The Great Garden Plot

The “greening” of Fairbanks comes quickly–usually within one week.  Perhaps the locals this year felt it was a bit delayed, due to an unusually warm April.  The balmy temperatures of 60 degrees that early in the year tempted us to believe it was almost warm enough to consider planting something.  The rule is never plant before June 1, as it can always freeze.

Behind the Inn is a huge garden plot, which for years has been greatly devoid of anything worthy of being called a garden.  However, this weekend, everything changed. 

Well over a dozen folks descended to make this area a beauty to behold.  Jill and her extended family have been scheming up how to make all things beautiful.  Given the four hours that tranformed the garden from a heap of stones, two truckloads of compost, and scattered leaves, the garden plot is prepped for a tgreat transformation.  With tags for the future rows of beautiful veggies all placed, stay tuned for sporadic updates on the greening of the garden.

After the team arrived

Solstice Weekend

So this is the big weekend:  Summer Solstice!   A big variety of things to do and see here in the heart of Alaska.  Last night, the Goldpanners played with no artificial light.  Today, our daylight is just about as long, the sun rising at 2:58 a.m, and setting at 12:47 a.m, a loss of only 31 seconds from our longest day of the year yesterday.  Tommorrow night, the Midnight Sun run will draw a few thousand runners and walkers, and costumed teams. starting  the 5 k race at 10 p.m. 

The long daylight allows us “extra” time to finish up our endless chores of the summer, such as mowing the lawn.  Guests frequently comment about seeing kids out on the street, riding their bikes at midnight.  Even though I like my sleep, I succumbed to the gorgeous warm extra-long day by planting flowers till 10 p.m. 

Another part of what makes Alaska such a unique place to live:  the Land of the Midnight Sun.