``He´s afraid of fish.´´ That´s what the young British boy said of his father as they stood in line in a small market in Salema, Portugal, yesterday evening.

``I don´t like to touch them,´´ the father confessed. He was trying to convince the shopkeeper to gut a fish for him if he bought one from the local fisherman on the beach.

He then looked at Gina and I. I told him that I did know how to gut fish -- being from Alaska and all.

The shopkeeper then started asking questions, not of the fish-fearing Brit but of us. He wanted to know about Alaska. We told him the summer´s are beautiful, the winter´s are cold and dark. He wasn´t quite sure what to make of it all. ``It´s different from here,´´ I said.

Proof that it's time to end one season and begin another ... Sunday morning's snow atop the canoe in our backyard.

I had no idea what was in store when I went to bed Saturday night. When Gina and I awoke this morning, we were greeted by a yard full of snow. It was only a half-inch or so, but it was a bit of shock.

I think the change of seasons is fun. Others, I'm sure, are not so excited. And I might be a bit more grouchy if I wasn't just a week away from heading off on an adventure to Spain and Portugal. (I hope the house sitter doesn't mind shoveling.)

I got a quick glimpse of Flattop this morning as the clouds lifted for a couple seconds. The mountain was covered with snow.

If the clouds lift this afternoon, I'll snap a picture. When the clouds do lift, and the snow reveals itself, there are going to be two distinct groups of people: grouchy and happy. Those who bemoan winter will be grumbling. Those who embrace winter will be ready to move to the ski and skate season.

My take on it is this: You live in Alaska (and you just got a check for $1,654 a couple days ago in the PFD payout), enjoy all the seasons. If you don’t like winter, move somewhere else. It's pretty simple.

Sunrise over Flattop this morning from our deck. It was one of those "quick grab-the-camera" moments. A minute later and all the color was gone. At noon, the sky is cloudy.Since autumn is my favorite season, it's easy to grab the camera and snap picture after picture. So, here are a couple more views from around Anchorage.

Gina and I are getting ready for a big vacation, so our adventures have been cut a little short ... unless you consider a trip to REI for some travel clothing, or Title Wave for a map of Spain and Portugal.

Snow covers the peaks of the Chugach Mountains in Anchorage on Thursday evening in this view from Minnesota Drive. The tallest mountain is O'Malley Peak, which rises 5,150 feet above sea level.

Steam rises from Goose Lake in Anchorage shortly after sunrise on Thursday.

Police officers talk with a suspect while veggie co-op subscribers pick up their vegetables Wednesday in downtown Anchorage.

All summer long Gina and I have looked forward to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. That's when our fresh-from-the-Valley organic vegetables show up in Anchorage.

Arctic Organics produces some of the best vegetables you'll ever taste. They sell subscriptions to the organic produce, and deliver it weekly at a location in downtown Anchorage.

Afternoon sun makes grass along the bike trail near our house shimmer.

The last couple mornings I've felt like Noah. You know, Noah and the ark. It's been raining ... a lot.

By mid-afternoon, the rain has stopped and the clouds have lifted a little bit, revealing the snow creeping down the mountains. Flattop has a crown of white this afternoon. Winter is inching closer, which makes every little bit of autumn we can squeeze out of the shortening days all the sweeter.

Fireweed alongside the bike path shows that winter is coming quickly. Throughout the summer, Alaskans use the stage of the fireweed bloom to determine how long until summer is over. Well, the red leaves and lack of blooms tell us what we already know -- summer's over, autumn's here and winter's coming soon.

Sunday's hike on the South Fork Rim Trail offered views of Campbell Creek and the autumn-colored Chugach Mountains.

You never know when the summer hiking season will come to a screeching halt. So, despite several home projects waiting, Gina and I took a couple hours Sunday to do some exploring.

We were out on trails at the Prospect Heights trail head just a couple miles from our house. Usually when we start hiking here, our goal is to reach the top of Wolverine Peak or Near Point. This time, we just wandered around the trails that didn't lead to the top of any mountain.

It was 35 degrees at my house this morning. That's a pretty cold start to a 12-mile bike commute ... downhill ... at about 30 mph.

By the time I got to work, my toes were tingling. And I had on two pair of socks and a shoe covers. I wore the warm gloves and still had cold fingers.

One day, it's snow it the mountains. Another day, it's a yard full of leaves. Another day, it's 35 degrees in the morning.

Winter is definitely on its way. But the sun is shining brightly outside right now, and it’s up to 46 degrees. Probably won't need the warm gloves and shoe covers on the way home.

-- Steve

The first sign of winter -- termination dust -- sits on O'Malley Peak in the Chugach Mountains on Sunday. The first snow of the season showed up around Anchorage on Saturday morning.

Early Saturday morning I saw the first sign of winter's approach -- snow in the mountains surrounding Anchorage. The termination dust everyone has expected for a few days finally showed up.

For me, it's an exciting sight. Generally, we still have a few weeks of autumn after the first sign of snow. So, it's more of a warning ... get that wood split; clean out the gutters; put the deck furniture away.

