Changing Scenery

Swans migrating through Delta

Although my last entry spoke of the spring break up starting—it quickly became an inaccurate statement . The weatherman actually showed a posting stating, “Spring is Cancelled” shortly after my entry.  Winter continued to last up until the last couple of weeks.  In any typical year, break up would’ve happened when I posted that entry, but this was not a typical year.  Everyone in the interior was getting quite cranky and lamenting the fact that May is supposed to be a summer month and so far, it was far from it.  The Fairbanks’s newspaper was calling it Mayvember, due to the lack of above freezing temperatures. It was snowing on graduation day at the high school on May 17th.  Long time residents recalled at the library that they had never seen such a persistent winter (lucky us!). 

There was a positive side, though, to spring/summer being delayed and that was  the birds that typically migrate to northern Alaska paused in the farm fields of Delta Junction for a couple of weeks to wait out the cold weather.  We saw literally hundreds of tundra and trumpeter swans, thousands of cranes and geese, and so many species of finches, warblers, sparrows, and hawks.  The birding was out of control!  Our landlord, who is an avid birder, said she had never seen birds in such abundance here.

Hundreds of swans on a layover in the agricultural fields 

Chena and her boyfriend, Toklat

On Saturday May 18^th, winter delivered its closing assault to snow 3 inches and once again cover the ground that had literally just started to be revealed. Our toilet then proceeded to freeze once more, just as a final insult from our dear friend Winter.

Ben, Chena and Toklat going for a walk on May 18th

Chena and Ben soaking up the sunshine

But yesterday, summer arrived with a bang.  It was in the mid-60s and sunny!  It truly felt HOT.  Poor Chena was sweltering and on our mid-day walk, took the opportunity to wade through every mud puddle and snowmelt puddle along the way to cool off.   I saw my first giant mosquito, so summer must officially be here.   I also saw my first bear of the year—from my deck!  I was excitedly hanging clothes up to dry, taking advantage of the heat, when I heard the thrashing of tree limbs coming my direction from the forest behind our cabin.  I fully expected to see a moose emerge, and was quite startled when a bear popped out 25 feet from me. Coming out of hibernation late, though, it was in a hurry to make up for lost time.  It didn’t even pause at my presence and just kept trotting through the woods in its search for sustenance (which thankfully it did not associate with me). 

Now that summer is finally here, I guess it’s time for us to say our goodbyes.  Ben and I will be leaving Delta Junction to move back to Sitka!  Ben was hired to be a freshman English/Social Studies teacher at Sitka High, and I was fortunate to secure a job teaching Health at Sitka High for the fall semester, filling in for a teacher on maternity leave.  Planning our move back to Sitka really seems like a homecoming for us.  We have received so many phone calls and letters from Sitkans excited to hear about our return.   The Interior has blessed us in many ways and we will definitely be back to visit, but Sitka still has our heart!  It is time to don our xtra-tuffs and pull our rain jackets out of storage!  We cannot WAIT to see our wonderful fellow Sitkans again!   

Chena is ready for her roadtrip to SITKA!