Just call Palmer ‘Cookie Town’

Nearly everywhere you go in Palmer is a plate of cookies. It’s a reoccurring theme, with deep holiday history. Cookies are delivered to the workers at the Post Office. Cookies are delivered to the folks—standing in line—at the Post Office. The Alaska State Troopers, Palmer Police Department, Palmer Fire Department, and Palmer City Works all receive cookies from more than a few benefactors including kids’ groups like Faith Christian School, 4 H, and the Girl Scouts.

Over at the Historic Colony Museum, plates of cookies await the guests. Likewise with the Museum. At the Alaska Christmas Factory, out at the State Fairgrounds, Santa Claus cookie decorating is part to the seasonal fun. During Colony Christmas, cookies were decorated by hundreds and hundreds by young shoppers at Peak Boutique. All the Palmer houses of worship also offering cookies. We are definitely a “Cookie Town.”

But before you think this is strictly a seasonal phenomena, let me remind you that cookies take us through the year. At the Palmer Downtown Deli, you receive cookies for showing your voting sticker or showing receipts from shopping downtown. Some stores give cookies for good grades. And the variety of cookies is outstanding. Turkey Red, Vagabonds, Palmer Downtown Deli, and Sally Koppenberg’s Red Beet are famous for their bakery items. Non-Essentials and Subway also has cookies. Oh, and the Palmer Historical Society serves up some mighty fine homemade cookies on History Nights.

Palmer Chickens and the Earthquake and Aftershocks—It is a curiosity about how our Chickens fared since the earthquake, in terms of egg production. Crowdsourcing local poultry owners has resulted in interesting observations. One chicken owner said that immediately after the earthquake, egg production popped! Chickens laid many eggs. But other chicken owners said their chickens went on strike. They went from daily egg laying to occasional egg laying and all of the eggs are very tiny. Ducks, on the other hand have been laying more eggs daily and far larger than before. One formally nonproductive chicken began to lay on earthquake day and the owner believes it was rattled out of them. Some eggs don’t have yolks in them, since the earthquake. And more than a few chickens and ducks have lost a lot of feathers, which is also attributed to stress. The question is whether the earth’s tremors has really affected the birds. But also cows have been affected as well. When the earth moves, there is general unrest in the animal kingdom and birds definitely get their feathers ruffled.

Kuspuks On Main Street—Make sure you go see the beautiful, hand-made Kuspuks at the new location of Misfit Moffits, next to Peak Boutique and across from the Palmer Museum.

Winter Solstice—This is the best of times. The sun wakes very slowly these days and stretches low in the sky, allowing for more than one sunrise in most locations. The Sun (finally) leisurely peaks around 1230 and then immediately turns around and begins to nap and set simultaneously. Once again there are usually several long, lengthy, consecutive sunsets. It is a special kind of solstice light all day, which is gold in color. We are so fortunate to see this phenomena in Palmer; our bonfires and Solstice parties are genuine in our appreciation.

Award for Holiday Lights—There are many lit exhibitions all around Palmer. It warms us to see twinkly light in the darkness. Thanks to all the folks who have spent time and money creating these displays. In nearly every neighborhood is that ONE house who is lit to the hilt. In the outer-lands, the large house near the Matanuska River Bridge is an amazing example of celebratory cheer, every single time one drives by it. Typically this is a very dark area of highway and to have this luminescent reminder of grand light is a gift to all of us. Thank you.

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