Anonymous:

Name: Lin
E-mail: Not specified

Sarah, I kept keeping myself from gardening today.  Have to turn the heat down!  My Hamamelis is blooming (witch hazel) and it started when we had -14 C at night!  O.K. gardening is best when you can't do it, I admit that.  We sometimes get snow in late March...do you Sarah?

Lin, here in Oregon we don't get much snow any time, except we seem to have had a bunch this year. I'm hoping it's a temperate February and that I can get into the garden! I can already see my daffodils peeking out of the dirt. I just don't want any more ice and freeze.  

They hog all the blankets!

thanks to Rox for the link to the comet photos. Even if we could see it here, it's been too cloudy to see the sky. Enjoy this once in a lifetime experience, Rox.

Lin, I love your bear art. It makes the waiting more, dare I say it, bearable.

why does it feel like spring all of a sudden?

sarah 

Bearingly, somewhat.

Oh, those are beautiful photos...the tail sort of looks like the auroras we see here...I think they are called fairy auroras, just all white.  That comet it so large!  I wanna see it!

Karen...oh, uh huh.  You think? 

Ha ha, that's funny.  I saw a TV special on the Salmon spawning and their dash upstream against their predators, the Salmon Shark, Bald Eagles and our Beloved Bears.  They filmed the Bears fishing in a place much like McNeil, but didn't say where it was.  So good to see the Bears again.

Australian Open is into the 4 th round and Andy RODDICK (USA) is just such a champion !  Wonderful Tennis !!!! - Glad the tennis season is on when the Bears are hibernating !!!

I have just been watching the Comet McNaught from my back garden.  It is amazing to see so clearly with the naked eye - People have viewed it from all around the world.  Heres some other peoples pics, I was able to find on a google search.

http://spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught_page12.htm

STILL WAITING!

Lin, your sketches are BEARilliant and BEARonderful.  I am really enjoying them.

Thank you BEARy much !

Meanwhile, now I am warm...

ALL ALONE, COLD, but patient.

 Wheres everyone gone to?

YOO HOO!

Especially those warm blooded Californians.

Looks Pretty Chilly There Today:

Homer Spit:  http://www.justalaska.net/webcams/homer_spit.html

Well Elizabeth...I'm addicted, too!

Did you happen to see Sarah/Oregon's question in the "Comet" thread?  Interesting if you could see it?

Elizabeth Wasserman:

It finally stopped snowing and the temperature dropped. It was -18F at my house this morning with no wind.  The sun is out today and the effect is stunning. It's supposed to "warm up" to the teens today.  Clear and cold is beautiful weather.  Our small estuary here is a jumble of ice blocks coated with wind sculpted snow. I imagine the tidal basin at McNeil looks somewhat similar.  No self-repsecting bear would be out and about in this weather.  Our moose population has come down from the hills and can be seen feeding on willows along the frozen river.  McNeil's moose may be active now, but I can't say for sure. 

Maybe if Cook Inlet freezes I can walk over there and get the story for you.  There is a Dena'ina Athabaskan story about a giant who made inflatable snow shoes out of bladders and crossed Cook Inlet to race another giant over here on the Kenai Peninsula. I'll start working on a pair!  For now you'll just have to enjoy Lin's fabulous drawings.  Thanks Lin!

 Elizabeth   

That's it, you've done it now Elizabeth.  I am additcted to your montly updates !!!  Your words are like music to my eyes!  Coupled with the pics from either Helene or Karen, this is too much for me to BEAR !  Thank you thank you and thank you again.  I love reading your updates.  ! 

Thank you H and K for taking the time out to post these wonderful photos and Lin, the last sketch is a classic and well done you for figuring out how to Tag the sketches.  What a wealth of talent eminating from this forum ! 

Well done you lot and thanks for making this such a FAB place to visit

I miss those McNeil River Bears !  and does anyone know if Larry is about these days.  It would be wonderful to hear from him again

Night night one and all from a suprisingly wet and blustery West Australia

Anonymous:

Name: Lin
E-mail: Not specified

Cold?  What cold?    Karen made me do it.

 

Lin, I just wanted to tell you that I LOVE your sketches! They are so fun and carefree. Thanks for sharing!

Cold?  What cold?    Karen made me do it.

Brrrrrrrrrrr...now that's cold!  

Thanks for keeping in touch with us, Elizabeth.

We'll have to see what Lin comes up with regarding your cold weather  

January 9, 2007.... 

Homer:

Kachemak:

http://www.justalaska.net/webcams

It finally stopped snowing and the temperature dropped. It was -18F at my house this morning with no wind.  The sun is out today and the effect is stunning. It's supposed to "warm up" to the teens today.  Clear and cold is beautiful weather.  Our small estuary here is a jumble of ice blocks coated with wind sculpted snow. I imagine the tidal basin at McNeil looks somewhat similar.  No self-repsecting bear would be out and about in this weather.  Our moose population has come down from the hills and can be seen feeding on willows along the frozen river.  McNeil's moose may be active now, but I can't say for sure. 

Maybe if Cook Inlet freezes I can walk over there and get the story for you.  There is a Dena'ina Athabaskan story about a giant who made inflatable snow shoes out of bladders and crossed Cook Inlet to race another giant over here on the Kenai Peninsula. I'll start working on a pair!  For now you'll just have to enjoy Lin's fabulous drawings.  Thanks Lin!

 Elizabeth