Break - Up

MP used to say that theres two seasons around here, this winter and next winter. Well, that's just tuff talk because we have a wonderful, although short summer and this season here, break up. The break up season is characterized by huge puddles from melting snow with frozen ground so it has no place to go. Its characterised by huge and instantly appearing pot holes in the road from the same phenomena, frozen below and thawed on top. Its characterized by the worst air you've ever seen, dust and grit from the tons and tons of sand that are applied to the roads each winter. But us Alaskans are liking it real good, after all, fishing season is finally within sight.

So today even though I had alot to do, well, some stuff do, I decided to take a drive and photograph some of the unusual parts of break-up. The first two pics are the scene right here at my house, Rancho Deluxe at mile 14 of the Kenai River. Even though I suspect that puddle will get deeper I figured I'd better get the pic today, we all know how fast things happen in Alaska. Tonight we made sure MP's Suby was in the garage because we have a nice 6 inch layer of ice melting in the driveway that I was afraid that if we left the car out it might just be frozen in tomorrow morning....Oh, today it got up to 46 degrees but it still freezes at night.

That pic there is driving down the Spur into town. I'd hoped it would show the dust better but hey, it shows alot. Like the uniquely Alaskan grooved road from studded snow tires. I'm no engineer but I think they make the road kind of 'crowned' so the water from the middle will run to the side and be gone...Not here. I 'm kind of an idea guy and I got to wondering why we have a gutter and a drain system on both sides that doesn't work so well. Why not have one smack dab in the middle of the road and make the road bowl shaped? AND...then some of my neighbors wouldn't find it so easy to splash that poor guy who has to use the sidewalk. Its brilliant if you ask me.


Snow mountains like this are everywhere and their time is limited. I guess it says something about the whole cycle of life when you think that just a few months ago all this snow was fluffy, clean and exciting, well at least exciting for the snowmachiners who don't go to Mexico every winter. When it falls it kind of muffles the towns sound and leaves a wonderfully clean place, covering up all the gray and brown of fall. So, for me its clean in the fall, dirty in the spring, nice when its young, a pain when its old. That's snow.
This next pic says it all. Its a huge lake next to another snow mountain in front of our 'big box' shop till you drop store. Even though when they come to town and pave 10 acres of wilderness the company mitigates it with this wonderful landscaping we've all seen. Bring in a few Juniper trees from Delaware, maybe try and get some of that Cherry Blossom look going and excavate a 3 foot hole next to the road and walla...that's what ya got. Now....if the water was draining to the middle of the road instead, well maybe,.....guess that's dumb.

This last pic I thought every one should see because I figure if I told you what we're paying for gas you'd think I was exaggerating, like I'm prone to. So this blog here cost me about 5 bucks and its easy to think that's really not that much money. But hey, think of the things...its more than a K-16 Kwikfish costs, and you could buy 5 spin and glows, 3/4's of my favorite lure, a Roberts Ranger. You could buy a reel filler of Trilene Big game....you get the idea. Do you suppose this is all part of what we know as spring fever???