A summer plot...

and

Spring

So, spring is trying to come to Fairbanks. I never say spring is officially here until the grass is green, because this time of year is notorious for having surprise snowstorms to throw us back into the depths of winter. This month or so of transition between winter to summer is an odd one up north. First off, you have temperatures below freezing a night and above freezing during the day. What this means is early in the morning your driveway is an ice skating ring and by mid-afternoon it is a pond. This means any outdoor activity needs multiple back up plans. When planning an outside escape the back of my car is filled with skis, running gear, and bike gear. You just never know what activity the weather gods will allow one to partake in. This time of year we are gaining up to seven minutes of daylight a day. This really can make your internal clock confused. Most people turn into insomniacs. The trick is not to turn into a zombie due to lack of sleep. People have gone to all sorts of extreme measures to conduce sleeping in the daylight. There is always the covering of windows, putting bandanas around eyes, and taking sleeping pills. Honestly, the best way(and cheapest) is to close your eyes. I know it sounds ridiculous, but close your eyes and lie there. Eventually, you will fall asleep. Spring also means planting season. For those of us who start to dream of gardens, we rush out to the store and turn the inside of our houses into mini greenhouses. My favorite part of spring is watching people re-emerge. Honestly, the population seems to double. Everyone is out shopping for home improvement supplies. The number of bikers and runners on the side of the road gets dangerous on Sunday afternoons. The best part is watching the people who are walking across the parking lot in tank tops and shorts, despite the 40 F temps. I blame this erratic behavior on too much sunlight exposure after a long winter. Honestly, it is a good thing that we ease into spring up here. Just imagine what would happen if we jumped from the cold of winter directly to the furry of the summer mosquitoes.

The Little Things...

This morning I woke up to news of a horrific earthquake in Japan. This is just weeks after a devastating earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. My heart was still recovering after seeing pictures of a town that was almost like a second home for a few years in total devastation. While Japan admittedly doesn't mean as much to me, my heart goes out to everyone touched by the earthquake. It is amazing to see how quickly life can go from the mundane, everyday struggles, to all the sudden something more. While I'd never wish a horrific event to be thrust upon anyone, it really shows what is important. It is the little moments that we often forget, or don't take time to truly appreciate. It is when the student who has given me tons of headaches throughout the year, turns around and gives me a carrot cookies. So, just a friendly reminder out there to everyone, look around and appreciate the little things in life, because some day they may suddenly be gone.

Happy 2011!

Well, it is a new year and one of my resolutions is to keep this blog more up to date. This year has started with a bang and is going fast and furious. For the first time, in my memory at least, Anchorage area residents were allowed to legally set off fireworks. The ban hadn't stopped people much before, but at least now you didn't feel guilty doing it. I feel like it takes some of the fun out of it when it is legal. You'd think people would go overboard, but considering the closest place to purchase fireworks is a good hour and a half drive on icy roads, there wasn't a huge increase in the fireworks set off. After the fireworks it was back to work up north. It always is rough getting back into the swing of things. This fact becomes even more obvious when dealing with youth. There were a lot of tired faces at the end of the first day, but it was good to see everyone again. The most exciting news that happened over the Christmas break was that Interior Alaska finally broke free of the cold spell that had settled for a few weeks. I left Fairbanks at -40 F and returned at +30 F. This VERY rarely happens. I was almost so confused that I stopped to make sure I was indeed traveling north when I was returning. Lucky for us, we should be returning back to the normal weather in a week or so. Afterall, we wouldn't want to start the year off too different. It is hard enough remembering to date everything 2011.