Just Like Minnesota

When you travel and live at Mile 14 of Alaska's Kenai River theres always two things that come up when you meet people. Sarah Palin and the weather, especially winter weather which is kind of a coincidence as thats the reason you're traveling to begin with. That being said its no wonder that the majority of folks we've become friends with are northerners themselves, Canadians, Montanans, Eastern Seaboarders and mucho Minnesotans.

So I've noticed theres some kind of weird northern pride dynamic at work when it comes to winter, if its -40 in Soldotna Alaska by jiminy when you talk to your buddy in the store its -50 just 10 miles away in Sterling Alaska...and of course the wind blows a bit more there accounting for that -87 chill factor. When we invariably have these conversations I frequently hear this from my Viking fan friends " oh yeh, our winters are alot like yours". Excuse me but does your start in September and end in August? In fact MP years ago coined a phrase for this phenomena ' in Alaska theres two seasons...this winter and next winter'.

The first two Pics are me and MP getting ready to go to the gym this morning, April 14 2010. I understand that at the same time it was headed towards 70 degrees in Minneapolis, ( which I just recently learned is considered the NorthWest) 53 degrees in Helena Montana where some of the more serious weather watchers I know live and a balmy 54 degrees in Calgary Alberta.

PIC 3 is the scene every northerner knows, the perfect conditions for hydroplaning out of control, especially if you've lost your drivers license and are stuck on that bike. This picture here certainly underlines the theme of this blog post...them Alaskans are purty darn tough. So if any of my friends out there have an outdoor Thermometor that goes to -80 I'd like to know about it.

This last pic is last nights sunset, about 8:30 or so. It was shining so bright in my eyes I had to pull the shade down to see the Mariners finally win their 3rd game. Awfull pretty isn't it?, even with all those darn mountains and volcanoes in the way....