose bites can be nasti" is something of an inside joke. No one in their right mind gets close enough to Bullwinkle to be bit, if they can help it.
Moose is big. Werry, werry big. Big nasti moose, bites can be werry nasti too.
The "moose bites" thing came from the Monty Python movie (Monty Python and the Holy Grail?)There's a part in the credits where they start talking about moose bites... which can be pretty naasti, yu know? My sister was biitten by a moose.
But to answer your question most of us do NOT get that close to moose (there are a few people who intentionally feed them, but this is a Bad Idea.) Typically, wild moose are pretty dangerous, and while I've never heard of anyone being bitten by one, they CAN in fact kill you by staving in your skull with one good rap from one of those big giant hooves. As a general rule, I try to stay inside a house or vehicle (or at least within jumping-in distance) if one is in my driveway or yard. They mostly leave you alone if you keep a reasonable distance, but if you push them (by crowding them, or approaching a cow with calves), they think nothing of running you down and trying to stomp you to death. They're pretty scary when they get pissed.
Post a Comment