Northern Summer: Part II

.posted by peter.
Summer is almost over but still holding on by a thread, in my mind at least, since it’s just now the end of August. But in reality summer ended about two weeks ago – when it started to drop below 50 at night, and when the alder and tundra-style ground cover plants all started to change colors. Haven’t seen much color change on the birch and aspen yet, but there’s some, and I see more each day. Fall hits Alaska early. Winter isn’t far behind.

But summer has been great. We had wonderful visits from people we love and enjoy spending time with. Mary learned tons about the northern country and had fun up there, and we both finally got to see and spend time in (her more than me of course) the Brooks Range, the only mountain range above the arctic circle, and one of the most beautiful and unspoiled places I’ll probably every go.

Just for an update, the wasps basically died RIGHT after I wrote that last post. We got a spate of wet, cooler weather which did them in. What promised to be the worst season for wasps conceivable, fizzled, which is alright in my book. But next year, I will be ready.

We have a month till it snows, at the most. Here they say that the first flakes that fall are the last flakes that melt. And then this country shows its true colors – white, blue, pink, and black. Mary will start to wish she had sled dogs. I’ll start wishing we had a woodstove so I could chop some wood (an activity I love, and great exercise), and stoke a nice warm fire. One of these days.

Alaska is a land of extremes – that’s what they always say. And it’s pretty true. But summer in Alaska, as warm as it can get, and even with the endless sunshine, is not really what we all think of as summer. But winter… Alaska knows how to do winter. Alaska has got winter nailed.