Iditarod pictures from Dennis Zaki and heavy snow crushes a local church like a bug.

Dennis sent me these great photos of the start of the Iditarod yesterday. (The Anchorage start that is)

Four time winner Lance Mackey

I have not been sharing our weather woes with all of you, but this year is on track to be the snowiest winter in Anchorage history.

Yeah I know what you are saying, "But Gryph you live in Alaska what do you expect?"

Well I expect snow alright but this year it is fucking ridiculous!

There was SO much snow this year, and our plow trucks were so overworked trying to keep up, that my street did not get plowed for almost two months.  That's right TWO months!

In fact for awhile it was literally reduced to a one lane road, with eight foot snow drifts crowding us together. We actually had to dodge into each others driveways to let other cars drive past so that we could work our way out of the neighborhoods and onto the well plowed main roads beyond.

Anyhow, just in case you think I am whining, the other day my daughter came in all excited because one of the main roads leading to our neighborhood was closed off due to the roof of a local church collapsing.

Here is a picture I took of the remains of the church the other day as I drove home.

That church has been at that location since 1959, and the last expansion of the facility was in 1982.

I actually attended the Sunday School program at this church after I was kicked out of asked to leave my Episcopal church further up the road. But Abbott Loop was a Pentecostal church so you just KNOW I wasn't going to last long there. ("I'm sorry just did anybody actually SEE Jesus roll that rock back and leave the tomb? No I will not just shut up and eat my graham cracker!")

Anyhow that building has survived decades of snowfalls, but simply could not  make it through this winter in one piece.

I am not letting it get to me though. I mean spring has to come sometime, right?

Right?