Invasion at the North Pole

Every year at Christmas I set up my North Pole village.  Over the years it has gotten quite large and has portions in the living room, dining room, and entryway.  Yes, I realize it has reached the point of being an obsession!

And every year on Christmas Eve an invasion occurs, orchestrated  by my daughters.  Past invasions have included dinosaurs, army men armed with bazookas, giant Barbie dolls, zoo animals, rubber ducks, and even the Occupy movement found my village last year.  Can you pick out this year's invasion in the photo below?  Click on the photo to enlarge it.

You'd be correct if you guessed feral cats.  Below one is ready to devour a gingerbread reindeer.

The cats invaded the ice park, ski slope, and skating rink.

They seemed to particularly enjoy the food court.

They investigated the coal mine and the construction zone.

The elves were a bit concerned, and had to call the big guy for help.

The invaders have never been the same, going back about 20 years.  I think it gets harder every year for my crew to come up with new ideas.  This year's was fun!

Christmas Trees

Christmas Day was a sunny day and although the temps were still below zero, after a long spell of 30 and 40 below, it felt quite pleasant.   

When I glanced out the window at about 1:30 in the afternoon, the sun was making the trees glow.  With our low sun angles at this time of year the sun effects can be very dramatic.  This tree almost appears to have a star on top.

On Monday we had 3 hours and 43 minutes of daylight, but we're gaining daylight now and we've gained close to 2 minutes already.

It was the perfect time to test out the new lens I had unwrapped in the morning--a Tamron 18-270mm.  I've had a Canon 70-300mm lens for a while, but that left a big gap without changing lenses.  I normally have just used my little Powershot to cover things up close, but now hopefully I can get by with just the Canon Rebel XT.

I'll have fun experimenting at any rate!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Alaskan Float Plane

Alaska has a huge amount of area with no roads and the bush plane is the only way to reach many places in Alaska.  In September we had dinner at a riverside restaurant that is not too far from our house and I was photographing the beautiful fall reflections in the water .  Click HERE to see a post of the reflection shots.  The restaurant has a landing spot for boats and float planes.  We watched a float plane from Bettles Air Service taking off.  Bettles is 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the Koyukuk River and is a jumping off point for wilderness adventure in the Brooks Range and Gates of the Arctic National Park.  The 2012 census listed the population of Bettles as 12.

First they built up speed going upriver and then downriver, and then turned around and took off to the North.

And they were off on their way back to Bettles.

******

I'm linking up with Tricia's Watery Wednesday II

Weathered Gray Barn

This old barn sits someplace between Mt. Vernon and Bellingham, Washington.  The photos were taken on October 12, 2012.

Because the drive-by shots weren't as clear as I would have liked, I did a little editing.

The other end of the barn wasn't obscured by the house and garage so a little more of it was visible.

******

Hop over to Tricia's Barn Charm to see more lovely old barns!

Snowy Day

A week ago our snowfall total for the winter was well below normal at 11.5 inches compared to a normal seasonal total of 28.4 inches.  Then we began getting a couple of inches a day until 12/12/12 when it began to snow in earnest, about a foot of snow.  After the dust snow settled we are now within an inch of the normal total, at 29.7 inches.  In the early afternoon I took a few photos in our yard.  The new snow on the trees always provides some beautiful photos.

Of course, there is a downside.  The snow that looks so beautiful on the trees isn't nearly as beautiful in the driveway.  Although the snow was still falling heavily Marty was out with his tractor clearing the driveway before it got deeper.

The snow has stopped, but now the cold temps are back with 35 below tonight.  The winter solstice is on the 21st and we'll be at our longest night, with 3 hours and 43 minutes between sunrise and sunset, but on a positive note we will then begin the climb back to the summer solstice and the midnight sun.  Right now though I think I'll turn on the Christmas lights, and maybe the sky will be clear and the Northern Lights will be out.  Although snuggling up in a warm house sounds pretty appealing..... 

When the Snow Melts

On Monday I posted photos of a snowy day at Creamer's Field.  Since then we've gotten several inches more of snow, and before the winter is over there will be even more.  In the spring if you walk back into the boreal forest behind the barns  you find the wetland pools left behind by all the melted snow.  The frozen soil beneath the water prevents the water from soaking into the ground, but by mid June the ground thaws and the water seeps into the earth.   Fortunately there are many boardwalks along the trail into the forest so you don't get your feet wet and you are able to enjoy the lovely reflections in the snow runoff.  These photos were taken on May 9, 2012.

******

I am linking up with Tricia's Water Wednesday II.

Snowy Day at Creamer's Field

After a very cold November with temperatures mostly in the 20 to 30 below range and below average snowfall, we've gotten about four inches of new snow in the last couple of days.  I stopped by Creamer's Field and took a few photos of the new snow.

With a little snow falling the light wasn't the greatest, but the scarecrow in front of the old farmhouse provided a bright splash of color.

The view across the fields had limited visibility.

So I played around a little to warm things up a bit.....

******

There's lots more old barns posted at Tricia's Barn Charm!

Garden Reflection

Sunken Garden Lake at Butchart Gardens

Victoria, British Columbia

October 10, 2012

******

I'm linking up with Tricia's Watery Wednesday II

The Old Gray Barn

We spotted this old barn near La Conner, Washington, on October 13th.  Yes, another drive-by on an overcast and damp day.

 ******

If you like old barns be sure to hop over to Tricia's Barn Charm!