It's been a long week.  And sadly, I've not been feeling all that inspired.  Not for any particular reason, it's just been one of those weeks. The snow has landed here and falls quickly.  We've been waiting for the snow to come, but the actual arrival of winter still seems so sudden. We are now moving around town at a much slower pace, shielding our faces from the blowing snow when we go outside, and there is no more heading out of the house quickly without bundling up. It feels refreshing though, in a way, to see the white all around us, to feel the chill on our cheeks, and I sure do love watching the large white flakes flutter outside our window.  When winter comes here, I am generally glad to greet it as I love the season, but it can be a bit difficult for me too because it hangs around for half of the year. But here we are, diving head first into Alaska's gorgeous winter.
Last week I was busy at the birth center, welcoming two babies to the world. We also took Henry to a little Halloween festival at a nearby elementary school that our friends work at. He loved looking around and we had such a good time imagining what it will be like some day when Henry is the one going to school.  We wondered what he would want to dress up as, who his friends would be, which holiday activities he would have wanted to try. This year, the trick-or-treat bag making station was the highlight for the wee one.  Of course, the mama was the one to make his little bag, and Henry sat there sucking a marker. He loved it though. Who needs toys and festive fun when a marker is such a great time?  We've been walking the trail that is literally in our backyard, and I think I'm just in love with it.  We had a trail near our old house too, but this one is literally in the yard, and it leads straight to a little pond that I can't wait to skate on in the coming months. I think Henry will love to watch people slide around out there. For now we have enjoyed watching the ducks who are still silently swimming along in the quickly freezing water, and the moose that walk about.
I'm happy to break the quiet streak that was this last week-- I hope you're all well. Stop in and say hello!

Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera with me everywhere we went-- so I'm sharing some blurry iPhone photos. I hate that, but c'est la vie I suppose!

Our new backyard...

We were watching a bull moose cross the trail and then the road. He was moving happily and slowly,  as cars waited patiently for him .

Making the trick or treat bag at the elementary school

First snow fall

We've been eating a lot of toast with avocado recently--scrumptious!

And a LOT of kale. Kale+sprouts+champagne vinegarette=wonderful.

I muse move the candy from the house. I have no control.