Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack frost numbing my feet, hands and face....
Americorps VISTAs (that's me) volunteered at the annual Holiday Festival at the local historic theme park.


Below: Me, Emily, Katrin, Toni, & the train conductor


I roasted chestnuts, served apple cider, and took a ride on an antique train.


It's averaging -15* these days, but next week I'm going to a conference in Reno, so warm weather here I come....

I attended the 24th Annual Athabascan Fiddler's Festival in Fairbanks this past weekend. The Athabascan people are the Native Alaskans who inhabit interior Alaska. There was a delicious potluck, dozens of musicians, and lots of spirited dancing.

Yes, it's getting cold here, and Alaskans snuggle up by the fire when it's negative ten degrees - my friend's fire just happened to be outside - burr!

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As an aside, The best radio commercial I've heard yet goes something like this, "It might still be fall down in America, but up here in the frigid north it's winter, so come on in to the tire store for your winter tires." Alaska may be remote, but last time I checked it is still the 49th state of America (even though there is a considerably large contingent of people who want to secede from the Union - maybe they paid for the commercial...)