Fireweed legend

If the legend is true, winter will be upon us soon! Fireweed blooms in the late summer and early autumn. According to Alaska’s old-timers, when the fireweed reaches its full splendor, and pink blossoms ascend all the way to the top of the flower’s spire, winter will begin in six weeks.
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Baby beauty

 
I signed my baby up for the Tanana Valley State Fair Baby Show. I’m not a freaky “Toddlers & Tiaras” type, but I think my child is adorable, so I wanted to show her off. Don’t worry, I didn’t put make-up, or false eyelashes on Gabriella, but I did put a bow in her patchy [...]

House hunting is a bitch

 
So, looking for a place to live can be kind of demoralizing. In fact, I think it’s worse than looking for a job. You can make some compromises with a job, you may take a little less pay, decide to drive a little further, or try a new career field to challenge yourself. But when [...]

Wildfires are spooky

 
The summer’s been plagued with wildfires. Some days have been really smoky, which becomes horrible when it’s really hot. Lately, the Wood River Fire, just about 30 miles south of Fairbanks, has grown. The last report I read said the fire had burned 16,000 acres. Work is being done to protect cabins in the area. 
Yesterday, [...]

Fireweed fields forever

…I wish! In Fairbanks, the fireweed has exploded a fuchsia hue all over surrounding fields. Seeing a large expanse of pinky purple flowers for as far as you can see just doesn’t get old! It’s like witnessing an active aurora swirling in the sky. You can see it many times and it never makes the [...]

Hillbillies and wedded bliss: The two aren’t connected!

The one thing I like most about hillbillies is they say it like it is. There’s no fancy two-faced tap dancing, just brutally honest interaction. I appreciate that! Each day, I sludge away in a bureaucracy that probably invented red tape. The simplest of tasks takes days to complete, people whine about being underappreciated and [...]

Bachelorette party spurs deep thoughts

 
The evening began proper enough. A group of ladies met for a small dinner at a swanky downtown restaurant. Conversation jumped from Alaska politics to wedding flowers, and all were pleased with their selection of wine and entrée. All turned to complete debauchery once we left the safe confines of the restaurant and entered the [...]

Lost parents, gained dog

 
So, my parents left me. I’m not kidding. My parents and 19-year-old brother drove out of Alaska yesterday a little after 5 a.m. It’s surreal. I mean, I never imagined that my parents would leave and I would still be here, tootling along Fairbanks streets, doing the same-ol’ thing, while they live it up on [...]

We’re alive, I promise!

 
Nobody visits this blog anymore because I never post anything new. I’m sorry! We are all alive and doing well! It seems the summer has completed sucked the energy out of me to post updates on a regular basis. Every week there’s a new event, or a special get-together that has me in a tizzy. 
 Here’s [...]

Reminiscing on old friends

Today, I’m pondering old friends. The topic is bittersweet. When I replay in my mind some of the amazing, silly, sweet and harsh things I’ve done with those old friends, I’m surprised by how much time goes by nowadays between visits with those very special people. I don’t know why I’m a little sentimental today. [...]