Equinox Solar Festival

Friday, March 20 at 1:36 a.m. is the exact moment of the Vernal Equinox in our Palmer area. The Alaska sunrise will be at 8:03 and sunset will be 8:13. This means we will have 12 hours, 10 minutes and 56 seconds of daylight.

Scientists and climatologists say that March 20 is NOT the actual first day of Spring. March, April and May are noted as “spring” in the northern hemisphere. The “astronomical” spring is the term used when our earth moves out of “astronomical” winter and when the sun is directly above our earth’s equator, during its orbit.

There is every reason to get excited about this solar festival. We are picking up substantially more than 5 minutes of sunlight a day right now. (Actually closer to 6 minutes!) And let’s face it…with all the extra light, things seem so much better.

The Vernal Equinox celebrates day and night being about equal length. There’s lots of folk tales and my favorite is the balancing egg. Simply take an egg and try to balance it on a flat surface. (Actually you can do this any day of the week.) But egg balancing takes on a special significance of the Vernal Equinox because it symbolizes “ringing in the spring season—with a metaphorical sense of balance,” according to Accuweather. Try it out and be patient. It will work. Everything is right about coming out a time of darkness and saying hello to the season of light and recovery.

Palmer “Pie High” Continues—Last weekend was Pi Day (3.14) and so many Palmer peeps celebrated with Palmer pies. Heidi’s Palmer Coconut Cream and Salted Bittersweet Chocolate Pie Pieces were heralded as magnificent; and of course they sold out. And many beautiful pies in the Valley Hotel’s impressive pie case were honored and enjoyed. Palmer Pie days continues this week at Poppy Lane Mercantile LLC..

Poppy Lane Uptown Fun—Poppy Lane Mercantile is celebrating their two year anniversary in uptown Palmer on Saturday. And! They have wisely invited Sweetie Pie Fried Pies to be pie sellers in their outside parking lot; the only “Palmer Pie Problem” you will have is choosing a flavor—because they have so darn many choices. Poppy Lane is a classic Corner store, sharing the old Hartley Motors Building with Palmer’s favorite 203 Komboochery. Poppy Lane has a lot going on—there will be twisted balloons, sales, scratch cards and lots of pie, along with all the cool stuff they sell.

Women’s History Month—Women’s History has been celebrated during the entire month of March. There are many postings, stories, lists and remembrances. Frankly, there are way too many to list in a single article for the newspaper. Someone needs to write the book. I tried to list everyone nominated last year and I could only fit 75% of the names alone, without any stories attached. I suggest you go online and plug in Palmer Women’s History for a full selection of inspiring stories of brave and strong ( and sometimes crazy) Palmer women. Between the strong Native women, homesteader women, colony women, roughneck women, freedom fighter women, and women of faith, there is a lot of historical leadership.

St. Patricks Day in Palmer—This holiday is mostly celebrated with clovers, corned beef and greenish adult beverages. Of course all of this is available in Palmer. Most restaurants will feature the iconic menu on March 17th. And the Palmer Bar Block will definitely have some music and dancing for your lucky pleasure.

Be safe and cautious as we crawl out from the darkness.

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