Spring Awakening

The Matanuska River on a beautiful day in April

Here in Alaska, season change seems to happen in the blink of an eye!

View from the Butte trail near Palmer, AK. (This is about where we turned around.)

 Spring has finally arrived after another long winter. Temperatures are now hitting 50° at the end of April, which has melted a significant amount of snow that winter left behind. I’ve even noticed little buds on some willows! For a while were thinking we would never see summer—it seemed impossible for the cloudy, overcast days to melt the 8' snow banks lining the yard. However, a few bright sunny days has really put a dent in them. 

Sunsets seem to last a long time around the equinox months

This year's "mud season" has been the most manageable yet here on the homestead. The annual driveway pond only lasted for about a week this year, but I still might twist Pete’s arm to get him to bring in some more gravel and fill the low spots once the weight restrictions on the roads have been lifted. I’ve noticed the moose are also relieved that the massive amounts of snow are shrinking. They can move around more and find food and water easily. Thank goodness they are staying off the roads! There were many moose fatalities this year because of the high snow berms along the roads.  ​

Moose still walking on the road, probably out of habit

Lots of food has been hidden away under the snow since October. This moose is smiling.

 At the beginning of the month, we explored the Butte near Palmer, AK and then took a walk along the banks of the Matanuska River. The Butte is an easy hike in the summer, but not so much in early April. There are lots of stairs on the shady side and the snow has sure piled up! The ice on the stairs was so thick that we decided to find something safer to do instead. I think we will conquer the Butte in the summer when conditions are easier for a toddler to navigate. The sunny side was extremely muddy. In fact, the state closed the sunny side trail days later because it needed to dry out otherwise risk extensive trail damage. Later that day we hiked down to the Matanuska River bank. The sun had melted more of the snow there which made it a more enjoyable adventure.  

It was much easier to walk around out in the open where the direct sunshine has been melting the snow pack

 These warm days have encouraged the hens to lay consistently again. Their tasty eggs are the BEST! I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of fresh eggs. In May I will clean out their coop and get it freshened up for summer. We have plans this year to build them a new coop. One with electricity and more insulation. Our 1 year old rooster is also signing his praises of the warm weather all day long. If he keeps this up, he might not be around long enough to see the end of summer! He doesn’t know that the all-day crowing is what caused the last rooster to disappear for good!

Even though they are somewhat smaller eggs, we get one almost every day from each hen

 The warm weather has us eager to get our hands dirty in the garden. Pete planted 1,000 onions and it appears they all have sprouted! We will move most of them into greenhouse #2 once they are old enough to handle the cooler night time temps, away from their cozy heating pads in greenhouse #1. Last fall Pete potted up some cuttings from wild currants, raspberries, and strawberries and after a couple heavy waterings they are all starting to wake up. This summer we will transplant them out into the open ground.  

Almost all of the thousand onions have sprouted

- This month I have been busy making new designs and inventory for the busy months ahead. Wedding season is starting up again and I will be a vendor at a large market in early May. If you find yourself in the Mat-Su Valley during Mother’s Day weekend, stop by the Vintage Market at the Alaska State Fairgrounds to check out Alaskan-made goodies! This includes tons of great food trucks. I love seeing the crowds that come out to enjoy spring activities. If you can’t make it to the Market, you can still show your support by checking out our online store or just sending us a nice message! :D 

Pete made these cribbage boards and salmon cutouts with resin and Alaskan birch that he milled on the sawmill himself. They all turned out beautiful!

Also, a special shout out to our dog, Bear, on his 10th birthday! He was our first dog with an old soul. We love him so much! We celebrated with some outdoor exercise and healthy snacks. #BearDontCare

 Hope your summer plans are all falling into place like ours. Looking forward to waking up to warm sunshine and busy days!

Proudly displaying two custom Alaska themed pieces. It's been SO nice to work in the warm shop!