Hallelujah

Meghan finished taking the exam at the end of last week and life is slowly returning to normal around here. While she was studying it felt like only half of Meghan was around and it's nice to have all of her back. Many well wishers have sent congratulations her way after finishing and we are quite grateful it is over. Looking ahead, it seems that life will move forward very quickly. Next week we take our belated honeymoon and when we return 12 hrs. of daylight will greet us. The extended days seem to put energy levels on overdrive and summer comes before you know it. Which is nice, considering we'll have to wait three months to get Meg's results. The picture above is from the morning walks Meghan and I took during her three days of test taking last week.

Reinforcement

Last week Meg's mom, Deb paid a visit. She provided much needed emotional and domestic support for our little bar exam-taker. When not cooking up a storm or taking care of Reb, Deb was on her skis as much as possible, always on the lookout for moose and other critters. Luckily, our neck of the woods was quite a popular spot for the boreal ungulates, as they seemed to stop by the front yard once a day during Deb's visit. We also toured Powerline Pass on Saturday under bright February sun to play in the 8" of fresh snow. Thanks for the visit Deb - we couldn't have made it to the test without you.

Sundowner

5:46 pm

Update: Russian gray whale on the move

Meghan scans for gray whales off Narrow Cape during Kodiak's 2009 Whale Fest

It looks like Flex, the wayward Russian western gray whale, successfully crossed both the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska and was recently swimming off the coast of Vancouver Island. A local BC paper reports that although Flex is following a well established eastern gray whale migration route, he is keeping his distance from his eastern Pacific cousins.

Flex is now more or less following the migration route of Eastern Pacific gray whales, but he's aloof, staying farther offshore than they do. The reason for uncertainty about Flex's uniqueness is that researchers have never tracked a Western Pacific gray so extensively.

Flex's speed and determination indicates that he may join other grays at their Mexican breeding grounds. He'd better hurry though, by March most of the single whales will have begun their northward migration to Kodiak and beyond.

Saturday sun

Saturday offered clear skies, sun, and crisp air - perfect for snapping pics of the Anchorage Bowl. The Great One and the Alaska Range were on display to the north and surrounding ranges - Chugach and Tordrillo - showed their stuff as well. I took the camera along on an afternoon ski and dropped the shots into a slideshow between grabs from an FAA webcam located in downtown Anchorage.

Evening commute - no flash

Today was cloudless and we finally got to see how much light we've gained this week. Like Candlemas Day, the first day when it's possible to make it home from work without lights marks winter's turning point. I left the office at 5:30 and skied home under civil twilight. As the days become longer energy levels increase and moods brighten. - just in time for Meg's big test and the big race.

Candlemas Day

Halfway between the solstice and the equinox, Candlemas Day (Imbolc, in Old Irish) celebrates the return of daylight to northern latitudes. We will reach eight hours of light in a day or so and welcome the rays. Candlemas Day is also the precursor to Groundhog Day. Traditionally, depending on the environs, folks watched for critters like serpents or badgers to emerge from their dens. According to the limerick below, most of Alaska and the L48 will be rewarded with an early Spring - no shadows to be seen today.

For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,

So far will the snow swirl until May.

For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day,

So far will the sun shine before May.