Happy New Year!!!

One last sunset over Lake Lucille for 2005.

Goodbye, 2005, hello, 2006!!!

It's Beginning to Look...

Winter can't quite seem to make up its mind whether to visit and stick around. We had nearly 13" of snow not long ago. Then came the rains and winds. Good-bye snow. Now, a few more inches have made their way earthward and are helping at least give the appearance of a winter wonderland again.

The stark beauty of this place never gets old. I snapped this photo of Wasilla Lake about mid-afternoon, believe it or not, the moon hovering above the snow clad mountains. The string of lights is atop posts holding lights for nighttime skaters, I guess, and adds a nice touch as they reflect off the ice. It isn't unusual to see lone figures gliding about, hockey stick in hand, practicing their skills, or youngsters dreaming perhaps of Olympic gold trying spins and leaps as they dart about.

Somehow, the mountains always seem almost touchable. Distance, of course, is deceptive. It looks like you should be able to simply drive around the lake and be able to get an up-close and personal view of them. Far from that, of course. Just goes to show how genuinely huge they are. They're such a part of everyday life here in Alaska that I feel somehow cheated when I can't see them. Yes, there are days even these behemoths can't be seen as they play hide-and-seek behind the clouds or fog banks. Mother Nature sure has a bag of tricks.