8th of December at 1:55pm

It's a cold blustery day today --- first we had fog last night, 20 degrees for two days and today we had rain while I was in Chem class and now we have a blustery cold wind (though no snow at this point).  I remember often how when we came to Clovis from Anchorage, AK  I would go looking for coffee shops (I mean Starbucks-like coffee shops).  They were aplenty in Anchorage --- all over the main roads in every direction, there would be a coffee/latte-type store - most with drive-throughs and some that were drive-up kiosk.  Anchorage as a winter city, most of us were fueled with caffeine as we drove into work. 

If you can picture it in your mind, it's winter in Anchorage (starting in October, it will have snowed by that time.)  Snow will be on the ground and piling up and as time marches into winter to the much-celebrated  Winter Solstice, it will be pitch black.  The reflective snow helps some but there is very little real sun in  the winter months.  I could always tell when the sun was going away in November.  The physiology of my mind and body could tell as I got grouchy and put on weight.  My normal way of being is kind of buoyant; but those were not buoyant days from November on to April. 

As Anchorage's weather has changed dramatically, due to global warming (I feel); the typical winter weather now in Anchorage is alternately cold rain, snow, ice storm with hoarfrost on the trees and no snow covering for the animals.  The winter weather was dramatically different from winters 1986-90 and then 1995-2006.  The earlier years had the abundant snow which wasn't terribly fun to drive over but it felt more normal with more reflective light.  Then when we returned to Alaska in 1995 - it was all rain, sleet, snow, rain - terribly different.  This has to impact the animals up on the North Slope terribly.....  as the polar bear has to be on a island of snow to be able to surprise the seal when it comes up for air.  So it stands to truth that reports of the polar bear starving are true.

As I discovered over those years of living in Alaska, that the older I got; the less suited to the environment I became.  My origin is in East Texas of Wales/Scotland descent.  Many people go up to Alaska for a percieved high pay; only the Norwegians and Scandinavians from the northern areas of the USA (Minnesota, Michigan, etc.) and upper New England stay.  The climate environment is too tough for most people to retire in.  I'm glad that I lived and experienced the part of Alaska that you can't learn about from a cruise ship.   Not only is the winter a challenge, but the summer is a challenge.  Up there they don't have the kind of sunlight as we do here --- their skies are muted and the sun is less 'direct'.   But the summer with non-stop sunlight made me very grouchy.   

I remember the acclimatization that I went through --- my first summer up, I was wearing long sweaters and my body acclimated and during summers, I'd wear a tank top and shorts while the tourists were wearing long coats and scarves.  I'd walk around downtown with my husband and laugh at the tourists all bundled up. 

When Greg and I moved here in late fall, the sun made me feel better than I had felt in over 10 years in Alaska.  I loved the sun (in October); I felt better than I had felt in a long time.  I also found the people here so friendly compared to most people I had encountered in Alaska (some exceptions).  There is a very 'Independent' mindset in Alaska and when people are walking around so grouchy..........................