Palmer did it right

This past weekend was joyful and fun and jingle was shared up and down the streets at shops, fairs, events, and restaurants. The Parade was terrific and the Water Tower lighting and the fireworks were grand. Palmer people were happy and gracious and generous. There were stories of paying it forward, large contributions, and lost mittens/keys/ wallet which were found and turned in and returned to owners. Many Food boxes made it to people in need. Laughter was in large supply. All this goodwill will keep going this next week and actually continue on and on next year. It seems like the more good stuff that happens and is chronicled, the more good stuff is initiated with great results. Let’s keep doing it Palmer.

Claustrophobic Santas—They were everywhere in Palmer on Saturday night. They were dining, drinking, running and dancing. It was Santa.con. More than a few Santa’s stayed cozy and made their jolly time at home parties, leaping about and ho ho ho-ing with friends and animals.

Snow Pop Culture and Storm Technical Explanations—Snowpocalypse and snowmageddon are sensational terms used frequently to characterize dramatically large snowfalls and or blizzards. This latest Palmer Alaska storm, according to weather service meteorologists, was a “moisture plume, 500 miles wide and 2000 miles long.” The moisture was Hawaiian in origin and was from the central Pacific. It is referred to as an atmospheric river, which was very strong. “It was a deep fetch of tropical moisture which fed this system.” I love and hate this explanation. It was a big snow storm. But the imagery of an atmospheric river with an extensive trailing tropical plumage is just too cool.

BIG Snow—We will remember this snow event. It will be in the books and it will be recalled over and over. With each retelling the snow level will increase, I promise.

Palmer Snow Days—It’s kinda sweet when you wake in the morning and realize the entire community is taking a pause—for safety. It feels like the right thing to do when two feet of snow has taken priority. Cancelations and closures just feel smart and relieve the stress of the weather event. Unless it’s the ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY. And this is the week for the annual parties at offices, schools, Girls Night Out, clubs, and groups. This is party time and it just seems so unfair to cancel these gatherings which we look forward to all year long. As we learned during the pandemic year, we can adjust if we must. We can pretend they never mattered; we can reassign a different date; we can survive disappointment, after all it’s not a life or death sort of thing; or we could ZooM It. Have you ever done a zoom party? It’s a curious and confusing thing and I wouldn’t advise it; however, if this is what is available, do it by all means. And let us know how it goes.

This Weekend—In addition to all the holiday celebrations, don’t forget that the Audubon Bird count and the 203 Kombucha Jobaflodda is this weekend. If you like birds or books, this is your time of year. They both have sites online if you need details.

Palmer Peeps—Please be safe. Enjoy your glorious abundance of snow, your amazing long sunrises, your heartbreakingly beautiful sunsets, and your magnificent night sky.

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