While I was preparing my breakfast on Tuesday, I saw this fellow sitting on the far side of the yard. He was back, again, this morning. This is probably a snowshoe hare. We also have cottontail rabbits, feral rabbits, and hybrids in the area. In the southwest of the state, there are Alaska hares, […]
Guest for Breakfast Read More »
Yesterday, Melissa and I drove to Delta Junction to attend the Delta Farm Forum. This event is held annually to give the local farmers a venue to hear presentations on topics of interest in that area. Delta Junction is one of the agricultural centers of Alaska. Delta barley is well-known throughout the state, but there
We have recently seen the temperatures rising and falling, which often has the effect of loosening water molecules from the snow in sunny areas and allowing them to drift freely during the day. If outdoor objects are colder than the air and water molecules collide with them, the molecules stick to the objects and a
Fairbanks is located in the Tanana Valley in the interior of Alaska. During the winter months it is often the case that cold air is trapped at ground level and a warmer layer of air lies overhead. Air temperatures increase with altitude, which is the opposite of the normal condition. This situation is called an
At the end of the fall season, the birch trees often still have loads of seeds on their branches. During the winter, fresh snow covers the ground, leaving a clean canvas for the squirrels to work with. As they jump from branch to branch, birch seeds are shaken loose and drift to the ground as
On December 26, 2024, I posted a picture of the garland of lazy snow that was hanging from the garage light arm. It recently broke, but the bonds between snowflakes were strong enough that one side stayed attached. A couple of days ago, a warm spell caused the snow on the roofs to start melting.
Properties of Snow Read More »
Today was a great day for winter scenery. I am a fan of Maxfield Parrish so I always enjoy seeing the strong color contrasts provided by clear winter days. The opening picture was taken at noon. On the way to the mailbox, I had to walk under a birch tree. As I did so, the
This year, New Year’s Eve was celebrated with both manmade and natural fireworks. The aurora was unusually active and it was a clear night. I noticed it when I went out to do the evening chicken chores and informed Melissa and the offspring upon my return. They grabbed warm clothing and headed outside for a
Celebratory Fireworks Read More »
Here in Fairbanks, the winter weather conditions are often just right for a phenomenon my uncle refers to as “lazy snow.” When one snowflake lands on another, some of the kinetic energy involved in the collision is converted to heat. If it is warm enough outside, that tiny amount of heat is sufficient to melt
Today was the shortest day of the year. In Fairbanks, sunrise was at 10:50 A.M. and sunset was at 2:46 P.M., giving us 3 hours and 56 minutes of daylight. Since the Sun moves in a low arc across the southern sky, there is a decent amount of twilight on either end. Today’s photo was