The Porch Postscript

Where has my summer gone?  Summer in Alaska always goes so fast.  Three months of 24 hours of light seems to fly by at the speed of light. I always lose the month of June to long hours at work while we put on a Heavy Equipment Academy, in which I spend many days wearing this ensemble. We did a little extended getaway over the 4th of July weekend and made our first trip to Anchorage.  Forrest fires in the area made it a really smokey trip, but we were there the day the state broke a temp record and it hit 90 degrees. Had some good food, did some shopping and looked for a fifth wheel.  Ate at the "famous" Moose's Tooth Pizza. And on our way home we held out to eat at our favorite place in Denali, aka Glitter Gultch, Moose-AKas. Seriously, they have the best crepes we've ever eaten. I got a bit of rhubarb from our friends and processed it all into freezer bags for us to enjoy over the winter.  By some rhubarb, I mean 45 cups of rhubarb.

We spent the last week traveling home.  This was more whirlwind duty trip than pleasure, but it's always good to see family and friends. I always over pack.  I need to work harder on packing less, way less. Drinks in the airport bar before departing is kind of a tradition. We ate at one of our old favorites when we made it to Fort Collins, CO.  Love the Charco Broiler. Could skip the peanut butter pie. I've always loved this statue that is outside the front door. Had our obligatory Taco Johns stop in Rawlins, WY. We saw more snow in Wyoming than we've seen in Alaska all winter. We drove on some slushy slick roads with some blowing snow. The sunrise at my Mom's house is always so stunning. Spent a bit of time sketching while we were gone. Journaling on the go. One of the bronze statues in our hometown. Second lunch. Second Taco John's meal.  Ate it in the car.  Don't judge. One more dink in the ho

Torn.  There are so many days that I would like to run away and live in a Winabego, on the open road, thumbing my nose at the world.  That's the point where hubby reminds me we're just too responsible to really do that.  I nod my head and go on with my daydream. Then there are the other days, the days where thinking about giving it all up gives me anxiety and can't cope with the thoughts of how much we'd have to give up to travel full time. I still have wanderlust and will probably suffer for life.  I like having a house, but honestly the older I get the more I want to travel and what better way to do it than in a moveable house - be it travel trailer, RV or converted bus. I have a romance in my head of living a traveling life, writing and creating art wherever we go.  Most days I know this a  crazy pipe dream, but days like yesterday I don't care!!!  Days like yesterday make me want to be free and live a life of creating, writing and photographing my journey

Where have you been?  Oh, wait.  You're probably asking me that, aren't you?  Well, I ran away to paradise for a couple of weeks.  I've been on an island, soaking up the vitamin D, and enjoying 10 hours of daylight.  Did you just read that and think "What?  Who talks like this?"  If you aren't from Alaska and have never lived here then this might sound like some fresh brand of crazy talk, but it's not.  Okay, fine I'll explain. When you live in the Interior of Alaska, you experience the shortest day of the year, known as "Winter Solstice," in a totally different way.  On this day our area has only about four hours of daylight.  No, don't adjust your glasses or your computer screen.  You read that right.  FOUR FREAKING HOURS - that's it!!  You view this day as a right of passage and begin counting the minutes that will become hours of daylight.  You've survived the darkness.  With the lack of light, comes a lack of vitamin D.