Seasons Change

Lately I’ve been noticing the darkness of our August evening sky. And while I was on campus today I was surprised to see fallen yellow leaves on the ground. There’s an undeniable autumn chill to the air in the mornings… I guess it’s true that nothing lasts forever. 

And I’m sorry Texas, but I am not excited about what your geography and climate have to offer. 

 

Things don’t ever just stay the same, you know? And probably, we don’t really want them to. 

 

But when summer has been so good, it’s hard to say goodbye.
Metphorically and otherwise…

It’s a Record

The high today in Anchorage was 80 degrees, a record high for July 7. In fact, it’s now 10:30 pm and it’s still 72 degrees outside (and completely sunny, I might add…). And do you want to know something interesting? The highest temperature ever recorded in Anchorage was only EIGHTY SIX degrees, in 1953. We were not that far away from that today.

Now you might be thinking to yourself, “80 degrees is not hot.” But guess what, people? We don’t have air conditioning. Why? Because we DON’T NEED IT. Usually.

All I’m saying is that when you’re doing pilates in a building that does not have controlled air when it’s 80 degrees, it feels “hella” hot.

What I’m also saying? I am LOVING it. 

I don’t think I’ve felt this warm in 4 years. In fact, as my mom was saying all last week during her visit, if it was like this more often in Anchorage, we’d be inundated with people.

I didn’t think it would be fair of me to brush over the magnificence that is the weather this summer, even if I did mention that we had a nice Spring. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time then you know that what we are experiencing is nothing to be scoffed at;  I am soaking it up.

Tomorrow is forecasted to hit 75. I am loving my state right now.

The Calendar is a Liar

You know, I’m so glad yesterday was the first day of Spring. What, with the snow today and the icy parking lots and it feeling like 10 degrees outside… Yeah, Spring is such a nice change of pace from Winter.

I mean, if this keeps up, we may as well just do away with the 4 seasons and pare it down to 1: Sumautering. (That’s SUMmer, AUTumn, winTER, sprING for you lay people out there.) No need for seasonal semantics when the weather stays the same all year: BLEAK.

Our literal bright spot? The daylight. Seriously. This was not a geographical necessity, people. This was God looking down and having pity on the barren wasteland that is Alaska weather.

Do I live in California yet??*

*Thus ends my cynicism for Saturday, March 21st.

Summer Solstice

June 21, 2008. A recap:

• The longest day of the year – in Anchorage that meant 19 hours and 22 minutes of glorious sunlight.
• Attended an outdoor concert – a blast from the past a la 1997.
• Resisted the call to “let summer into my heart.” Made a mental note never to go wherever that guy came from.
• Almost got caught in the middle of a drunken brawl.
• Witnessed an actual person smoking actual marijuana in actual public.

[insert appropriate, unavailable iPhone photo here...]

• Stood for 4 hours straight in excellent company.

• Finished the night with an ‘Island Hopper’ night cap and a fire. Noticed the 11:30 pm “darkness”..

• Also noticed the all too obvious lack of short sleeve attire.

And to summer I say, “Running behind schedule, are we? You know the solstice is supposed to be your grand entrance… Whenever you decide to show up – we’ll be waiting.”

Don’t tell me how it ends or I will slap you.

It’s 1130 and it’s still pretty light outside.
I don’t really feel like sleeping…

Some things I can count on:

1. The sprinkler is going to wake me up tomorrow at 6 am, unless I sleep with a fan on.
2. This next week is going to be a bit stressful, so I think I’ll take a step back from everything and just let it happen.
3. Decaying teeth. I need to go to the dentist, and I’m fairly certain I have a cavity.

Things I’m not so certain about:

1. How am I going to spend my non working hours this week?
2. What would it look like to really live the life that God has empowered me to live?
3. Is Felicity going to end up with Ben or Noel?

It’s a beautiful day! la la la la…la

The weather in Alaska has been AMAZING lately. I was at a wedding outside yesterday and I swear to you, it was so freakin’ hot I was sweating and I got a sunburn.

yesterday’s high: 70 degrees

It’s freakin’ balmy and beautiful outside right now. Amazing blue sky, birds chirping, the sun is shining and pretty much isn’t going to go down tonight..

current temperature: 67 degrees

Last summer was positively awful. It rained or was cloudy all the time, it was not warm. I was a little nervous this summer was going to be the same and it was going to prove those “alaskan summer lovers” wrong, but things have really started to look up..

On that note, I’m leaving the country in 84 hours and I’ll probably miss the rest of what is good about Alaska.

C’est la vie..