Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

Yesterday, Steve and I had errands to run on Fort Wainwright. Now that Steve is retired, our trips on post aren’t as regular as they used to be. We go to the army hospital for healthcare, we do our grocery shopping at the commissary, and we use our bank branch located there.  Because we’re not there everyday, I sometimes feel like we’re not as ‘connected’ to the military. At times it seems like army life was so long ago. Especially now that many of the families who we came to AK with have left Fort Wainwright, or are preparing to PCS to another duty station.  Steve’s been retired for more than two years. That went fast.

Last summer (June, 2008) there was a dedication ceremony for the 172nd SBCT Memorial, which is located in Fort Wainwright’s Monterey Lake Memorial Park. Steve was deployed with the 172nd SBCT in 2005-2006. During that deployment, 30 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 207th Aviation Regiment, and Alaska Army National Guard died.

A few weeks after the dedication, I visited the memorial park. At the time of my visit, there was a group of uniformed soldiers walking along the pathway. I started to follow them, but became overcome with emotion. I went back to my car instead. I’m ashamed to say I never went back.

Yesterday, Steve and I finished our errands more quickly than anticipated. Snow was falling, and everything was so peaceful and quiet. I don’t know what made me think of the Memorial Park; I asked Steve if we could stop there before going home.

The Monterey Lake Memorial Park features 30 black granite plaques and trees along a winding path beside the lake.  The snowy path was devoid of footprints when we arrived. The falling snow clung to our hair and our jackets, and covered everything an inch or so deep.

When we reached the first granite stone, Steve swept the snow from the top of it, so that we could read the name engraved. In addition to the name of the fallen soldier, the plaque includes their battalion, the date they died, and their home state. As he cleared each marker, Steve read the name aloud, and told me how that soldier had died. By the time we reached the third marker, I had tears streaming down my face.  Steve later told me that he had the same reaction the first time he visited the park. It’s such a sad, and yet beautiful tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Steve had to go to work, so we didn’t have time to visit the newest memorial, dedicated to the 12 members of the 1-25th (formerly the 172nd SBCT) who made the ultimate sacrifice in the most recent deployment (2008-2009). Seven of the deceased were stationed at Fort Wainwright, while the other five were from units attached to the brigade. We plan to go back and visit soon.

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The snow continues to fall. It looks like we’ve got about 3″ of accumulation here in my neighborhood. I’ve been following the news reports and, as always, it seems that folks have forgotten how to drive in the stuff.  Some of the blame for these accidents can be attributed to people who are experiencing their first winter in AK, but some blame can also be put on folks who know what winter is like up  here, and yet still drive like idiots. I’m glad I haven’t had to go anywhere. I didn’t go to dance class last night because I didn’t want to be on the roads with people who are re-learning how to drive in this stuff.  Snow is in our forecast until Thursday, so I suspect we’ll have several more inches of accumulation.

This morning, I was doing the dishes, and enjoying the birds flocking to my feeders, when all of a sudden Sedona stood up at the back door and began barking her head off. I thought at first that the neighbor’s dog was in our yard (we have a neighbor who has two medium sized dogs that are escape artists). But when I saw what had gotten Sedona’s attention, I rushed to grab my camera!

There was a fox in my yard! It stopped a few times to mark its territory, and I watched it push its snout deep into the snow. S/he could have been looking for voles (we have plenty of them living in the yard), or perhaps she was on the scent trail of the snowshoe hares which have been visiting my yard on a regular basis.  I managed to shoot a few frames before s/he took off into the woods and disappeared into the trees.

I am really glad that the snow has finally come. The other day, two snowshoe hares visited my yard and they were already pure white - not a good thing when there isn’t any snow. Now, at last, they can blend into the landscape and not be such a stark target for the fox.

The birds have been little piggies since the snow arrived. I’m seeing a larger group of them at the feeders. I swear they’re telling all their friends. It’s mostly chickadees and nuthatches now, with an occasional woodpecker - both hairy and downy - visiting for the suet.  I have four suet cakes out because the gray jays like them too.

I always put out two types of seeds. I have one large feeder that I fill with black oil sunflower seeds for the chickadees (and the squirrel). I also have a tube type feeder that I fill with sunflower seeds.  I buy the sunflower seeds by the 25lb bag. Generally the 25lb bag will last me a couple of months. I think I went through three 25lb bags last winter, but only one from spring through summer.

I also buy 5lb bags of Nut & Berry Blend seeds. This stuff is rather expensive (almost $10 at WalMart) but the birds really love it.  I only ‘treat them’ with these seeds once a week or so, because they drain the feeder so quickly.  I filled the feeder with the good stuff when the snow started, and they drained the tube in less than 6 hours! Little gluttons!

I decided, since it was snowing, that maybe they were building their fat reserves, so I refilled the tube.  Then, later this afternoon, I watched a female hairy woodpecker fly down to one of the suet cages and eat her fill. Suddenly, her attention was turned to the nut and berry seeds in the tube hanging next to her and she decided ‘forget the suet, I’m going for this good stuff’!

Now I know who else to blame for the seeds disappearing!

Until next time…