Do you park or walk in Palmer?

Do you park or walk in Palmer? Then you should show up Thursday at the Palmer Depot. It’s an open-house for the downtown of Palmer’s parking plans and pedestrian accessibility. It starts at 630 and ends at 8pm.

It’s Palmer Halloween week—over and over.— It started last Friday with the downtown big bash. Palmer showed itself well last week on Trick or Treat Street and all the other festivities. There were so many things going on. The Palmer police and firefighters were there. There were excellent costumes. There were so many furry animal cartoon characters which were hooded warm pajamas with tails and ears. There were the blow up dinosaurs bopping around and other hysterical blow up creatures. I didn’t see a lot of political costumes thankfully because politics is just no longer funny I guess. There were a couple of creepy dead brides. Princesses. Superheroes. Cowboys. Ninjas. Farmers. Nurses. And traditionally there are always a few potatoes in costume. Candy and books and alternative treats were handed out. It was so sweet the way the tiny children “got into the character” of their costumes. There were many Halloween parties and bonfires on Saturday evening. And this week, in the neighborhoods, the Halloween tradition of Trick or Treat continues. In years past we know that nearly everyone gets in the act of giving. Some folks offered potatoes, and dimes, along with candy. Some neighborhoods had halloween lights along with little maps indicating where to go. Last year a local homeowner lamented that they didn’t get any trick or treaters anymore. Instead of ruminating about the lack, this individual decided to make cookies and he and his family delivered warm homemade cookies to his neighbors! There are Halloween events galore this week…please check the online version of the Palmer Alaska Buzz for all the many adds and updates.

Last Pumpkin Alert—If you still have a pumpkin, share it with the creatures. Pick your favorite: moose, horses, sheep, goats, reindeer, musk ox, chickens, pigs and birds. All of these animals’ owners have indicated that pumpkins are not only a food source but a fun treat. Let your pumpkin move on to another dimension. It’s been a very fine pumpkin year in Palmer. And it’s nearly time to let our seasonal Pumpkins go and invite the traditional Turkey into our lives.

Fall Back—This weekend is the time change. Officially daylight saving time ends at 2am local time on Sunday. The definition of Daylight Saving Time is the practice of advancing clocks to make better use of longer daylight available during the summer so that darkness falls at a later clock time. Now in October we will presumably “fall back,” and so it will be lighter earlier in the morning and dark will arrive earlier in the evening. But In reality it doesn’t matter. We are going headstrong into the dark season until December 21 when we will start to collect more daylight. So on Sunday our Palmer clocks move backwards. This means the 6pm sunset will be 5pm. There will be more daylight in the morning, but not much. It’s so silly actually. “Fall Back” is the motto and it is easily remembered by the “garden tool” scenario: In the fall you put your garden tools “back” in the shed. In the spring you bring your garden tools “forward.” Likewise with the clock adjustment.

Where is the….? — It’s past time to find the snow shovels, brooms, ice picks, snow blower, boots, mittens, grips, and emergency car blanket. We knew this first snowfall was going to happen yet still we aren’t necessarily prepared for the first snow! Fortunately the year’s first snow showed up on Monday morning in a very timid and feeble fashion. It wasn’t a huge dump but a very definite reminder and trigger to get ready.

Dia de los Muertos and the Holy Days—This begins on Saturday, November 1. It is both a Saint day and a solid Hispanic tradition where we, the living, respect our family and friends who have passed on. It’s a beautiful spiritual and cultural holiday and has absolutely nothing to do with traditional halloween of witches and candy. Instead it is when we all take a deliberate pause in our life, to honor and memorialize our dead. This can be painful but it can also be rich and authentic. I am on the front line now. It’s important to honor my dead grandparents, parents, spouse, friends, aunts and uncles. Departed veterans and cancer victims of all ages are memorialized along with deeply loved family pets.

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