Floridana Alaskiana v2.5

Basher Road over Anchorage, 07 November 2009

Basher Road Trailhead
 Anchorage, Alaska; 07 November 2009

Alas, an actual post with new photos! Yes, things have been mighty slow here on Floridana Alaskiana. This semester has proved to be the most difficult of our careers thus far and we simply don't seem to have the time (or energy) to get out there and just walk around. To just take in the sights.

Today, I finally hopped out for a little bit and cruised up through Far North Bicentennial Park to check out the edge of the Chugach Mountains towering above Anchorage. It's one of my favorite areas and it's quite literally just to the side of our neighborhood.

The road heading up from the basin was rather slippery. We had a nice dusting this morning -- the first light bout of snow to actually stick this year. For Anchorage, this is quite late. They like to say that Halloween is D-Day when it comes to snow. Well, it's been a week since Halloween and we just now got a light smathering of snow. It was enough to slick up some of the roads, but hardly enough to change the tone of the landscape.

Of course, the Chugach Mountains (on the east-side of Anchorage) are already thickening and adjusting to the snowy whites we'll see through May of next year. This first snow, the draping whites over the mountains, is called Termination Dust -- a signifier that the dry times are hereby terminated. Any last thoughts or lingering feelings of summer are slowly whited out by the ever-creeping and descending Termination Dust.

Looking northeast from the Basher Road trailhead, you have a fantastic view of the Anchorage basin. The mountains far to the north, beyond Cook Inlet, provide a backdrop to our modest city. It's a hell of a sight and one I never grow tired of. 

Today's view was, of course, shrouded in a blanket of gray and purplish tones. The sky is overcast, the weather is chilly, and one can almost feel the forthcoming onslaught of snow that is sure to arrive in the next few weeks. This view, the one photographed below, is probably the last time I'll see Anchorage relatively clear of snow until April or May of 2010.

Winter up here is serious business. It's long, it's hard, it's dark -- but it can also be quite romantic, quiet, and relaxing. It's when you get to wear the cool gloves, the heavy boots, the thick coats, the awesome scarves. It's when the kids throw snow balls at each and when the dogs bounce through the towering snow drifts. It's when the moose move into town for the long, cold haul and when the wolves grow more audacious and daring. 

We're right on the edge of this. It won't be long now. 

But hey, in Alaska, you never know... The snow could come this week or it could somehow hold off until December. But once it arrives? It'll be here to stay. For a long, long time. 

vg009: american alligators - video

vg008 portage pass - video

vg007: wichita mountains

Note: vg006, for some reason, won't load on YouTube. And thus, I ignore it for now...

vg005: diamondback watersnake

vg004: byron glacier

vg003: turnagain arm

vg002: avalanche creek

vg001: teslin

Brown watersnake, 10 June 2005

Brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota)
 Palm Island Park; Mt. Dora, Florida

A small and young Brown watersnake at Palm Island Park in Mt. Dora, Florida. These snakes are closely-related to the Diamondback watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer) of Oklahoma -- but lack much of the Diamondback waternsnake's fiery temper. In my experience, the Brown watersnake has a fairly soft demeanor. Not overly reactive, not too hot headed when cornered. They're more likely to simply look for a way out of the situation.

I caught this individual just off the elevated dockwalk at Palm Island. The dockwalk runs for a bit over the water, just off shore. Brown watersnakes often like to bask in foliage overhanging water. This way they can easily slip into the water when threatened or disturbed.

 

Southern black racer, 18 August 2006

Southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus)
 Residential Mt. Dora, Florida; 18 August 2006

I think I'm going to dip back into some snake photos for the next week or two. I must admit, I do miss my snakes -- and anybody who really knows me knows how hard it's been acclimating to life in a state that has ZERO snakes in the wild.

This particular snake is a Southern black racer, Coluber constrictor priapus. A rather lovely, sleek, agile, and temperamental snake. They're usually quick to flee when spotted, but if and when cornered, they are able to pack quite a strike -- in self defense. Though non-venomous, they're what I call "aggressively defensive" (meaning they're not aggressive at all, but can and likely will fight back with some wonderful attitude when attacked or cornered).

