Last vestiges of summer and fall in the Far North
In Alaska the seasons move quickly once the light begins to fade. In a span of a month, or month and a half depending on the year we can slide from a balmy 70-80 degrees, down into the 40’s and 50’s with frost at night. And not long after that you have winter. Which in my book starts at the beginning of October, which is generally when we have the first snow fall that sticks (aka - doesn’t melt until April).
Despite this rather rapid change I am always surprised by the various micro-climates that exist across the state and from one side of a community to another. In Fairbanks for example, in some locations they can grow apple trees, while in some low-lying spots we have permafrost, and surface ice and snow that doesn’t melt until late May. The photo above is a perfect example of this. In most other places in Fairbanks, just about everything was killed off by frost a week ago, and yet down in the center of town, growing out of the base of planter box is this flower. Even near by, just about everything is dead, and yet it perseveres. But winter eventually conquers all, and so it will with this flower.
And they say winter starts with the winter solstice…hah!
