Alaska: Part Eight "Bitter Cold Adventures"

(Mrs. Mauldin, when I write, I often think of you. I think, "I wish I would have paid more attention in English class, rather than flirting with Lance Bowen so much!" Now, as I write about your granddaughters, the possibility that you might read this haunts me. I'm sorry, I still use WAY too many commas!)


This is the beautiful Mt. McKinley . . . the tallest mountain in North America. It's Native Name is Denali or "The Great One." That's also my sister's middle name . . . Briana Denali. What a cool thing to be named for! I have to say, the name Denali makes me think cold thoughts.

I like my middle name, too . . . Sarah Chanel. Chanel is an overpriced, stenchy brand of perfume. I've smelled them all, while in France, and I'm not impressed with the product, but the name has served me well, I like it. It's classy and cool.


I'm just not a huge perfume fan, but I digress.

My Best Friend, Emily took all these photos. She lives this Alaska life, having bitter cold ADVENTURES with her cute family. I stole these shots off her memory card.

These pictures are so beautiful, in an icy way. I wish I could describe how COLD it can be in Alaska. There is no air, quite like cold Alaskan air. It's very DRY and BITTER. It smells SO nice, even though it can hurt the inside of your nose a little bit and freeze your nose hairs!

Here is Emily and her little 3-year-old, gearing up for a snow machine trip. Look at all the trees in this chilly part of the state . . . They don't even grow normally, they're all dwarf-like and covered in snow, kind of Dr. Seuss looking!

My little Alaskan sweetheart . . . can you just feel how cold she would be without all that warm subzero-gear? The rosy glow in her cheeks is so cute. When she exhales, it looks like she's smoking, the steam from her breathe is very warm compared to the outside air!


Emily's two daughters,are all bundled in their snow gear, making tracks while they wait for their snowmachine rides.

Move backwards girls, you're in the shade and it's below zero there! Into the light, girls!! Save yourselves!

Emily and her little one, having a great time, racing around on the frozen wasteland we call Alaska! I wish I could just spend one day a year in that cold. I really do love the way the air smells there, but one day would be plenty for me!

Emily and her family often go to watch the Iditarod Sled Dog Races . . . just another Bitter Cold Adventure!

"Hey Momma! There's the RACE DOGS!!"

You know, sometimes my spell check pics up my last name and suggests Iditarod, and sometimes it's mean to me and just suggests "Idiot."

True Alaskans at their best!

"Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!!"

How many of you have ever seen A Christmas Story??

I asked Emily's daughter to tell me about ice fishing. This was her explanation, "The school bus takes you to the farm at about 7am, but only in the winter. There is no room for parents on the bus, so Moms and babies have to go in the car. So they can take pictures. When you get there, you try and catch little fish. I caught one, but then I didn't roll it up the right way, so the fish got away. It's OK if you catch one or not because I still got a fishing necklace. It was purple, my favorite color!"