Fairbanks Interlude

Since Fran left, I've been alternating my time between hunkering down in the library and getting to know Fairbanks. I'm not going to give a day-by-day accounting, but will give some highlights. 

Current thoughts, which are kind of all over the map at this point, will be in the next post. The last before leaving the Far North.

Rainbow from the Fairbanks library

Gorgeous flowers outside the library

Writing at the library

A good portion of my days have been spent at the public library in Fairbanks. I love libraries, so this hasn't been a hardship. This one is well-used, but not crowded; there's a big room for the children's library, and lots of public-use computers. I'm glad I have my own laptop, though, as the internet stations are NEVER free. Wifi is fairly decent, and available 24/7, so if I don't finish, I can sit out in the car after closing and keep working.

One does not want to just sit outside as the mosquitoes are pesky, especially around nightfall.

Definitely "dinner plate" dahlias

Nightfall is definitely coming noticeably earlier in the two weeks I've spent here. The sun is lower in the sky, even at noon. The sun sets around 9pm, although twilight remains until about 10pm. And the weather is getting just a little cooler. In the days that I've been writing this, it's gotten quite a bit cooler; first frost was last night. Of course "real" Alaskans are still in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops.

I've enjoyed the flowers around town so much. In an earlier post, I commented on the flowers at the botanical garden — one might expect perfection there, but here in Alaska even street flowers do well. The dahlias grow exuberantly; there are sunflowers and marigolds; salvia, snapdragons and sweet william, pansies and mallows; every size and color and form.

And there are happy bees! European honeybees, which I have seen here, do not usually survive over the winter; beekeepers here usually kill them off (how sad is that?) and order new ones in the spring, although with rising cost of bees and colony collapse disorder, there is more interest in over-wintering bees, with beekeepers in cold climates from Maine to Canada to Alaska contributing their knowledge of what works to help the hives survive the long, cold, dark winter. It's quite complicated, and success is not guaranteed.
Overwintering bees in Fairbanks

Arctic bee on fireweed (taken in Yukon)

The arctic bee, Bombus polaris, manages to hibernate during the long cold winter. These big, fuzzy bees emerge early in the spring.
The Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game has an interesting article on B. polaris. 

University of Fairbanks (UAF)

I visited the University (UAF) up on the hill on a few occasions. Once, as a change, I thought I might try the university library, but that turned out to be a big bust in every which way. This is kind of a funny comedy of errors...

Even though it was inter-session (no school), parking restrictions were in effect. Which was fine. I went to pay my parking fees (all of a dollar for four hours) and I found out from talking with the people that the machines are new. Instead of individual parking meters, you can either pay through an app on your smartphone, or you can pay through a centralized machine. Well, my phone is too old for the app to work, so I tried to pay through the centralized machine, along with everyone else. There was quite a lineup of us, and everyone was grousing about the "new system."

In the library, which is a big, multi-floor building, I found a nice space to work next to an electric outlet. I got the computer out and tried to log on. No luck. None of my devices, phone, computer or tablet were finding the wifi server. In some frustration, I went up to the help desk and asked how to get online. Seems like I wasn't the only person who'd had trouble, as the nice gentleman who helped me knew all the tricks, and I was soon on the system.

HOWEVER, since I was a guest and not affiliated with the university, wifi was agonizingly slow, like being back on a 256k modem. Much as I liked the longer open hours, it just wasn't worth it. So I left after 3-1/2 hours in order to leave the parking lot before my time was up.

Only to find a ticket on my car. This was getting to be ridiculous. I took off for the campus police station to complain, putting in another 25 cents into that parking meter (there were parking meters in front of the police building) so that I wouldn't get ticketed again! The handsome police officer there said they didn't have anything to do with parking fines, that I'd have to go to the bursar's office to get it cleared up.

Fine.

Since I still had ample time on my 25-cent parking meter fee, I walked back down the hill to the bursar's office. And stood in line. I was the only person there, with two people "helping" at the window. The first person was busy with something, the other person couldn't see me in line because of a big wooden post that obstructed her view from seeing anyone in line, which was a pretty effective barrier to any customer service. I finally walked back and forth, making harrumphing noises and eventually got her attention.

