Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

As we approach June 21st and summer solstice, the sun barely goes below the horizon. Even when the sun does go down, darkness does not fall. There are no stars in the sky, and the moon is a white orb against blue-gray dusk.  I find myself staying up later… midnight, 1am, sometimes 2am and later, because I lose track of time.  However, I’m sleeping much better, which some might find odd considering darkness never comes. Gone is the insomnia of winter; I feel well-rested and rejuvenated.

With all this sunlight, everything tends to grow faster and bigger than what home gardeners in the lower 48 states are accustomed to. Steve’s tomato plants are doing well, as are the zucchini plants we got from our friends Gip and Carmen.  But the best proof of our fast growing season has to be our new lawn. I’ve been taking photos of the grass almost every day to document its growth. See for yourself what has happened in six days:

There are a few patchy areas that we’re going to have to re-seed, but we were told to expect that many bags of seed have some that are ‘duds’.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Every day, when I take Sedona out for a walk around our property, I take my camera with me. The bluebells and prickly rose are tall and bushy, with hundreds and hundreds of flowers. The mix of colors is absolutely stunning, particularly when the sun is lower in the sky and the birch trees cast shadows.  I hope you don’t grow bored with my repetitive photos of wildflowers, but after 7 months devoid of color and flowers, I am truly enjoying this sensory overload.

Over the past couple of days, I found additional wildflowers growing on our property. We have dozens of Labrador Tea bushes growing along the drainage ditch that divides our property from our neighbor.  Labrador tea grows in peaty lowland bogs across the continent, ranging on the west coast from northwest Oregon to subarctic Alaska.

According to information I found online, Labrador tea has been a favorite beverage among Indian and Eskimo people for many years. Athabascans use it as a beverage and also as medicine for weak blood, colds, tuberculosis, dizziness, stomach problems, heartburn and hangover. They also use it to spice meat. In large amounts, Labrador tea can cause drowsiness or stomach upset, use in moderation.

I also found some Lowbush Cranberry hidden behind a dense pocket of prickly rose bushes.  Lowbush Cranberry are also known as Lingonberry. Lingonberries ripen in August and are red, tart and smaller than cranberries but with a finer flavor. They are much smaller than commercial cranberries. They are found low to the ground in woods, thickets, mountain slopes and tundra. Lingonberries are an extremely versatile and valuable food source and also have a high level of antioxidants.

Another flower I haven’t photographed until now is the Grove Sandwort. The Grove Sandwort grows in the woods and on alpine slopes. The flowers are small and delicate, and only about 1/4 inch across in size. I’m seeing more of this particular plant this year, and wonder if it’s because we had all the debris thinned beneath our birch trees last summer. They are most abundant around the tree stumps left from the dead birch and spruce we cut down.

I’m not going to use thumbnails for the photos in this post. If you’re on dial-up, the photos may take a few seconds to load.

This is another photo of Dwarf Dogwood. In the fall, the flowers are replaced by brilliant red berries:

This is Grove Sandwort:

Grove Sandwort Close up:

When bluebells bud, they are usually pink and then turn blue as the blooms open. It’s a beautiful color combination:

I picked up these pansies at a local greenhouse. I love the color combination on this one:

I think it’s time I transplanted or thinned my sunflower seedlings:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The camper floor re-do is coming along nicely. I’ve got most of the living space done, and have moved into the bathroom and bedroom. I think I’m going to need another box of tile though, as there are quite a few pieces that need to be cut to fit, and that’s causing some waste.

I worked hard on it two days ago, but then had to quit when I aggravated my carpal tunnel syndrome. I haven’t had any issues with my hand and wrist in a long time, but using the utility knife to score and cut the tiles really took a toll on me. My wrist felt much better the next day, but my hand - particularly the base of my thumb - is still aching. I might just hold off on completing this job until Steve’s off from work. I can trace out where the cuts need to be and I’ll let him cut the tiles. I’ll take a photo when the project is completed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In a few weeks, Steve and I are driving the Dalton Hwy to Deadhorse. We’ll be covering new territory, and are looking forward to it. I’ve driven as far as Gobblers Knob at mile 132, but Steve hasn’t been past the Arctic Circle yet (mile 115). The Dalton Highway is 414 miles long. Once we get there, our hope is to be able to get a seat on a bus that goes to the Arctic Ocean. We’re not taking the camper as the road is just too unpredictable for that, and the fuel expense to tow a camper all that way would be ridiculous. We’ll be *roughing it* just like the old days, the days before we became spoiled with all the comforts of home just beyond our back bumper.

The Arctic Caribou Inn, located in Deadhorse,  “operates a tour company, Tatqaani Tours, an Inupiat word which means “way up or way out north.” These tours take about 2 hours and depart 4 times daily from the Arctic Caribou Inn between May 25th and September 1st. During this tour you have the opportunity to view hundreds of waterfowl, caribou, bears and other wildlife native to the area. You will also visit the oil fields and hear how the oil companies actively promote environmentally friendly practices on the North Slope. Finally, you will also have the chance to take a dip or a dive into the Arctic Ocean.” (information in italics taken from their website)

We’re not making reservations for this tour because we want to be flexible with our travel. We don’t want to have to rush to be in a certain place at a certain time. I hope the lack of tour reservation doesn’t come back to bite us. I’ve been reading a few online blogs from folks who have done these tours. One fellow was on a tour that couldn’t get to the ocean for a number of reasons (tanker moving, polar bear in the area, etc). He didn’t seem to believe the excuses, and feels he was ripped off.  I hope that’s not the experience we have.  Regardless, we are not making this drive specifically to see the Arctic Ocean. We are going because we want to see the beautiful terrain between Fairbanks and the arctic. I’m sure it will be a wonderful adventure.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tonight belly dance classes start. It’s a short session - Wednesday nights for only  6 weeks - and fits our summer travel schedule perfectly. Best of all, several friends are taking the class with me: Carmen, Abby, Lisa, Lori, and Wendy. We’re going to have a blast ‘getting our shimmy on’.  It’s a great way to get some exercise. I’m sure there will be plenty of laughs too.

Until next time…