I caught the individual photographed here in my parents' backyard in Mt. Dora, Florida. The shots were actually taken in their covered back patio, on a glass table -- hence the rather darkish background in the first two shots. The snake was, obviously, a bit reactive and pissy. Totally understandable. From the snake's perspective, this was not a fun picnic on the back patio. It was survival!

After a few shots and a few strikes, I let the snake trek about and continue on his/her way. I think that's one of the things I miss most about life in Florida. Quite frequently, I'd just run into a snake -- and then an impromptu fifteen-minute session would follow, photographing and handling the snake. These little run-ins were quite commonplace. Just a part of my daily routine in central Florida.

U2 in Tampa, 16 November 2005

Bono of U2, Vertigo Tour '05
 St. Petersburg, Florida; 16 November 2005

I'm a bit bummed out right now. A little crushed with work, a little short of energy. A little moody. A little bummed out. To add to the dreariness, last week U2 played in Tampa, Florida  and last night they played in Norman, Oklahoma. Two shows I was obviously unable to make. And they will most decidedly not be playing in Alaska during the current U2 360 tour... 

This is the first tour I'm missing in just over a decade.

The first time I saw U2, it was during the PopMart tour in 1997. I'd been a fan of U2 since I was a kid, from around 1984 or so, but had never had a chance to see them live. I remember trying to get tickets for ZooTV in 1992. They were opening the tour in Lakeland, Florida. Unfortunately tickets sold out in just three and a half minutes... And so, I waited until U2 caught up with me and I caught up with them in Dallas for the PopMart tour. Ah, PopMart. It was a fantastically absurd show.

A few years later, I got to see them on the Elevation tour with my soon-to-be-wife, Lori. We'd headed down to Texas together and caught the show on our way back from a weekend getaway in San Antonio. We were engaged that weekend. The U2 show was simply the icing on the cake. And what a glorious icing it was. This remains one of my favorite weekends with my wife and in my life.

A few more years later, we caught them in Tampa during the Vertigo tour in 2005. It is from this show that these grainy, low-res shots are from. By this time, I was knee deep in serious photography, but I couldn't get my Nikon into the show. The lens was "too big." Fortunately, I had a backup plan: an expendable, cheap-ass, old Olympus digital camera. Yeah, the photos suck -- but hey, the show was awesome.

And so, here we are in 2009, approaching 2010. U2's on tour and we're living in a place that U2 will most likely never visit: Alaska. But hey, it's good to hope, right? After all, U2 just played Norman, Oklahoma -- for the first time ever. The last time they played anywhere in Oklahoma was in 1983. And if they can manage to play Sarajevo just after the end of the Bosnian conflict in 1997, perhaps they can play Alaska just after the reign of Palin in 2010?  (I dare to dream... even when in bad taste...)

Anyhow, I'm trudging through work, busier than ever, and listening to some old U2 to keep the mojo juiced and the energy flowing. I must admit, U2's helped me get through the slogs of work many times in my life. I can honestly say that they've been the soundtrack of my life. We may miss them on the current tour, but maybe we'll make it to the next one? And if they last long enough (!), maybe one day I'll be able to take my daughter to a show?  Maybe?

Florida banded watersnake, 19 March 2005

Florida banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris)
 Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge; Deleon Springs, Florida

Today is Thursday 15 October 2009. I'm coming out of a couple of hellish weeks of remarkable busyness. And suddenly? Suddenly I find myself not only completely caught up on classwork, but actually about eight hours ahead of schedule. Right now, my daughter is even napping in the living room... So, I'm sitting here --for what feels like the first time in ages-- alone and with time to just be. I am relaxing. Listening to Bono tell me, "I can breathe." I agree. I can.

So, I cracked open my photo archive to find something to post. The first image I spotted was the one at the top of this post. All three of these images are of a neonate Florida banded watersnake at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge in Volusia county, Florida. In the top shot, the snake is peering at the lens of my friend's Nikon CoolPix 5700 camera. What an adorable little snake. We'd found this tiny snake crossing one of the levees, not too long before sunset. 

