Liquid water!

Today I got out and visited a couple of parking lots. To my utter amazement I spotted a puddle of liquid water in each parking lot! Furthermore, the temperature was +4C! As we know, that is above freezing, so it should not really surprise me; but it did. This happens around the time of the equinox, which according to my calendar ocurred on the 20th of March. Just a little after the Ides of March, fatal to Roman Emperors. Not being a Caesar, I did not worry much about the Ides. But could this be the harbinger of the long-awaited breakup? We had a long succession of very cold days in March, -20C in the morning, although it did get up above zero in the afternoon. The barometer was sky-high, 1040 mb and steady. But about a week ago the high dissolved. Temperatures rose. Clouds came, but no snow. I tried asking that well-known bird of omens, the raven, what this meant. Raven said: "cark!" Very difficult business, soothsaying. I wonder what cark means in Raven. At least Raven did not say "nevermore!" Plenty of snow on the ground still, although it has compacted down to about 50 cm. Well, we will have to see.

About this time of year everyone in Alaska is fed up with winter. Can't ski, too icy. The lakes will be too dangerous to walk on soon. Bicycling is downright dangerous. So it's walk on the roads. but at least it's warmer. And then comes breakup, mud everywhere. As I have said before, such is life in Alaska.

And the secret project is ready to be revealed. But I am a bit too tired today, so stay tuned.