My world is pink

[byslantedlight]

Ooh, stretch-yawn-wriggle. Nice to be back home in my little cabin, after five days housesitting. Back with my own gorgeous computer, full of the Boys and other joys... Although to be fair its been a beautiful weekend, the sky has been clear, the sun has been out ... which means that its been -37C according to the gauge down the hill. But I've also been car-sitting, keeping my bum warm on heated leather and being way too excited about using the autostart.

Maybe I should start at the beginning with that one. When it gets really cold, if you have to leave your car outside, you plug it in. Really. There's a little electric plug at the front of the car, and you attach your extension cord, and you plug it in to the electricity socket that if you're lucky you have outside your house or office or where ever. At the other end, inside the engine, it heats up what are basically little electric blankets wrapping up various important bits. Ten minutes before you need to drive it, you go outside and start the engine and leave it to heat up properly. Yes, this is why the city is covered in what is known as "ice fog" - frozen exhaust fumes. If you're very posh you don't have to venture into the nasty cold and then stand around like a frozen eejit while the engine rouses itself, you use an autostart - ie. you go to some window overlooking your car's parking space, and you press a little button on a little gadget, and your car starts. All by itself! Alright, obviously not, cos you've just used the gadget, but that's what it feels like! I am not posh, so this is still weird to me, and makes me giggle. Yeah, well, you should have seen my face the first winter I was here, and I realised that not only do people leave their car doors unlocked, they leave the engines on and the keys in the ignition, and then go off shopping! And get this - the cars hardly ever get stolen! I'm effectively from Manchester - I locked one car and had a security system installed, and the bloody thing was stolen after the thieves came back three times for it. So you can imagine how I gibbered for days when I had to abandon my car with the engine running and the doors unlocked that first winter...

Anyway, I borrowed a digital camera from the library this weekend, and thought I'd share some of the results. I give you - my world today:


Sunrise - just before 11.00am


Around 2.00pm - the Museum - award winning design, folks, what does it make you think of..?):


Across the snow


Pink twigs!


2.30pm - where the icefog comes from...


Sunset - around 2.30pm


And finally - the soft blue - around 3.30pm


And in other news... well, there isn't any really. But I'm planning on either JJD or a Pros ep, so be prepared for further rambling.

Comments

[caffyolay.livejournal.com]

My jaw is on the floor looking at these wonderful photos. Wherever you are it is absolutely stunning!! I love the last one most of all - is it okay if I pinch it to use as a wallpaper? Beautiful. Welcome back, btw!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

So glad you like them! It is beautiful up here - "here" is interior Alaska, btw! By all means take the one for wallpaper, I'm flattered and very glad that you like it! The temperature jumped up by 20F last night and its all cloudy, so it looks as though we're in for still more snow...

[caffyolay.livejournal.com]

Alaska? Wonderful. Must be a fascinating place to live. I'd decided you must be in northern Sweden or somesuch. LOL. Did you get more snow?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Its amazing. I've still not done enough travelling around the state, but adore what I have seen, and there should be time over the next few years! Although right now I'm looking forward to (probably) coming home for the summer, which is the exact opposite of what most people here do...

Weirdly enough its been all grey and cloudy in our now-short day, but only snowing a tiny tiny little bit overnight. And the temperature went right up... Actually I've just opened my curtains (10am dawn) and it looks like its cleared up - all blue-peach-pink sky right now!

[empty-mirrors.livejournal.com]

WOW! That's so beautiful. What time does true dark arrive? And wow all over again.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It's like living in a fairy tale sometimes - except for the icefog and the cold and the idiot drivers and the... but it is pretty! It's properly black dark around 4pm I guess, and stays that way until maybe 10am-ish? Usually I'd gush on about the compensation being that you can see the northern lights, but my gorgeous cabin is on campus, surrounded by light pollution, and I've barely seen them since I've been back this time...

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

What beautiful light! Thank you so much for sharing these.

