And now for something completely different... The Western Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp

The Western Everglades is about as far from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as you can get -- in distance and in character. Each is, however, unique as an example of a wilderness ecosystem. For those of you interested there is an excellent documentary DVD, Big Cypress Swamp: the Western Everglades, by filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus, produced in 2009.

Sunrise from our room at River Wilderness was mystical as morning sounds emerged from the surrounding landscape.

The Rod and Gun Club is the upper end of accommodations in Everglades City and has an excellent restaurant on a waterway. It is an historical landmark where Teddy Roosevelt among other dignitaries has stayed. At the River Wilderness, where we always stay, the units have screened porches right over the water.

Sunset from the porch of the Rod and Gun Club

Road kill on the way to Everglades City. These are Black Vultures tearing up an alligator.

The City Hall, Library, and most other government offices in Everglades City

February and March are great months for migrating birds.

Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, and an assortment of egrets (probably).

A Snowy Egret. You can see his yellow feet in the water.

A pair of Roseate Spoonbills

There are huge numbers of alligators in the Everglades.

A Little Green Heron. I had never seen one before.

A rarely seen Purple Gallinule

A Great Blue Heron on her nest with two chicks. You may be able to see one of the chicks if you enlarge the photo.

Little Blue Heron

Anhinga

Entering Big Cypress Swamp

Completely different from the vast expanses of the "River of Grass".

A Snowy Egret in the swamp

Close-up

A pile of alligators

From the car window on the way out.

For me the Everglades are the most beautiful part of Florida. As with the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge they are always under threat. Although they are likely to remain during my lifetime, I am not so sure about future generations....

I will be back in Fairbanks April 14th and looking forward to spring and summer.

By the way, for those of you who do not know, Lance Mackey won the Iditarod for the 4th time in a row. Go Lance!!!

2010 Yukon Quest: pairs and portraits of dogs (mostly)

The 2010 Yukon Quest, a 1,000 mile sled dog race run between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Canada, began this year in Fairbanks on February 6th.  It is not over yet but the top ten mushers have arrived in Dawson City, Canada, the mid-point of the race.  Given the mandatory 36-hour rest period in Dawson, I thought this would be a good time to post some photos from the race start.  (Besides, there will be nothing much going on on-line until the first musher can leave tomorrow morning.)

The dogs are anticipating a great race...  

It will also be a highly competitive race.  Of the 24 mushers, 2 have won the Quest a total of 7 times since 2002 (Lance Mackey 4x and Hans Gatt 3x), and Sonny Lindner won the first Yukon Quest in 1984.  Three others have come in 2nd (Hugh Neff, Ken Anderson, and Zack Steer with Hans Gatt placing 2nd 2x).  There are also mushers from Switzerland and Belgium participating.

... as are good Fairbanks friends Jess and Ann.

A classic set-up for moving dogs around.  

The dogs here are pretty calm, but it is still a couple of hours before the race.  There was a pancake breakfast for mushers and fans adjacent to the staging area for the race.  By the time we arrived, they were out of everything but the pancakes -- they were good, though.

Here Lance Mackey, everyone's favorite musher, is getting gear together for the race.  These mushers have to have incredible focus -- a thousand miles is a long distance.

An example of a dog sled.

Here a team is being led from the staging area to the race start -- about a quarter of a mile.

The teams are hooked to an ATV to hold them back.  Handlers could never restrain a dog team for this distance at the start of a race.  The dogs are unstoppable...  We stayed back from the starting line to be able to get closer to the teams.  This was a good opportunity for photos, and I hope these give you an idea of the variation that exists in the "Alaskan husky".

I have some tricks up my sleeve!

Is it time yet???

Reflecting on races past...

We are excited!!!

Uh, patience is a virtue!

Well, we've done a lot of training so we think we're ready.

This is serious -- no fooling around!

We are clearly the most elegant dogs here ... and look at our outfits!

... but I'm adorable.

Two "lead dogs" waiting for their turn to go.

They are still pretty calm...

Lance Mackey at the start surrounded by adoring fans 

(myself included, of course).

Lance (number 11) and his dogs are ready to go...

The dogs are the real athletes of these races.  When not racing, they are calm and friendly.  Who wouldn't love these dogs?

I will report the results as soon as they are available.  I know you all can't wait!!!!

Winter solstice in the land of real winter

On December 21st the sun rose at 10:59 am and set at 2:41 pm leaving 3 hours and 42 minutes of daylight in Fairbanks.  Compare this with 21 hours 49 minutes on the Summer Solstice.  I stayed around the cabin from Winter Solstice though the end of the year to reflect on my experiences over the past year and spend some quiet time in solitude.  This was not difficult as all of my friends had gone away over the Christmas and New Years holidays. 

The temperature varied from 0 to minus 32F but the first days of 2010 have seen the temperature drop to minus 35 - 40 in Goldstream Valley.  I did go for a walk each day accompanied by my trusty camera.  Most of these photos were taken at 1:30 pm. -- later or earlier than this would have required use of a flash (or a better camera).

 

The Alaska Range with ice fog over the city taken from Ballaine Hill

This photo of the Alaska Range is taken from the top of Willow Run on one of my walks.

Snow-laden willows

Moose off Willow Run near the intersection with Goldstream Road.

I have made peace with the squirrels and no longer attempt to chase them from the bird feeder.  How could anyone begrudge them sunflower seeds when it is minus 30 degrees outside?  Besides, they really are quite cute.

Birches with snow in arctic pink sunlight

Moonrise on December 30th at 1:30 pm looking east on Goldstream Road.

Another view to the east from near the cabin.

Home sweet home.  If you look closely you can see the electric cord running from the house to the car.  I have had to leave it plugged in all night for the last few nights as the temperature has been around minus 35F.  Just a fact of life so near the arctic circle I guess.

Yours truly returning from one of my walks at minus 25F.  Hard to imagine, isn't it?

Happy New Year to all and I hope to see those of you in Florida in March.