Breaking up is hard to do
 , although it will entail a bit of self pity and whimpering   We don't ever talk about "Spring" here in Alaska. We don't really get a spring, as such. What we have is: Breakup Breakup has nothing to do with flowers, or green stuff growing, or bunnies, or anything like that. Its all about the MUD, the ICE, the SLUSH and crushing disappointment of semi-sunny days that suddenly turn into white-out blizzard conditions at the drop of a hat  A "spring" art show, north of here, in Fairbanks, that I had considered doing this weekend had to be canceled due to several feet of snow closing down the parks highway. I had been reveling in my almost totally melted out driveway ...which now needs plowing  I shaved my poor, poor pathetic dogs who are now insisting on sleeping under the covers with us at night  I really, honestly DID know better  but I let a few days of deceptively spring-ish weather fake me out! Well...and I admit, the dog shaving was kind of a selfish attempt to get in there ahead of the MUD for once  Dont tell Abby and Bert that, though!  |
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| Bummer and it always feels colder after a bit of sunshine. I hope you have an extra large bed to fit all the cold individuals at your place. |
| Sounds like instead of breaking up, your dogs and you are making up! |
| Brrrrr, Laurel, I'm sorry. That's so unfair. |
The little bit of Spring that many have experienced in the last couple of days is just a "tease" of what is to come. It's good to hear your ahead of the mud with the sheepie shearing. Hope you thaw out soon. Oh did I mention it is 90 here in Florida?  |
| I hear you. I'm in Winnipeg, and "spring" is the ugliest, muddiest, dampest, grossest season of the year. It kills me when I hear people talk about the beauty of spring. It doesn't get beautiful here until all the mud dries up, the streets get cleaned, and the summer buds start bursting on the trees. Until then (late May/early June some years) it's all YUCK. |
| Understand how you feel, lived in Anchorage 4 years in the 80s...didn't wear shorts for 4 years! I remember there was a office pool for when the city's snow pile would melt...pretty good money if you won. Only time I bought my kids rain boots for the mud and keeping my OES Callie clean was so hard during this time of year and then there was all the poop under the snow raising it's stinky presence! Loved June! Flowers, daylight, everything so rich in color. Also remember camping out at Portage Glacier Memorial Day and had such a wonderful time...decided to go 4th of July and it was in the 30's and raining...we packed up and came home early. You just never knew...also remember everyone taking the afternoon off work in June when temps reached high 70s and sunshine! We have great memories of our Alaska time...found over 45 relatives on my husband's side and just loved getting to know them and sharing family time with them over holiday's! I want to go back and husband and I may...we would pick it as our #1 vacation wishlist...we always told people 3rd week in June was good weather and it always worked out. Our OES loved the weather and taking her from Anchorage to Sumter, South Carolina was a big shock...she didn't want to go outside the entire first summer. |
| MUD! YUCK! Probably why I continue to live here. It is rarely wet enough to make mud. Spring is wind....when the skies turn to color of the earth.....all the dust in the air. My car looks like it has termite tunnels on it.....long narrow mud tubes: a tiny bit of rain followed immediately by dust. Anyway, when living high in the Rocky Mountains at the ranger station, the Memorial Day "regatta" on the lake had to be cancelled due to ice still clogging the marina. Was same year my family came to visit for the holiday, with only shorts or mini skirts (60's). MO is sporting a Tshirt as even a haircut with a 3 3/4 blade leaving as much hair as possible with a clipper, she's still too cold for our 31 degrees this a.m. (I'm hoping it was less than 31 degrees so the apple blossoms on the trees overhanging the house die so no bouncing apples off the roof in August) |