No, there isn't snow on the ground in Anchorage yet. But cross-country skiers are out preparing for the winter months. Photo by Erik Hill of the Anchorage Daily News.

Another sign that autumn is really upon us ...

I came upon a cross-country ski team practicing on rollerskis this morning while I was riding to work on the bike trails. While I enjoy skiing once winter arrives, I'll keep the bike rolling until then. In fact, I'll keep the bike rolling after then, but I'll also jump on the skis a couple times a week too.

Every day, the approach of autumn gets just a bit more obvious. Some hints:

* A few of the leaves on the birch trees in my yard are turning yellow.

* I'm plucking tons of ripe raspberries off the bushes every day.

* This weekend is the final one for the Saturday and Sunday Anchorage Market and Festival.

* Sunset is before 9 p.m.

* For the first time since spring, I pulled on full-fingered gloves on today's bike commute. And tomorrow, I'll probably pull out the headlamp so I can see and be seen.

The view from the top of Penguin Peak looking over Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage.

Last week, I wrote about the annual trek up Wolverine Peak that Gina and I had just completed. We have a few of those "regular" visits we make -- Wolverine, Flattop, Little O'Malley Peak. They’re all close to home and enjoyable.

There is a different kind of excitement surrounding a trip to the top of a new peak. And that's what we nabbed on Monday. After getting a couple house projects out of the way earlier on the three-day weekend, we took advantage of a nice Monday morning to grab a peak that’s been on my to-do list for years.

The Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet are visible from the trail to Wolverine Peak. Wolverine Peak is one of the dominant mountains closest to Anchorage, looking like a large pyramid from downtown.

There are lots of peaks in the Chugach State Park right outside my front door that I have yet to climb. So why am I constantly drawn to Wolverine Peak?

For Gina and I, it's become an annual trek to the top of the 4,455-foot mountain clearly visible from Anchorage. It's probably that "clearly visible" part that keeps drawing me back. I can see Flattop from my deck, but I can see Wolverine from my office desk. So any time I might be daydreaming about hikes -- whether the weather is 70 and sunny or minus 20 and frosty, I can see Wolverine.

The view from near the top of Wolverine Peak, looking across the Chugach Mountains, a portion of Anchorage and Cook Inlet.

It's been five fabulous days in a row. For August, that must be a weather record. I always tell visitors to avoid August. If they listened to me this year, they might be missing out on some of our best weather.

Gina and I have been enjoying every bit of the blessed sunshine and still-warm temperatures. Autumn is definitely in the air here in Alaska (a co-worker said she thought her thermometer read 39 degrees this morning), but it's wonderful. Usually, autumn weather only sticks around for a couple weeks. Maybe we'll have it a bit longer this year.

This huge bull moose was munching on grass and leaves just off the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Kincaid Park on Saturday evening just about sunset.

Gina and I were enjoying the hot tub about 8 p.m. Saturday and talking about whether we should hike Flattop or take the bikes out to Kincaid Park for sunset.

Some quick moving got us on the road and to Kincaid just before the sun dipped below the horizon. We made the right call. It was a perfect night.

Not only was the sunset fabulous, we also saw 10 moose in just about an hour in the park. Two of the moose were right on the bicycle path, causing us to jam on the brakes, watch and wait. One huge bull was at the bottom of a lengthy hill on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. He wasn't interested in us, but we were interested in him. I have never seen a larger moose. I could have watched him browse for an hour, but eventually he moved off and we continued down the trail.

A weird thing happened here today -- the sun came out.

It's been a rainy week, which isn’t surprising. The Alaska State Fair opened its gates on Thursday. For me, the arrival of the fair signals the arrival of monsoon season in Alaska.

But today caught me by surprise. Maybe this year will be the year the fair folks have sunny skies more than drizzly ones. I wouldn’t bet on it, but one can always hope.

-- Steve

Independence Mine State Historical Park in Hatcher Pass is a blending of restored buildings and crumbling structures. The state has restored many buildings, including bunkhouses, and offers one-hour tours for $5. Access to the park requires a $5 parking pass or an annual state parks sticker.

In an earlier post, I mentioned a night spent at Hatcher Pass and an hour spent at Independence Mine State Historical Park. Hatcher Pass is one of our favorite places in Alaska, and we're not alone. Summer or winter, it is an outdoor recreation destination. And for those who are more interested in history than hiking, the old mine area is fascinating.

Armando and Sandra Rivera pose while hiking near Flattop Mountain in Anchorage.

Armando and Sandra Rivera traveled a long way to visit Alaska. They live in Bogota, Colombia. Their flights to get here took them from Colombia to Panama, to Miami, to New York, to Seattle, to Anchorage.

So was it worth it? Let's find out.

Q: How has your vacation been?

Armando: It has been incredible. We have done so much and seen so much.

We had a nice greeting when we returned home Saturday afternoon -- a mother and calf moose munching on willows, grass and raspberry bush leaves in our backyard.
We were out Saturday morning, and when we returned home, we were greeted by a cow and calf moose in the backyard. They were busy feasting on leaves. Thankfully, they weren't too interested in the flowers in the garden.

It's always nice to be able to enjoy Alaska's wildlife right at home.

-- Steve