Update

It's been a while and I figured I'd throw up a quick update for those still reading...

I am going back on midnight shifts tomorrow night so i've been trying to rearrange my schedule again. My mom flies out on Saturday night in time for Thanksgiving. I'm definitely looking forward to her being out here, and to partake in some fun excursions.

Work is going well... just kind of plugging and chugging through it. I have had some interesting moments now that I'm on my own, but everything has been working out well. I am enjoying seeing how everything evolves out here, because it's so much different from home. For example, we are now down to around 7 hours of daylight per day. The sun "rises" after nine, and sets slightly after 4. I say "rises" because it rises behind the mountains, so you can't even really see the sun until around 11 or maybe after.

We have been finally having some snow this past week, but looks like we're going back to a clear and cold pattern this week. Although my side of town has seen some single digit temps, the airport should likely see some lows down near zero this week, with highs not making it out of the teens! Yikes.

You know, I wonder why every time I have a midnight shift it always gets really cold? Have you ever tried launching a weather balloon, tying knots with twine, and changing freezing helium tanks when it's below 15? I assure you i have never had colder fingers after messing with those helium tanks.

Anyways, I managed to shoot my first arctic hare last Sunday. It was delicious... and huge. As big as Maddy for sure. Otherwise I've been waiting for a decent snowpack around town so they can groom the cross country trails so I can get to skiing.

Maddy is doing well. We've been going to a park near my apt quite frequently, and she loves to run around in the snow and mess with the other dogs. I need to pick her up some boots though because the snow packs really tight in her paws and hurts her.

Speaking of ice.... this roads here get crazy when it snows a decent amount. It's not like home where a) when it snows it melts a couple days later... if it snows it's here to stay, and b) life goes on, we don't get the day off. By my reckoning I should have had at least 6 weeks off of work to this point. But back to the roads.... think of ice skating with a car. Luckily the subaru with studded tires does the trick extremely well, but I can assure you I am getting nowhere fast.

Well hopefully after Mom gets here I will have some cool pictures and stories for everyone, but until then I hope everyone is doing well. I am definitely missing a nice carolina fall, not to mention copious amounts of duck hunting. But being up here is not such a bad tradeoff!