Summer hit this year. With a vengeance.
What I mean is, we basically had no spring. We had some melt off days in May, then on May 18th it snowed, then it snowed more, then more and was just really cold. Then the following week. It was hotter than...something really hot...and it hasn't stopped since.
We had such a non-spring and long winter that many trees, perennials and even the fish in the freaking lake died. (they all washed up on shore and rotted in our nearby lake)
Many heat records have been set this June and I really am trying to love it. I do love it. Well, mostly. It has reached the 90s more than a few times and 80s is unusually hot for us already. We're pretty much melting. I don't know anyone who has air conditioning in their home and you'd better hope that you have a good way to get a cross breeze through your house. Ours has a great cross breeze and every night it's still up in the mid 80s an hour after the sun sets (which is technically 11:44pm for our town, but with our big mountain, it's setting on our house at 10:22 according to my very intelligent daughter).
I also got sick right when the heat hit with stomach stuff, then allergies set in, then I got the most horrendous cold ever and even lost my voice (which has never happened to me, but I don't really like being mute, however I know my kids enjoyed those few quiet days). My brain went to mush for at least 3 weeks and I'm, just this week, starting to feel human again. I have gotten so little summer work finished and am also trying to enjoy these beautiful days and not just concentrate only on work. It's a rough balance. I think that's why Alaskan's are a bit crazy. Between the garden, the flower beds, the barn to muck out, the chicken coop to clean, the lake to swim in, the lawn to mow, the everything to water 2x daily, to goat ready to kid, the bbqs to attend, the bees to check on, the endless days to enjoy to their fullest because it's the most precious time of year...and that's just our family. Most other families don't have so much to tie them down at home and actually get out and do camping, 4 wheeling, fishing, clamming, etc. I managed one day trip to Talkeetna last week with my girlfriend and her kids, totally worth the day off.
I took my boys and hubby to the airport tonight and THOROUGHLY enjoyed the hour drive home. The mountains here are SPECTACULAR. I used to think that someday I may grow tired of them. I remember people telling me as a child never to take the views for granted and I really, really wanted to heed their warning. Every time I drive somewhere, anywhere, the views are different. Even the same mountains always change. Their colors from the seasons, the thick air, the sun setting across from them, the clouds resting in front of them, the snow spots growing smaller, the termination dust creeping down farther, the complete change as you drive around one and there's a different face on the opposite side. For 36 years the same mountains keep changing and I never tire of them, in fact, they get more exciting for me as I get older.
What I mean is, we basically had no spring. We had some melt off days in May, then on May 18th it snowed, then it snowed more, then more and was just really cold. Then the following week. It was hotter than...something really hot...and it hasn't stopped since.
We had such a non-spring and long winter that many trees, perennials and even the fish in the freaking lake died. (they all washed up on shore and rotted in our nearby lake)
Many heat records have been set this June and I really am trying to love it. I do love it. Well, mostly. It has reached the 90s more than a few times and 80s is unusually hot for us already. We're pretty much melting. I don't know anyone who has air conditioning in their home and you'd better hope that you have a good way to get a cross breeze through your house. Ours has a great cross breeze and every night it's still up in the mid 80s an hour after the sun sets (which is technically 11:44pm for our town, but with our big mountain, it's setting on our house at 10:22 according to my very intelligent daughter).
I also got sick right when the heat hit with stomach stuff, then allergies set in, then I got the most horrendous cold ever and even lost my voice (which has never happened to me, but I don't really like being mute, however I know my kids enjoyed those few quiet days). My brain went to mush for at least 3 weeks and I'm, just this week, starting to feel human again. I have gotten so little summer work finished and am also trying to enjoy these beautiful days and not just concentrate only on work. It's a rough balance. I think that's why Alaskan's are a bit crazy. Between the garden, the flower beds, the barn to muck out, the chicken coop to clean, the lake to swim in, the lawn to mow, the everything to water 2x daily, to goat ready to kid, the bbqs to attend, the bees to check on, the endless days to enjoy to their fullest because it's the most precious time of year...and that's just our family. Most other families don't have so much to tie them down at home and actually get out and do camping, 4 wheeling, fishing, clamming, etc. I managed one day trip to Talkeetna last week with my girlfriend and her kids, totally worth the day off.
I took my boys and hubby to the airport tonight and THOROUGHLY enjoyed the hour drive home. The mountains here are SPECTACULAR. I used to think that someday I may grow tired of them. I remember people telling me as a child never to take the views for granted and I really, really wanted to heed their warning. Every time I drive somewhere, anywhere, the views are different. Even the same mountains always change. Their colors from the seasons, the thick air, the sun setting across from them, the clouds resting in front of them, the snow spots growing smaller, the termination dust creeping down farther, the complete change as you drive around one and there's a different face on the opposite side. For 36 years the same mountains keep changing and I never tire of them, in fact, they get more exciting for me as I get older.
 |
| We had summer dentist appointments today and enjoyed icecream after. |
 |
| Almost home. "My" mountain in front of me as the sun dipped down behind her. This was taken at 11:15 with my phone camera. |
1 comment:
I agree about the mountains. Every time I go to downtown Palmer I look up at Pioneer Peak and the other surrounding mountains and stand there with my mouth open.
Post a Comment