Back on Alaskan Ground

Carrie and I made it back to Anchorage safely at approximately 11:30 p.m. ADT on Sunday night, after about 8 hours of flight and a 4 hour lay over in Chicago, not to mention the guy who sat in our row gnawing on Cheez-Its and Reese's Pieces the whole flight. We're glad to be back to normal: our jobs, our dog, and the omniscient essence that is Alaska.

We both remarked on how many people said they had been following our blog at the reception. I feel a little bit of the slacker in me from not posting more often; teaching has been taking its toll on my time. 

Nonetheless, after grading 7o AP essay proposals on Monday, Carrie and I looked out our front window, saw clear blue sky, yellow leaves, and an invitation to take a walk.

The pictures below are from the Seward Highway south of Anchorage. There have been previous posts involving the locale, but now that fall has set in, it takes on a whole new identity through its evolutionary landscape. 

The view from Bird Point's boardwalk. The winds were surprisingly calm.

Carrie, Elsa, and Luke self portrait on the boardwalk. Elsa isn't so sure.

Departing the boardwalk for the Bird to Girdwood (6 mi.) trail that rises from Cook Inlet.

Carrie and Elsa crest the shale pile just past the starting point of the trail.

Ah. Isn't it a beaut? This is a shot from the upper section of the Bird trail at low tide, as evidenced by the meandering streams in the mud flats.

In other news, Carrie made the NOAA Diversity Newsletter. Or shall I say, we made it. Take a look for yourself. Follow the link below, then scroll to the bottom to see the piece.

http://www.arh.noaa.gov/diversity/ARH_Cultural_Diversity_Sep_2008.pdf