Puddle season In Palmer

It is puddle season in Palmer. Our wintered earth is not warm enough to absorb the water from our old remaining snow and ice. So the water sits and waits and freezes and thaws and refreezes and waits some more. We have many significant new water bodies for a while. Ice chunks float in the middle and until the soil warms and drinks it in, these ice puddles will remain. Some water bodies have been modified with temporary islands or walkways, built out of wood pieces, or bricks, or left over debris the winter wind stirred up. It isn’t pretty. One day, soon we hope, all of a sudden the plug will be pulled and all this water will vanish quickly into the ground. Until then wear your ice cleats over your extra tuffs and be so careful.

New Year—Break Up Season does feel like nature’s apology for a bad winter and a beginning of a new year. There are so many things that document rebirth and beginnings at this time of year. Here is a listing of “FOY”, also known as “First Of Year” confirmations.

FOY birds—This is from the bird watcher world where first sightings of various birds are always heralded, celebrated and recorded. This includes the migratory birds, the owls, geese, ducks, swans and many other raptors who use the South Central Alaska bird fly way headed north. Hearing one’s first bird song, or squawk of geese, or honk of swan or even the bird wings is a balm to the soul. We look up and wave and welcome them back home. The brown ptarmigan spruce hen are beginning to reappear from the white winter uniform. The backyard chickens are generous with their egg offerings. We see bird nests repopulated or new bird nest real estate built.

FOY Babies—First of year babies include lambs, goaties, calves, chicks, piglets, and baby horses. Pictures of any of these new ones go crazy on the internet, especially if they are local from our valley. Puppies, kittens, and human babies are welcome all the time but spring is the main stage for farm families.

FOY Aromas—It is the smell of spring. First you will smell the soil as it embraces moisture. You will smell the deiced dog poop. There isn’t any aroma of vegetation yet but it will happen very quickly. Pussy willows and unopened buds are sitting in wait of next week.

Lots of First of Year Events—The sudden growing potholes and the appearance of clear sidewalks are both bad and good actualities. Likewise the same with moth-hatches and sunsets after 9pm. Small bugs, spiders and houseflies return from the dead and make themselves known. Soon we will have a week free of frosts at night. We will have a week recorded since last snowfall soon.

During the lunch hour you will start to see people at picnic tables, eating and absorbing some sun despite cool temps. You will begin to see garage sale signs and scheduled festivals. You will see so many pedestrians—runners, walkers, baby strollers, dog walkers—all breathing in the springtime air. You will see some brave ones wearing shorts and sandals and T-shirts. You will see youngsters flocking to the playgrounds and young and old trying out their bikes or skateboards or roller-skates in parking lots.

Grateful—We are so lucky that spring has arrived and all the confirmations assure us—winter is over. Remember to drive careful and respect pedestrians…they are vulnerable but they have the right to move about….without be scared, squashed or splashed by rude vehicles.

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.