Palmer pedestrians

Last week a gentleman was walking on the side roads in downtown Palmer. He was being careful walking because everything was pure ice. On one of his feet, covering his boot, was a coat hanger wrapped around the sole and holding it tight was a shoelace. It was his traction device to deal with the slippery conditions. This man was very innovative and wise, given the dangerous ice. It was a DIY moment which caused some more consideration of the dilemma of walking safely on ice.

Proper Palmer Penguin—We are told from the time we are young to “walk like a penguin” on ice. It keeps a better balance. Little sliding, shuffling steps and arms extended out for equal distribution allows for more stability. But sometimes even our penguin stance isn’t enough, especially when we have repeated thaws and massive refreezes, which will continue for the next month or so.

Palmer Props Help—A ski pole, a walking stick, even a cane or a steady staff will assist with the icy walk. A shovel works in a pinch, especially if it has a very pointy tip.

Clever Palmer Props—There are numerous homemade solutions to avoid the slip. Some people put masking tape on the bottom of their shoes to create ridges and therefore tension. Others add bandaids or bandages to the soles, for the same reason. A very simple solution is to wear socks ON THE OUTSIDE of your shoes. They will be a hot mess when your remove them but in the interim they provide an ounce of traction. Hammering some short nails or screws into one’s soles is another trick. Some people have said they sandpaper the soles of the boot and scuff up the sole with a nail file. There is also something known as “grip paper” which one fellow hot glues to his shoe soles. He also adds hot glue strips directly on the bottom of shoe and sprinkles sand in the rows while the glue is still hot. Applying those bathtub traction rubber decals is another temporary method used by some.

Plenty of Purchasable props—Crampons, Yak Trax, Stabilizers, Ice Bugs, micro-spikes, cleats, rubber grips, shoe harnesses, and vibram straps all help to provide traction. Our local Active Soles Performance Footwear in the Koslosky Center (aka Behind Vagabonds) has a variety of these terrific walking tools.

Animals Naturally Endowed—Thankfully our animals are built with strong nails to deal with a bit of ice. But as soft humans, we must be prepared to deal with this continuous ice until the final melt in April.

Palmer Leap Year—This week is when we collect all those extra hours from the last four years and celebrate it on February 29th! It is a calendar correction simply. What does one do with an extra day in the year? In Palmer, social medias suggest some extra naps, special dinners, sleeping in and staying up late! Some people create a time capsule in the Leap Year. Leap frog seems to be an appropriate game for the day. Write a letter to the future you or future family. And it would be a good day to volunteer somewhere in the community.

This Weekend—This weekend is the Iditarod and although it does NOT happen in Palmer there are quite a few related events. On Sunday, Bright Light Books is have dog lover time with books, stories, speakers, open mics, dog treats and people treats all afternoon. This is in the Bright Lights Book Project Office in the Eagle Hotel on S. Colony Way, aka Main Street. Art classes, book signings, sound baths, Ice Art, live music, seed plantings, and first weekend market are all this week in our town of Palmer. See you in March Next Week!

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