The light comes streaming through the windows, now, in a generous bracket around lunch.  I am glad that we have an amaryllis in bloom to properly trumpet its return.

I found this by the river on a sunny day last week.

I am not ready for Spring!  I am not ready for fishing and gardening and berries and jam.  I am not ready for no-school and kayaking and bicycling and bears.  I am not ready for guests and endlessly long days and wood chopping and mosquitoes. 

Let this be a reminder to me to savor what is left of early bedtimes and reading by the fire.  Of hot cocoa after skiing and fierce hockey games. Of quiet mornings with just the two year old tricycling round and round the kitchen while I get lunch ready.

Although I am sort of looking forward to wildflowers.

She makes no front teeth look great!

Eating ice cream with the girls on a cold day.  The six-year-old (the scientist) and I debating whether ice cream makes you colder because it is frozen or warmer because it has calories.  The two-year-old (the realist) pipes in: “I can’t even taste the calories in this ice cream.”   How true that is…

Chilkoot Ice - This is heaven for skaters.  This is also, unfortunately, a photo from last week…

We had this one perfect day last week with the mountains folded crisp and white against a blue sky.

AlaskaRosalie, aka ‘The Baby Whisperer’ snuck down to San Francisco to celebrate the birth of a very handsome new nephew and to soak up a few rays of that good California sunshine. (First photo CCP)

Hello, brand new baby brother, I have a lot of things to show you.  (My nephews)…

We had a good bout of Southeast Alaska weather over the weekend.  The wind blew up from the Gulf bringing a  whole bunch of rain along for the ride.  The spruce trees thrashed around like uncoordinated heavy metal fans at a major concert.  Our landscaping sprouted five or six new water features as part of an amusement park quality ride… “Scary Driveway: roller coaster, flume, and bobsled all rolled up into the most exciting fifteen seconds of your life!” 

In this picture the girls are being butterflies and drinking nectar from some flowers.  That is obvious, right?  You don’t even need this caption. Also, a two-year-old with a slight lisp attempting ‘proboscis’ is pretty awesome.

To hear my radio essay on hockey go to www.khns.org/localnews and click on the play button under 24 January.  (My essay starts at 07:55.)  Happy listening and cross your fingers for some good ice.

‘Barbie Nation’ or ‘After The Birthday.’  This is a video, click on it to play…

Crossbills are so festive this time of year… (Photo RML)

Who ever said that grey was dreary?

These are my favorite birds.  Partly because they always dress sharp and look good, no matter the weather.  They reminds me that I live in one of the most beautiful and elegant places on earth.