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Around Alaska's Mat-Su Valley with Pam Holen
May 7, 2008
Our local “snowbirds,” the mallards, have left for the summer. Snowbirds are usually retired Alaska residents who have second homes in warmer climes – Arizona, Florida, Hawaii. They spend summers in Alaska and winters where down-filled parkas are not the norm. Mallards winter on Cottonwood Creek and I am clueless where they spend their summers. Their constant chatter can be heard whenever we walk down the road towards the culvert. The creek leaves the lake swiftly, traveling through the culvert and around the bend. It rarely freezes. The mallards need the open water so spend their winters huddled on the creek. The eagles spend their winters hovering above the huddled mallards – free lunch. When the mallards leave, the eagles have to work for food. If you bring your very small pup when you stay with us, use a short lead and keep looking upward.
The ice is going out and should melt away within the next few days. Our west lakefront gets the most action in the spring with eager boaters checking out their gear. I haven’t seen a river boat but this past weekend kayaks and canoes were paddled around the small area of open water in front of our home. It is rather pathetic – reminds me of a large swimming pool. But, open water is open water. Alaskans are like children - winter toys aren’t even put away before the summer toys are dragged out for play.
Palmer’s Friday Fling starts this week. There will be a BP music series in June and four food booths. Friday Fling was established in 2002 to promote downtown Palmer as a shopping destination for locals, visitors, and tourists to gather and to promote community and economic development with downtown Palmer. The public is provided with quality produce, crafts, and entertainment – across the street from the Palmer Visitors Center. I always buy sturdy plants for the garden and produce not grown in my gardens.
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