I'm back in Anchorage working, not too many new pics to offer but here's one from this summer that amused me. It doesn't quite fit in the space allotted, but it's a nice sentiment.

Independence gold mine was closed in 1951 but has some really cool ruins still left. It's very surreal to walk among the rubble of what used to be a thriving community with bunkhouses, offices and even a school. The mill was in ruins but the bunkhouses held up pretty well. There was also some random machinery like an ironer. The road was closed when I went a few weeks ago, but it was a nice hike in the snow. I only saw one other guy when I was up there, and he was cross country skiing. I wasn't expecting all the snow, but I think seeing it in the snow was a dramatic way to see it.

Last weekend I took a short trip out to Independence Mine to catch the end of the fall colors. Apparently I was a little too late! Amazing that this is less than an hour's drive away from the city of Palmer and up there winter is in full swing. I ended up taking a good hike in the snow, more pics to come!

My current petsit is in Thunderbird Heights, which means I have Thunderbird Falls literally in my backyard. I've hiked there in the winter, which was spectacular, but I've never had the chance to hike it in the fall. The trail to the lookout point is only a mile, and it's a beautiful hike through the forest with a steep cliff on one side. Then it's a muddy short hike down to the falls. Unfortunately, the trail directly next to the falls is pretty eroded and there's a barricade up, so I couldn't get too close, but it is a great scenic stroll nonetheless.

My mom had a great time here last week. We did all the typical touristy things, like drive down to Seward for a wildlife cruise and take a dog sled ride on an ATV. The cruise was wonderful, we saw lots of creatures, even though most of the birds, like Kittiwakes and Puffins, had "flown the coop" by then. I especially enjoyed the Dall Porpoises, which swam right next to the boat. The tour guide said that the Porpoises are the only animals that actually "interact" with the boat. They're definitely difficult to photograph, the timing has to be just right. The dog sled ride was up at Vern Halter's place. He has run the Iditarod over 20 times and has won the Yukon Quest. I have worked on a few tv shoots at his place in my other career in television, and he's just a great guy all around. I highly recommend his tour, which you can check out at www.vernhalter.com. It's fun to do touristy things in Alaska!

Oh! And we saw a buoy tree, which was a first for both of us!

Here is a good example of the termination dust that akfnp at www.fiveacrehouse.blogspot.com likens to frosting. I think of it more as a powdered sugar doughnut. Either way, it means winter's almost here! I love this little bridge and have taken several pictures of it in different seasons on my way to Palmer. Unfortunately, that means pulling over on the Glenn Highway, but I can't resist.