Well, all right – sunshine, at least. Iāll take what I can get!
I woke this morning to sparkling white snow, glistening under bright blue skies and a morning sun with enough power to paint well-defined gray shadows in stripes across the swathes of white. Gorgeous!
It wouldāve been even prettier if I hadnāt been aware of the outside temperature reading of -16F. Sheesh!
Still, itās supposed to get up into the 20s today and if I stand out in the bright, vitamin-D filled March sunshine, it should feel even warmer.
So, there is just one thing I still need. I need the snow to MELT! Let it melt, let it melt, let it MELT!
Donāt get me wrong ā¦ I enjoy a beautiful snowy day as much as the next person. Give me a crackling fire, be it fireplace or wood stove, a hot cup of coffee or cocoa and a big picture window looking out on a snowy landscape and I can be utterly at peace. Add a spinning wheel and it’s Heaven!
Usually. Well, OK ā¦ early in winter, I enjoy a good snowfall. Face it ā Christmas in Alaska SHOULD be white and snowy, right? And one pretty much expects January and February to be cold, with snow-laden tree branches and icy walkways. Itās winter ā might as well enjoy the beauty that comes with the cold.
But ā¦ itās MARCH now. My expectations have changed. Tomorrow is Daylight Savings ā we turn our clocks forward tonight and get more evening daylight! I am eagerly envisioning spring, even though, obviously, Mother Nature is unwilling to concede the winter playing field just yet.
Still, I have to admit, the snowfall today has been lovely. Tree branches, in naked shades of brown and gray, stand as proud sentinels above mounds of white-shrouded brush and ground-cover. Ā With no wind at the moment, each branch, from thigh-thick birch branch to the most delicate willow twig, is edged with a layer of pillow-soft snow. Each little fork between branches has a āVā of white, softening the stark outline of the trees and leaving the entire picture slightly out of focus. Pluffs of snow shower down to the forest floor periodically, displaced by a squirrel or bird.
For now, spring seems quite a ways off. I awoke this morning to single digits and a fairly heavy, fluffy snowfall, blurring the view from my bedroom window. Dawn held a pale pink glow through the trees, but just a shadow of its usual brightness. The crust of snow atop the deck railing was several inches higher than it had been last night, confirming it had been coming down for a while.
On a happier note; as I sipped my morning coffee, I was gifted with a visual treat. Through the falling snow, out over the glistening white pasture east of our house, my eyes caught movement. I held my breath as the dark wings of a bald eagle swooped low over the frigid ground; glistening, nearly black wings gliding in bright contrast against pale gray sky and falling snow. It drifted by my second story window, not more than a hundred feet away, disappearing again with one slow, powerful flap of wing. What a way to start my day!
Snow doesnāt usually interfere with errands or play dates in Alaska. Time to hit the road! After clearing several inches of snow from the car, I headed off at noon with my younger Dachshund, Rhonda, for Barn Hunt practice. We had a fun afternoon chasing rats (donāt worry ā the rats are safely and securely enclosed in strong plastic tubes, much to Ronniās disappointment), after which Ronni was happy to nap in the car while I picked up mail and made a quick stop at the store before heading home.
Itās late afternoon now, with temps in the low 20s. The snow is still falling, but lighter, sifting from the sky like powdered sugar, coating all surfaces equally. Standing outside in a waterproof jacket, waiting for the dogs to finish up their ābusinessā, I enjoyed the sound of the tiny, fast-falling pellets bouncing off my coat. I wouldnāt describe them as snowflakes right now. More like Styrofoam beads.
I remember my childhood in southern California; seeing Christmas displays at the local stores and thinking, āHow completely FAKE that looks! Snow doesnāt look like Styrofoam beads!ā Well ā¦. yes, sometimes it does. Who knew?
Or ā¦ Alternative caption: “Dream RV Adventure or Short RV Trips?”
There is, sadly, often a big difference between the RV trip we WANT to take and the RV trip we know is within our capabilities, physically, financially and time-wise. But one has to dream big, right? It may not happen, but if we donāt even consider it, it DEFINITELY wonāt happen.
Do you remember this joke? (Iām probably mangling it, but itās as close as I remember it.)
Leo says, āGod, I need money. Help me win the Lotto.ā He waits a week. Nothing. He calls out again, āGod, I need money! Please help me win the lotto!ā Again, he waits. Week after week, he waits. Still nothing. Finally, he says, āGod, I donāt understand! I keep telling you I need help and yet you do nothing!”
