ArcticArtique

I left you yesterday with my truck up and out of the snow. I join you today with even more snow! This is winter.

The wind is blowing. The wind chimes are chiming. And chiming. And chiming! The top layer of snow is moving. It's piling up in every nook and cranny Alaska has to offer. We woke this morning to another four inches of the fluffy white stuff. If you look at our roof, there is almost three feet of white insulation up there. Believe it or not, snow helps heat our cabin.

I have already removed snow from my tent twice since coming home. I have to clear it again today. My big green tent is looking more like an igloo every day. During my time in this beautiful state, I have never experienced a winter like this one. Kitty assures me this is normal. This was her Alaska while growing up.

We live in a dry cabin. No running water. No shower. No bathroom. This leaves us with unique challenges when it comes time for...I think you know where I'm going with that. Do you see that small out building covered in white. That is a genuine Alaska outhouse. In order to visit that small building this morning, I had to blaze a trail in the snow. In a couple spots, the snow came up to my waist. I'm a big guy. That is a lot of snow!

The temperature remains warm. It is hanging around 32 degrees during the day which makes for lot's of issues for our roads. The hard pack melts during the day only to freeze again at night. This continual cycle takes a toll on our asphalt, not to mention the vehicles traveling on top of it. Yes, it is slick. There are a couple of viable options when this happens. One is to slow down. We have too many that don't understand how to drive on this stuff. This is prime weather for the auto body shops to get lot's of work. The second option is to STAY HOME! I like that option, at least for this morning.