Posts tagged #Cabin

In The Rearview Mirror pt.1

 

Flashback Friday

First Quarter of 2016

    2016 went by so fast, but oh so slow. It is hard to find the balance between work, free time and also research time, at least for me. This year we decided that I should move from Alaska to Wisconsin, which meant I had a ton of things I needed to finish, ASAP. But I did and I moved. The first half of this year I spent in Alaska, the second half in Wisconsin, well, I guess technically 5 vs 7 months, but who counts?

January

    I went back from christmas celebration in Bozeman already in December and celebrated the new year with Tycho in my little cabin in the woods. On new years day Tycho got sick, and I still don't know what happened but he's alright now! January had lots of Aurora of course, as always. I skied some and also tried out fatbiking for the very first time. Other than skiing, biking and hanging out in the cabin by the wood stove I of course worked on my own research to wrap things up.

 
 

February

    More winterbiking, more aurora and more of hanging out at the cabin. Winters in Alaska can be rough but they are absolutely stunningly beautiful, and cold. I also went and saw the start of the Yukon Quest again, had more fika, and even a beer or two!

 
 

March

    Finally March arrived and our Green Card Interview! W came to Alaska and we went down to Anchorage for the interview, with a pitstop in Talkeetna for a skirace and also to Homer for a short weekend adventure. These interviews are somewhat ridiculous but absolutely serious. Like when the guard to get into the building asks W if he has a hand-grenade or anything alike on him. Situations like that just makes me want to make a joke and say "ooh gee, I do have one in my back pocket", since you aren't allowed to bring any bags or almost anything into the meeting. On the way back we got a text saying that they started the production of the card! 

 
Posted on January 6, 2017 by Ann Rumbleinthearctic and filed under Flashback Friday, Rearview Mirror and tagged Alaska Green Card Wisconsin move utlandssvensk Cabin Life_ fatbiking winterbiking Winter Adventures Tycho_the_earless_cat Tycho Alaska range Skiing Aurora Borealis Aurora Norrsken Northern Lights Cabin Dry Cabin fika Snow Deep Forest Winter Winter travels Talkeetna Ski race Ski Oosik Winter camping Homer Yukon Quest Mountains rearviewmirror2016 2017 rearviewmirror Life in Alaska.

365 days ago - In Alaska

 

Flashback Friday

    I took a short break from the blog. I do spend a lot of time when I want to write on my blog. Sometimes I can think about a million things I want to talk about but lately I have been so busy. I just got a new job a few weeks ago and I am going to balance that (it's only 50%) with the writing of my dissertation... Anyway, I have been thinking a lot about Alaska lately, and that's one o the reasons why this theme exists.

 
 

Memories

    I have discovered that I am really good at collecting memories, well who isn't? I love taking pictures, and sometimes I actually don't have time to look at them immediately, and then I forget about them. I love going through my photo album on the computer and rediscover old memories. I don't think I would ever be able to rediscover old memories in the same way with only text.

 
 

    I really need the pictures. What about you? Do you keep a diary at all? I know I tried to use one when I was really really young, but it didn't really work that well, and well here I am. I guess you can say that this blog sometimes work as a diary, less private of course, but still a way for me to reflect on my thoughts about different subjects.

 
 

Where were you a year ago?

    In Alaska, as in many other places up north, you start to see Aurora already in late August early September. Last year I remember seeing Aurora almost every night, kind of mellow, was still waiting for that big show to arrive....which kind of didn't happen until I was going in to work early one morning and was completely unprepared for it. Either way, I have seen so many Aurora shows, and back then it was more like a thing you saw on a regular basis, so you didn't really react that much unless it was a great show. Now, well now I really miss it of course. 

 
 

    Last year we also had a pretty bad snowstorm, that took down lots of trees, most of them broke in half literally. We got this really heavy snow that covered the landscape for a few days/weeks before it melted off again. I know people sometimes talk about a fifth season, well I would argue that in Alaska we have six seasons. Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. It is that in between space that you can or can't call one or the other, it's very interesting to experience. Sometimes we tend to list the seasons based on dates, but that doesn't always work at more northern latitudes. Other times we list them based on what we see, like snow on the ground during wintertime, but what is it if the leaves are still colored and we have snow on the ground, and then a week later the snow is gone?

