We heard Thursday's little earthquake coming before we felt it, which is not unusual. "Oh, please, let this be a little one," said Miss Jerrianne, who had just turned off the water in the shower and reached for a towel. Sure enough, it was just a little shake this time, but all week she's been reading about the BIG Alaska earthquake that happened on Good Friday ... 40 years ago.

That 1964 earthquake was a doozy ... the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America. It scared the tar out of folks and did a frightening amount of damage. Some things will never be the same. We have little earthquakes here all the time, no problem ... but another big quake is overdue, scientists say, so you can see why she might be on edge when the rocking and rolling starts.

She's been reading about the 15th anniversary of the Good Friday Valdez Oil Spill this week, as well. Though the earthquake was about 10 years before she moved to Alaska, the oil spill was a man made disaster still fresh in her mind. Everything about it was ugly, she says, and still is. There's still oil on some of the beaches around Prince William Sound after all this time, according to this week's news. Never mind the ides of March, she says ... but watch out for that last week!

I've been sitting here in my chair watching the snowplows remove last night's snow from our street. All these historic events are WAY before my time ... except for the snowfall, of course. I watched it come down all morning. Must be at least a few inches of fluff. Then it stopped and the sun came out. Tonight it started snowing again ... so there will be lots more to plow in the morning.

Miss Jerrianne has stayed close to the computer this week, but if I tease a bit, she'll get up and we'll play a fast game of "spin the kitty." She finds a toy on a string, or just one of those long twisties that come wrapped around a head of lettuce, and twirls it around in a circle for me to chase. I run 'round and 'round until I get dizzy. I flop on the floor so she'll swing it over my head. I leap up and pounce on it, catch it with my claws, get my teeth into it and abscond with the toy. She chases after me, we play tug o' war with it, and then we start all over again.

Now that the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is over and done, all those dogs are back in town. I have to keep myself in shape, in case I ever have to outrun one of those dogs or climb a tree or sink my claws into his nose and defend myself. So I'm making sure I get lots of exercise. I wish I could say the same for Miss Jerrianne ... but I'm doing my best and maybe she'll come around, by summer.