Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I am just about ready to start being a steady blogger again. I promise I will tell you a little about this last month soon. The holidays have been wonderful and action-packed. I have had no time to write here. My apologies to all my friends and family. I will post loads of photos and give a little narrative shortly.

Raven Morning

Last night we had some winds, so we took our most vulnerable feeder in the house. We've already lost one and no one in town sells the kind I like anymore, so we are a bit protective. I had Zoey take it back out this morning before the sun came up. I watched her at the window and she stopped, I could tell she was listening. She came running in, yelling "Momma, Momma, Momma, come outside, quick!" Hmmmm...too frozen for bears.

When I got out there, I was greated with the most ancient sounds. We were surrounded by ravens. Ravens right above us, ravens flying to the right, ravens flying to the left. Ravens talking, talking, talking. Zoey and I were enchanted. They have such an amazing range of vocalizations. Living along the raven flyway is amazing.

The above video is a poor reproduction. I think I now have a new obsession. I am going to have to learn how to record these sounds so that you all can share this. Anyone know how to do that? Anyone know what equipment is needed?

Oh Downy Boy

Sorry for the ambient noise in the background. The water noise is the fish tank needing a re-charge. Our downy boy has been the only regular at the feeder this week. I am not sure where the chickadees are. Neither the boreals nor the black-caps have been visiting since the wind. Hmmmm.....

YWCA Women of Achievement

The girls and I had a lovely luncheon at the Egan Center in downtown Anchorage. We got to attend the YWCA Women of Achievement Awards. My friend, Lupe, was being inducted as a Women of Achievement. I was so honored to be invited to attend! Vivi felt like such a grown-up. Lupe has made sure that Zoey is a Woman of Achievement in training. Lupe is the girls godmother and is such a great role model to them both, and an incredible mentor to Zoey. And thank you to Lupe's husband, Kelly, for the photo. All mine were blurry.

Very Lovely!

WOW! My blogging friend, Kristy, sent these to me this week. Two pairs of beautiful hand-made earrings and fun stitch markers. I guess I need to knit something that requires markers. That may have to wait until after Christmas. Thank you, Kristy! If you have time you should check out Kristy's site and wish her luck. She had surgery on her ankle on Tuesday.

I am finishing up a little something for Kristy, but I cannot show it as there just might be other folks out there who will receive something similar. Hee hee!

Aurora

On Friday night the wind blew. It blew in a wet, warm storm from Hawaii. Our top gust was 85mph. We lost power with that one. It was okay, we were wrapping up and getting ready for bed anyway. When we woke the power was still out. I am impressed that our old house kept the heat to about 53F. Tom brought out the camp stove to heat water for tea. He even pounded coffee beans in the mortar and pestle to make coffee before I got up. He is a keeper. He was also motivated. I had a rare Saturday off work. We were driving to the Chugach National Forest to get our Christmas tree. The rest that follows is a little photo essay of our Saturday tree excursion.




























And yes, it is now Henry's favorite place in the house. He is soooo happy we have brought a tree in from the outdoors. I think we will have to reserve a space for him even when the gifts get put under the tree. Oh, and the title of the post is the name the girls gave the tree.

Farewell

Judy Geraghty
October 24, 1963 - December 2, 2007

I can say that I've lived here in honor and danger
But I'm just an animal and cannot explain a life
Down this chain of days I wished to stay among my people
Relation now means nothing, having chosen so defined

And if death should smell my breathing
As it pass beneath my window
Let it lead me trembling, trembling
I own every bell that tolls me


Neko Case off her album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

Raven Sunsets

We are nearing the winter solstice, the time when the sun slowly returns to the earth. Or so it seems this far north. This is a day I really look forward to, I love to watch the days grow longer. When we were house hunting, I had to picture what the house would look like in the middle of December. I needed a house that could be bathed in whatever available light there was. I did not want a dark house.

Right now the length of the day is 5 hours and 55 mins. That is from sunrise until sunset. I have included a little blue button below the blogroll that says what time the sun is rising and setting here in Anchorage. Since the twilight times get so extended this far north, we have visible daylight for about seven and half hours. That means we get a slow, forty-five minute dawn and sunset. Those times can be lovely; full of pinks and reds and golds on the clouds and mountains. The sunsets nearly due south, there is very little west about it.

Another activity around sunset is watching the ravens roost. Anchorage's ravens roost in the Chugach Range, somewhere close behind my house. I can stand at the end of the driveway at sunset and watch twenty to fifty ravens in groups of four or five wing their way east. Many will come from the dropoff below my lot, and skim just a few feet above my head. Sometimes they are talking to each other and sometimes I only hear the deep drafts of their wingbeats.