You Know You Live in Alaska When…

Hello Farmgirls,

Has spring sprung where you are? How are you doing? “March Madness” (not the “sports games” kind as Ava calls it) is almost behind us as the ever quickening addition of light to our days starts to wind down.  The Equinox to Solstice slide has begun.

Alaskan kids are lucky! Most people never get to see a glacier in real life. These kids get to see them when they are babies, and practically out our back door. (Maybe I’m thinking about writing, here)

Are any of you writers? and procrastinators? If you are, I’m in good company! While I may be a procrastinator in the actual execution of projects and goals, I am almost always thinking and planning and noting ideas or themes that pop up before I finally get pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, these days). I was video chatting with my older brother and sister in law the other day, and she laughed about how he and I are so similar in our procrastination.  But HEY! we said–our non-procratination influenced work is NOT good.  We need a healthy amount of stress to get the good stuff out.

As with all of my posts, I think about the material a lot in the between times.  I take mental notes about the notable things.  I start to notice patterns or themes amongst otherwise unrelated occurrences.  Perhaps, sometimes, I fabricate a nuance all for a good story…not to the extent of totally making something up; it’s more of a search for some message that probably isn’t really there.

A “pay it forward” crowler of beer for our state’s Chief Medical Officer, Anne Zink. She has done a great job during the whole pandemic. Thank you, Dr. Zink! (note: I did not buy this beer. Someone else did, and I spotted it)

These past few weeks as life minutely returns to “normal,” I’ve been telling myself quite often, You know you live in Alaska when… So, I’ll share some of them with you.  Part of the reason I know I live in Alaska is because we haven’t left Alaska in just shy of 18 months! that is my entire pregnancy and life of Nova. 18 months that we haven’t seen any of our extended family or out of state friends in the flesh.  Really hoping this summer will change that!

Now, without further ado…

You know you live in Alaska when your neighborhood social media page has a plea for people to keep an eye out for a dog sled team that got loose!

The team was found about five miles away!

You know you live in Alaska when you can plan and execute a half day outing for seventeen people, including 11 kids seven and under to explore a glacier.

Glacier explorers!

You know you live in Alaska when the reports for a good Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) forecast mean there will be a lot of vehicle traffic out from 9-1 a.m.

It’s worth the traffic and late nights!

You know you live in Alaska when you see more than a few people in full camoflauge at the local ski hill.

A new, one lift ski area opened up this year. Skeetawk is becoming our favorite part of winter! Great Covid mitigation and fun for all skill levels. Plus lots of camo.

You know you live in Alaska when a moose in the back yard means it’s okay to play in the front yard as long as you keep an eye out!

note: NOT A REAL MOOSE

You know you live in Alaska when your neighbor invites you over for an evening in her hot tub and you can walk home in boots and a towel and no one bats an eye.

You know you live in Alaska when your children beg to go outside to gather snow…while in their swimsuits.

Just sun bathing, mom

You know you live in Alaska when you get two feet of snow (that sticks around)…in mid- to late- March.

March snow is the best snow dinosaur snow.

You know you live in Alaska when you start to say “snow machine” for snow mobile because you get fewer dirty or confused looks.

…and when the snow machines have sleds like this being pulled behind them. This is at the glacier tour.

You know you live in Alaska when you haven’t started any seeds yet, but you know it will be just fine.  We will have snow until….May?

You know you live in Alaska when the native clinics are the first ones to offer a pandemic ending vaccine to the general public.

You know you live in Alaska when your driveway hasn’t been shoveled in weeks, but you know any vehicle that drives up it will be juuuuust fine.

You know you live in Alaska when you keep your house at 65 degrees and your kids are still naked 80% of the time…or complaining of being hot with clothing on.

Too hot inside!

You know you live in Alaska when a main part of many conversations is where to find the best subzero and waterproof gear at the best prices.

Kids do better with outside time, especially when they are comfortable.

You know you live in Alaska when you try to barter in an attempt to get paid in moose meat for watching your friends’ kids (it did not work! Moose meat is more precious than $$)

You know you live in Alaska when your seven year old draws a (really beautiful) picture of your family as musk ox.

You know you live in Alaska when your kid has developed a palate that has preference for different kinds of ice.

You know you live in Alaska when your five year old finds it odd that this bear is not hibernating.

With all of that–I KNOW we live in Alaska!  These things aren’t necessarily unique as individual occurences, but I’d be hard pressed to find them all together anywhere else.

I hope your city, state, province, territory or wherever you live has its own special quirks.  If you’re inspired share your “You know you live in…” anecdotes with us!

Hope all is well with you and yours wherever this finds you.

Until next time, sending peace and love from Alaska,

Alex, the Rural Farmgirl