10:02... christmas eve morning...

glancing out the window, i notice the entire downtown of whitehorse is engulfed in a quiet blue hue... it looks cold, but is surprisingly warmer today than it has been in weeks... the plumes of smoke from chimney tops have shrunk down to about half their familiar size...

i woke at 4:45 this morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed... the drive to work was silent and still... then from 6:00 until 8:30 i took care of the control room for a christmas eve morning show... four local teenagers with instruments in tow provided a medley of seasonal tunes throughout the show -- guitars, stand-up bass, clarinet, piano and fiddles... stories from yukon christmases past (elders in old crow), present (adopting a child from china to join a loving family) and future (expensive, but exciting gifts of technology) filled the airwaves... and for some reason my eyes never started to grow heavy...

i waltzed down main street just before 9:00 -- the sky still reflecting the darkness of the evening... with coffees in hand and breakfast sandwiches safely tucked in my purse, i dropped the edible treasures off to my love... "merry christmas eve" he said, with a grin...

back at work, the television by my desk repeats tales of stranded travelers, snow warnings and economic woes...

luckily when the day is through, i'll head home to warmth, egg nog and rum, maybe an early present or two, chinese food, good company and christmas classics (scrooged, christmas vacation) tonight... i miss the ones so far away, but think of them fondly through cards, memories, photos and kind words...

merry christmas to all, and to all a good night...