I admit that I am ever so envious of people who have autostart cars... and it's only very cold here for a few months! These mornings, having to brave the icicles, the whipping wind, sit down in the frozen seat on the shower of snow that inevitably falls in right there, start the car, scrape off the windows... it hurts! On the other hand, it gives me great satisfaction to know that when my kids come out, they get to run to a nice warm haven of a car and not suffer, which is why I don't usually complain (until I think about autostart!)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think it sounds much worse where you are - cold and wind. We're usually spared that at least... Last time I was here I did have my own old car - and I remember the snow on the seat vividly!! So do you have snow now? Is it pretty at least?!

[the-cornettist.livejournal.com]

LOVE the pics, especially the blue.... Brilliant. Thanks for sharing.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You're welcome - so glad you liked them!

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

I was watching The Last Place On Earth this afternoon, and it was making me feel very cold. Your beautifuls photos didn't help! Thanks for sharing them, though.

One of my goals in life is to see the northern lights, but I'm going to have to figure out a way to do it without being exposed to extreme cold, which I hate (in case you haven't noticed).

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I was really enjoying Last Place On Earth until the video recorder packed in - am waiting to be rich and order the dvds so that I can see the rest! And Rhodes is on my list after that... that'll feel sunny anyway, right?

One of my goals in life is to see the northern lights
Funny you should say that, they were really what got me up here in the first place! Now how to see the lights and stay warm at the same time..?! Actually, its dark enough to see them here by the end of August, and its still warm-ish then... Plus autumn is so beautiful! Or you could try Chena Hot Springs, I believe you can sit in the steaming water in the winter and just look up...

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

I have Rhodes on videotape and haven't gotten around to watching it yet. Yeah, that will be a good way to warm up after TLPOE.

Okay then, I'll have to head north in the fall to see the aurora. Thanks for the tip. The hot springs sound good, too.

btw, your icon is awesome.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

btw, your icon is awesome.

Thanks! Actually I was thinking that about yours - angelic Doyle indeed! D'you have a Bodie too?!

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

Not yet. I'll have to look through my screencaps and see if I can come up with something.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Hah! Just found this pic I forgot I had - might it help..? I have no idea how to do backgrounds and stuff yet, I is still learning... *passes screencap to cleverer person*

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

Oh, very nice! I will play with it after work today. Thanks so much! Whic episode is that from?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

D'you know I was trying to remember which ep it was from when I came across it last night. I downloaded it for something specific, and was so caught up in that... although aha! Everest Was Also Conquered! That's what the letters in the filename stand for! I'm more organised than I thought...

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

Behold the results of our collaboration. Whaddya think?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh this is fab! I'm so very impressed! A genius Christmas-Pros icon, well done you! I hope you use it lots so that I see it around : )

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Actually, nope, I gotta continue the gush. I love the idea of the lads singing carols in the first place - so not them that it's absolutely just right!

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is a pretty funny notion, innit?

Now all I need is an appropriate screencap of Cowley to complete the picture. Any ideas which episode might contain one?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh of course... *is much amused* hmmn, will have to think!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Okay - maybe too late, but I found a couple from The Rack. Might be a bit grainy though, they ain't brilliant quality...




Let me know, I can keep looking if these don't work!

Still not found those paintbrushes either, but I'm not giving up!

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

Oh, you rock! Thanks so much for the Cowley pic! I think the icon is complete now.

As for the paintbrushes,according to "Professional Insight" (I just got my copy and it's a must for a serious Pros fan, I might add), we see Ray's flat in the following eps: DIAG,Fall Girl,The Female Factor, A Hiding To Nothing, Hunter/Hunted, Involvement, The Rack, When The Heat Cools Off, Wild Justice, and You'll Be All Right.

I haven't had a chance to check each of these, but that narrows the search down. Have fun!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh this is fab - yes, it is now the perfect christmas icon. *g*

I haven't had a chance to check each of these, but that narrows the search down. Have fun!
Excellent, thank you! I will just have to and check all over again... I'm saving up for a copy of Professional Insight too, sounds very useful!