I had the parking receipt which showed that my time was good until 2:11pm. The parking ticket had been issued at 12:53pm, over an HOUR before my time was up. I presented my clear evidence, and she pounded the two pieces of paper together and said she'd take care of it.

I guess it isn't the first time that the new "system" hasn't worked. I hope they get the bugs worked out before school starts in the fall!

Fairbikes at UAF

On the way back to the car, I calmed down and was happy to see that it's a really bike-friendly campus, with bike-only lanes and plenty of bike parking.

There is a "Fairbikes" station (turns out the bikes are NOT free), but it's still cool that they are here. Turns out there are currently 50 bikes around town that can be rented for $5 per hour ride, and returned to the same or a different station. The program opened to much fanfare last year; I'm not sure how it's working.

I also saw a "bike repair station" — sort of a tall umbrella-looking thing with bike tools (wrenches, etc) attached with rubber hose, so that if you needed something to fix your bike, you could use it.

The bus system is also pretty good, and FREE for seniors! Awesome!

Errands

I had a number of errands to do: N0MAD needed her 20,000-mile servicing, so I got that taken care of at the Kendall Toyota dealer (had to take the bike off the car so it would fit in the service bay), and got to know the north side of Fairbanks a bit.

I wanted a kuspuk pattern, so that led to a happy treasure hunt to local fabric stores. Material Girls was a place that I'd heard of at the Fair, since the store sponsored one of the award-winning quilts. Their building was an attractive classic log cabin with wide porches designed to resemble the 1906 Fairbanks borough library. Their fabric stock was pretty much limited to cottons for quilters. It is expensive ($13/yard), and nothing was on sale. I beat a hasty retreat.

Northern Threads was a gold mine not only for quilters, but for textile artists of all kinds. A VERY dangerous place, since they had fabric, yarn, embroidery and art supplies. Turns out that $13/yard IS the going price for good quality cotton here in Alaska. Yikes. Quilting can be an expensive hobby here. They did have the pattern I was after, so I did get it, along with some Alaskan trim for the kuspuk, and a "fat quarter" of some fabric printed with fireweed. I have no idea what I will do with it, but I'll think of an Alaskan something.

A "Peeps" great horned owl

This store features Alaskan/Northern goods, so if you want moose anything, this is your go-to place, but I resisted getting anything else. They also are an outlet for artists to sell their wares, including knitted, quilted, appliqued, stamped, dyed or stuffed items.  One of the most adorable items (that I did see in some other places) were "Peeps," which are handmade stuffed birds, suitable for ornaments or other decorations. The woman who designs them, Stephanie Rudig, pays particular attention to the fabric she uses for each bird, and the care that she puts into each one is quite evident.

They also sell kits. And qiviut. Like I said, a dangerous place.

You can tell that the people in Fairbanks are creative folks, because the city also supports a Joann store and a Michael's. Prices are higher here, too, but since there is no sales tax, actual out-of-pocket expenses might be about the same. At least it helps. I could tell myself that, as I spent some time in each.

I can't help it, I'm a craft junkie, and love doing projects. It is one of the things I miss when traveling. Drawing has been fun, but there are times when it's difficult to find something to draw that won't wilt. Getting consistent light has been another problem. Although I've taken photos (and indeed have a backlog of things I'd like to draw from those photos), I will have to wait until I either have good electricity to draw them from the computer, or a printer to print a reference photo.

Kettle pond on UAF trail

Things to do

Letterboxing and hiking did get me out to some interesting places.

There is an extensive trail system that's maintained by the UAF. Dog-walkers, runners, and just folks out for a walk use these trails. After the continuous rains, they tended to be a bit muddy. Water-logged might be more descriptive. Swampy might be even better.

"Kitchen Garden" at the Princess Lodge

It's always interesting when you get out for a hike. You just never know what you're going to find. For instance, on one of these walks, I found the UAF archery range!

Some letterboxes I still haven't found, but even if I haven't been successful at finding them, it's still a fine excuse to get out and go somewhere you might not go ordinarily.

For instance, I would never in a million years would have gone to the pricey Fairbanks Princess Lodge, but they did have beautiful grounds right on the Chena River. They had well-kept gardens, including a wonderful "Chef's Garden" with vegetables and herbs that it looked like were actually USED, since some were ready for picking, and new plants were being put in place. It was lovely.

Also on these excursions, it's evident that the weather is changing.

