Happy Solstice and Summer! This past week we celebrated Summer Solstice on June 21 with a "Midnight Sun" baseball game starting at 10:00PM. On Saturday, June 24, the annual Midnight Sun Run, a 10K race, also starting at 10:00PM! Having 24 hours of daylight sure feels good and it is a welcome change after our shorter days of winter.
These events have been part of our community celebrations for decades and the Summer Solstice also marks the last full day of daylight before things reverse and we begin loosing five to seven minutes of daylight, continuing until Winter Solstice, on December 21, when things reverse again and we start gaining daylight hours again.
This summer has been unseasonably chilly and we weren't able to leave our flowers and garden starts outdoors until around June 5 or 6. It feels a bit disheartening to spend eight to nine months living in cold conditions, only to have it remain chilly for much of the summer, but I am hopeful that warmer days are yet to come. The good news is we have had no fires this summer and the air has been clear and fresh!
Speaking of travel, the beautiful photo above was taken in mid-June during a road trip to Tok, Alaska. We made frequent stops along the way to take in the beautiful views and this was our first stop. As we stood on the bluff, we could see the Tanana River below and the Alaska Range in the background, along with all the fragrant, wild arctic roses. Tok is the closest town to the Canadian border and there are mountains nearly all the way!
Over the spring, hubby and I escaped from the cold for a few months and lived in Arizona. It was such a blessing to be living in a warm climate and a fun adventure since we spent many days going to different parks for walks and hikes.
While living in Arizona, I created new artwork and named this print "Spring Flowers" (see photo below). This print is available for purchase on my website HERE. I’m excited to announce this print is also on display at the Bear Gallery in Fairbanks during the month of July, along with many other Alaskan artists, so be sure and stop by if you live in Interior Alaska or your travels will take you to Alaska.
Summers are short in Alaska and Alaskan's love to get out and travel before the cold, arctic winters return so we too will be making another road trip to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory in Canada over the summer. Nearly the entire drive is filled with beautiful mountains along the way. More about that road trip in my next blog post.
Until next time, wishing you safe summer travels wherever you travel to! :)