lhall15 wrote: Understand how you feel, lived in Anchorage 4 years in the 80s...didn't wear shorts for 4 years! I remember there was a office pool for when the city's snow pile would melt...pretty good money if you won. Did you ever bet on the Ice Classic? Its a big gambling thing here...you buy a ticket, and put in your guess on when the Nenana River will "go out" (thaw suddenly). The big rivers up here don't tend to melt gradually, rather, they have a tipping point where the water under the ice abruptly breaks the surface, and the the whole thing shatters. Betting on it is a popular tradition. I'm actually fairly certain that where the term "breakup" comes from. Your right, June is the best!  May can be wonderful (and less crowded, for tourism), but is unpredictable, as far as weather. My first few "summer" outdoor shows are in early May, and its not unusual for those to get snowed on! |
Every locale has its challenges. Last year we had snow on Mother's Day, this year we've had our 3rd snowiest winter on record (and our 9th consecutive Golden Snowball Award), and today they are predicting 75 degrees - and hail!  Enjoy the snuggles! |
| We have break up and ice outs too. Stands to reason I guess, as many MN people are in AK as well! Sorry for the crappy weather, Laurel. We had warm weather here last week and this weekend- got to 70 one day, with several 60 days. Now we are back to wet and cold trends - days in 30-40's and occasional 50's, rain predicted most days in the10 day forecast, and below freezing each night..... Today is at least sunny and 50 And MUD Living on a farm, gravel driveway, gravel roads...it's just a mostly disgusting time of the year. I truly DREAD spring, it's my least favorite season. It is the only time in my life I wish I lived in the concrete and paved urban world! But then it passes.....  The silver lining for me is we are running the furnace less.... |
got sheep wrote: Living on a farm, gravel driveway, gravel roads...it's just a mostly disgusting time of the year. I truly DREAD spring, it's my least favorite season. It is the only time in my life I wish I lived in the concrete and paved urban world! But then it passes..... Thanks Dawn...I now have a X-mas song filk running though my head: "Its the moooost dis-gust-ing tiiiiime of the yeeeeeaaar!!!!!" Yeah, we made a serious logistical error this year...we used wood shavings as traction on our (iced over) gravel driveway. So, NOW we have soggy wood shavings mixed with mud and gravel everywhere UGH! |
Quote: Thanks Dawn...I now have a X-mas song filk running though my head: "Its the moooost dis-gust-ing tiiiiime of the yeeeeeaaar!!!!!" danget ladies |
| We live on the river, and I do love the moment of breakup for us. (If I happen to be home at the time.) There's a big thump, and then a lot of crashing, and quickly it all starts flowing in ever shrinking chunks. When they get really small, less than a foot or so each, they also get washed so they are clear and spikey. That's when they start to tinkle like pieces of crystal clanging together. I do love that sound. It lasts (for us) about half a day...our river runs really fast. So, okay, one shortlived part of spring I like. The rest remains YUCK. |
traciels28 wrote: We live on the river, and I do love the moment of breakup for us. (If I happen to be home at the time.) There's a big thump, and then a lot of crashing, and quickly it all starts flowing in ever shrinking chunks. When they get really small, less than a foot or so each, they also get washed so they are clear and spikey. That's when they start to tinkle like pieces of crystal clanging together. I do love that sound. It lasts (for us) about half a day...our river runs really fast. So, okay, one shortlived part of spring I like. The rest remains YUCK. How cool! We can see ours (Eagle River) from our house, but its waaaaay far down the mountain, so we never get to really see that happen in detail. When we lived in Fairbanks, we got to see the Chena go out many times...its kinda creepy, but in a cool way. Weve got to take our springtime joy anyway we can I'm actually pathetically pleased by the sight of mud and gravel at this tie of year At least it means the end is NEAR!  |
Spring is NOT my favorite season either. Although we don't have the 'break-up' issue we do have horrible horrible thunderstorms and tornadoes!  It seems that they are getting worse every year here and I always dread spring because I know they are coming. We had a bad one last week and again today--with the sirens going off and power lines down everywhere! This year it is 89 degrees one day and 40 the next. Yuck!Sorry you are still cold Laurel! Hang on! June is coming! |
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