Springtime Arrivals

The weather is changing. The change is subtle, but it is absolutely happening. Hints of springtime are officially in the air on the Alaska Peninsula. It helps that the sun is now shining for over twelve hours a day.  Sunrise is at 7:51am and sunset is at 9:15pm. We no longer live our lives in the dark. Instead, we walk to work in beautiful sunrise light, and we even go to sleep some nights with dusk still on the horizon. This newfound daylight has definitely been affecting our daily schedules.

At the beginning of the month, we had visitors to our little corner of the bush. Two student teachers from the University of Alaska came to visit Pilot Point as part of their Rural Practicum program. Our district frequently hosts student teachers, practicum students, and even tutors. They come to us from universities all over the US. However, Pilot Point is not often one of the places where these visitors find themselves. Our larger villages tend to be more appealing simply because there is more to do. Pilot Point, while being a nice little home for us, is also considered one of the more "boring" villages in our district.

With that in mind, I was determined to show our visitors that, while Pilot Point is indeed a quiet village, we are not a boring village. Cody and I were happy to pack as many fun activities as we could into the short week that the student teachers were visiting. We took them for drinks at a friends house, we hosted multiple dinners at our own house, we went for walks after work each day, we explored all of the special little spots in town, we went hiking, and we even had a bonfire in the middle of a frozen lake.

All of this wouldn't have possible three weeks ago. The single-digit temperatures, 60mph winds, and knee-deep snow kept us inside and in a state of hibernation. Thankfully, the sunny days and rising temps that signal the start of spring have officially broken through.

There are a few days next week with snow in the forecast, but it definitely feels like we've begun to turn the corner into spring. The longer days are perfect for adventuring and breathing new life back into everything, including us.

Your turn...Is spring starting to settle in where you live? 
Currently listening to...Head Full of Doubt - The Avett Brothers