February fun

                It’s still winter in Alaska.  Some of us fall into that state of mental and emotional hibernation.  You know, where your eyes take on a hypnotic, zombie-like stare, and your lumbering, dreamlike, from place to place, bundled against the -20 degree wind-chill, snarling grumpily at anyone who disturbs your one delicate emotional princess of a nerve who is waiting for her prince… the sun.

                Like cocaine addicts, we chew down bottles of vitamin D tablets, looking for that happy high.  We lay in tanning beds and pretend for ten minutes that we are somewhere in Mexico.  We also take a supreme interest in beverages, specialty roasted coffee beans and home-brewed ales can inspire an hour or more of fireside chat.

                However, Alaskans have learned to stick out the long dark winters.  We can be quite creative and festive: Music concerts, winter sports, lively restaurants and holidays abound from November to March.  Because it’s so dark and cold, we do not hold back on fireworks, bonfires and merry-making.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are just the beginning.

 In February, we celebrate Fur Rendezvous with races, exhibitions and big big minor/trapper themed parties.   The trapper ball is a tradition evolved from the Alaskan pioneer days, when courting habits were reminiscent of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  Furry wild men came down from the mountains and forcibly collected their blushing brides to take back to the wilderness.  No bicycle built for two, no June wedding, just dapper handsome primal beasts, dragging womenfolk to their dens.  These days, we have evolved to ball gowns, hors de ’oeuvres and Champaign, but the rugged spirit is still there.

Fur Rondy also includes downtown festivities like ice sculpture contests and running with the reindeer – not as big or wrathful as bulls, but they have bigger horns and swifter legs.  The humans dress up in their clowniest costumes -some don't, as illustrated by the one picture we were able to find-, and then they invite the obliging reindeer to join them on the jaunt down 5^th avenue.  No danger, no foul, no animal rights activists.

We also enjoy snowshoe softball, a frostbite footrace, sledding, skiing, snow giants and beer-guzzling contests.  Some will take a polar bear plunge into Goose Lake, and some will have a toastier time inside the Performance Arts center with Mr. Whitekeys and his history of Alaska Show.

Then, like civilized city-folk, we get up on Sunday morning, warm up the Subaru, and we head on over to Marty’s for bagels and coffee.  We open up our laptops and begin the blog of the week…