Friday Flings highlight best of Alaska

Every day, on my morning drive to work, I marvel at the changes going on around me. The trees are filling out with green leaves. The grass grows taller, and the brush grows bigger.

Every day the land turns a brighter, deeper green, replacing the old dried brown mud and last year’s dead plant growth with new living breathing life.

The snow beats a rapid retreat up the mountainsides, exposing more dark rock with each passing day. Daylight in the Valley and beyond lingers longer and longer, more than 16 hours of it.

The weather feels more like late June instead of early May. And I’m loving every minute of it all. I’m excited to see the changes before my eyes on the road. It happens so fast, I’m afraid to blink, lest I miss a single leaf or branch come to leaf out or bloom.

It can get more than a little distracting when it comes to driving. So I have to be careful and sneak a peak or two along the way.

The Valley is coming to life under the heat of warm sun. Gone are the heavy coats and boots. T-shirts, shorts or light pants are the spring fashion statement.

The snow boots have been put away, and light shoes — or, in my case, a new pair of old style black leather Army boots — are the “it” thing to wear under my jeans. (OK, I’m an old lifer and admit it. These boots feel like leather-clad sneakers to an old soldier like myself.) Cruising on the road with the windows down and the tunes cranked up at sunrise is a small slice of heaven.

The robins have returned and so have the sandhill cranes. I hear their songs in the woods and high above, a sure sign of spring.

But my excitement grows for the annual return of something else. Not a migrant bird or animal species, but an event that touches many in this community. Now what could that be?

Well I’ll tell you. It is the Friday Fling. Yep, it is coming back to celebrate 12 years of food, live music and fun. If you want to see Mat-Su Valley life at its finest, the Friday Fling is the place to go. It kicks off from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 23, in the heart of downtown Palmer, and goes on every Friday well into the summer.

It will bring people from all over the Valley, gathering together filling booths with arts and crafts, wooden toys, tie-dyed T-shirts, clothing and a whole lot more. (I love tie-dyed stuff.) And then there is the food. Lots of food. Plus live music from a wide variety of styles and groups. Admission? Heck, just show up breathing and let the whole scene take you in.

For those new here or just coming up to see the sights. The Fling is the best place to see Alaskans and a slice of real Alaska life as it is meant to be.

This is not a tourist trap by any stretch of the imagination. This is the real deal with a truly Alaskan groove. You can’t beat that.

It is laid back. It is mellow. It isn’t a crowded scene. It is just the right size. Take it from me, who is a huge fan of this kind of scene. You are in for a truly Alaska treat. The best the Valley can offer. Give it a try starting the 23rd of this month.

So come on down into Palmer. Hike, bike, walk or ride. Just follow your ears, or if the wind is right, follow your nose to the train tracks down from the old depot. And then tell me if I’m wrong.

I’ll be there. You can bet a million bucks on that. I’ll be that semi-old dude with the blue rucksack and my trademark Army hat, kicking back on the grass next to the rusted tracks, with some hot, fresh fries and a cold soda, jamming to the tunes.

I’ll be the guy with a huge grin on my face thinking; “Yeah, this is living!” No, I stand corrected: “This is living, Alaskan style!”

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.