I can't help but to feel remarkably homesick at this moment. What I would do to walk around Lake Woodruff this afternoon. To stroll through that vast and rich series of levees and dikes. To feel the hot sunshine on my bald head. To taste the salt of my sweat on my lips. To hear the sudden and seemingly-enraged cry of a great blue heron as it takes flight. To listen to the palms ruffling in the warm breeze. To hear the massive swooshing of turkey vulture wings. To see those gators silently patrol the waters, like the hint of ghosts just beneath the surface. How great would it be to take Aurelia there? To point out all of the gifts that region has to offer? All that beauty?

Yes, I do love Woodruff. And I must admit, coming out of this latest crush of work and stress, I could really go for a long hot day at Lake Woodruff. These have been difficult weeks here in Alaska.

Coming back to Anchorage, on the bright side, today is looking to be quite lovely -- which is nice since it's been overcast and rainy for what seems like an eternity in Anchorage. The few sunny days we have had, I've had to spend indoors furiously working and trying to keep up with my life. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to climb a mountain that's quickly sinking into the sea. But today? Today is shaping up and feeling differently, despite my nostalgia and homesickness.

I feel like I am always living in two worlds: in Florida and in Alaska. 

I may not be able to trek around Lake Woodruff anytime soon - and I will continue to miss it... But today, if the weather holds, I'll go for a walk with Aurelia and I'll tell her all about snakes. I'll tell her how beautiful, sweet, and lovely Florida banded watersnakes are -- about how daddy used to catch and photograph them. I'll promise her that one day we'll explore Woodruff together, when we're visiting family. And then we'll suddenly stop in our tracks and I'll explain to Aurelia that the massive, horned dog standing in front of us is actually called a "Moose" -- and that "Moose" are bigger than Florida banded watersnakes... And that daddy was lucky to have lived in the two greatest regions the North American continent has to offer. One day, I'll get to share Florida with my daughter.

Palm Island Park Sunset, 29 December 2003

Sunset at Palm Island Park
 Mt. Dora, Florida; 29 December 2003

These photos were taken with a beautifully archaic and miserable Olympus digital camera in December of 2003. I must admit, as lousy as that camera was --at least by today's standards-- it did handle sunsets fairly well. 

These shots were taken at Palm Island Park in downtown Mt. Dora, Florida - the bedrock of my family's Floridian roots. Located in Lake county, Mt. Dora is a fantastic little community in central Florida. The "historic" downtown has remained fairly untouched by the unrelenting onslaught of chain stores and the town is flanked by parks, live oaks, and the simple elegance of Lake Dora itself. 

I must admit, I'm looking forward to heading back to Palm Island this December, when we pack up and return south for the Holidays. I can't wait for Aurelia to see a Floridian sunset, with the comparatively warm December air blowing gently through the Spanish Moss hanging over our heads. Yes, I look forward to that sunset with my daughter.

Lake Woodruff and Great Blue Heron, 12 January 2006

Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
 Deleon Springs, Florida; 12 January 2006.

Ah, yes. This is nice.

I'm thinking about Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge tonight. Thinking about those long afternoon hikes around the area. Palm Islands, soft gentle breezes. More birds than you can count. Alligators sulking in the shallows. The occasional snake wandering across the path. And every now and then a handful of the preciously rare whooping cranes visit Woodruff. It is a region rich with biodiversity and reward.

During the summer, however, the sun can beat you down into a bloody, burned pulp if you're not careful out there. And during the winter? During January, for example? Fantastically soft and gentle. The breeze can sometimes get nippy, but on a day like the one photographed above, the region is an expanse of Floridana Glorificus. Which is to say, it's pretty damn lovely out there.

Lake Woodruff is one of my favorite areas in Volusia county. It's somewhat under the radar compared to other nearby coastal spots (such as Daytona Beach) -- but well worth a visit if you're ever near Deland or Deleon Springs. 

Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) surveying the marshy grasslands at Lake Woodruff
 Deleon Springs, Florida; 12 January 2006