September in Alaska - by Lynn Lovegreen

By mid-September, summer is going or gone in Alaska. Depending on location and the weather, we might have the last gasp of summer, but we all know that’s all it is.

The days are crisp and there’s a definite chill in the evening. The sunsets are noticeably earlier. But if we’ve done our job right, we’re ready.

(See Sandy Shacklett’s post from Aug. 29.)

 http://www.akrwa.blogspot.com/2014/08/getting-ready-for-winter.html 

The freezer is full and the firewood is stacked. We can enjoy the fall. 

Autumn is the time to settle in and enjoy the great indoors. If you’re into crafts, reading, other indoor hobbies, you can indulge without feeling guilty about wasting the daylight, missing out on camping and fishing and all that stuff. 

The kids are back in school, the summer to-do list checked off (or dumped), and it’s time to relax a bit.

Of course, with this group, it means more time to write. Fall is the time to finish that draft, start the new book, learn that new writing program you’ve been dying to try. 

In my case, it’s finishing the research and getting the draft whipped into shape. I’m looking forward to it!

Enjoy your September, whatever that means in your neck of the woods!

--- Lynn Lovegreen

 The Alaska Marine Highway

Summertime is the perfect season to tour around Alaska. It’s (relatively) warm and the waterways are open for travel. Whether you’re a tourist on your once-in-a-lifetime trip or a local on a short outing, the Alaska Marine Highway, or ferry, is for you.

As the name suggests, the ferry system substitutes for highways in Southeast and other regions where it’s not practical to build roads. You can travel inexpensively through beautiful scenery and see a slice of Alaskan life at the same time.

 Locals use the ferry for regular transportation: school sports team games, cargo shipments, doctor appointments. It’s slower but cheaper than air, and sometimes more reliable. And Alaskans like me use it for work and pleasure. I’ve taken the ferry from Whittier to Valdez and Cordova for my job, adding a little tour time while taking care of business (with my employer’s permission, of course). Recently, fellow AKRWA writer Lizzie Newell and I took the ferry between Juneau and Skagway to attend the North Words Writers Symposium. Inexpensive and inspirational, as you can see from the photos.

 Next time you’re planning a trip to an Alaskan town, see if the ferry goes there. From Akutan to Angoon, Ketchikan to Kodiak, the Alaska Marine Highway is there to serve you. Check out their website at www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/.

Photos from Alaska Photo Library, Alaska Dept. of Commerce, Community and Economic Development; AMHS logo by State of Alaska

Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. She taught English for 20 years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys reading, hanging out with friends and family, and hitting targets with a cowboy action shooting club. 
Her young adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. 
See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. 
You can also find her on Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Her novel Fools Gold and novella Worth Her Weight in Gold are available through Prism Book Group or your favorite book vendor. Her next book, Quicksilver to Gold, will be released in August, 2014. 

Alaskan Celebrities

Alaskan Kikkan Randall is poised to win Olympic medals in Nordic skiing this year. (Nordic is cross-country skiing, as opposed to downhill skiing. It’s a big sport in Alaska.) Actually, she’s one of several Alaskans on the Winter Olympics team, so we have a good chance to cheer for an Alaskan on the podium. Kikkan is one of our state heroes or celebrities, which got me thinking how some of our famous Alaskans may be different from celebrity locals in other places.

Many of our celebrities are in sports. There’s Kikkan and other skiers like Nina Kemppel, Holly Brooks and Tommy Moe, and snowboarders Rosey Fletcher and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof. Every Olympics we have at least one competitor in riflery like Corey Cogdell and Matt Emmons. We even have a few Alaskans in “regular” sports nationally like hockey (Scott Gomez), basketball (Carlos Boozer) and football (Mark Schlereth). And I’ve written about the Iditarod before--common mushing celebrities include John Baker, Martin Buser, DeeDee Jonrowe, Jeff King and the Seaveys. (The son won last year, and dad won this year!)