Godās voice booms down from above ā¦ āLeo! Could you at least BUY A TICKET?!ā
Basically, you can wish and hope, but in the end itās still up to you to do something to make things happen. Take an active role in trying to achieve your goals. You may not succeed, but you will at least be able to say you tried. One of my favorite song lyrics says it this way:
“We have two lives, one we’re given and the other one we make.”
– Mary Chapin Carpenter
Today; itās mid-February, snowing again, and windy on top of it, and I have ācabin-feverā. So, Iām spending a few hours day-dreaming and looking forward to warmer, sunnier weather and going camping ā this is my way to combat cabin fever. Come dream with me ā¦
Campground near Skaha Lake just outside of Penticton, BC
First, I should say that I have plenty of alternative options if my big dream is thwarted. The alternatives to my ādream adventureā are very much doable. I can re-visiting Valdez (itās one of my favorite drives here in Alaska) and maybe take the commuter ferry from Valdez to Whittier. Iām already planning to head down to the Kenai Peninsula this coming summer for K9 Nose Work, AKC Scent Work and Barn Hunt trials with Baxter and Ronni. Another trip to Seward, just for the fun of it, is high on my list too. Iād also like to make it back to Fairbanks eventually, since my trip up there was cut so short last time. I think Iāve adequately proven you canāt see Fairbanks in three hours. Seriously. š So, as you can see, itās not as though I donāt have options.
But there are options and there are choices. If given my choice, I want to pack my RV and head south. South as in Canada and the lower 48.
The road to Tok – heading for the border
So ā¦ here goes initial planning for the āRV adventure of a lifetimeā that I WANT to indulge in even though I figure itās probably well out of reach. Wanting something is the first step. I want ā thus, I will plan. If I have to settle for something less, or put it off another year, so be it. Even if it never gets past the planning stage, that planning and dreaming should keep me occupied for the rest of the winter. š
Proposed trip itinerary; Alaska to Oregon (where son number one lives). Best-case scenario would also include Wisconsin (son number two) and a Fall-Color tour. Then down to Ohio for a Sheep & Fiber Festival ā have spinning wheel/will travel! The end goal would be to return to Oregon, leave the RV there in the care of number one son, and fly back to Alaska for the remainder of the winter. Or maybe until Christmas.
In my day-dreams; my ideal time-frame for departing from Wasilla would be mid-August 2020 (this is very much just throwing a date out there at this point, due to too many things to count ā it could end up being 2021, or never, but ā¦ Iām not getting any younger). The idea is to take my time traveling through Canada, stopping wherever I feel like it (there is SO much to see!), or whenever Baxter needs to potty (always an important consideration) for two to three weeks, crossing the border back into the USA in Washington State.
Iāve driven through Canada 4-5 times to date, but all of those trips were destination-driven. We were driving from point A to point B and did not take ANY time to sight-see except for the beauty viewed along the roadside as we zoomed by ā and there was a LOT of beauty! Iād like to slow down and smell the roses (or fireweed ā¦ whatever). Traveling by RV is definitely the way to do this.
Iāve been perusing my Milepost and day-dreaming. I want to start putting this down on paper (so to speak) and see where it takes me. Itāll be a fun project and Iāll probably wander all over the map before ever settling on an actual route ā real or make-believe. Iāll have to remember to thank Sandy for showing me how to read the Milepost ā¦ well, sort of. š
So, do you want to come along? If you are not already following my blog, nowās the time to sign up. If nothing else, weāll learn a lot more about Canada!
My most recent trip through Canada is still fresh in my memory. I drove down the Cassiar Hwy with my friend, Sandy, last October and loved every mile of it ā even the snowy ones. I marked my Milepost with dozens of sights Iād like to re-visit or places Iād like to stop overnight (or longer) in the RV. Sandy and I were traveling by car and had time constraints, so although it was a lovely drive, we pushed through pretty quickly.
I might want to repeat that route (slower, and preferably with less snow), but then diverge west towards the bottom of British Colombia; heading to Vancouver Island and then down the west coast to Portland (and then inland to my sonās house) this trip.
cell-phone snap shot of a Milepost page.
Or I might aim for the ALCAN instead, starting way up in the Yukon and skipping the Cassiar entirely. Ā Laird Hot Springs, Jasper, Banff ā¦ and whatever else is off that direction. By the first of September, Iām hoping campgrounds and scenic vistas throughout Canada will be less crowded ā a big consideration since I donāt plan on making reservations.
Well? What do you think? Shall I let my fingers do the walkinā for now?
De & the Dachsies - Our Rambles 