Aahhhh, yeah...Ya shoulda swatted them! They are known here as the state bird and are absolutely the only negative aspect to our "they are why we stay here in the winter" incredibly gorgeous summers.

he actually tempted them with 'anchovy dip' on 'cheese biscuits'

really barb......chocolate moose............you have problems with mosquitos in ALASKA?

No joke. They are horrific...here's a couple bits of info..

"Research Notes on When is Mosquito Season in Alaska?
The mosquito is the subject of many Alaskan tales, for example: mosquitoes get so big in Alaska they must request clearance from the control tower before they are allowed to land. There are 40 species of mosquitoes in Alaska. Fortunately, no diseases are communicated by the Alaskan mosquitoes. The best news is that mosquitoes are not a problem year 'round, only during the summer months. So if you visit Alaska in April or May, just before the tourist season, one challenge you won't need to worry about is mosquitoes."

The first wave emerges when there is still snow on the ground...
http://www2.gi.alaska.edu/Scie...

Mosquito eggs can sometimes lie dormant for several years, particularly when the eggs are deposited in depressions that are not flooded with water each year.


that came from your article. i didn't know this either. years!!!

so have yall had a mild winter this year?

Yes, last year was record mild and we are mild again so far this year. Normal snowfall by this date is 55.5". Last year we were at 21". Currently 29.8". Temps are warmer than usual also. We haven't seen -50° yet this year in my neck of the woods. Temps have been above or very slightly below 0 for a while, though we are predicted to go to -35° tonight.

The snow is a wonderful insulator so that helps the plants survive. Just wish the skeeters and especially the APHIDS would freeze their little buns off and disappear, but they are just biding their time to make their warm weather attack. I read (most...LOL) of a book about the different methods critters (from bugs to bears) use physiologically to survive in the winter in cold climates. It's called "Winter World by Bernd Heinrich. A little technical in parts, but very interesting...Mother Nature is creative...

so do yall stay instead the whole winter? what do you do?

Cuddle...and get ready for spring and summer!

Barb...on a serious note...That question comes up every winter both here and on DG. I knew I had made a post that explained a bit about our winters. Just took me a while to find it. Didn't even know which of the two sites it was on...Nope, we don't stay in the house ALL winter, but we are certainly outdoors ALL summer. Some people are into winter sports such as snowmachining (snowmobiling elsewhere), dog mushing, cross country skiing. Indoor activities are the same as elsewhere in the US....The first paragraph in the post below answered questions members had asked about gardening, the third post down gives you a better prospective of our winters....It's funny, you all don't know how we survive winter. We don't know how you survive 90-100+° heat and ridiculous humidity in the summer...

For some incredible pics of AK, check this cubit.
http://cubits.org/cjr/forums/v...

Magpie's photos are phenomenal and I live here. His pictures are breathtaking, but shows why we live here and what tourists save for years to come see.
I am about 250 miles north as the crow flies from akfishergal & magpie. I'm also not as rural as they are. Split level home in a residential development. Highway is 1 mile away., P.O. and grocery store are 2 miles. Fairbanks (2nd largest city in AK) is 14 miles away.

Come visit me!...but come in July.

Barbara

oooh barb,i like the sound of the 'cuddling 'bit,.,.do you know of any 6ft blondes,who need a chunky bearded monster to cuddle? ha ha

I'm sure we could find you one! Chunky and bearded is common up here. The joke re: women looking for men in AK is: The odds are good, but the goods are odd...You'd fit right in...

I got me a tall, clean-shaven, unchunky specimen who enables my lily addiction

great.,,.i'll be on the 1st flight up,.,.,.looking foreward to seeing where 'santa claus' lives

Santa lives 2 miles down the road from me on St. Nicholas drive, which is off Santa Claus Lane (no joke). Rudolph and a few buddies live there.
Our street lights are candy canes.
http://www.santaclaushouse.com...

my god!you are serious!!i will wake up tomorrow and attack life from a new approach,.,. i did love the line''the goods are odd''-i havnt laughed like that for a long time,..,[the ladies must have relatives here]!!!!!how dull life would be if we were serious!!!!

Santa does not live here.NOTHING lives here until a month and a half from now.

I like odd goods too. I'm certainly married to one.

must be rough,having a bbq and setting' that' table jo ann

If steaks were cheap we would shovel it out.

Oh gosh, I sure got behind, but laughed thru the whole thing catching up!

It was 5* below the other day and we had our first robin!