What is so intriguing about inclement weather?

It’s a Tuesday night and we got out of the fire department training early so I’m gleefully relaxing in some rare down time. It’s 10pm and not quite dark yet (I love Alaska). I’m sitting in bed listening to the wind, watching the trees get whipped around and light snow come down. If I had someone to go against and some money I’d put $5 on one of those trees coming down tonight. Just a few minutes ago there was a loud crash on my roof I needed to go check on. It was just a branch though, no worries. It looks as though I barely got back from walking River (my dog) in time. It was windy and sideways snow then, but even more so now. There’s something so deep down invigoration about feeling the wind and snow pound on your face and seeing the ominous mountains rise up into the low clouds. Then you look out into the inlet and see white caps on the water brutalizing mini icebergs, rock, and silt deposits. Amazingly, everything looks gray yet alive and full of character which only sounds contradictory if you’ve never seen it. I am fully ready for winter to be over now that I can’t ski…yet for some reason I can’t stop smiling watching the pure and brutal power displayed in this environment. In contrast, there’s also the blue sky, snow-topped mountains, and spring shoots that are absolutely gorgeous. And the rocks are basked in the sunlight and warm to the touch, then you and your partner get to the top and it’s just a silent wilderness vista for as far as the horizon will let you see. Who knows, maybe you’re even pulling some Kodiak Nut Browns out of your pack too. I would never bypass either environments. They’re just different expressions of the same wilderness. Wow, Alaska sure is the place for me.