At age 70 9PM becomes the new midnight.  By that standard I have seen in the New Year every year since I reached the Biblical lifespan.  The ball drops in New York, I sing “Happy Days are Here Again”, stay up an extra hour and then turn in.  I’ve been in bed well before actual midnight each New Year’s Eve for a decade, awakened briefly by the fireworks set off by neighbors before I rolled over into the new year.

This year was different.  Granddaughter Fiona wanted to stay up until 9 PM, midnight at her home in Minnesota, and she did.  The rest of us played the board game Empire Builder, the “Train Game.”  I kept looking at my Aurora apps, because I had heard that a magnetic storm was approaching Earth.  The apps were a dud.  The University of Alaska had no information.  Other apps had dated NOAA POES satellite renditions frozen midafternoon. In red letters my favorite app told me, “No new information, the NOAA satellite is down.”

But earlier I saw projections that looked good.  At 10:30 I suggested we drive to Starrigavan.  Brian, Liam and I drove off the others stayed home. The Aurora at both the Ferry Terminal turnout and Starrigavan were “meh.” 

Driving back, I looked out my side window and saw action and suggested to Brian we head up Harbor Mountain road.  He thought that it may be rowdy because of partyers but I said, It New Year’s Eve, Lets Go.”  As we made the turn at Kramer Drive the Aurora just ahead smacked us in the face.  Dancing lights.  We drove up to about 100 yards before the gate (and the expected party) stopped the car and gawked. (For some reason, clicking on them makes them seem sharper.)

At midnight the fireworks went off in front of the Aurora.

After welcoming 2025 we headed toward home. I suggested we stop at the Mt. Edgecumbe ramp.  There were several cars there and we watched the lights dance over Sitka.

As we turned North on Jamestown Drive, they were dancing over our house.  Our neighbors were on their deck.  As we watched from ours the lights spread south dancing over Jamestown Bay and Edgecumbe.  It may have been the most intense display I have ever seen. 

I tried to video them, but I’m a radio and still photo guy.  After seeing videos by the more accomplished videographers I’m staying with stills.  My iPhone took all the pictures on this post.  I was too entranced, or lazy, or tired, to dig out the tripod and the DSLR. 

We got everyone else up.  Fiona (who, when we took her to a glacier a few years back, turned to her dad and said “they’re looking at ice!”  is not easily impressed.  Elias was mad that he had been awakened and refused to look up.  For the rest of us, wonder.

A nice thing about living in Alaska is that I can go to bed at 1:45, get 7 hours sleep and still catch the gentle sunrise dawning on a new year.  A good omen for 2025

Happy New Year — 2025!