And so it begins

This is our season and we own it, like no others. We have earned this beautiful spring and we appreciate it far more than most. It is the Palmer joy of renewal, the relief of winter survival, and the anticipation of light and warmth for 100 days. There is so much to celebrate—the swans, the geese, the cranes. There are the tiny, growing bits and patches of green. There are the babies of cows, goats, sheep, birds and musk ox.

Celebration Alaska Style—No where is the collective joy more blatantly obvious than at the Palmer Ale House on a weekend evening. People of all ages show up with blankets, ponchos, sleeping bags, winter clothes, summer clothes, capes, and colorful attire. They await the 7pm band start but really the party starts the minute all the people arrive. This first live music outside event is actually a season-symbolic coming out party after a long winter. There is an element of freedom which comes with the spring winds. It is a release and everyone from elders to babies feel the tension of winter’s demands lesson. The young ones, the toddlers, the high spirited gang of children begin to run and race and roll down the knoll, their capes flying or dragging behind them. Laughter is loud and free. There is the special, spiritual moment when nearly everyone looks up and points to a formation of cranes flying over. The band begins and the music and dancing is anything but toxic. It is collective joy in Palmer, Alaska.

Abundance of Glacial Dust—It makes you lick your lips, not because it’s tasty. The powdery dusting resembles the salty residue of ocean spray. It’s grittiness is everywhere—on your clothes, in your eyes, on your face. It is a natural and inexpensive exfoliation treatment. The silty dusty abrasion feels like sandblasting. Glacial dust is often called Alaska’s smog. It’s hard to think of it as beneficial. The hazy layer of silt lays everywhere in every crevice and every crack. It arrives generously in Palmer yearly—in the form of fresh loess deposits, building up in some areas and nearly creating new real estate. Loess is a high nutrient contributor for building some of our richest topsoil, as it annually is dumped in the valley. In fact glacial rock dust is very marketable as a garden supplement. It contains organic trace minerals which benefit soils and health. Plus it is a colorizer! The rich blues and green colors of some of our lakes are a result of glacial rock dust sediment, suspended in the water. Scientists say that the sediment scatters light which creates those colorful blues and green, seen after the spring thaw.

Big Palmer Weekend—From now until October, Palmer weekends will be full of events, races, festivals, and live music. That is the joy of summer. Here is a select listing of some of the things to do this weekend. This is the Palmer Clean Up week with big event on Saturday including food, fun and prizes. The Bike Blessing is also on Saturday. There is a large event at the depot on Sunday celebrating health, gratitude, nature, music, and art. There is a fun run, fish, yoga, games. Other multiple Mother’s Day events including special restaurant brunches, rides, greenhouse classes and shopping opportunities. However, the very best traditional Mother’s day event in Palmer is the one up at The Musk Ox Farm. It has been celebrated for decades. Sunday Mother’s Day with Musk Oxen is is a low key and delightful opportunity to see and walk the farm, see the new muskie babies, learn about this wonderful animal and see some great fiber samples and products.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group.. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222