June in Fairbanks is a juxtaposition of sensations.  On one hand, it is warm, sunny, green, light, growing, alive with birds, animals, life, all the things you missed during a winter in Fairbanks that lasted almost 7 months.  On the other hand, it is prime mosquito season, wildfires are ramping up with smoked smothered skies, and you can’t sleep because there are almost 24 hours of daylight causing you to be fried as you try and work 24 hours, running a chainsaw, building something on our place, trying to cram multiple projects in before it turns cold again and the ground freezes or you are tired from just staying up with friends talking the ‘night’ away.  Awww, June.

 

My day begins usually at about 6:30 am, doesn’t matter if I stayed up until 1:00 am because it is still light out. I roll out of bed, sleepily walk past my kids’ room, they currently all share a 6’x8′ bedroom, all three of them, and ask them to be a bit quieter since their Dad is sleeping (he’s a teacher and on break), and wander my way outside. Now, I’ve got to admit I’m the type of person who could sleep 10 hours a night, every night, and be happy, that hasn’t happened in 7 years, sigh. I don’t like to wake up early. Early for me is before 9:00 am but, years of working as a biologist studying songbirds,  songbirds that wake up with the sunrise (in Alaska that is 3:15 am) has made me appreciate early mornings.  I don’t want to wake up, but once I’m up, I love the early mornings. Some people use a morning shower to wake up, me, I use the early morning outside air to wake up.  It’s quiet outside, nobody is asking me questions, nobody demanding anything, it’s peaceful, brisk, fresh air time. I love it. I wander through my chores listening to juncos, kinglets, robins, warblers, and newly fledged Gray Jays singing the dawn chorus.

 

I have my routine, check the new baby chickens or turkeys inside the chicken house, feed and water as necessary, turn the eggs in the homemade incubator, say hello to the chickens and wander up to the garden.  Throw a handful of sunflower seeds and grass/weeds to the turkeys and mosey over to feed my meat rabbits.  Pet my cat on the way by that has wandered up to the garden to say hello.  Often times I wish I had stopped to make coffee but if I did my kids would demand breakfast as only 5 and 3-year-olds can and I’d lose my alone time. I feed and water my rabbits, kiss the four-week-old rabbits in the face, they’re very sweet and check on the new babies that were born. Feed the insatiable 8 weeks old family of meat rabbits and pause.  Look at the view for a few minutes. Pull up a couple of weeds out of my pea bed on the way out of the garden.  I then go and set up my ‘Egg for Sale’ sign at the top of the driveway, bring the cooler up with chicken eggs and ice and set it up underneath the sign. Pause again to admire the view and then go inside. No surprise there are three hungry kids waiting for breakfast.  My day begins…..