The other night my husband proved the depth of his love … and his insanity. We have a small cabin behind our home that quarters a second freezer. I had asked him earlier in the day to collect a few packages of moose sausage for lunch the next day. As time so often does, it got away and we soon realized it was 10:30, so I began devising Plan B. Jeff, however, wasn’t hearing of it. Wearing his pj’s and a bathrobe, he threw on his cap and headlamp, and took off on his cross-country skis. After a good laugh at his appearance, I went outside to enjoy the view of him skiing through the dark in his bathrobe. That was when I saw something amazing…
One of my favorite things in Alaska is the snow. As I watched my husband disappear into the darkness, I looked out across our yard and noticed how the cool moonlight was cast across the snow. When my eyes adjusted to the light, it revealed a white blanket of diamonds.
The scene reminded me of a song lyric by the late Johnny Cash, “Field of diamonds in the sky, silent beauty shining high … ” We are blessed to live in such a beautiful land.
The weather at times is erratic in Alaska. On Kachemak Bay, during the fall and spring seasons, the temperature may rise above freezing during the day, which causes a slow melt. At night, the temperature decreases and the snow refreezes. The night air cools the outer surface of the snow faster than the inside. As the water vapor escapes from inside it meets with the freezing air causing a spectacular growth of icy crystals called hoar frost. At times I’ve seen frost flakes the size of quarters. When the moon is just right, these hexagonal prisms appear as fields of brilliant cut gems.
Waiting for my husband’s return I sat thankful for the frost diamonds laid before me. I looked up to see a sky full of glimmering stars and I basked in the fields of diamonds both above and below. The scene reminded me of a song lyric by the late Johnny Cash, “Field of diamonds in the sky, silent beauty shining high … ” We are blessed to live in such a beautiful land.
The other night my husband proved the depth of his love … and his insanity. We have a small cabin behind our home that quarters a second freezer. I had asked him earlier in the day to collect a few packages of moose sausage for lunch the next day. As time so often does, it got away and we soon realized it was 10:30, so I began devising Plan B. Jeff, however, wasn’t hearing of it. Wearing his pj’s and a bathrobe, he threw on his cap and headlamp, and took off on his cross-country skis. After a good laugh at his appearance, I went outside to enjoy the view of him skiing through the dark in his bathrobe. That was when I saw something amazing…
One of my favorite things in Alaska is the snow. As I watched my husband disappear into the darkness, I looked out across our yard and noticed how the cool moonlight was cast across the snow. When my eyes adjusted to the light, it revealed a white blanket of diamonds.
The scene reminded me of a song lyric by the late Johnny Cash, “Field of diamonds in the sky, silent beauty shining high … ” We are blessed to live in such a beautiful land.
The weather at times is erratic in Alaska. On Kachemak Bay, during the fall and spring seasons, the temperature may rise above freezing during the day, which causes a slow melt. At night, the temperature decreases and the snow refreezes. The night air cools the outer surface of the snow faster than the inside. As the water vapor escapes from inside it meets with the freezing air causing a spectacular growth of icy crystals called hoar frost. At times I’ve seen frost flakes the size of quarters. When the moon is just right, these hexagonal prisms appear as fields of brilliant cut gems.
Waiting for my husband’s return I sat thankful for the frost diamonds laid before me. I looked up to see a sky full of glimmering stars and I basked in the fields of diamonds both above and below. The scene reminded me of a song lyric by the late Johnny Cash, “Field of diamonds in the sky, silent beauty shining high … ” We are blessed to live in such a beautiful land.
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Eight years ago, Dana Jaworski and her husband moved from West Texas to Anchor Point, Alaska. Dana is a graduate of Abilene Christian University with a degree in Political Science. She enjoys writing for the local paper and has been a frequent blog contributor to Word for Today, www.gsccwordfortoday.blogspot.com. She, her husband, and their three children enjoy clamming, gardening, fishing and the many outdoor activities of the Kenai Peninsula.
