Palmer pussy willow time

Pussy Willows are bloomed out on the flatlands and have yet to bud on the mountainside. This is part of the dichotomy of Pussy Willows. They sort of symbolize the duplicity of the seasons. Hard and soft; Cold and Warm; Dark and light. The long slender stems of the woody willow are covered with furry little bundles of swaddled catkins just to keep the seeds warm. It’s a beautiful analogy and so obvious in our weather where it might rain, might snow, might sunshine, or might blow. The classic story of the pussy willow is too sweet to not repeat once more. “According to an old Polish legend, a mother cat was crying at the bank of the river in which her kittens were drowning. The willows, at the river’s edge, longed to help the Mama Cat, so they swept their long, graceful branches into the waters to rescue the tiny kittens. The kittens gripped on tightly to their branches and were brought safely to shore. Each springtime since, goes the legend, the willow branches sprout tiny fur-like buds, where the tiny kittens once clung.” :)

First Mosquito and First Robin—The spring synchronicity of these parallel first arrivals—mosquito and robin— is perfect. Of course the wise robin isn’t going to show up until the delectable mosquito is also available as a snack. We appreciate Robins because they are the hearty voice of our spring. But elsewhere, Robins are both underrated and undervalued. They are just one of many birds…not too glorious, not too big, somewhat common, not extroverts nor flashy. However their song and red breast is their both their identifier and crown. In Palmer, they are silent or elsewhere for many months. So their local return is heralded as significant.

Pilots and Planes!—Now that all flying bird gangs are back in town, here comes the human flight equivalent in airplanes and flight enthusiasts. The Great Aviation Gathering at the fairgrounds and airport this weekend. It’s the first weekend in May and the largest free aviation event in the nation happens in Palmer! There will be airplane shows and discovery flights and aerial demonstrations, live music, pilot stuff, maintenance info, food trucks, trolley tours, exhibitor hall, vintage aircraft, beer garden and Hope Social Club performance. There is an aircraft beauty contest known as a show ad shine event. There will be aviation information shared freely and last year there were loads of seminar classes; technical, preventative, safety, drones, medical, enforcement, search and rescue, survival, maintenance, recovery, geography, navigation, wildfires, remote issues, and insurance. Also there was the Drone Yoga, Selfie Station with aviation costumes and props, Aviation Game Show, vendors and food trucks, STEM activities, Styrofoam Gliders, Obstacle Course, Super Cub Simulator and Spark-plug Gliders. Palmer airport will again be a happening place—this weekend— with all sorts of visitor planes and people flying in and camping.

Great Alaska Valley Chrome and Wheel Car Show Gathering—This happens indoor and outdoor at the MTA Event Center and Ice Rink, across from Palmer Middle School on Friday-Sunday. It’s a great car show which is free and fun. Food trucks will be present along with many gorgeous automobiles. This is put on by the AK 49th Sate Street Rodders, which is a non profit car club. “The 49th State Street Rodders Association kicks off its 2023 Season with the Valley Chrome and Wheel Car Show. The annual event is a gathering of fine vehicles and a chance for the motorsports family to gather again! This is a free event for the public, thanks in part to the City of Palmer and the Palmer City Council. The three-day show is held at the MTA Ice Arena in downtown Palmer with hours of Friday 4-8 PM, Saturday 10-8 PM, and Sunday 10-4 PM. And, as usual, there will be a fine showing of vehicles in the parking lot, driven by those coming to view the Valley Chrome and Wheel show too! Voting for People’s Choice will occur daily, with ballots tallied after 3 PM on Sunday!”

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