Welcome Sun

 

Here in Fairbanks Alaska our sun is just now getting high enough in the sky that those of us living on west facing hills are finally soaking up a few direct rays. We don't ever remember the last day we see it, sometime in November. We sure do take note when it does reach us in early February. I've seen the sun hitting our trees for a week now, just yesterday I saw it shining on the chicken coop and top driveway. I got the kids dressed and we rushed up to stand in it and take a couple pictures. I took one picture of Avery on my back  and here she is, sun and all.

  

 Here are the ladies, basking in the sun.

  

 And there she is, the sun, just barely clearing the tree line. Chana, our family dog is walking along our narrow trail that leads from the chicken coop up to the garden and buck pen.

  

 Here is one of our few flat areas, our future duck pen and where we are planting a few fruit trees this spring.

  

Can you spot Noah?

  

 Noah had run up the driveway on his own as Avery and I were headed down to the house. After he ran back down he stood here at the top of this trail going on for a while about everything he saw and heard: "Mom, did you hear something roar?" "Yes son, a plane just flew over." "No, that wasn't it."

  

 He continued on for a few minutes about seeing lynx, bear and moose tracks. To which I act awed and amazed by his bravery.

 

It was about twenty degrees outside and warm enough that Noah didn't think he needed socks, a shirt or mittens on. I think by now he is getting pretty chilly and ready to head in. I can hardly take my eyes off the sun hitting the Birch trees.

In other news, I've been spending my free time looking for the right incubator, placing seed orders and still trying to finish up my duck order. It would have been finished by now if they had excepted online orders, but since I filled out a paper form, I've been revising it before it makes it to the sealed envelope. Actually I told a friend I was ordering, and she told another friend so now it has gotten more complicated. My order of twenty ducklings has increased to about fifty or so. The hatchery I am ordering from doesn't  raise Pekin ducks and I want to order some meat ducks that are strictly for meat, but I only want about ten. With shipping it doesn't factor out. I might just order another ten Saxony ducks, but I'm guessing they'll take a lot longer to reach the nine, ten pound mark. Decisions. Last night I dreamed I was planting tomatoes. I've been falling asleep thinking of ducks and goat babies, coming in another two months.

With the return of the sun, I always feel re-inspired and energized. Once the sun returns I start considering our still rather cold weather much more Spring-like. We've made it through the darkest shortest days. We are gaining almost seven minutes of sunlight back a day. Our days only get longer, brighter and warmer from here on out, well until mid March we could still see thirty below zero or colder, but it just isn't as daunting when it is sunny out.