Clear Skies

It’s September 1^st and I’m sitting on my deck. It was cool enough for a fire this morning, but now it’s hot–so hot that I’m looking at the shade wondering if I should move my little writing operation over there. Of course I won’t because a) it would be too cool in the shade, and b) after living in Alaska for 24 years, I’m always fearful that each sunny day might be my last. There are certain things we don’t take for granted here in Alaska and sun is primary among those things.

President Obama is in Alaska for a few days and it’s a big deal. Some say he’s just using us as a prop to talk about climate change, and maybe that’s true. But I’m okay with that. I don’t think a person can be here on a crystal clear day like the one we’re having and leave without knowing that this is a pretty special place. And he’s going off the road system. He’s going to see parts of Alaska that most Alaskans don’t get to see. He’s going to learn a bit about this state whether that was his intention or not.

Of course I was a little disappointed that President Obama chose to go to Seward instead of Homer, but Seward does have the advantage of a retreating glacier that a person can walk up to. Oh well, instead of Black Hawk helicopters and Secret Service agents, we have our typical fleet of scuffed-up Subarus and fellas in Carhartts and Xtra-Tuffs. It’s fine that he chose Seward, I guess.

One thing that this presidential visit has me thinking about is how darn proud I am of this state. Just by its placement on this planet and its geology, it’s exceptional. And the people who live here, they’re a little different than the people who live in the lower 48. I’m not sure if that’s because it attracts people who think differently or if it’s because living here molds us into something different than we’d be if we lived in, say, Ohio or someplace like that. That is not to say that the people here are better than people anywhere else, but I would say that we have a higher per capita population of people who question societal norms. If nothing else, it makes us an interesting bunch. I hope the president will get just a little taste of that about Alaska while he’s here.

In other news, my mom and step-dad left this morning. Mom gave me the foliage-change report as they drove up the Kenai Peninsula, and the bore tide report as they drove by Turnagain Arm. She reported on the fresh snow just beyond the Matanuska Glacier. So much to beauty to behold as they’re driving away—I hope it lures them back.

These clear sky nights are bound to bring a frost in soon, so I suppose I should stop writing and harvest the peas from my garden. The tomatoes that did well outside for most of the summer have already been moved into our living room, and the carrots and beets and cabbage will only get better with the cool nights.

And speaking of cool nights, maybe President Obama will get to see the Northern Lights while he’s here. Dean noticed them around 2:00am the other night and we bundled up and sat on our front deck and turned our heads toward the heavens for about twenty minutes much to the consternation of our dogs, who possibly thought that their people had lost their minds. But we watched the Aurora and we witnessed a number of shooting stars. The air was calm and it was quiet—so quiet.

It’s possible, with these clear nights, that the President could see the Northern Lights through his window at the Hotel Captain Cook. It wouldn’t be the same as when we saw them the other night—in the comfort of our jammies, on our own front porch, without the interference of town lights—but it might be enough to give him pause. Alaska is amazing in a million different ways, but one of its best features is its ability to give pause.