Spring fever

WASILLA — Public health officials have been mum on the latest condition spreading like wildfire across the Mat-Su Valley — spring fever.

With temperatures breaking the 70-degree mark for much of the past week, the signs of spring are evident. Shorts and sunglasses have replaced parkas and snow boots. Parks are filling with picnickers and drivers are hanging their left arms out their windows.

Wasilla Lake was busy Saturday, the first weekend of May, with sunbathers and families enjoying the summer-iike temperatures — even if much of the lake is still iced over.

“Oh yeah, I’ve got spring fever big time,” said Dan Piaskowski, who was out on a family picnic with Aimee Ehmann and 8-year-old Kaylee Ehmann. “You get cooped up all winter and now the sun comes out and it’s great. It’s great to get the kids out.”

It was Kaylee who suggested a visit to the park.

“Well, I like to play outside and eat my lunch outside,” she said. “I think it’s really cool to play here.”

Kaylee’s not the only one who likes to play outside. Piaskowski said the weather has been so warm of late he imagines he’s in Hawaii.

“And, if it stays like this for the summertime, we’re all going to be looking like we’re in Hawaii, too,” Piaskowski said, adding that although there’s still ice on Wasilla Lake, his spring fever may prompt him to dip a toe or two.

“We’re going to test (the water) out,” he said. “It’s just too tempting.”

For the Spracher family, Saturday’s sunshine was also too tempting. Jason Spracher and his parents spent the morning at a local park, then caught a picnic lunch at Wasilla Lake. The picnic was at the urging of Spracher’s daughter, Khira, who was quick to correct her father when he gave her age as 3 1/2.

“No, I’m 3, daddy,” she said while watching ducks swim in the ribbon of water between the lake’s shore and it’s ice cap.

What attracted Khira to the lake were “all the duckies,” she said. “I wanna see the little ducks.”

Saturday’s weather was also too tempting for Corey Nyberg and his 9-year-old nephew, Brandon Ohler. The pair spent part of the morning at the Wasilla city tennis courts practicing.

“Bought some new balls and a racquet for (Brandon) and I’m showing him all the form,” Nyberg said, adding he was surprised to be the only ones on the court. “Everybody must be sleeping in, but it’s amazing out here.”

Ohler said other children his age who may be missing out on the spring weather to be inside playing video games “are just crazy.”

When it’s warm out, Ohler said he likes “to go play basketball, get out of the house.”

This early stint of summer has also been the spark for many to do their spring cleaning and hold garage sales.

Britny Henry lives off Carpenter Circle in Wasilla and spent Friday and Saturday holding a garage sale. By noon Saturday, the sale was still going strong. The weather and the economy prompted her to clear out the clutter, Henry said.

“It’s been gorgeous out,” she said. “Yesterday, it was 75 degrees. Overall, there are tons of people out and about. People were coming before we even opened up. We were sending people away.”

Janet White was looking for a find at Henry’s sale and said she thinks the weather this past week has already been better than any seen all last summer. It was so nice out Saturday, “my neighbor and I decided to go out looking for sales.”

Another symptom of spring fever has been showing up at local stores, where residents are buying new barbecue grills and starting in on their seasonal gardening. At The Home Depot in Wasilla, assistant manager Dan Hoffnagle said Saturday has been the store’s busiest so far this season, and the strongest sales are for grills and gardening supplies.

“Barbecues, gardening supplies, you name it, they’re buying it,” he said. “Garden is definitely in. People are thinking about cleaning up the lawn and getting the garden ready — and definitely about barbecuing. Last year at this time, I think we still had a foot or two of snow on the ground.”

The same was holding true across the Parks Highway at Fred Meyer, where the store’s garden center has been moved out to the parking lot.

“There’s a huge demand today,” said Max Kane, a Fred Meyer employee working outside. “The warm weather has them coming out in droves. It’s good for us. It’s beautiful out, and I’m working in the outdoor garden center right now, and I’m loving it.”

Although The Home Depot is selling plenty of barbecue grills, the sluggish economy seems to be steering people away from some of the higher-end models, Hoffnagle said.

“We’re very busy. All of our cash registers are open,” he said. “It’s like a Wal-Mart on the day after Thanksgiving.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.