Courage

Courage at a crossroad is different that boring everyday courage. Though I profusely lack both kinds, I seem to be at an all-time low of the everyday kind. Because with a stockpile of the everyday kind, the crossroads kind just comes naturally. I lack courage to get on my knees and be humble. I lack the courage to make good food choices. I lack the courage to just accept trials at work when they come. I lack courage to open up to the world. I lack the courage to go to bed on time so that I won't be too tired the next day to exercise. I lack the courage to align my spirit with God so that I can be guilt-free. I lack the courage to figure out school so that I can have a rewarding career, actually helping other people. I lack the courage to write in my journal everyday. I lack the courage to study the scriptures. I lack the courage to be nice to my sister when I go to visit her in Boise. I lack the courage to be patient. I lack the courage to forgive. I lack the courage to not swear. I lack the courage to be active in charity work. Worst of all, I lack the courage to believe I am a Child of God, who loves me. If I could somehow find THAT courage, I think the other things would take care of themselves.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Denali's First Snowfall of Winter 2009

On the 14th, I had dinner with Andrew Case at King Salmon. He treated!! After dinner, he said he felt like going for a walk, so we went down to Mountain Works (they are an outdoor store). I bought a cozy wool shirt. On the way back to the truck, I left Daniel a message that said something to the effect of, "Daniel-sir, it is a very clear night. I would like to request your magic to make the Northern Lights come out". When I got home, I was feeling peaceful and docile. I decided I would go out to see if the lights were visible close to 11. I no sooner got past Keith's than I saw bright lights. They were so bright, I thought that they couldn't be THE Northern Lights. I pulled over, turned off my headlights and couldn't believe how magnificent they were! I called Daniel to wake up, but to no avail. I decided I couldn't be the only one to enjoy this phenomena of nature, so I went back to the Stampede and knocked on his door. After the second tap, he got up. He instantly wanted to come see. We woke up Emily to go with us. Once we got out to Eight Mile Lake, we pulled out the chairs, sleeping bag and tripod. We enjoyed the show for well over an hour. The pictures just don't do it justice. But here is a small taste with the Big Dipper hanging out. Look closely or you might miss it!

It's what I do.

This little guy kept popping up. The first one I have ever seen. A baby weasel!

Dayne's Birthday

Sometimes it helps to be friends with the boss. I woke up on Wednesday, picked up a dispatch and saw that it was Dayne's birthday. I also realized he didn't have a day off for the week. So, I searched the dispatch and found someone to fill his spot. I called him and asked him how bad he wanted to work on his birthday. He wasn't exactly keen on it, so I asked him if he wanted to go to the Park with me. His immediate answer was yes! So we raced to the bus and got on the 10AM shuttle. I wish I could describe or take enough pictures to convey just what it looks like right now. The colors are so bright and varied, they appear fake. About two hours into the trip, we saw three dall sheep unusually close to the road. They were beautiful with the bright colors surrounding them. Further down the road, Dayne wanted to go fishing. He checked to see if he got off the bus and I continued on to the turn around, then I could meet up with him. I told him I was scared to hike that far by myself. So, he stayed on the bus with me. Good thing!! When we turned around at Eielson Visitor Center and started back we saw two grizzly bears, right by where we would have gotten off! We took pictures of the bears for over 20 minutes. Beautiful! We continued on and got off at Polychrome Pass to hike out to an Erratic, left there ions ago by a glacier. It took us over an hour and it was a little tough hiking with the squishy tundra and low bushes. We scouted out another route back to the road. This time we had to cross some braided rivers. I put on my chacos and brrrrr. That water is cold! We made it back to the road and only had about a ten minute wait until another bus came. It was a very nice way to spend a day off and to celebrate Dayne's 25th year!