spring, another change of season..the spice of life in the northland

whether it's spring or fall. changes in our weather bring a host of activities to the north land. spring is my favorite season.
but i can't really pick one.
the imminent season seems to always be my favorite. change being the common denominator, eagerness is the energy
i look forward to calling geese, 24 hours of daylight, making a fire in my yard,
an open door on a warm afternoon  the with a hot wood stove allowing the sweet smell of thawing sawdust to come in and remove the stuffy winter. and yes even those pesky mosquitoes join the party. it doesn't matter, besides the first ones are stupid anyway.

however i equally look forward to fall moose camp, hanging meat, signs of bears dening up, and lumbering RV's leaving our roads.

spring means icles growing on the eaves,

a crust on the morning snow,

winter birds active and plentiful,

dog racing teams testing their winter long training on the most difficult races in the world,

village families working in their yards cleaning and getting the BBQ and fire-pits ready for the first warm evening.

men working on their river boats and motors in anticipation of breakup.

our village swells with pride for the high school basketball team, hosting visiting teams from other villages. enthusiastically renewing a friendly competitive home spirit. years from now those same young men and woman "squeaking" up and down the court will recall as adults the nenana invitational tournament, who won & lost, where they stayed, and what a good time they had. surprised to discover," oh you were there too?"

and spring is an opportunity for everyone state wide to gamble on nenana.

this tower  will be attached by a line to a tripod on the river ice.  all designed to trip a clock recording the hour and minute the ice moves out.

many people state-wide will buy a chance to guess the date, hour, and minute the ice will go out on the tanana river.  the winner(s) take home a pot that's consistently around $300,000.  begun in  1917 by  alaska railroad works o pass time. the nenana ice classic has become an Alaskan icon and signals the unofficial start for the summer season.

 with the ice gone, people can travel easily between villages. the first boat ride is a time to check the ice damage from breakup. to find how the channel has moved. sandbars disappear and reappear below the next bend or stretch. a good time to update your mental files, reboot the brain and prepared for the work and heat of summer.

spring also means excitement and celebration. Fairbanks, a short 50 miles or one hour north of nenana, hosts the north American world championship dog races, a 60 mile, 3 day sprint can be very exciting especially as the warm spring weather becomes a player affecting dogs and trail.

this is also proxy season for the annual meeting of the for-profit doyon,limited. coincides with the native non-profit, the tanana chiefs conference full board meeting. many nenana people travel to take in these events. not unlike a major social event of the year. lots of village people travel. conferences/carnival being a good opportunity to see family and friends after a long winter.

the woods too become more active. the winter birds flock and make their rounds together. little tidbits of food start to show through melting snow, long lost evidence of the past winter gatherings. once puffed up and protected against the cold, they are slim and trim. warmed by a bright low spring sun as they fly without their parkas.

soon much larger birds will come here. once there's water along the river. the ice and snow gives way to patches of ground. i eagerly await for the last big major snow storm of spring. this is the signal and weather upon which geese and cranes arrive in huge bands, calling and circling. descending to the bounty that is our homeland.


frogs will wake up when water starts building in the lake. they will without delay start to sing to their sweetheart all night long. meanwhile cranes will follow the swans. the first to arrive, swans are also the last to leave in the fall. each patch of water, beach, or grass will host flocks of birds dancing, eating, and singing for their love. happy days.

the first batch of mosquitoes is a huge lumbering aggressive nuisance, bringing times of plenty for small birds and frogs. everyone and everything has it's place in our home. caring for this place is the gift we give our children. our spring is a renewal of life and a promise of better times to come. we borrow this homeland from our children.

so what can i say about our spring season? it's one of my favorites till the midnight sun arrives. home sweet home.