Palmer green-up

Green-Up happened at exactly 9:34 am on Saturday morning in Palmer. This was the moment when those little brownish red blobs on trees transformed into teeny tiny green leaves. There is no mistaken identity here….we have leaf action and the GREENING has begun!

Beginning of the “Winter Memory Fade”—As Alaska thaws its way into full blown spring and our memories of winter begin to fade. All those dark days of trepidation over wind and snow and ice begin to lessen in importance. We are in our escalating amnesia phase. With every bird that returns, with every pussy willow and aromatic cottonwood bud, with every longer and warmer sun ray, the winter fatigue melts as well. This happens every year. And in about a month, winter’s severe grip will be a tiny memory. We will celebrate summer for a good 100 days and it will be glorious. But even in this celebration, there will be that little reminder in the back of our minds…..winter is coming. This will translate into plans and schemes but it won’t take full throttle until perhaps August. There is a common phrase, often attributed to the wisdom of our Native, indigenous population, which says, “We are always getting ready for Winter.” It rings true but admittedly we try to disregard and ignore this important directive in these blissful early days of spring/summer.

Palmer Wind Smackdown—We welcomed our very first spring wind smackdown last weekend with a big and beautiful dust storm. This dust was delivered, compliments of our friend the Knik Glacier, and transported swiftly by our familiar east valley winds. Showing off its’ mighty power, the strong easterlies knocked down more than a few small trees who had only just barely survived brutal winter storms. It also made some wee new-baby potted flower plants cry.

Abundance of Glacial Dust—It makes you lick your lips, not because it’s tasty. The powdery dusting resembles the salty residue of ocean spray. It’s grittiness is everywhere—on your clothes, in your eyes, on your face. It is a natural and inexpensive exfoliation treatment. The silty dusty abrasion feels like sandblasting. Glacial dust is often called Alaska’s smog. It’s hard to think of it as beneficial. The hazy layer of silt lays everywhere in every crevice and every crack. Often you will see uncanny dust buildup by old windows or at the bottom door frame. It arrives generously in Palmer yearly—in the form of fresh loess deposits, building up in some areas and nearly creating new real estate. Loess is a high nutrient contributor for building some of our richest topsoil, as it annually is dumped in the valley. In fact glacial rock dust is very marketable as a garden supplement. It contains organic trace minerals which benefit soils and health. Plus it is a colorizer! The rich blues and green colors of some of our lakes are a result of glacial rock dust sediment, suspended in the water. Scientists say that the sediment scatters light which creates those colorful blues and green, seen after the spring thaw.

Another Big Palmer Weekend—From now until October, Palmer weekends will be full of events, races, festivals, and live music. That is the joy and the craziness of Alaska summer. Check the daily listings on the Facebook Palmer Alaska Buzz page, which is updated all the time. Major events this week are graduations, garage sales, rodeos, Friday Fling, live music all weekend, Fun Community happy runs and Memorial Day events. (If you know of other worthy events IN the Palmer area, please feel free to post them on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group page.)

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.