Blueberries and cloudberries are finished and hard to find. Other berries — bunchberries, crowberries and high- and low-bush cranberries — are ripening fast, and getting fat and juicy. Chokecherries are also getting big and shiny.

Rose leaves turning brilliant colors

In the city, birch leaves aren't turning color so much as just shriveling and turning brown; I'm just a little bit disappointed in the lack of color, but rose, fireweed and high-bush cranberry leaves are turning scarlet and gold.

It seems all the natural world is in a mighty rush to finish with the business of growing, fruiting or otherwise going to seed before winter sets in.

Sandhill cranes again

I stopped by Creamer's Field several times during these past couple of weeks. For awhile, I didn't see any more birds except the ever-present Canada geese, and counted Fran and myself lucky that we had seen them when we stopped by here earlier in the month.

But on one mid-day morning when I stopped to see if anything was happening, I was treated to the sight of HUNDREDS of cranes. There were so many birds there, it was amazing that they could even find a place to land!

Hundreds of cranes (this was only a small portion of the field)

It was wonderful to take the time to watch their behavior. They were feeding, preening and just looking around (above). They were walking, strutting, and stretching their necks up and calling. Some would occasionally leap up and down and flap their wings. And sometimes there were discussions between birds that didn't look quite friendly.

It's thrilling to see these large birds flying so gracefully, although they aren't quite as graceful when they land!

Sometimes they just look silly!

There was one fabulous day where I did a hike up on one of the UAF trails, and could hear the croaking of the sandhill cranes as they were flying by.

It was kind of an unworldly, prehistoric sound. The next Jurassic Park foley artists should take note!

Since UAF is on a hill, you actually can look down on the birds flying. It's magical to see their broad wings above their rounded bodies, long necks and feet stretched out in flight.

They take off  in pairs or groups, croaking constantly to each other. They wheel around, settle down onto a field, then all take off again. They seem to be everywhere, not just at the wildlife refuge.

It used to be that I couldn't tell the difference between cranes calling and geese honking, but now I can readily tell them apart.

I will long remember that day, hearing the cranes calling.

I did take some video of the cranes. I'll give the links here; I'm not sure that I want to embed the YouTube videos. I would appreciate some feedback on how best to offer these (embedded YouTube videos, embedded Blogger videos, or YouTube video links).
- Sandhill cranes walking
- Sandhill cranes pecking
- Geese and cranes flying in
There are some other videos there, but //disclaimer// nothing is edited for sound or anything else. Video editing is a whole other arena I don't have the time to get into, now, but it's fun having the footage for the future.

Birch Hill ski trail

Dragonfly on high-bush cranberry leaf

Birch Hill

I spent one spectacular Sunday up at the Birch Hill Recreation Area. I was actually trying to find a letterbox and missed the turn; it turned out to be a fortuitous mistake!

Because it is so close to the city center (less than five miles away), it's used a lot: in the summer by bicyclists, hikers, dog walkers and "disc golfers." Despite being popular, it doesn't feel overused: the trails don't have ruts, the vegetation underfoot remains springy.

In the winter, it's a nordic ski area. The summer trails are cleared ski trails, so they are broad, grassy and not too steep, which makes them perfect for bikers and hikers.

Of course, the hills around Fairbanks are not steep anyway!

It was one of those days that I never wanted to end. The sky was crystal blue, it was warm in the sun and cool in the shade, with just a light breeze to keep things interesting.

 It was quiet and peaceful.

There were joggers and a few walkers, some with dogs, but most without. Just enough people that it didn't feel spooky to be out in the woods.

Birch Hill not a place to get spectacular views — or any far-off views, for that matter, since the only thing you can see is trees.

And mosses.

And lichens.

And mushrooms.

And ripening berries.

Poor attempts at birch-bark and grass weaving

And all the little things that make up a forest.

There were leaves turning gold and falling to the earth in the occasional breeze.

I walked, sat in the sun, tried weaving some birch bark and grasses.

I now know why woven birch bark has never been used much for clothing or even mats.

Although it looks like it would be an appropriate material for weaving, the stuff I'd gathered was actually quite frustrating to work with. It doesn't tear in smooth, even strips, but in smooth, long flags that decrease in width. That issue can be accommodated (by alternating strips), but it's not very flexible, and the flaky bark keeps shedding.

