In 1967, I was 11 and we lived in Anchorage, Alaska. I remember loving that state. Everything grew big and plush and it was so pristine. I was fascinated by Earthquake Park in the city. It is where the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, with a magnititude of 9.2 (the second largest in recorded history), rocked the city and swallowed up whole skyscrapers. When we were there, they had left the park just as it was, with great hunks of earth in upheaval. It was pretty a pretty powerful testament to the fury of nature.
One of the first things we did when we moved there was to go to a saloon with sawdust and peanut shells on the floor and in the corner was a man dressed as an old gold miner. He performed The Cremation of Sam McGee, and it has been a favorite of mine since. Here it is being performed by the great Johnny Cash:
Another crazy memory of our time there was going to the Alaska State Fair in 1967. It was held in Palmer, nestled in the great Matanuska Valley, which was roughly an hour north of Anchorage. We loaded up the station wagon and drove, singing our family songs and eagerly anticipating the greatness of the day that lay ahead. All the rides! All the snacks! All the entertainment! As we neared, questions ricocheted through the car by the 5 of us children. There was speculation galore.
When we arrived, we pulled into a muddy driveway and felt the exquisite letdown of dashed dreams. There before us was a stand with a very portly cabbage and a pumpkin that looked like it has been on steroids. There was a cow. And a Ferris wheel. And a cotton candy stand. The rest is all a blur from the tears that filled my disappointed eyes. We made the best of our time there and I've seen pictures of the fair in its more mature splendor today. Quite a change from the meager offerings in 1967.
When we arrived, we pulled into a muddy driveway and felt the exquisite letdown of dashed dreams. There before us was a stand with a very portly cabbage and a pumpkin that looked like it has been on steroids. There was a cow. And a Ferris wheel. And a cotton candy stand. The rest is all a blur from the tears that filled my disappointed eyes. We made the best of our time there and I've seen pictures of the fair in its more mature splendor today. Quite a change from the meager offerings in 1967.
Going to school in 1967 in Alaska was insane. Girls were not allowed to wear pants to school, but we could put them on under our dresses. We just had to take them right off once we got to school. We walked and sometimes the windchill would be 25 below, so every part of us had to be covered. It took copious amounts of time to unbundle and then bundle up again when it was time to go home.
Being a kid was tough because of the long days of summer and short days of winter. During the winter, we went to school and came home in the dark. There was only about 3 hours of daylight. However, the worst part was summer when there was only about 3 hours of darkness. As a kid, it seemed so unfair to have to go to sleep when it was still so light out!
We did get to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, a few times though. That was brilliant!
Being a kid was tough because of the long days of summer and short days of winter. During the winter, we went to school and came home in the dark. There was only about 3 hours of daylight. However, the worst part was summer when there was only about 3 hours of darkness. As a kid, it seemed so unfair to have to go to sleep when it was still so light out!
We did get to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, a few times though. That was brilliant!
Everything grew large up there, due to the lusciousness of the soil. One time we went picking bog blueberries. They grew wild and rampant, much like this author, and we picked buckets of them. My poor mother had to get very creative with these blueberries. There were preserves made, and pies baked, and syrup canned, but there were still blueberries. So she found this recipe for cookies. Blueberry cheddar cheese cookies. When you read about my epic culinary failures, consider my upbringing. Now, my mother is a GREAT cook, but these cookies were evenutally used as paperweights and doorstops. They were repellent in every way.
And now, for the best part of our whole stay there . . . MOOSE TURD JEWELRY! Yes, moose droppings are very uniform in size and shape, much like rabbits', and they take them and shellac them and make beautiful jewelry out of them. My mother had a pair as a souvenir. Had, being the operative word. Someone with an incredibly inquisitive nature had to bite into one to see if it was real. I was 11! Give me a break!
And now, for the best part of our whole stay there . . . MOOSE TURD JEWELRY! Yes, moose droppings are very uniform in size and shape, much like rabbits', and they take them and shellac them and make beautiful jewelry out of them. My mother had a pair as a souvenir. Had, being the operative word. Someone with an incredibly inquisitive nature had to bite into one to see if it was real. I was 11! Give me a break!