Saturday morning, January 2012

1 a.m. Thursday: 40 degrees, everything melting, possible rain in the forecast

9 a.m. Saturday: minus 20, severe clear, nothing but that in the forecast.

Sixty degree drop in a little more than 48 hours, yet another Alaska adventure. But, the driveway is finally cleared, birds all over the feeders, woodpecker at one, cloud of redpolls, scattered pine grosbeaks, a chickadee now and then making its wavy approach, a nuthatch waiting in the tree and one fat grouse picking the leavings off the snow on the ground.

Oh, and make it four days out of five with a moose in the road and that doesn't count the three on the way into town yesterday. Man, I wish I had knocked on wood.

It's the time now for the annual January deep cold. Leaving a trickle of water running so it activates the well pump and prevents the line from freezing. Early morning trek into the cold to plug in the car so it won't have to strain too hard to start. Early morning dish washing to trick the water heater into raising the temperature for a good shower later, and even a spare electric heater on in the bedroom. Oh global where is thy warming.

The good news is that a Russian tanker carrying fuel oil and gasoline to Nome, escorted by a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker made landfall overnight saving the city from having to fly in fuel at outrageous prices for the winter. They pushed through 300 miles of pack ice, one night making only about five miles. Add it to Alaska lore. Farther north there are other villages running out of fuel, though, and they won't be able to be reached from the sea. It really makes me wonder if a Shell oil platform farther north has some trouble at this time of year, how any equipment gets there. Oh they have assured us nothing can go wrong.... go wrong ... go wrong.

At least a week of the cold, but you never trust a forecast that far out into the future, go with it, roll with it, ride the rock.