Much as I love the look and feel of birch bark, I'll try using it for something else!

Weaving grass

Grass was more successful, but is not very strong, either. I did like the decorative seed heads (panicles?), although I recognize that it's not very practical!

I'd be curious to try other natural materials — spruce roots are reputed to be strong and supple — and could see getting into basket making. There is something that is very satisfying about gathering natural materials and making something with them.

I have since found that the part of "birchbark" used in most work is not the outer papery part, but the strong, soft inner part — one craftsperson likens it to leather. But what's missing from these instructions is how to get the bark off the tree in the first place! I've found some oblique references to harvesting in the spring or from cut trees. I'd like to know more.

Slate rocks and birch leaves — a drawing to finish!

Links for future research:
- Tlingit basket making
- A UAF video from 1959 on making a container. Amazing what you can learn from YouTube!
- How to build a canoe

I started a drawing here, too, but the afternoon was light was changing too fast, and I'd neglected to bring my small black pencil, so I couldn't get the rich contrasts between the shadows and the shiny slate highlights.  I'm just including the photo so I can try to finish the drawing sometime. Aren't the leaves beautiful?

People & Activities

I haven't been going out of my way to meet folks. I'm not a bar-hopping gal; don't like beer and don't need the company. I've just been so happy to be able to do things that haven't been a priority in the past: 

- Reading has always been a leisure activity for me. I've kept reading as a special treat for myself — in fact, I confess that one Mother's Day, when asked what I'd most like, I said I'd like a few hours to myself to curl up in my favorite armchair in the sun and read a book (no kids)! Disappearing into a book or listening to a story brings me back to the escapist literature of my teen years, and the options available now for reading are impressive and wonderful. You can download almost any book you can think of. I've even found the "Lensman" series by E.E. "Doc" Smith that I so enjoyed when I was young. 

I understand the irony of being in a fabulous place and just wanting to read, but there is a balance here! This is not "vacation." It's life on the road.

- Drawing enables me to see the world in a different and precise way. When drawing, I have to notice the way a plant's leaves radiate from a stem, the structure of a rock, or the way light hits an object. Colors, values and textures need to be examined before they can be put to paper. I'm fascinated with composition (photography helps with this), and the way a chosen medium is applied onto paper.

- Beading: I've been inspired by the Athabascan work that I've seen on this trip, and really, really want to try my hand at doing this again. I've done several beading projects (a silver rose for my Larkspur Centennial "Rosebowl" dress, some knitted beaded bags, and some bracelets), and I'm eager to do more. I saw a beaded eagle on a hairclip at the Tenana Valley State Fair that I really liked, but I just couldn't quite handle the $25 price tag when I think I could do it myself. I've gotten some leather scraps to work with, but need a reliable space to spread out to work. I haven't figured out how to do this in the car yet!

Aack. What was I thinking?

- Knitting: I've needed a project that I can do in the car that doesn't require a lot of setup or small parts that can easily be upset or lost, or that can be accomplished with less light, so I'm revisiting knitting. In the distant past, I've done quite a number of varied knitting projects (sweaters, children's clothes, hats) in different techniques (fair isle is a favorite) and materials (wool, acrylic and cotton) and and have liked it more than crochet, but I needed a refresher. (I'm sorry to say that I'm terribly embarrassed during my last fling with knitting, I learned I had been doing it all wrong! I'm working on a lace pattern now, which is forcing me to pay attention to which way the yarn and the needles go — there's not a lot of room for error!) I'm learning what a "lifeline" is! I'm also thinking about qiviut... and what I might do with it, if I bite the bullet and purchase some!

So doing things has been my emphasis, rather than being social. That's not to say that I haven't been friendly, I've just not gone out of my way to make friends on this trip. It's just not been important. 

But I have talked with a few people.

- There was the grizzled older guy in the parking space next to me outside Fred Meyer. I had done a bit of grocery shopping and was messing around with putting things into the icebox. 

Icebox note: This is a little bit complicated: in order to drain the water, I have to turn the icebox; in order to turn it I need to move the "ready" food bag so that it isn't in the way when rotating the icebox back into position. The water jugs (contained with bungee cords so they don't fall out when the door is opened) also have to be moved out of the way so the icebox can be tilted so the water can drain out the drain hole without flooding the inside of the car! 

