Palmer, welcome to 2026

Last week we were forcefully blown into this bright and shiny new year. We barely had time to exhale after the month -long wind storm abruptly stopped and the thermometer plummeted. However, it is a huge relief that the wind stopped.

Silence After the Wind—Hearing the wind stop is one of the very best sounds in Palmer. The howling stops. The violent clanging of flag pole cables stop. Mothers stop moaning. Babies stop crying. Dogs stop whining. The silence is sweet. We treasure the abatement of the wind. It gave us repeated doses of “prairie madness,” an old term describing the geographic and wind-based affliction in the great plains. I have used this term before in former columns, but it is worth repeating.

Making sense of the past month we just experienced isn’t to create more drama but instead it is to try to come to grips with our collective experience. “Amenomania” is an odd type of lunacy produced by winds’ power, velocity, constancy and above all noise. Without a doubt everyone in Palmer was feeling testy about the wind. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WAS JOYFUL OR APPRECIATIVE OF THE WIND. It beat down everyone equally. The Wind was responsible for damages, outages, sicknesses, cancelations, tragedies, breakage, fear, traumas, accidents, fires, losses, fights, and disappointments. And before someone says, “Oh this is just Alaska…” in a condescending voice, let me add that this was highly unusual and it WAS NOT COMMON. We are not a bunch of delicate creatures. We are used to some wind but this exceeded a “bit of wind” definition.

The Creation of Two Classes—Palmer People were quickly classified into two distinct classes: fully prepared and unprepared. Although many of us had flashlights and lanterns, warm clothes, and water, this was not enough for this series of strong storms. If one was fully prepared, one had dependable and alternative heating sources, fuel, food, water, lots of additional lighting, and a tight home. It became quite clear that owning a generator, along with plenty of fuel, was the ticket. Owning a wood stove with plenty of dried, chopped wood was great.

Owning neither set oneself up for bitter days and long power outages. The “fully prepared” are the folks who did okay. The “unprepared” did not. The “fully prepared” were generous and tremendously helpful to those of us who were unprepared. Their generosity and care was noted over and over and over. I believe that the fully prepared are a mix of—“old time Alaskans, accustomed to hardships,” or “smart survivalists, independent enough to recognize needs are sometimes cut off.”

Lessons Learned Here—This classification does not condemn nor criticize either the prepared or the non-prepared. It just underlines the basic needs and how ready we are to deal with breaks in power, nature’s calamities, and any other extreme conditions. It is something to think about and try to improve our odds. As a community, the leaders must be prepared to offer safe emergency alternatives when temperatures are wicked and winds are fierce.

January—The Christmas epiphany closes the holiday season down and life can resume in our January Winter. There is a lot to do in the winter both inside and outside. Inside there is swimming, ice skating, Tai Chi, track walking, weight training, basketball, pickle-ball, yoga, roller-derby, curling, painting, knitting, book clubs, card groups, music and of course reading of all sorts. Outside there are the winter hikes, skis, skates, snowshoes. And always is the never-ending shoveling and snow maintenance. Now is the time for plays and theater and concerts! Watch for the latest shows! There is always time for a nice little winter nap as well. Workshops and classes are plentiful and will only increase as we go forward in the our year. Live Music is pretty constant at the Palmer Ale House and Klondike Mikes/Garcias. Bleeding Heart and 203 Kombucha are great destinations in Palmer. The Art Cafe is busting with new art classes and painter Brian Martin’s show will be up until the end of the month.

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