Today we received our first inch and a half of snow - but just 21 miles away, and a thousand feet lower in elevation, they did not get any. So I don't know if I should declare the start of winter yet. I think I'll wait until we get 6 inches of the white stuff, and the temperatures hit single digits.

Wishing everyone a beautiful autumn weekend.

**(This image is one of my personal favorites that was Explored 11/17/12)

Lake Louise, Alaska in autumn.

Posted for "sliders sundays" - "processed to the max" HSS!

I was just putting the finishing touches to our usual hearty breakfast this morning, when I looked out of my north facing kitchen window, and found one of my neighbors (Lynx) staring back at me. I love living in a boreal forest, with all of the wildlife that allows me to share their home with them.

Traveling into Glennallen this morning - Doc and I noticed that the whole Wrangell Mountain Range up ahead, had been swallowed up by a huge fog bank. But nonetheless, the morning was beautiful, and the temperature was only two degrees below zero.

This photo SOOC.

When everyone is getting ready to celebrate the holidays, dog mushers in Alaska are preparing for the up and coming racing season. An Iditarod qualifying race will pass right by my cabin in January, and I hope to catch a few of the musher's as they and their teams pass by. Until then I get to see a local musher go by everyday, as he trains his team for the busy season ahead.

The sun was rising to the east - the moon was setting to the south, and fog was rolling in over my backyard. That is how the first day of spring greeted me this morning.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Spring season.

Posted for Sliders Sunday - "Processed to the MAX"

HSS!

I love rainy days, even when Doc and I are traveling. On this particular day we were approaching Worthington Glacier along the Richardson Highway, as we headed south to Valdez. The benefits of a rainy day in Alaska are: cool temperatures - no bugs - and getting cozy in the camper with a cup of coffee and a yummy bear claw.

This morning we awoke to a rainy day, and plan on going out and enjoying it.

Happy hump day!

Doc captured this image with his drone around 3:15 pm yesterday. It was so nice of Mother Nature to give us a day of sunshine, and a high temperature of 19 degrees. Perfect weather for flying a drone in our vast backyard.

We've had two big snowstorms hit here in the past 5 days. Doc tells me there is at least three and a half foot of snow on the level ground around our cabin. You know that there is too much snow, when the mail can't arrive, and people can't get out of their driveways.

In this photo you see the trail we take that leads into the forest.

(Our daughter in Anchorage has received 30 inches in the past five days and has measured it faithfully, and also on a level surface. The people in Anchorage can't get out of their driveways either, because the neighborhood streets are the last to be plowed and the snow is currently too deep to drive in.)

I fear that it is going to be a devastating winter for the animals that live in our boreal forest. There is going to be a tremendous loss of life.

I captured this mountain view along the old Richardson Highway on the first day in May. The leaves had not popped out on the trees yet - but it was wonderfully warm. Most tourists do not travel this road. It is remote, but it takes you through some of the most spectacular wilderness in our state. You will also cross right over the Alaskan Pipeline, which gives you some fantastic photo-ops. You can pick up this highway just south of Delta Junction, and follow it all the way down to Glennallen.

Only one more day left in the month of August, and then we in Alaska, will be surrounded by the spectacular colors of autumn. The time goes by quickly, and by the middle of September - leaves will be clinging to the trees for dear life - as mother nature attempts to blow them to the ground. Time for all of us in the far north - to grab our cameras, and hit the trails. See you out there.

(If you enlarge this photo to the max, you will see at least ten trumpeter swans with their bottoms up, as they search for food.)

Alaska is deep in snow, and that is all I see in the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks.

Most remote cabins are reachable by snowmachine in the winter, but too much snow makes it difficult for even the toughest Alaskans to get to them now. I hope the snow melts slowly come breakup. If not, we will all float away.

The outside temperature at our cabin this morning is eight degrees above zero, and cloudy - and it looks pretty much like you see in this photo.

March winds, and alpenglow on the mountains, light up my backyard in the early morning hours.

Up to 27 degrees and the sun is out. Things are looking up for the next day or two. Yea!

A gorgeous winter sunset in our backyard.

Even the road to our remote landfill looks pretty in winter, when the trees are cloaked in hoar frost.

I captured this image mid-morning. The sun sits low on the southern horizon most of the day now, creating very long shadows that all point north.

Mountain snows are softening under the warm spring sun, setting off avalanches, and creating hazardous conditions for those trying to enjoy the last of their winter sports.

