Fairbanks, Alaska, March 10, 2009, 3:38 p.m.~
Dear Journal~
Hallelujah!! It's actually warm out--that is, if you can call 20-25 degrees "warm"! You can get outside without worrying about whether your snot is going to freeze to your face when your nose runs or having your hair freeze to reddened cheeks not even five minutes after you step outside!
We're not having to plug the car's battery in at night, just so it can run the next morning, plus the windows aren't caked with thick layers of ice or snow: you can actually see the scene when you peer out!
As you can probably guess, it's me, Kat (Katrina) Ann Delchamps-Hammer, writing. Sorry for not writing; between working, taking care of Junior (who continues to grow by leaps and bounds; he's turnin' into a real butterball!), and taking care of me, I just don't have as much time to write in here as I would like. I hope you understand.
It's snowing outside as I write this: not heavy snow, just some light flurries, enough to put a new dust of snow on our Jeep, or other surfaces. It may clear out later tonight. Maybe we will see some auroras; they seem to become more active as the springtime approaches. Spring is nearly here; it will arrive in just a few short weeks!
I cannot wait!! I've just about had it with all this cold!!
Frank is still working hard; I work too, but not nearly as much as he does. When we're at work, running the shop, my neighbor, Willow Ptaq, watches our son. She takes great care of him; she's really good with him!
We've really been hit hard with brutally cold air from Siberia and northernmost Canada--the "Arctic Express" they call it. The jet stream has been dipping further south than normal; with it comes the bitterly cold air, often with heavy snow. We've had more snow this year than I can remember; we didn't have nearly as much snow last year!
It seems hard to believe, but in May, I will have been here in Alaska two years! I sometimes wonder why I came here: me, a southern-bred Cajun girl from Louisiana.
I had to have been crazy to leave warm, humid conditions for colder, much drier climes; yet Katrina did me in. I have had more than enough with hurricanes; I needed to get away after Katrina stole everything I held dear in Louisiana!
You notice I said "Katrina". In the past, I've called her "the bitch". She was that and more, but I've been having counseling, to help me deal with the trauma of the past, and now I can talk about her without falling apart. I know now that's in my past, and I think she's actually made me a better person. I've grown so much emotionally!
I still sometimes have nightmares; thankfully, they're becoming fewer and farther between. The last "Katrina Dream" I had was last August of last year; it's now March, and I've had seven months of restful, peaceful slumber. It's made a huge world of difference!
Maybe one day I will bring myself to watch the video tapes of Katrina, or read some of the books written about her; but for now, I plan on focusing on the present, enjoy the blessings I have in my life at the current time. I am too busy to think about Katrina, in other words.
Today was so delightful, temperature wise, I wore a light ski jacket over a sweater, plus jeans. I didn't have to cover my ears or put a hat on my head. The 20-degree air actually felt wonderful! I also enjoyed the snow tickling my face as it fell from the sky; what a wonderful feeling!
Frank went without a coat: he's used to this. If it gets over 20 degrees, he acts like it's in the sixties. Shed the winter gear, put on shorts! LOL No kidding! That's Frank for you! Dude is crazier than a June bedbug on the Fourth of July! LOL
Well, I am going to go: Junior is crying; I think he's waking up from his nap: been asleep for the past two hours. Time to get him up, change him, and feed him his supper. I will write in here again; until then, this is Katrina Hammer signing off! God bless and talk to y'all soon!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Fairbanks, Alaska, Kat. :D
