Freezin' in Fairbanks

this is a BIG bruiser
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Freezin’ in Fairbanks:

12 below yesterday. 12 below this morning as well as I scraped the windscreen clear.

Freezin' in Fairbanks

Out we went in clear weather but cold to the North Museum at the University of Alaska.

a very different stained-glass window in church
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This museum was only opened in 2005 and is a beauty. The exhibitions are so good we spent twice as long as we had anticipated. We’d hoped to look at reindeer farming, Musk-ox research, visit the town of North Pole and go to the hot springs about an hour away. But…….

It snowed while we were having such a good time in the museum. That changed all our travelling plans as well as the reduced time available. Good stuff this white powder that falls from the sky. But…..

It makes fools of lots of speeding motorists. We took a photo of one ute that ran off the road and had drawn the attention of the State Troopers. Geoff and Sue reported 2 vehicles unable to stop and coming into their lane head-on. No prang - but scary. They said they saw 3 other accidents and slides-off-the-road. We saw 3 as well. They may have been the same.

It wasn't like this when I went inside.
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It will mean that our trip tomorrow will be slower and take longer than it did when we came north to Fairbanks. We plan to leave after the early morning traffic and snow ploughs have changed the over-night road surface. We have 4WDs and new vehicles with good tyres and careful drivers. Our trips to take photos of the reindeer and musk-oxen were hampered by poor visibility. The Musk-oxen huddled together in a clump a fair way away. The falling snow made it difficult for the camera to focus so the photos are less than I’d have hoped for.

this paddle-wheeler won't
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We spent some time in Santa’s shop in North Pole and returned for a quick tea before the opening night of “Bunnicula”. It was a good amateur production of a funny twist of a vampire bunny that sucks the vital juices out of vegetables and turns one family’s life upside down. It was very well done. We got each of the cast members to sign out copy of the book. So that will become a collectors item I am sure.