Down the Rabbit Hole--Si?

Where has time gone? I read about good friends whose new babies are growing and developing so quickly. Yes, time is tricky when you hope it goes slowly. I thought time would feel slower once moving to a small town after a busy year of wedding planning and trips. Instead, we've taken many trips and October was a happy blur. Thought I'd share a few highlights as we contemplate this week what we're grateful for, which includes happy moments and visits with friends.

• Trip to Colorado. We stayed a few nights with Megan and Zach in Denver as part of Andy's work trip to Greeley. We learned (and Andy dominated!) a new Midwest card game, took in the simple loveliness of a farmer's market, and went hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park while the aspen trees turned fall colors!!

Megan and Zach in the National Park!

Clearly Alaskans attract the animals! haha

ELK spotted asap in the park, and many of them too.

• Amy's time to Anchorage with friends included "Mamma Mia!" and girl time in Girdwood at Alyeska. Reunion with Beth (Soldotna) and Nikki (Nome) from 2008.

• Halloween. We purchased coveted and quickly sold-out tickets for KCAW's Stardust Ball. It was like falling down Alice in Wonderland's rabbit hole. The most amazing, creative, scary, odd costumes I've ever seen. All adult ages got into the fun. Including a woman with a long cape (horned collar) carrying a staff with a crystal ball and a fake raven with wings extended mounted atop the crystal ball. We were over-dressed and ordinary. The only person to comment on us was an older woman questioning our costumes in Spanish. Apparently, if you go as two forgotten Chilean miners you should know their language too. Si? The live band from Seattle and lip sync contest let us forget how uncreative we really were in those costumes compared to other party-goers. Seeing Andy wear a black-haired wig that I pulled into a ponytail made it worth the while.

One miner became more pale than the other. Si?

This miner was cleared to remove his Oakleys and get back to driving among society.

Our fit and fun partners to the Stardust Ball.

Time goes quickly...si? From Halloween now to Thanksgiving. The days are darker and shorter, even in Sitka where the sun sets before 3:30pm. Maybe the holiday season will take its sweet time and allow us to savour? Maybe we should just plan on enjoying every minute before it's 2011 all of a sudden!

*Amy