December 5th, 1999

The Holiday Lights are up -

and music is in the air.

This group of 60 performers st in the little corner by the ticket office
This week the Performing Arts Center hosted Alaska's contribution to this nation's "Tuba Christmas". 60 tuba players from ages 9 - 76 (others not telling might have been even older...) paid $5 each to join together. Then they presented a free concert of Christmas Carols to the hundreds gathered in the four levels of the lobby. The accoustics and setting were perfect for the tuba's concert - the cavernous lobby allowed people to choose their perfect spot. It was a family-friendly event.
Some of the performers decorated their tubas- one young lady had a fully trimmed Christmas Tree on her tuba's bell. Others taped ornaments or trimmed their tubas with lights and sparklies, wrapped garlands around the works - even wore the Oom-Pah t-shirts signifying their interests.

Najee performed there in concert, that evening, with his sax, well after the tuba players left.

tree trimmed with Alaskana
Earlier in the day we went out to the ANMC hospital where I spotted this tree ] trimmed with all sorts of Alaskana - the original picture file was HUGE, so I trimmed it down a bit and all you'll see is a fragment.

and... The annual Wilderness Woman competition was held in Talkeetna today - just what you think- a contest to let the lassies show off their skills at carrying water buckets, toting firewood, driving snowmachines etc.
(all in fun; - true wilderness women do this every day!)
-there was a bachelor "auction" at the dance afterwards.

sledding down the hill in the park - a fmaily activity This past month has seen only a few inches of snow drift downward. I'm hoping to break the no-snow jinx by mentioning it - but that white stuff currently on the ground has been around since The End of October and it's pretty dirty and dry by now. We're really hoping for some more, for the skiers, snowboarders and sledders. I have also noticed the Water Utility personnel out thawing some frozen waterlines. It seems a bit early for that but without snow for an insulating blanket on the ground, the frost goes down deep very quickly. We could use a LITTLE more soon... none of that 27" blizzard stuff, just a nice 4 inches or so... nothing to cripple traffic and getting around, just something to whiten the white... sooner, rather than later?

Holiday Events in and around Anchorage this week included these:

downtown's tree, seen from the 4th floor

Sunday was the Messiah Sing-along at West High auditorium. And if Handel was not your cup of tea, at the Museum the Anchorage Children's Choir performed carols, with the Moonlight Strings.

The Sons of Norway had their annual Christmas brunch with their traditional foods at Viking Hall, Sunday.

December 6th the small Dutch-speaking community in Anchorage have their celebration with all the traditional goodies highlighted by the arrival of their Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet.

And Tuesday and Wednesday the members of the Air Force Band of the Pacific give their Holiday Lights '99 free concert at the PAC. That is one crackerjack group - I have heard them perform before.

This Moose eats branches and twigs off birch in the next yard

Then to cap things off, as I was doing this page tonight - there was a moose in the neighbor's yard, chewing on a birch. Three people up the road came home into their driveways, got out and walked into their houses, and didn't even see it in the shadows. This youngster ambled off down the street after about 10 minutes. If you hit a moose with your car you'd be lucky to get away with just a Big Dent! Usually it's worse.