Big Drop

On May 6, it rained all afternoon. It was one of the first times it had rained in months and it was so lovely to see water droplets covering everything outside. I spent some time looking at new growth and anticipating the spring flowers to come.

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April Beach Walk

 Mt. Augustine volcano

May Happenings

Yet again, life just stays busy :)

Safely viewing the solar eclipse together :)

The drama at work has finally calmed down after a month of stress and while it is now insanely busy due to summer, it's less stressful for me :)

Chocolate milk was cheaper than white milk, so naturally...

It is finally starting to actually green up around here and I am so happy to see it :)

We bought me a brand new bike today!!!!! My old bike has served me well, but it was too small for me. I just kept riding it because I had nothing else, but it was definitely not comfortable, and proved to be more work to ride than it was worth most of the time - i.e. I don't take it out for pleasure riding, just to and from work. Finally decided that I needed to go in search of a new bike. We went for a look to a local store today and this one was on sale. I rode it around for a bit and it is so divine! Such smooth motion, almost effortless for me to ride. C is tired of my gushing about it! Now I can go for rides with friends and enjoy it!

Me standing under the skylight in our room

In other news, after we brought my new bike home, C proceeded to educate me on mowing the lawn! I got to weed whack last year, but it looks like I might have the mowing duty now. C dislikes mowing after getting paid to do it for years as a kid, and I enjoy working outside in the summer...so hopefully I can stand doing it all summer. First go of the whole yard went fine and I was victorious.

Purple Spring Growth

May 6th, buds are finally starting to grow....

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Little Red Dog: April

Moose Pretzel

Probably the funniest moose photo you will see today :)

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Little Red Dog: March

 The lovely girl :)

She loved playing with snow!

She loved running up and down the HUGE snow berms.

Going for a Spit run ;)

Look how absolutely huge that berm is!

Augustine Light

Mt. Augustine surrounded by vibrant color.

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Puppy Parade!

A friend of mine invited me for a beach walk on a gorgeous February day, and she was caring for 5 puppies at the time!

It was chaos at its finest, but so fun!

Subtle Shadows

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Birds in Beluga Slough

 In early April, I went out to the Beluga Slough to take some photos of the newly arrived swans. They were a bit dirty from the muddy water, but still lovely.

And then some other birds showed up :)

Coming in for a landing!

A Reason to Stay

This scene is one of many that ensures I stay living here. Such beauty, when the mountain tips turn pink.

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Pink Sunset Light

 At the beginning of April, the light is wonderful. The days are long enough to be warm, but the light hits the mountains at just the riiight spot to be amazing. I was at my in laws' house when I took these. I wanted to leave for the beach, but I didn't want to interrupt family time more than I already had by running around with my camera, but looking back, I should have. I haven't seen the same hot pink light since then, though I keep trying for it :)

 Shadows can be breathtaking!

 Just look at that PINK!

Solar Eclipse: May 20, 2012

3:14 pm, Before it started

I was blessed to be able to view the solar eclipse this afternoon. I was pretty anxious, because it was cloudy here, with intermittent rain. It cleared up enough that there was a glowing ball in the sky to find!

3:24 pm

I purchased a special solar filter for my telephoto lens, as well as some eclipse viewing glasses.

3:37 pm

I unfortunately had to work, but I set my tripod up in my boss' office, pointed at the sun, and came along every few minutes to take another shot and realign the camera to the sun.

3:46 pm

It was cloudy enough at first that I really couldn't focus the lens well at all (manually) so I was a bit bummed, but it eventually cleared up a tad so I could get a clearer image.

4:03 pm

As I said, I had to compensate for the movement of the earth, and pretty soon, the sun's location was out of view from the window. So, what do I do? Well, put the tripod and camera on the roof of course! Boy that sounds extreme. Easy access from a window meant a good spot that the camera would be free from theft, but also have a better view.

4:20 pm

It was only a partial eclipse for us in Alaska, not a full one, so the sun was never completely covered. Others in different locations in Alaska reported a darkening during the eclipse, but our cloud cover didn't show me much difference for the duration.

4:35 pm

It was fun to watch it with my boss and coworker, as I had extra glasses to share. It definitely wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it.

4:47 pm

I'm so glad I was able to experience a solar eclipse!

5:04 pm

After my shift ended, I packed up my gear and raced home.

5:20 pm

I handed C a pair of the glasses and we stood watching the end of the eclipse together.

5:33 pm

5:46 pm

5:55 pm

6:00 pm The end!

It was wonderful! I can't wait to see another!