PALMER BUZZ: Surviving the winter winds

Survived—We survived January and now we are on the downside of winter’s darkness. Light is growing in huge chunks daily. Last week’s tormenting winds have ceased and most of us lived through it with stories to tell.

Six Days of Wind—“Six days of Wind” should be the title of a new book. Honestly. People hunkered down until they couldn’t stand it any more. They slid across parking lots, took flight in driveways, and were hit by unusual objects during this time. Small dogs were whisked away, trampolines were launched, and garbage cans relocated themselves miles away from their previous location. It was bitter and brutal and makes for great stories, once it is over. Now our scoured landscape looks a bit more like a eerie moonscape with snow pocked fields, and bruised solid drifts of the remaining hard packed snow.

Amenomania is the clinical term for “wind madness.” We saw this in Palmer and the rest of the Valley. Everyone was anxious and testily on edge. Wind madness is somewhere between Cabin Fever and Prairie Madness. Between the constancy of the wind howling and the unavoidable discussion, the agitation could not be ignored. Every task, outside of a shelter, was far more difficult. The grip of the wind causes people to lie and embellish stories. Even the ravens took to wearing small back packs filled with stones and rocks to stay grounded.

Celebrations—Last weekend was full of Palmer celebrations: Bookseller David Cheezum had a kicking retirement party. Wonderful Pat Lawton turned 100! And Pastor and community organizer Howard Bess turned 90! All these events were filled with music and jokes and joy from overlapping friends, family and even strangers. The Palmer Community Foundation’s first meeting was a good one complete with old-timer Tony Pippel joining up with College President Talis Colberg to discuss lunar guidance, philanthropy and community giving. Chicken peanut sauced kababs from Humdingers and teeny delicious cupcakes from the Red Beet were consumed with great delight. Across town Swanson Elementary celebrated a grand Art Night which was open to all children and the local community artists and businesses.

Love On Main Street—Downtown Palmer is serving up some Love during the full month of February. The Palmer Buzz is sharing some of the local love each week. NonEssentials shop is focusing on “loving your neighbor” by serving up Sourdough Pancakes on Saturday Mornings. These Palmer pancakes come with stories of loved ones and will warm you right up. They have oodles of yummy stuff in their store and frankly, you can feel the grace and embrace from the moment you walk in the NonEssentials shop. If you need some love, stop in and smell the aroma of delicious spices and teas and cookies and foods. Love from the kitchen table is a memory we can all remember.

Love on Main Street Community Art Show—This is a first for Palmer. Over 40 artists have brought their original art and photography for the first Community Art Show, located at the Palmer Downtown Deli. There are over 56 pieces. There is an amazing sculpture with “Letters for Strangers” by Lacey McDaniel Eshleman. Many of the artists have never shown their work before so this is a pretty big deal. And there are some very experienced artists showing as well. There will be a People’s Choice award, which will result in the chosen lucky artist receiving a great sandwich from the Palmer Downtown Deli! Most of the art is for sale so think about gifting your valentine with an original piece of art. And leave a little love note on the bulletin board! The show will run the full month of February.

So Much To Do In Palmer—Palmer Municipal Airport will have a Safety Seminar on Wednesday. It’s called Fly Around Alaska and it will discuss runway incursions at non towered airports. Get your wings on and be there at 6pm. The Blood Bank will be at Alaska Bible College on Friday. Les Miserables will be showing at the Glenn Massay Theater at the college this weekend. Drunken Hearts plays at the Klondike on Friday Night. The Palmer Food Swap is this weekend at The Annex on Saturday morning. It is more Love On Main street because it is geared for treats for your sweetheart! The Matanuska Valley Sportsmen 9th Annual Gun show is this weekend at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. There’s a Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center fundraiser this weekend at the Palmer Moose Lodge at 530. There will be music and food and a silent auction—all for our favorite mountain spot. Saturday night at 630 will also be “Explore the Pour” at Artists Uncorked on Main Street. This is a juicy and delightful paint event where mixed media results in crazy abstractions. There is no wrong way to do this painting process and you will be in awe of the organics of paint pouring. You will take home a delicious wooden heart designed with an incredible painting. Do Some Hot Jazz at the Palmer library this Sunday the 11th. It’s called My Funny Valentine at the Palmer Library’s monthly Sundays at 2pm event. The Livestock Producer’s Panel is Monday at the Spring Creek Farm beginning at 6pm. There is more Art at downtown’s, Vagabonds, Madd Matters and of course Shane Lamb gallery, and the Bear Paw River Brewery—near the silo on the P/W highway. And finally there is dancing and yoga and even a sound-bath in Palmer this weekend. Don’t hibernate…find your joy and get out and enjoy it.