 
 

    Heavy snow, falling trees and power lines don't mix well. We lost power for about a week (well off and on), others were without power for almost 3 weeks. I am lucky because I have the wood stove, so even without power I could still prepare food on the wood stove. 

 
 

    The snow came and then it went. Typical Alaskan weather. 

 
 

What did you do around this time last year? Was the weather different from today? Obviously here in Madison it's very different from Alaska. Lately we have had colder temperatures of course, they are creeping closer to the freezing point, almost there. 

Happy Friday you guys!!

 
Posted on October 14, 2016 by Ann Rumbleinthearctic and filed under Flashback Friday, Alaska, Nature, Photography, Cabin Life and tagged Alaska memories Fall Winter Lifestyle snowstorm 2016_2 Aurora Aurora Borealis Norrsken Cabin Life_ Snow Cabin Wintertime Life in Alaska 2016.

Once Alaska is in your blood, you'll never shake it

 
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will ensure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter”
— Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
 
 

Wednesday thoughts

Life in Alaska

    They say, either you love it or hate it, after a few years. Life in Alaska is hard, dark and cold, especially if you live in a dry cabin, which the majority of grad-students do. Winters get down to 50 below, or 40 below as the picture below will show. Life continues at those temperatures too, you’ll ski or sometimes even bike to work. You chop wood, or heaven forbid your car breaks down. But people in Alaska are kind, their mentality is sometimes a lot different than in other places across the US. They know that it could have been their car breaking down, and before you know it, four cars have already stopped to help you out.

 
 

When darkness turn to magical light

    With the dark cold nights comes the aurora too. Fairbanks is the epicenter of Aurora watching in the world. Sometimes the conditions for Aurora are optimal, and yet nothing happens. If you are lucky enough it will put on its best show just for you. In the darkness in the wintertime it gets quiet, but I have heard the Northern Lights sing. It is scary, and I can understand why there are so many legends about the Northern Lights.

 
 

We still Love it, with all of our Heart

    Many many people have gone to Alaska, for research, army life, adventure or just to get away from the law (or so I have been told). I know many friends who have left Alaska as soon as they are done with their research/degree, and never ever looked back, while others have left and keep coming back, for one reason or another. Then we have the group that finishes, acquire another degree, job or anything, and stays, forever and ever. Because although we sometimes complain about Alaska, and the life it brings, we still love it, with all of our heart. From the tundra up north, and the mountain ranges that spans the state, to the west where we can see Russia (well almost..), to the east where no mans land and Yukon merges like the braided streams do across the landscape, to the south with its majestic cliffs and hanging glaciers.

 
 

Love Changes You

    You will not understand the tight relationship with this state unless you have lived here, it's hard to come by. Alaska changes you, how you act as a person, what you wear, what you do, what adventures you go out on, what seems reasonable and so on, the list goes on. From appreciating the warm sun on a bright spring morning, to the Aurora over your head when you visit the outhouse at 40 below, or fight with mosquitos on those summer nights when the air is full of smoke from wildfires. You learn how to live, how to survive pretty quick up here, and before you know it it is in your veins. You chop wood like nobodies business or haul water from the water wagon on an early Saturday morning while listening to “this American Life” on NPR. Before you know it you’ll live the Alaskan life.

 
 

The Lower 48

    It changes you to the point that you have to rethink your ways and how you act as soon as you get on a plane to fly somewhere else, and yeah, from Fairbanks to Seattle, which is the closest town in the lower 48 (as they say) it's 3-4 hrs, by plane. But as soon as you are on the plane, you will see her, Denali, she's beautiful and will make you peaceful for at least a couple of hours. 

 
Posted on September 7, 2016 by Ann Rumbleinthearctic and filed under Alaska, Cabin Life, Nature, Wednesday Thoughts and tagged Alaska Outlaw Dry Cabin heart love love alaska lower 48 Boreal Forest Aurora Aurora Borealis Denali Glacier 2016 Adventure Mountains Cabin Life in Alaska.