Starting Monday with a moose -- May 4, 2015

Third Avenue, between F and G Streets, in front of the Archives Building (the old Third Avenue Jail), 7:44 a.m. This is right downtown. It's another one of those young ones whose mom has booted them out because she has another one about to be born. Or maybe just because it's time for the kid to fend for itself.

A week ago the tulips in front of the State Farm office on 6th Avenue were buds. Today, leaning toward the sun.

Catkins and leaves on the alders -- they smell like lilies, clear and spicy-- the essence of spring in Anchorage.

A patch of snow left in a shaded hollow along Ship Creek.

Someone's substitute for a deck -- a gravel beach on the far bank of Ship Creek, with a fire place and a couple of chairs.

Tide's low in the creek -- -1.6 feet or so.

The passenger train's in at the station, looking as if it's ready to go to Seward.

Standing under the A-C Street  Couplet bridges that go over Ship Creek between downtown and Government Hill.

Deep red Catkins -- not sure what kind of tree.

The birches at the museum are halfway to fully green.

Discovered another Little Free Library, on 11th or 12th Street, near A Street.

Baseball at Mulcahy Field.

A view of my favorite church, without wires and poles. The shoe shop sign is unavoidable.

There are still some ravens in town, although most of them head out to the wilds for the summer. We saw a robin too, but it wouldn't sit for its portrait.

Cats in a doorway.

A profusion of pine cones.

 A last look at the tulips.

April 15, 2015 -- around Anchorage

Yard art: A prince and his castle -- looks like a snug fit.

The tulips at Hohn Apartments.

Spring is coming along slowly. I looked back at photos from last year on April 14 -- there was much more snow then, but the swans were back at Westchester Lagoon. There were more flowers than this year also, despite the snow.

Three tents on the Park Strip today, at 9th and G. Jim ventured over to talk to the group. They were just back from camping, and set their tents up at this busy corner to dry out. An odd place to choose.

Other spring activities -- a guy getting started on building projects.

Leaf blowing and lawn mowing.

Motorcycle riding.

Construction in Bootlegger's Cove, at 6th and N, and also further north, right by the tracks.

Last year's jack-o-lantern.

Bobblehead George.

An I-don't-know-what -- not sure that I'd want it guarding my house.

Elsewhere in Anchorage:

Still water at Potter Marsh, where we went to look for birds.

Little snow on the Chugach above Potter Marsh, and cloudy skies. No swans, a very few ducks and geese, some gulls.

Easter lilies, ten days later, with some blossoms still fragrant, and others faded.

Daffodils at Hohn Apartments.

Snow day -- April 8, 2015

Fresh snow on the Chugach Range.

According to the US National Weather Service Alaska: "Today's snowfall totaling 1.7 inches in Anchorage ranks 5th for winter snowfall this 2014-2015 season. In fact, today's snowfall is more than all the snow from February and March combined."

It was hard to get a photo of it because most of it seemed to melt as soon as it hit the ground. Mid-afternoon the sun came out, and by 5:00, the streets were dry and the grass was brown.

Snow lingering on a railing,

in the tree branches (buds are swelling there),

at the feet of the sprouting bulbs.


In the warmer places, indoors, some flowers --

orchids at UAA in one of the skyways, and

hellebore at Fred Meyers, waiting for nicer weather to go back outside.

Election day, Zoo day

The two aren't really connected, except that we did both things today  -- voted in the Municipal elections this morning, and walked around the zoo on a sunny, windy afternoon.

Campaign signs at the Sears Mall (intersection of Seward Highway and Northern Lights Blvd, one of the busiest in town). Neither Ms. Marsett nor Mr. Darden are ahead in their races, but both had a solid public presence.

Morning sun, at 10:30 a.m.

One of the two polar bears. He was only up long enough to find another place to nap.

My hand compared to a polar bear paw. Not a chance. My hand is about the same size as a black bear's paw, but the bear's claws outrank mine considerably.

As a friend to the children commend me the Yak.   

   You will find it exactly the thing:

It will carry and fetch, you can ride on its back,   

   Or lead it about with a string.

                                -- Hilaire Belloc, "The Yak" (rest of the poem is here) 

The musk-ox has much the same grumpy look as the yak, but its horns are more stylish.

The two snow leopards are separated by wire mesh; for a few minutes they were charging at each other, then backing off, turning, and charging again.

We went on past their enclosure; when we came back, this one was enjoying dinner.

The black bears are still hibernating, one of the zoo keepers told us, but the three browns are out and about. This one is clearly ready to exercise its jaw muscles, and if an iron fence is the only thing available, that will suffice.

Bear paw, not the pastry kind.

A good-looking mountain goat.

Trumpeter swans with damaged wings -- they came from Iowa, where they were hurt when they hit power lines.

Mallards following a swan into the water. The swans stir up food for themselves to eat, and the ducks tag along for whatever the swans might miss.

One of a pair of bald eagles, taking an afternoon bath.

The Siberian tigers were both napping.

The llamas were at ease, but alert.

The petting zoo's goat and chickens were out, as well as the sheep.

Wild and woolly is the appropriate description. Maybe it will be sheared when the weather warms up.

The zoo has a pack of six wolves, all siblings, but they were lying about in corners of their enclosure, not interested in being seen. Jim volunteered to pose.

In a month or so there will be enough flowers to keep me happy, but for now, a dandelion is a delight.

The noisy ones today were the ravens, a dozen or more -- chattering, tussling, scavenging food wherever they could. This one posed for a minute, and then flew down to help the musk ox eat its hay.

A coyote. As with many of  the creatures, it was difficult to get a good shot through the fences. I was most sad to miss pictures of the Bactrian camels who are penned in behind the llamas, and completely inaccessible for photos.

It was chilly, despite being 50 degrees on the Hillside (cooler in Midtown), because of the strong south wind. But blue sky and sunshine make up for a lot.

Even without the animals, the Zoo offers forest and a small creek to appreciate.

There's very little snow left, and the creek is running free.

More sign-wavers on our way home. According to the late news, Amy Dembowski will face Ethan Berkowitz in a few weeks (he's quite a ways ahead of her, but doesn't have the 45% vote needed to avoid the runoff). An Election Day bonus was free tater tots at Spenard Roadhouse where we went for dinner. We will remember this.

Evening sky from our back porch.