(For CMWD group. Black and White on Sunday)

In Alaska, we have a marshmallow world in many areas of our state, all year long. This image is of a very remote peak in the Chugach Range. I needed a very long lens to capture this one.

Once a mode of transportation, this wagon has now become a decorative piece for a front yard.

Here I sit on a very dark day in February, with snow softly falling around our cabin, and the temperature hovering around minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I am dreaming about my time spent at the Valdez Alaska Harbor last summer, and I suddenly realize that I have a long four month wait until the harbor will welcome me with warm temperatures, and sunny skies, like you see in this photo.

It seems we are caught right in the middle of the two seasons that I love the most - autumn and spring. I am trying my best to wait patiently for spring, but with temperatures staying well below zero for weeks now, it is getting harder with each passing day. Just how many cups of coffee, and how many baked goods, can one person eat over a long winter like this? I'll let you know, once I finish the cinnamon bun on my plate.

*( Oh - before I forget - I captured this little pond scene only five miles from my cabin door. )

I want to thank everyone that has viewed, commented, and faved my photos. Last week I reached well over 11 million views, and I am so very touched by your kindness.

*(In this image you see just a tiny bit of the coastline that surrounds Haines in Southeast Alaska. It is indeed pristine, and oh so peaceful. Add it to your bucket list - you will not be disappointed.)

Some of he most beautiful scenery in Alaska is never seen by visitors from around the world, due to the fact that it is found along roads so remote, that many Alaskans have yet to discover them.

Day length today: 5h 6m 19s (Dec 21, 2019)

10 seconds shorter than yesterday (Dec 20, 2019)

That about sums up today. :)

In the foreground - the tracks you see in the snow were made by a moose and a lynx.

While I was sound asleep last night, views on my photostream leapt to well over 6 million views. I am overwhelmed at the support I have received from my Flickr friends around the world, and I want to thank each and every one of you. May you all have a fantastic New Year, full of good health and abundant phot-ops.

Best regards ~ Jeanne

*(I shot this image of my backyard this morning around nine thirty. Believe it or not - it was taken with a macro lens.)

Leaving the end of our driveway in mid-April, and there is not a flower in sight. But beneath all of the snow, the wildflowers are awakening - as well as the miserable mosquitoes. I like the flowers - but not the biting insects that accompany them.

Yesterday morning we were wading in slush and thinking about spring. I think we were treated to an early Chinook - and i enjoyed every minute of it.

I took this photo in Glennallen, at the crossroads of the Glenn and Richardson Highways. It's quite a contrast to the previous photo I posted of our weather this morning. .

My backyard is beautiful in all seasons.

In three short months my backyard will look like this. July will be our warmest month, with August being the month of transition between summer and autumn. That means jackets will be by the door by the end of August, and that hats, gloves, and boots, will be standing by in September. Summer goes by quickly in the far north. As we Alaskan's are fond of saying; "So much to do - so little time to do it."

*(Posted for Sliders Sunday - Processed to the MAX!)

Life goes on in Alaska even when temperatures drop well below zero. I stood looking out across the silent frozen landscape, and the soft winter colors were breathtaking.

Doc and I were running into Glennallen yesterday, for some last minute grocery shopping before Christmas. (Christmas isn't Christmas with out eggnog.) It was 11:40 AM when I spotted the sun sitting on the horizon of a tiny lake just minutes from our cabin. Since the road has a coating of ice, I decided it was best to do a "drive by shot." (With our outside temperatures below zero, I thought it best also to mark the moment from the warm confines of our truck.)

In two short days the sun will turn itself around and return to the frozen north, and I'll be waiting with open arms.

In modern Alaska, (as well as in the early days of our beautiful state) - elevated storage “caches” typically consist of small rustic log cabins built atop four legs, well above the reach of pilfering animals, and reachable by removable ladders. It is also wise to wrap a length of metal around each leg to keep rodents and squirrels from scaling their way to the top.

I captured this image at the northern most end of the Inside Passage in southeast Alaska.

For CMWD - Sunday Black & White

Almost three weeks into the month of May, and there are no signs of wildflowers or leaves here in Alaska. At least the lakes, ponds, and rivers are breaking up, and the sun is warm (If the wind isn't blowing) - so even though we are a whole month behind on spring, there are small reasons to celebrate.

I grabbed this photo on the Tok Cutoff Road just yesterday.

Animal count: three moose, two caribou, three dead porcupines, trumpeter swans (claiming their ponds for the summer), lots of ducks, and of course the crazy squirrels, that love to play the game of chicken with the highway traffic.

I caught this bush plane just after it dropped off a successful hunter.

