The Wind Died Down

Dropping Like a Rock

The protective wind stopped blowing last night.
When I got up at 4:30 am to go to work it was -21 F.
So I went back to bed. When I got up 3 hours later
the weather stations both read offline. I know from
past experience that means it's colder that -23 F.
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Yes, It's Another Weather Announcement

Sorry!

I know I said that I would try not to make this blog about the weather. And I have tried to stick with that as much as I can. In spite of the fact that I personally have 2 weather stations at my house. However, I find this interesting and I don't have anything else to write about so here goes....

Here in Southcentral Alaska we are in a seasonally normal cold snap. The temperature in the Matanuska Valley and the Anchorage bowl is currently about -10 F. Except over at TrippingoverMoose Ranch at the base of the Talkeetna Mountains. The last few days we have been experiencing high winds pouring down from the Copper River Valley, through the Matanuska River Gorge and sliding along the northern edge of the Matanuska Valley. As a result our temperatures have been averaging 15-20 degrees warmer than the rest of the area. Of course, with the wind our chill factor is -25 F but that's another story. Here's a current screen shot of the Wasilla temperature and a shot of my neighbor's weather underground station just down the street.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three Little Moose

A Little Bull...

We have had a moose cow and a yearling calf hanging out on Trippingovermoose ranch most of the winter. On Wednesday this little bull showed up and has been hanging out with them. I suspect he's the cow's calf from 2 years ago.

Merry Christmas

I Declined!

Some "friends" asked me to play Santa at the Christmas party last Sunday. What could they have been thinking?

Subaru Update

I know all of you, or both of you, or maybe at least my son have been on pins and needles....

The Subaru Doctor did a complete examination. The patient will live but needed several procedures done. First, the engine missing was bad plug wires. This really makes me feel stupid because I thought about replacing them about a year ago and never got around to it. With new plugs and wires the engine is purring like a kitten and has at least 30% more power. Which makes sense since it had been trying to run on 2 to 3 of it's 4 cylinders for a year. I should see an increase in gas mileage too. The back brakes needed to be done so I had them done. Work still to be done, rear wheel bearings, rear struts, radiator hoses and a valve cover gasket. Now that those items have been diagnosed we'll probably get the parts and do them ourselves. I've got to keep her on the road for at least 4 more years.

Dinner Time

Shadow keeping an eye on the chicken...

Cold Weekend

Subaru, Round Two

It was a balmy -18 degrees Friday morning at TrippingOverMoose Ranch. The Subaru started and got me to my place of employment in Anchorage. However my son-in-law forgot to plug in his truck the night before. Long story short, in two hours he couldn't get his truck nor mine to start. He had to call his boss to come pick him up to get to work. Saturday morning, an even nicer -14 degrees, with the trucks plugged in overnight, we got them both to run. But the Subaru, which has no engine heater, refused to start. The Subaru used to live in the garage so I had never got around to putting a engine heater in it. Now that, in car years, she's getting old and having some issues, she's getting tempermental. Sunday morning we moved the trucks, pulled the motorhome out of the garage and dragged the Subaru inside with the Honda 4-wheeler. After 4 or 5 hours of warm garage she started up. By the end of Sunday the cold snap had snapped and we were +14 degrees. We moved the trucks, Subaru, 4-wheeler and motorhome around back to the original configuration. This morning, at +5 degrees the Subaru started fine and delivered my brother and I to our respective places of employment. I am going to call today and make an appointment to get her into see the Subaru doctor to address the progressive breathing-fuel problems she is having.

Responding to an Old Friend

Pictures of the Huskies

An old friend from my childhood in Juneau asked to see more picture of my dogs, so here you go...

This is Kiska. She was supposed to be a Samoyed but turned out to be a mix. I suspect her father was a golden retriever. But she does have the crazy blue eyes. She's almost 14 years old now and spends most of her time sleeping on an oversized dog pillow next to my recliner.

The Malemute is Shadow. He's 12 years old and still very active. Shadow has earned his name over the years. If I'm home he's always in the same room as me, watching my every move. If I sit down he comes over and sits or lays as close to me as possible. Lately, perhaps sensing my sadness, he's trying to be a lap dog. It's difficult to read a magazine or watch TV with an 75 pound malemute in your lap pressing his face into your face. The last goofy picture isn't actually Shadow but a photo of a look alike lifted from some website years ago.