On July 4th I went to the big celebration at Alaskaland - Army band concert, a few speeches and salute to the union with a rifle team firing a shot after the announcers read off the name and nickname of each state in (mostly) the order it entered the union. (Alaska and Hawaii are reversed because they "save the best for last.") There were several thousand people attending, as usual and it was great fun to sit and watch everyone.
This little cutie danced to one of the band's Souza marches and earned a big round of applause.
The 50 state flags on the upper deck of the Riverboat Nenana, drydocked in the park. When I arrived at the park, it was a gorgeous sunny day with clear blue skies. The haze creeping in behind the boat is smoke from wildfires. By the time the ceremony ended I headed home instead of the baseball game. The smoke was hanging low in town and it was HOT. So I made a strawberry smoothie and sat in front of the fan reading a good book.
The smoke has continued to hang around, but it's not as bad as it was a couple of years ago. The hot temperatures (in the 80s) continue. I'm very grateful it's not humid here!
I normally drive to work early (I start at 6:30 a.m.), and it's been a beautiful summer. As I drive down a road with little traffic at that hour, I marvel at the bright green of the grass and trees. I love that there are at least three different shades, and it's all bright from the dew. On a good clear day, the white snow-covered peaks of Mts. Hayes, Hess and Deborah in the Alaska Range stand starkly against the blue sky. The mountain views are one of my favorite things about Alaska. Even from here - several hundred miles away - they look huge, and are spectacular. The fireweed is starting to bloom and its blast of fuscia really stands out against the green. (Fireweed is my favorite plant here - I love seeing a big patch of it from a distance. I also love looking at it up close.)
All of this makes me very glad to live here. The colors are so vibrant in the summer, and very welcome after several months of living in what seems a monochrome world.
Still to come this summer: the Georgeson Botanical Garden at the university, a visit to Wedgewood Resort (they have some of the prettiest hanging baskets and small flower plots in town), weekly trips to the farmers' market - and a trip to Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad.
Though Solstice usually leaves me a bit sad that we're now losing daylight, there's plenty of time left to enjoy the colors of summer.
Take care and enjoy...
1 comment:
I'm hoping to see some fireweed up on the Steese Hwy near Eagle Summit this weekend. It's such a beautiful flower - I agree with you. Especially when it grows in huge pockets of magenta.
I was a bit bummed when we passed summer solstice too, but we still have plenty of things planned for the rest of the summer.
This heat is a killer. All those months of not having sunshine, and now I have to keep my house closed up and dark to keep it cool. It's not fair!
~Susan
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