Just Like Any Other Town...But with a GOLDEN & BIG
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5/17/2007
I have lived in Alaska for 27 years now, moving from Idaho when I was only 7. I LOVED Idaho & didn't want to leave! I was 7 & the only thing I knew about Alaska...(or I had heard) Was that there was GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS!
My brother & I just knew that when we got off the plane, we would start picking GOLD off the ground right away! So it was OK that we moved, as we knew we would be back to Idaho as soon as we spent a day pickin' GOLD off the ground, we would be RICH! WELL......we flew into Valdez & when we landed we couldn't believe our eyes!....NO GOLD! We were stuck there in Valdez Alaska with nothin'! But we soon learned that Alaska had much more to offer us kids than GOLD! We lake-river-ocean-fish, hunt, hike, go boating, play around the Glaciers & swim in the ocean & lakes. 1 year later we moved to Juneau.....What do you know NO GOLD....Well just not layin around anyways!
But it was fun, and a little bigger than Valdez (except you only could get there by boat or plane...there are no roads in). Then 8 years later we moved to Fairbanks, I thought to myself..."Ole Johnny Horton said When it's spring time in Alaska its 40 below".....AND that’s when he flew into Fairbanks to the Eskimo saloon! Well....I got here & it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen besides my home town in Idaho! It was the end of summer going into the fall the leaves color was changing. I had never seen such a sight! (Not even the blooms in Our nations capitol)
Soon after we arrived my father sat us down & told us of the dangers of the cold & that we better be prepared. We always had a box in the back of the truck with winter gear, blankets, food, among other emergency items. When the cold got here, I was stunned that it didn't bother me! It is no different then any other place, when its winter time, you dress up....Layers is always good (That is only when you are outside or in the car...Just in case, Our homes, work, & recreation areas are always nice & warm!) Yea it is true that we only have a few hours of sunlight in the winter but it fades in & out. (June 21st is the Longest day of the year....we have daylight all day! Then every day till December 21st we loose around 4-7 min. of daylight till we only have around 2 or 3 hours of DUSK! Then starting the 22 of Dec. we start gaining 4-7 min. a day of sunlight until we reach the 21st of June so we end up with around 2 months of almost 24 hour sunlight! So you see it just doesn't turn off & on here. It is a Gradual, Wond
Erica | Steele Creek, AK