Trailer Wife

It is a GORGEOUS day in Fairbanks. 50 degrees, crystal blue sky, no wind. The air is crisp and smells like pinot gris to me... Fall.

Gus and I took a trip to Creamer's Field today, which is a swath of land that once held the largest dairy in interior Alaska, and now serves as a migratory waterfowl sanctuary. It's a place for serious bird watching and there are several stair-mounted platforms for people to perch at bird-level. It reminded me a lot of Finley Wildlife Sanctuary in Corvallis, a place Sam and I only discovered in the last few weeks of our Oregonhood.

It has been a tough week for me. Alaska (and more importantly, Alaskans) is not always the most welcoming place. I see community here, but I get the impression it takes a long time to burrow down through the various layers of social insulation. Creamer's Field, with its cheerful and insistent signage, friendly dog walkers, and beautifully thrown shadows, made me feel a little more at home than I felt yesterday. So, progress.