Sick Holiday

Since my fun Talkeetna excursion nothing major has occurred in small town Homer. I got to ski once and saw our local creative Nutcracker play with hoops and techno music! We have not gotten much snow, but we have icey roads with cold weather then rain and cold following.

Last weekend, I was asked to photo shoot the winter Burlesque show. I was nervous as I don;t usually shoot people or indoors. Two nights of fun and clever entertainment from a handful of girls and two guys. Most I know. I took about 600 good shots out of at least a thousand. Took tons of time to crop em and had fun playing with some photo tools I never use.

On the last night my friends had an ugly sweater party and i was able to attend both. And then at 4am my throat was sore. In a few hours full blown flu with achy back, headache, hot and cold, and a painful wet cough. One day I awoke from my nap in a pool of sweat completely drenched but I felt better.

Not until the 4th day I felt somewhat like myself but still not 100%. I missed a few days of work and cancelled xmas and been home for six days and counting. It was a sunny xmas day and I so wanted to ski or at least go out for a few mins but it was 15 def out!

I tried all sorts of new remedies like neti pot, which is an ancient method and odd experience of putting water down one nostril and coming out the other. Also swishing sesame oil in my mouth for 10 mins. And put Oregano, Thyme, and Peppermint oils on my feet. I know some people make be thinking Jes what a hippie.

Gonna take it easy even when better to ease into things which is not easy to do in this town. I've been wanting to sleep in before i got sick and now that's all I have been doing. Roomies and friends helped coming by with food and remedies. So I was not completely alone. But this nasty bug is making its way through town and most of my friends have it.

Thanks for all the well wishes and hope everyone else had a better holiday! Click here to view my 30 sec holiday photo slide.

Talkeetna Bachelor Ball & Wilderness Women's Competition

Last weekend I flew to Anchorage and hopped in a car with my friend Maria to drive 2.5 hours in the night fog to awesome cute, quaint town of Talkeetna! I love visiting these AK places in winter as they are sooooooo different from busy touristy summer.

Why the heck did I go so far in winter to a town less than 1,000? To check out the 33rd annual Bachelor Ball & Wilderness Women's Competition of course. So this was not any normal small town winter weekend experience. I'd like to visit there again in winter sans events.....My new friend, Ed, describes town as "It's cozy and quiet, relaxed, sleepy, beautiful light on the mountains, dry snow that doesn't often turn to slush and everybody feels a bit like family but with an independent streak."

The event has a long story but most funds go to women and children crisis in AK who need to leave a bad home situation. Also funds some local nonprofits in Talkeenta. It started in 1981. Click here for history.Last year they raised $10K! It's a great way to get a bunch of girls to an AK town in dead of winter.

Click here for lots of wild pix and a video. Well worth the watch for all sexes but not for lil ones :)

Homer November & Thanksgiving

Things are still pretty busy here and time is zooming by. It got cold to the single digits and pretty white snow is on the ground and dark green trees, which helps give us some light during the pitch black mornings and night.

Sunrise is at 9:40am and sets at 4:10 now. One more month of getting darker. In earlier Nov the sun was so damn bright during sunset, i had to look the other way.

I am hoping for a more relaxing, less event filled December so I can get back to art and writing. Winter time is a good time to finally catch up with friends with potlucks and saunas/hot tubs. I am so lucky to have a variety of friends who love to share their homes and luxuries.

Thanksgiving was a long food eating weekend with a ton of new and old friends. Lots of newbees coming to Homer and we all share stories of how we ended up here.



Wish there was more time to chill with all my friends :) We had a cold time but the sun is feeling so nice. We all can't wait for more snow to start skiing again.

Click here for  some sunsets, beach/waves and party pix.