Welcome to our November journey

This is the month of 5pm darkness, abundant food, continual gratefulness, little lights, heavy coats, thicker ice, snow shovels, small businesses, turkeys and pie. There will be food bank events, weekly fun runs, Turkey Trot, and Warm Coat Collections. There will be festivities around town frequently but many will be different, because of the pandemic. Learning to adjust to these change-ups has been challenging but not without some positive lessons and opportunities. We’ve learned to focus and to pivot. We’ve learned to listen better. We are looking at things with different perspectives. There is still fun to be had and memories to be made.

November 4, 2020—If today is Wednesday, then that means that Halloween is over. The big blue full moon should be waning. The time change is now figured into our daily schedules. We have lived through October. Dia de los Muertos is complete along with Saint’s Day.

And finally, finally the election is over. That said, the outcome might still be uncertain. This election season has been unbearably long on fatigue, exhaustion, tension and stress factors. Hopefully, the election will be a clean win for one of the elderly white men, vying for President of our country. A solid win is what is required for our country to move forward.

As I write this column on Monday night, I have no clue what the national election will reveal. But I do know our local expectations of both winners and losers:

Winners will be gracious and not gloat. They won’t be boastful or ignorant. They won’t spew hate or belittle their opponent.

Losers will be gracious and not despair. They won’t be boastful or ignorant. They won’t spew hate or belittle their opponent.

Our country, our state, our Valley and our Palmer area knows how to be graceful in either a win or a defeat. It is up to us to project the peaceful and loyal fortitude to move forward, regardless of the election results.

November 4, 2020—Regardless of politics, there are many local first responders, law enforcement personnel, teachers, health care and service providers, ER/Trauma/ICU staff, medical nurses and doctors, fire and rescue teams ready to assist us in the Palmer area. Their jobs do not change with election results. Their mission is to serve. Let’s honor them in a big way this month and not make their jobs harder.

Palmer Pandemic— Regardless of the election results, the Corona Virus is still with us. The numbers are frightening. Some friends just have had enough and no longer check the daily statistics. Some friends are too paralyzed to do anything. Some friends have never let the numbers direct their actions. These decisions were not political but instead their private choice on how to react to the world wide pandemic showing its face in the Palmer area.

November Activities—This is the time to kick up your Aurora photography skills. You can get out your skis, your sleds, your tires, your snowshoes, your skates and your fat bikes. No longer do you have to worry about garden tasks or lawn upkeep. It’s time to sit back and enjoy those books, baking, quilting and painting.

Palmer Gets Festive—Lights are going up everywhere. There are tree lights and building lights; there are the teeny fairy lights and really cool line lights. The water tower was adorned with all sorts of holiday lights this weekend. Each year it gets better and better. The lights won’t officially be turned on until the second weekend in December at Colony Christmas. This seems way too long to wait but that is the decision of the install crew. And we thank them for doing it.

Palmer Be safe and keep rocks in your pockets so the wind doesn’t blow you away!

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