A River Runs Through It…

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time.”
? Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”
-Heraclitus

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.
-Robert Frost

All of these images might be beautiful reminders of the power of nature, were it not for one thing…

They were all close ups of my driveway!

Which in no way takes away from the message that water is a powerful forces as it alters, moves, and flows. But the beauty is somehow lost on me, as I am the one dealing with the shifting muck of a defrosting muddy driveway, fed by the water flow of an entire winters worth of melting snow.

Welcome to break up! Break up, for those of you lucky enough to live somewhere that you do not experience it, and thus do not know what it is, is what passes for spring time. Break up is technically what the rivers do each spring, as the temps warm and water starts to flow, eventually the ice breaks and chunks start moving down stream. This can be a minor spectacle on smaller creeks and steams. But on the major rivers it is an almighty force!

Floods are a real issue in riverside communities. But everywhere feels the wrath of break up. The ground is swollen with a winters worth of snow melt, water is running everywhere. And the world pretty much turns to mud. The Video “Alaska Break-Up Blues in C” is a great collection of break up photos from around the state, well worth checking out.

Break up is not all mud. There are also traditional signs of spring, like Pussy Willows.

Rubber boots, knows as break up boots, become the height of fashion. And the joy of sloshing through (and attempting not to slip in) the shifting sludge and puddles that have taken over the entire landscape is a daily treat. For mushers it is extra fun; done while carrying full five gallon buckets of water, dog food, or *please please don’t let me fall with this one* poop, as we go about our daily regiment of outside chores. Keeping clean in the dog yard is not happening, as super happy to see you dogs decorate your clothing with paw prints and smudges. Quite frankly under these conditions the notion of spring cleaning in Fairbanks is a JOKE! (for the record I prefer fall cleaning, after the dogs have shed and the ground is frozen)

Dan, answering students letters

But we are still keeping busy! I am working on sending thank you’s to all our wonderful sponsors. Each year we are very fortunate to have the encouragement and support of some of the most amazing people in the world, and we can not thank them enough.

And Dan is spending some time personally answering all the letters he received from school kids. He has even started working on his first blog post to share some of their questions and his answers. (coming soon) Each year we get letters and emails from students who are learning about the Iditarod, and we really enjoy them. Thanks to the students who wrote us, and a round of applause to all the dedicated teachers who go the extra mile to make education engaging and exciting.

Of course we are already thinking about next year, and planning, and starting the projects that need to get done to make sure we are ready for next year. Some projects are critical and huge, like making sure we have enough firewood and dog food for the long winter ahead. Repairing gear, and building new sleds. Some projects are dependent on the season, in the fall we will need to put up our winter’s supply of fish, hunt for moose, and gather berries. Some are more fun; *hint* look for Orchid to be making her presence felt on Facebook soon. And some are still in the works, so there should be some exciting news over the next few months. In the Central Yup’ik culture of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta there is a word that describe the feeling well. Upterrlainarluta: Always Getting Ready
*please read more, and see some lovely photos from the exhibit – Always Getting Ready: Yup’ik Eskimo Subsistence, James H. Barker.

Not only do we have a wood stove in the cabin; we use wood to heat the garage, and sauna, and fire the dog food cooker.

Safe to say, we need a Lot of wood for the winter.

Break Up will give way to the glorious summer. Work will continue as we prepare for next winter. The river that has taken over my driveway will dry up and the ground will become firm under my feet again. Do I particularly like break up, not exactly. I hate the mud and the muck, my beautiful fun wintertime is gone. And the wonderful warm endless days of summer are still a ways off. But I respect break up, in its own time and place. It is the change, and life has taught me that change is often an uncomfortable period one must work through in order to fully enjoy what awaits you on the other side.

So I muddle through another break up, secure in the knowledge that this too shall end. A new season will bring its own chances, changes, and challenges. Bring it on, cause we are always getting ready.