Busy

Its January 31 already.

The sun has risen over Sugarloaf.

Tomorrow is the first of Feb.

Feb might be the shortest month of the year but its the longest month in Alaska.

White Out

Those are chips in my windshield and not UFOs.

Bottle Trees

Mountains of Snow

Valdez doesn't fool around when it comes to piling up snow. Valdez Fire Hydrants

Sunday Hockey Recap

The Alaska Nanooks hosted the now #1 team in the nation, the Maimi (OHIO) Redhawks, in 44 below zero Fairbanks this weekend.

Friday nights game story and stats:

Nanooks Drop Hard Fought Contest To No. 2 RedHawks

Saturday nights story and stats:

Alaska Can't Ground High-Flying Redhawks as Miami Cruises 7-2

What was cool about the games this weekend was that my brother (Jimmy's Pirate Pub) braved the cold and ventured north from Boise for an Alaska Nanook home hockey game. This is our nephew Wylie Rogers senior year so the last year to see him play as a Nanook. Jimmy has been having lots of fun in Fairbanks. They went to Chena Hot Springs and he's going ice fishing Monday. Look for cool pictures on his blog.

Secret Wheatie Goodie Box 2008

For the second year in a row us Wheatheads at Whole Wheat Radio held Wheatmas, Jan 25th 2008, which is an exchange of gifts like Secret Santa.

I always give my canned reds as gifts. Except last year my Secret Wheatie was a teenager who lives in Alaska. I sent her an American Express card.

The Comedy of Mrs. Hughes

While at the Valdez Belly Laugh yesterday I heard about The Comedy of Mrs. Hughes. She is so funny I had to share. Beware, this is for mature audiences. Like over 50.

Check out Mrs. Hughes on Crackle!

Valdez gets the Last Laugh

Today was Global Belly Laugh Day, January 24.

Laughing is catchy.

video link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBd7vdMmkCs

Snow Birds

Another 8 inches of snow fell on Valdez today. When it did stop snowing high winds came up and started blowing snow all around. So much that the evening plane did not fly. Forcast is for high winds til Friday.

While the weather outside was freezing tonight I was inside the pool lap swimming for an hour. As long as a Nanook Hockey game doesn't fall at the same time lap swim is, I'll be at the pool. The next two weekends they'll be playing on home ice in Fairbanks starting at 7:05 Alaska time. Lap swim is 5:30-6:30pm so I'm home in time for the pregame show. Yeah!

Sun City

White is Bright

Took this picture the other day when the sun was up and out. Today was warm with light rain and snow. Not so bright!

Sunday Sunrise

We are gaining about 5 minutes of daylight a day now.

Clear the Way

Valdezeans do not let a little bit of snow stop them from taking advantage of every foot. The above pictured Piston Bully is grooming xcountry ski trails.

The gal on the right is breaking trail home from the post office.

Feelin' Groovy

Big Time Snow Blowers

The city of Valdez road department are experts at blowing snow. Today was a balmy 35 degrees and a good day to manicure the snow by putting it in its place.

Snow Dayz

Valdezeans woke up to a fresh snowfall of 14.1 inches this morning. It seemed more like two feet to me. I checked the Daily Climate Summary - Valdez and the National Weather Service says 14.1 inches today. Month to date - 42.8 inches. Since Dec 1 - 81.2 inches. Since July 1 - 125.0 inches and the snow depth is 40 inches. Last year at this time the snow depth was 49 inches.
This is the view today from the ferry dock. You can barely see the lights of Alyeska Pipeline Terminal. Valdez Bay is the northern most ice free port chosen for this reason as the terminus of the Trans-Alaska pipeline.

EVERYBODY was busy shoveling snow. Fun city today!

Geocaching Valdez

What Goes Uphill

Saw these Valdez kids climbing up Senior Citizen Mountain with snow shovels today. Couldn't see them after they went over the crest. My guess is they rode those snow shovels down?

See Yah Next Year Cowboys

I was hoping the Dallas Cowboys would lose against the New York Giants today. My Green Bay Packers don't like going to Dallas. Bret Farve is 0-6 there and now we don't have to go. The Giants visit Grean Bay next Sunday. Football as it was meant to played. In the snow!

Alaska Nanooks Move Up

After a win Friday night and a tie tonight, against Ferris State, my Nanooks moved up in the standings.

Friday nights game story and stats:
Lee Snaps Tie Late In Third Period, Lifts Nanooks To 4-3 Win At Ferris StateLee Snaps Tie Late In Third Period, Lifts Nanooks To 4-3 Win At Ferris State

Saturday nights game story and stats:
Nanooks Erase Two-Goal Deficit, Salvage 2-2 Tie With Bulldogs

Wylie Rogers recorded 50 saves in Friday nights win over the Bulldogs beating his old record of 44 saves. Way to go Wylie!

Roxy Mountain

We Got Snow!

With more coming....yeah. This is the Valdez weather I like. 32 degrees and snowing.

Wordy

It was a dark winter night

Clicking away on the keyboard

Bikini Fish

For fun I google fish images, play on-line Scrabble at www.Scrabulous.com while listening to Whole Wheat Radio.

The pool opens up again Friday night for lap swimming. Right in the middle of a Nanook hockey game.

Guess what I'll be doing.

Fish Candy

Hockey Recap

Busy weekend with Nanook Hockey Fri and Sat night. My Alaska Nanooks were in Columbus, Ohio playing the Buckeyes again, as clustermates, in the CCHA. We won Friday night 4-2, with goalie Wylie Rogers, generating an awesome assist earning him the #1 Star of the game. Saturday night all went south with the Buckeyes winning 5-2 with one empty net goal.

Friday nights game story from the Fairbanks News Miner: Nanooks take down Buckeyes in Columbus

Good news today is it started SNOWING!!!

Cats are cool

And they never say a mumbling word~ Hoyt Axton

Crack in the Windshield

Drove my 1988 Toy Truck out the road today. I kept it in 4wd even though the roads were partially clear. I like this truck. It doesn't take long to warm up and is good on gas.

The only thing wrong with it is the crack in the windshield.

And no radio/cd player. Otherwise I would have made a Get the Led Out type video.

Winter Sun Shadows

Clear and beautiful cold day on Prince William Sound.

Even the boats on dry dock look cold.

We are gaining a couple of minutes of sunlight daily.

Sunrise today: 9:59 a.m.

Sunset tonight: 3:40 p.m.

With colder temperatures and no snow in the 5 day forcast. I hope they are wrong! Come on SNOW!!!

Rockin' Snap Fish and the Radishes

Started the new year cooking up a Prince William Sound Rockfish fillet. Along with colorful red radishes fried together with green onions, butter and seafood seasoning. Cooked radishes are good crunchies and compliment this oil rich fish dish. Invented by me and aptly named Rockin' Snap Fish and the Radishes.