As we drove down Airport Way to Fort Wainwright, our new home for the next three years, I was almost as depressed as the dreary evening. Spots of dirty snow, nearly black from auto exhaust, lay in small clumps in shady areas, and there was trash everywhere. I wanted to cry at the rundown-looking place and couldn't imagine how long those three years would seem.
Several weeks later, after wondering why everyone was talking about the ice on the Tanana River at Nenana; after Cleanup Day and after extended hours of sunlight, suddenly the town looked beautiful. The river was free of ice and the town free of litter.
Now, 34 years later, that black snow is no longer ugly. It signals the end of a long winter and the coming of breakup and summer. Like everyone else, I follow the ice on the Tanana because it is another harbinger of spring. (It went out April 23 this year, an early breakup.) Cleanup Day is May 5 this year and families, groups and individuals will be out picking up the trash. By then, much of the brown grass will be turning green and there will be green on the trees on the surrounding hills and in town.
Fairbanks has changed much in those 34 years. During my first ride (and many subsequent ones) down Airport Way, there was little to suggest what it would be today. Fred Meyer West, Sears, the old KMart building and numerous other business did not exist then - just large wooded lots. Denny's was a place called Augie's. It had a sister (brother?) restaurant on the Old Steese Highway, now gone, called Jeffrey's. Pioneer Park was then called Alaskaland (I still use the old name frequently) with a zoo that was home to just a few animals including a couple of bears and a young moose, among others. Second Avenue was home to numerous bars, many of which were removed to make room for the Springhill Suites hotel. What is now ACS on Cushman between 3rd & 4th avenues was a Woolworth's store. They had really good lunches and the best milkshakes in Fairbanks. Sears back then was a catalog store - you went, ordered what you wanted from the catalog and didn't see it before purchase. They carried only a small number of items, no clothing. There were certainly no coffee stands at the intersections.
My attitude toward Fairbanks has also changed. This is my home. I love the town and the people. During my first summer, I discovered how beautiful this town is. I met people, some of whom are still my friends. I appreciate the beauty of Fairbanks - occasional views of Mt. McKinley; the rest of the Alaska Range; fireweed; flowers and summer gardens; the historic buildings, the wildlife and the friendly demeanor of everyone I see.
One of my favorite springtime activities is going to Creamer's Field to watch the birds. Like the ice break-up and the black snow, the waterfowl are another sign of spring, stopping on their northward migration.
In an effort to lure the birds away from our airports, officials and volunteers plow the big field and scatter seed for the birds to eat. And it works. There are frequently several hundred geese, ducks, cranes and other birds getting their fill of the free meals. I rarely go out without seeing others there, all with binoculars and/or cameras. Local schools take their classes there on field trips. The same thing happens in August, when the birds stop there on their flights back south.
I was out Sunday morning to find 6 pairs of swans, too many geese and ducks to count and one lone sandhill crane. I'm off work today, so drove over to Creamer's at 6 a.m. to see what the birds are up to. Many of them were off flying somewhere, so there weren't as many as there are sometimes.
Both Sunday and today, I was able to locate the crane for photos, but I did have to look hard to see him. The poor thing kept calling and calling, but got no response from other cranes. Hopefully his friends will arrive soon.
Happy breakup everyone. Greenup is coming soon!
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