A crystal clear sky pinned a low lying, thick fog over the waters of the Gastineau Channel as morning brought the first blue gray light to Alaska’s capital city. Snow capped peaks stood silent sentinel over the spectacle as darkened windows gradually blinked to life and cast away the the remnants of night.

The Stroller sipped his morning coffee and watched the dazzling postcard unfold before him.  There are some days Southeast Alaska makes you extra glad to be alive.  This morning was one of them.

The Stroller clipped the leash on Gina the Wonder Dog, grabbed her red, white and blue Wham-O-Frisbee and struck out for a brisk walk in the spectacular late fall morning. Destination: Cope Park, nestled at the mouth of Gold Creek, in Silver Bow Basin, at the foot of Mt. Juneau.  A favorite downtown destination for parents, pet owners and summertime picnickers.

THANK YOU, OLD FRIEND.

STROLLER

Alaska’s capitol city was shrouded in a triboluminescent glow.  Dark clouds dimmed the available daylight and, in the early afternoon, the Stroller found it necesary to ‘light the lamps’ in his study to supplement nature’s fading albedo.  In other words it was a cold, dark, damp, dreary day.  The kind capable of conjuring visions and voices of past political dreams, aspirations and apparitions.

The Stroller had spent a good part of the morning wandering the halls of our nearly deserted five story, Alaskan marble accented, brown brick capital building, currently experiencing an interior face lift and upgrade of its electronic communications capabilities.

It was a clear and foggy night in Juneau.  The departure of Alaska Airlines flight 70 from Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International Airport had been delayed on the ground due to dense fog at the Juneau airport.  Inclement weather at Juneau is not unusual and over heading to Sitka not an infrequent event, nor is it an altogether unpleasant experience.  The coffee shop at the Sitka airport is famous for its delicious selection of homemade pies that are more than capable of assuaging a weary traveler’s frustration at being denied the comfort of the friendly confines of his humble abode.

The delay provided the Stroller with quiet time to reflect on the impact of Tuesday’s surprising election results and Wednesday’s announcement of the leadership teams for the newly elected State House and Senate.

A strange, glowing orb gradually crept from behind snow capped coastal mountains as dawn broke on Alaska’s capitol city.  Rain laden Senate Gray skies gave way to vibrant blue.  Shop keepers and government offices struggled to cover for prune skinned employees absent due to maladies inspired by the abrupt change in the weather.

Juneau’s record breaking string of 33 straight days of rain had ended and the town was in dire need of a Sunshine Holiday.  Since the beginning of the year, Juneau has received almost 6 feet of precipitation, more than a foot above normal.