Palmer in mid-November

Mid-November is the darkest of seasons, in Palmer Alaska. Holiday lights aren’t quite up yet and the daylight hours are fading fast. Gone are the greens and the golds of autumn. It is a time when the cheerless dusk causes us to despise the growing darkness. OR, we can retool ourselves to see that multiple light elements are really ever- present—even abundant— in this dark season.

Town Lights—In Palmer’s dark winter, traffic lights are bright reds, yellows and greens. They are actually festive manifestations, punctuating major street intersections with brilliant color. Likewise, the vertical poles with overhead street lights focus their beacons downward and safely guide our path.

Snow—Thankfully we have our illuminated snow which refracts and multiplies all the minuscule crystal fractals. Have you seen the many diamonds in the Palmer snowfields? On the cold and bright winter day, sunglasses are a not a choice, but a necessity. Even in the night, snow offers rays of reflected light.

Sunrises and Sunsets—From Palmer’s palest first light of daybreak to full mid-day, it’s a daily and lengthy 5 hour light show. Then, with only a brief noontime intermission, the afternoon drama takes over full of ethereal glowing colors. These sunsets are long and rich—filled with radiant colors and not your weak pastels.

Northern Lights & Stars & Our Friend the Moon—Nighttime skies are amazing in Palmer. We have such access to the stars and stories of the constellations. Even the slight blinks of revolving satellites are reminders. And always a surprise, Lady Aurora appears, over the mountain tops, first with a refined and effortless waltz. Then she dances with a fever, shimmying and shaking and throwing her colorful sequined scarves in all directions.

Luminaries, Lanterns and Stars in Windows—Of course we Palmeraniums have always traditionally offered supplement light in the winter. All the holiday decorations and especially twinkly lights do the trick. Shopkeepers work hard to add the bright spots to Palmer. We thank them for each and everyone.

Dog, Bike, and Kid Lights—These small flickering lights are safety signals and we best watch out for them. They are tiny treasures doing their best to be seen in the dark.

Fires—The most primitive of all light sources is still treasured in Palmer, Alaska. Who hasn’t turned slowly at the fire-pit, to warm all the sides of your body? Who hasn’t stared into the the golden coals and seen imaginary lands with brilliant topography? This is the time for fires, for they define our darkness.

Fireworks—Winter time fireworks are the real deal. Silly summer fireworks are ridiculous, especially when you live in the woods. But in the winter? Oh the fireworks glare, pop and explode properly.

Lanterns, candles and flash lights—These handheld instruments of light are our friend. They hide in drawers for six months of the year and then auspiciously become the personal heroes of our world. A head-lantern can make any winter walk better.

Icicles and Ice—Okay these are so fragile and luminescent. (They are welcome—as long as they aren’t hiding in the scary black ice of roadways.) What crystalline color is ice when it mirrors blues and pinks and drips echos of grey?

So Soon—And soon all the strings of holiday lights will be uncoiled and hung, offering a festive bouquet of color. The Palmer Water Tower will be lit. Little white fairy lights will be everywhere blinking and winking and offering us reassurance from the dark. Soon, very soon, Palmer, the lights will come.

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