Electric Cost in Alaska

Oklahoma residential customers generally pay between 7.7-cents and 8.5-cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, among the lowest in the nation.

A North Pole Alaska residential customer pays $200.83 in energy and fuel adjustment charges for 991 KWH used. Which works out to .202 cents per kilowatt hour. Not counting additional customer charges. According to the last bill.

We live 450 miles from some of the largest known gas reserves in the world. Shame on Alaskan Politicians for letting things get to this point. Those in office and those in past office. Shame on the Board of Directors of Golden Valley for not having the foresight to tap those reserves with the States blessing. Let us have the resources promised by the constitution for the good of the people now.

Wake up Alaska

Mondays Squirrel

Mondays Squirrel, at the feeder on time.

Forest Floor Flower

Have you ever noticed a lot of shots of flowers with insects in them. Can you find this one.

First Day of Summer Roses

The wild roses are in full bloom. I was sitting here with the door open and the fragrance hit me.

Solstice Day

Yesterday was Summer Solstice, and it was one of the warmest days of summer so far. Living in the far north has it's advantages and the one that I love the most is the long hours of daylight. There is a photographers or videographers term that this time of the year brings to my mind. It's called the golden hours. It's those hours of daylight, before sunrise and sunset. It's a special light with the sun low on the horizon. Living here in North Pole, the sun makes a long slow circle of the sky and it barely sets before it rises again. What it does is lengthen that time that the golden hour exist. The longest day of the year was a pleasure just to sit and watch the squirrels here on the Permafrost Ranch. Don't tell anyone, but Alaska is a very special place to be in the glow of those long golden hours of daylight.

Red Squirrel (sunshine on my shoulders)

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, a John Denver afternoon and this little one is enjoying the sun.

ANWR

The Sacred Place Where Life Begins

Sleepless in North Pole

1:18 AM in the morning. I was so tired this evening that I laid down to watch television in the bedroom early around 7:00 PM. Now I'm wide awake. My sleeping patterns are in turmoil. Causing major problems with my mental state. The only advantage to being up at this hour is to see the flying squirrels who visit the feeder.

Lounge Lizard 2008

This shot has been done many times over the years with several different squirrels. I've called them all Larry the Lounge Lizard Squirrels of the Permafrost Ranch.

Todays dose of Red Squirrel

I can't let a day go by, without a dose of squirrel goodness.

Camera for hire

My little buddy here was telling me, I should go do something constructive with that camera. At least I think he was saying that, I also heard something like shove it. But then Squirrels are hard to understand.

Little Forest Hunter

I happened to catch a rare hunter on the feeder this morning. One of our littlest hunters of the boreal forest.

Squirrel summer and taking it easy

Sometimes the photograph just says it all. I grabbed this one the other day. I thought it puts summer time for my little buddy into perspective. Every Picture tells a story...

Summer on the Permafrost Ranch

Summer is always a welcomed arrival here on the Permafrost Ranch. Nonetheless, along with warm weather comes another problem only seen in this welcomed season of warmth. Yesterday, was the first real warm day of summer. It was in the high 60's all day. I had the doors and windows thrown wide open. Both daughters stopped by with grand kids in tow and before we knew it. The house was full of mosquitos from the kids running in and out the front screen door. Alaskan mosquitos are known for their ferociousness and abundance. When the screen door is closed you can see the little vampires all over the outside trying to slip through the netting. Some wait patiently with evil intent for some unsuspecting agent to open the portal for them. Once inside they spread out hiding and waiting for the right moment to sneak up and get you. The bedroom is always one of their favorite hiding spots. They are sneaky ambushers waiting patiently for you to slip off into sleep and then they pounce. Buzzing and biting until one jumps up and looks for any and all available weapons to end the constant attacks. I have even resorted to chemical sprays with a poison gas attacks at times to eliminate them. Outside is another matter, like most Alaskans, summer means the season of mosquito repellant perfume. DEET, oh the sweet smell of DEET. Any and every Alaskan who spends time outside smells like DEET. DEET is the active ingredient in most bug repellents the works the best. I like mine strong enough to melt rubber or plastic. Only then do I think it's strong enough to keep the hungry hordes of blood suckers from draining me dry.

I'm telling the world it's mine

This one is for all the people in the world that feel like screaming from the rooftops. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.