On the ground from right to left you see; an eight-wheeler with fresh moose meat - a large moose rack on the ground - totes, personal items, and tubs containing additional moose meat. The two planes are used for "fly-ins" - and the horse trailer is trucked in each year for those who want to hunt from horseback. Pretty sweet set up for this guides clientele.

With current temperatures in the seventies around our cabin, and in the eighties just to the north of us - Doc and I decided it was a good time to do a little traveling before borders open, and travel to our state resumes. So off we went . . .

After recent torrential rains, the Slana Slough looked so pretty in its summer greens, that I couldn't resist taking another shot of the area. The Mentasta Mountains are in the background.

Almost time to pull the boats from the water, so many of the boat owners were making one last trip around the lake, as they enjoyed the warm sunshine.

A peek at the beautiful Alaskan wilderness that surrounds our home.

Mixed among the millions of black spruce trees that you will find in Alaska - there are also quaking aspen, and birch trees. Each autumn it is interesting to watch as they exchange their dark green leaves, for those of yellow, gold, and red.

We may live over 4,500 miles away from the famed New England area on the upper east coast of the US - but our trees try valiantly to mimic the vivid colors found there.

Thirty degrees below zero - and absolutely beautiful. Ranch House Lodge will welcome campers when spring arrives - until then moose will inhabit the land.

Storm clouds developing over the Wrangell Mountains. Will they bring more snow - or perhaps the first spring shower? Time will tell.

In the middle of the image - just below the mountains - you can see silt being blown about along the mighty Copper River.

This is the time of year, when the warmth in the spring sun starts snow slides. Metal roofs are most prone to this activity - so watch out below, or you could be killed, or seriously injured, by the sheer weight of the slide.

*(Doc captured this photo while at our neighbors homestead, a couple of days ago.)

Located in the Talkeetna Mountain Range, this awesome landscape is only fifty miles away from our cabin. It is beautiful in all seasons, but especially so in autumn. In less than three months - this is what it will look like again.

Driving toward Glennallen Alaska. Mount Drum commands your attention. It towers over the tiny town, and can be seen from a great distance away as you travel the Glenn Highway.

I captured this image last week at around 11:45 AM. The sun is with us a little longer each day, but the shadows it casts are still quite long.

Colors are true, as evidenced by the sky. I used my Carl Zeiss lens - with no filters.)

I love rainy misty summer days in Alaska. The mosquitos tend to hide, and for a girl that prefers cooler temperatures, it is an ideal time to roam the roads less traveled. Doc and I were roaming around the Valdez area, when we discovered this out of the way glacier. No tourists - no bears - just a piece of wilderness for us to enjoy, all by ourselves.

Alaska has 616 named glaciers, and many more un-named glaciers. Come on up, and see how many you can find.

It is too beautiful to stay inside of our cabin - so this morning Doc helped me struggle my way into our one ton truck, and off we went. I didn't realize at the time that he had smuggled my drone into the back seat. Along the way we stopped to enjoy the vast wilderness that surrounded us. It was during one of those stops, that Doc handed me the controller to my mini-drone - set the drone on the ground - and said; "It's all yours."

(I wondered if I could do it since it takes two hands, and my left is barely functioning.) But I laid the controller in my lap and managed to get some shots much more easily than I ever thought.) This is just a random shot of the thousands of lakes and ponds that dot Alaska's landscape.

Winter in Alaska brings stunningly beautiful sunsets, and very often the tree branches are loaded with hoar frost. The combination can make for some awesome photos. This one was taken from my backyard.

We awoke to a nice new blanket of snow this morning. I think that we are going to have a very short summer this year. We usually see the trees bud out by mid-May - but it looks pretty iffy this year. By mid - August we are reaching for a light jacket to ward off the early morning and evening chill. Its going to be a real challenge for northern gardeners this year.

It was around 9:30 this morning that I noticed this amazing sunrise taking place outside of my eastern facing window. Knowing how fast the colors change in winter - I quickly slipped into my winter gear and headed out. I was rewarded with this colorful scene unfolding in our backyard. I was totally enchanted as I stood surrounded by this magical landscape. I could hear the ravens calling to each other in the distance. In a tree nearby, a woodpecker was busy tapping away at a frozen trunk, as song birds were busy filling their tummies at the feeders. I counted 5 spruce hens wading through the snow for a chance to pick up any seed that was dropped beneath the feeders. A beautiful way to start to my Sunday morning. :-)

*(Enlarge image to step into my yard. You may even notice a few animal tracks.)

Color is SOOC