But celebrity isn’t confined to sports. We also have a certain famous couple who started out as a Wasilla politician and a sportsman--Todd first got our attention by winning the Iron Dog snowmachine race. (I won’t go any more into the Palins--Alaskans either love them or hate them so I need to tread lightly here.) And our politicians are often celebrities--we’ve had so few state governors that any still living are adopted as elder statesmen.

We have a few reality shows set in Alaska, and if you’re associated with one (ie. captain of a certain crabbing boat) you’re also well-known here. I have to admit that I don’t have cable, so I can’t say much about those shows, but they bring us some celebrities too.

And we’ve been fortunate to have some great writers; many of them contribute to the AKRWA blog you’re reading now. I’ve written about authors quite a bit, especially in October for Alaska Book Week, but I have to mention the late John Haines, who is probably the poet that first put us on the literary map. And we have many novelists like Eowyn Ivey and Don Rearden who are getting national attention now.

The cool part about Alaskan celebrities are how accessible they are. Most of them are nice, friendly people who are in the community. We’ll see someone in the movie theatre or wherever and recognize them, smile and maybe say hi if it seems like a good time for it. Often we’ll make introductions at an event and have a real conversation. For example, between my dad and I, we have met a majority of the current state politicians. Some we know well--I went to high school with one of them, and with the wife of another. In the sports world, I have a friend who knows Scott Gomez. My husband used to work with Jeff King, and we’ve both talked to Martin Buser. I had John Baker’s nephew in my English class one year. And of course I’ve met many of the Alaskan writers. It really is a small world. One advantage of living in Alaska--the connections we make. Even with “famous” people.

--- Lynn Lovegreen

Johnny Ellis and the Lovegreen Family

(Some content used in previous post on www.lynnlovegreen.com)

Winter Solstice 2013

To Alaskans, solstice is a big day. Our lives revolve around the environment,including the changes in weather and daylight. We notice how much sunlight we gain or lose each day. We celebrate the longest day of the year. My daughter had her wedding on that day this summer. On the shortest day of the year, we look forward to the return of sunlight.

People have been observing winter solstice since Neolithic times. This blog has hosted previous posts about the history, so I'll be brief this time.

The Saami, the Romans, and the Celts had mid-winter festivals that led to many of our winter solstice and Christmas traditions. There are also traditional celebrations on or near winter solstice in Pakistan, East Asia, and Mali, just to name a few. Many of us recognize it as a time of rebirth and renewal, or welcome good luck into our houses at this time.

The short days give Alaskans an excuse to stay inside and cuddle up in front of the fire. Some of us do extra reading or other indoor activities. Winter solstice is a good time to reflect, think about the past year and make plans about the future. While I'm not thrilled with cold weather, I do like the opportunity to wrap up the year and acknowledge my loved ones.

My husband and I are hosting a winter solstice party on December 21st. We'll celebrate with family, friends, good food and drink. To all of you, good wishes, wassail, and hoping you have a great winter solstice, how ever you celebrate this time of year!
--- Lynn Lovegreen

Lynn's first novel, FOOLS'S GOLD, was just released and can be found on most of the popular book sites. Check it out!

www.amazon.com
www.bn.com

Autumn in Alaska

The fireweed has gone to seed. The weather has turned rainy.  A chill has replaced the warmth of the sun. Red and yellow are creeping into the green foliage. Summer’s over, and it’s fall in Alaska.

The salmon fishing is down to the last of the silvers, and the berries are all picked. Kids are back in school, and the State Fair has finished displaying giant vegetables. But it’s not all bad news. My old friends the ravens are back in town. I can dig out my favorite sweaters and fleece vests. And it’s writing season.

Now, I know writers should write all year long, and I do. But I find it easier to write this time of year. In the summer, the sunlight beckons me outdoors and there’s so much to do that can’t be done at other times. Those excuses go away in the fall, and friends and family stop inviting me to barbecues or outdoor activities. It’s okay to sit with a cup of tea and stare out at the rain while I think of the next book plot, or hammer out a scene on the laptop. We Alaskans allow ourselves to hibernate a bit in fall and winter. So it’s the perfect time of year to write.

