These are things that come to mind when I think about Fairbanks. First, Alaska has the highest rate of private pilots per capita. It makes sense when you know the topography… so many places are accessed only by plane or boat or dog sled in the winter! This state earns its moniker of “the last frontier”. My dad got to fly in a super cub float plane (that’s a 2 seater built in the 1950’s I believe) with a friend of ours. The airport has a float plane area where folks moore their planes. On any nice weather day – you see lots of small planes in the sky. Pilots of all ages – I’ve met guys in their early 20’s with their licenses up to folks in their 70’s. It really is part of the fabric of travel in Alaska. The ratio of female to male pilots is small, but growing. (Forest Ridge girls – think about it!!)

My dad about to have an awesome ride!

The second thing is Sandhill Cranes. (Grus Canadensis) These birds are magnificent. They stand 3 feet tall and can have a wing span of 6 feet.  During September they migrate from their nesting grounds in the northern tundra to Texas, the southwest and Mexico. During September 200,000 cranes pass through the Tanana Valley – many of them landing here in Creamer’s Field in Fairbanks. I was there the other day and the field was littered with cranes and geese. For those of you who want to know more or geek out on the science of these cranes, here is a link. They are actually lesser Sandhill cranes that are specific to Siberia and Alaska. They have this very unique mating dance where they hop and flap their wings when they meet. It’s quite amusing! I have had the pleasure of witnessing this on the north slope in 2014. I couldn’t get very good shots close up or of them flying so I have included a few from a few other websites.

The third thing that stands out is the northern lights. The last week here has been clear weather with blue bird skies. The nights have been clear and cold (in the 30’s which is actually mild by Alaska standards), but most importantly the sky has been getting dark. It takes until 11 pm… but then the magic happens. Last night they were dancing above the house! They were pulsing waves of light green that move about in the sky. They were shifting and curling, dissipating in some areas only to reappear in full force somewhere else. It was my first taste of the northern lights. They only get better as the winter progresses. I couldn’t capture them with my camera…. Frankly the experience was too amazing to disrupt trying to photograph it. For a quick explanation of the Northern Lights click here. The photo below is from this website and it is similar to what I saw! If you have more questions check out this site.

.Aurora