He came over to put his cart away, and nodded to me. He then espied the Yeti. Now, you have to realize that men have sincere and profound Yeti envy. The few men who have seen the inside of my car have all remarked on it. "OHhh... you have a YETI!" It's universal and has gotten to be almost funny. 

He peered in the car as he relinquished his cart and as I fussed with the icebox. "Oh," he said, "You have a Yeti! That's about a $300 icebox!" I said, "Yes, I know!" and then went on to tell him that it wasn't just an icebox: it was a table, bench and step-stool all in one. That broke the ice, and we got to chatting, and he introduced himself as "Chief John." He'd been here in Alaska for 50 years. He mentioned that he had property on the Tenana ("...right on the river..."), and that he loved it here. n fact, he said, "If food didn't go bad, I'd never come to town." He'd only come this time because he had a doctor's appointment. "Fool thing, this," pointing to his foot, which was encased in a bandage. Nodding to the kayak, he asked if I'd been on the river, and when I said, no, the current was too fast, and I didn't trust myself on it alone. "Strictly a lake boater," I said. He nodded sagely, and said, "Yes, that water is really cold." After a bit more chit-chat, he asked hopefully, "No dog?" I chuckled, and said, "No, with the type of traveling I'm doing, it just wouldn't work," but that I'd had dogs in the past. He had what looked like a Boston terrier in his truck, and another at home. "Well, I'd better be going off... you don't need anything do you?" It was a lovely small conversation, and embodies the friendliness in people that I've met here.

- There was the nice lady who was in charge of the Creamer's Field Visitor Center. She actually was talking with someone else, stopped talking in mid-sentence, and said, "Oh!! I love your French braid!!" Turns out she was actually Dutch (the second person I've met up here from the Netherlands). She's been here for about seven years, but leaves during the winter; typical of the seasonal residents here. People often work two (or more) jobs to get by.

- There was the young boy (maybe 8-10 years old?) in the library. He was getting a drink of water; I was filling my water bottles (a daily ritual). He nodded to me, and said something about "...it's higher." I must have looked puzzled, because, he repeated a little more clearly this time, "This one's higher." (There are two drinking fountains in the library, I was using the lower one, which is presumably easier for little kids to reach.) 

I replied, "Yes, that's okay." 

He said, "I fill mine here, too. I'm so poor that I can't afford new bottles." He went on to say, "They say you're not supposed to refill them more than a few times, but I just keep doing it."

I said, "Me, too. I've been refilling these for a long time, and they seem to be doing just fine."

He went off into the night, leaving me to think about poverty and the strange synchronicity that poor people are those that are most likely to recycle and live frugal, environmentally-sound lives.

This brings a comment about cars and property here in Alaska. 

The Alaska economy is not doing well. The oil boom is winding down, and even though there is more oil in the North Slope oil fields, it's a diminishing resource. Opening up oil exploration in other areas of the Far North is politically difficult.
It is expensive to ship things here. It really is a frontier. There is no way around it. If something breaks, there are three options:
(1) let it be
(2) fix it creatively
(3) fix it properly (but costly)
I have seen more examples of (1) and (2) here anywhere else that I have been. Cars and trucks look like they've been through a destruction derby. They are dented and rusted, with cracked bumpers and windshields. Duct tape and cardboard keeps out the worst of the elements (I suppose in the winter, the cardboard ices up and thus creates a pretty hard covering, sort of like a portable igloo.) Sometime people want to get things fixed, and have the money to pay for it, but the proper parts just aren't available.
Read more about the Alaska economy

Cabin and cache near downtown Fairbanks

The same goes for property. There are quite a number of cabins here (lots of examples in Pioneer Park) that are over 100 years old.

Some are surrounded by "junk" — it's easier and less expensive to leave something that might not work than haul it away, and, where are you going to haul it anyway? And besides, something from that old tractor, car, or sofa might come in handy when you have to fix something else.

Of course, that's not to say that everything is a junkyard, but Fairbanks is definitely a bit rough around the edges. There are potholes in the streets, peeling paint, and abandoned buildings (some boarded up and some not).

There are also exuberant gardens, new construction (hotels) and a few big, fancy SUVs.

Definitely a land of contrasts: in weather, vehicles and economy.