Homer Fall

Thanksgiving was great, which I expected :) Lots of good homemade, local food, and even seafood with great friends. I've been winter house sitting for 2 out of 6 weeks and it was a little weird at first, but a welcomed adjustment.

I now find myself indoors more often, solo, with lots of time vs summer time. It's dark by 5 so by 8 I feel like its bed time but happy that I have more hours to burn. Been catching up on pix and writing, cooking and hopefully reading soon. But amazingly with so many nonprofits events and volunteering, artists, and musicians here we are such a busy town and I just can't keep up.

Work is also keeping me super busy and I am so jazzed up about it. I have not felt so excited about work since Idealist.org five years ago. It's not all fun and games but lots of opportunity to meet local businesses and come up with some new, creative programs for members, community, and fundraising. I feel so lucky.

People say its been a cooler winter than usual just as summer was. I think summer is actually harder for me than winter b/c winter is expected to be cold, but summer just doesn't feel like summer to me.  We have not had much snow yet but we've had sunny days all week, which I just don't recall during Portland's winter. Sun rise and sets are amazing here, so much pink in the sky. Its still getting dark till Dec 21st. Loosing about 6 mins of daylight a day.

Every day at least once, when I walk outside I say either "wow" or beautiful". I know some of my fellow friends don't understand my being here. And you can't until you come here to experience this amazing feeling for yourself!

Well here's an album packed full of pix for u to enjoy from this Fall (more like winter for me. 

Learning to drive and live in the dark

So far winter in AK has not been too bad. Mind you that I am in the SW part of AK and further north is way colder with winters from -40 to -70 degrees!! Yes, that's some how possible. And in Homer, I am not up on the bluff at 1,000 ft elevation. We have gotten to the single digits at night here, some icy roads and snow on and off.

I'm learning to drive on ice and in the dark. The roads don't have the street lights on the side that I am spoiled with; so I feel like I am really driving on country roads when driving at night and watch out for those cute bunnies! Not to worry, I am taking it slow! I've never lived on a road with one lane each way and not use to all the school buses either. Also learning to live in the dark. Its dark when I leave at 8am and dark before 5, before it was awesome catching sunrise and set, now I gotta remember to leave work to see it. But I was loaned a very bright sad light, so that should help with the blue moods. I also gotta get use to wearing my headlamp from the car to the house, gotta watch out for black ice even when temps are fairly descent. So much to learn :)

Well, its still an active community and enjoying dinners with friends. It;s rad as I get home grown potatoes, chicken eggs, and other random good stuff. I'm also testing out making my own batch of kambucha with help from a friend. And, after it coming up many times in convo, I am gonna start watching Northern Exposure. I was a bit on the young side to watch it when it came out but remember my mom watching it a bit...so weird.

It's been neat living w/ such great people as I am in between housing. It's a good thing as I am learning how to live here. Some houses are regular L48  style, while others had its quirks with plumbing but no septic tanks, which means I get a shower but no toilets! Water, heat and toilets are a main topic on discussion here. This Sat I move to my first winter house sitting gig for 6 weeks and its right on the beach. It smells like beach on the door steps and has many ceiling to floor windows looking at the beach. I am stoked b/c as much as I love people, I have had only a hand full of nights completely alone since I left PDX in Feb 2011. I know that sounds unreal but being a vagabond/woofer/volunteer/nanny/roommate etc it happens.

Oh and work is going great. Lots to do and learn but I love that. And its SO NICE to be working at a place I really like, doing things I enjoy, and for an org that is so integrated with the community. "Work" comes up all day and night while out and about with friends. So many cool, new things to do.  I just gotta get use to hearing my voice on the radio. agh...

As for pix, here's an album of jewelry making I witnessed at two different friend's studios. And Happy Turkey time and remember try to keep it real with these tips!

First AK Snow

I most likely will keep the blog posts short and do 1x a week or 2, unless there's something new and awesome to share. But I will continue sharing pix via the blog. And I have a feeling there will be some cool, winter albums created this year.


I am still scared of winter as I am cold now and its Fall. I hear everyone's first winter AK is a fun experience. I also heard from various people and sources that this will be another unsually cold, snowy winter like last year. yeah me!

But I am also excited to see the sky. It's just so beautiful here. It was a nice surprise in summer. I had my first AK snow experience. I realize NY had cold, snowy winters, but I left in 2006. PDX is a milder, less snowy climate and I never liked the cold/snow in NYC :) But so far so good and I have so many people here looking out for me, I am very lucky to have various support. Here's a link to my first snow AK album.

I'd like to add a note to my New Yorkers: I have no clue what its like there but I see pix and posts and have a long distance connection to it. It's so strange seeing and hearing the stories and not seeing this on my own in my hometown. I know things will get better and its a difficult time as there's so many variables that turned upside town. I heard there's lots of good going on and people bonding. I only hope that will last long after the disaster. Community is key for us to survive and I think there's a lot of good personal lessons being learned from this chaos. Be well!