 

What about you? Do you find it easier to write at certain times of the year?

Lynn Lovegreen writes young adult historical romance. Her first Gold Rush book will be published with Prism Book Group this December. See her at Facebook, Tumblr, or www.lynnlovegreen.com.

Alaskan Writing Events

We are lucky to have two large gatherings for writers in Alaska every summer. Here’s some information for those of you who keep thinking “I’d love to go to Alaska some day,” and need an extra incentive to book those tickets. :-)

 

The biggest writing conference in Alaska is Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference, set in Homer, Alaska.

(photo of Kachemak Bay by Lynn Lovegreen)

KBWC is sponsored by the Kachemak Bay Campus of Kenai Peninsula College, part of the University of Alaska Anchorage system. There are always excellent workshops led by writing instructors and other writing professionals. Plus, they have a nationally-known keynote speaker every year--this year’s is Naomi Shihab Nye.

I always learn a lot from the conference. But my favorite element is the camaraderie. No matter how much experience you have, whether you’re published or not, you are part of the writing community. I feel comfortable talking to everyone there, and it’s great to be surrounded by fellow writers.

 

(This year’s dates are June 14-18; check for space available.)

See more at:  http://writersconference.homer.alaska.edu/ 

A similar atmosphere is found at the North Words Writers Symposium in Skagway, Alaska.

(This year’s dates are May 29-June 1st.; check for space available.)

I haven’t been to that one yet, but I hear it is a smaller gathering that has workshops, plus more in-depth discussions and memorable events in and near Skagway. This year’s keynote is author and environmental advocate Kathleen Dean Moore.

Check out their website at:  http://www.nwwriterss.com/
 

Alaska’s scenery is inspirational enough, but combining it with a writing event is a heady experience. If you’re thinking of coming up to Alaska in the summer, why not time it so you can attend one of these? Bookmark these sites and make it part of your plan to come up, whatever year your Alaska adventure takes place. And don’t be shy about introducing yourself to your fellow attendees--you may have connected with them already on this website! :-)

Lynn Lovegreen writes young adult historical romance set in Alaska, and her first book will be published by Prism Book Group this fall.

Check out her website at:

 www.lynnlovegreen.com 

 

 

PFD application time again!

 What is the PFD?

 In 1976, we passed the constitutional amendment to create the Permanent Fund, like a savings account for the State of Alaska. The state gets royalties from the oil companies for the privilege of taking oil from our state lands, and they are deposited in the Permanent Fund. Governor Jay Hammond and others promoted the idea of a Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD), when each Alaskan resident gets a slice of the Permanent Fund to spend as he or she chooses, to share some of the wealth directly. (There are a few requirements: to qualify, one must be a resident for at least one year, live in Alaska the majority of the year, etc.) The first dividend was sent out in 1982, and each year the dividend amount varies because of the royalties earned, how the fund’s investments, did etc. Last year, the dividend amount was $878. Many Alaskans use it for day-to-day expenses or save it up for big purchases, and others use it for fun things like travel or fourwheelers. PFD money contributes a lot to our local economies, and you’ll see “PFD specials” ads every fall, to encourage folks to spend their money there.

 What’s happening this time of year?

 Alaska residents send in their PFD applications January 1st through March 31st, so this is the time of year when everyone is asking each other, “Did you apply for the PFD yet?” and nonprofits advertise the Pick.Click.Give. program.

The Pick.Click.Give. program allows Alaskans to contribute part of their dividend to organizations of their choice. In 2012, 23,169 Alaskans donated $2.2 million to more than 400 nonprofit groups. It’s easy to pick from the list, click how much you want to give, and then when the dividends are distributed next October, the groups will receive their donations as we’re getting our checks or deposits. Last year, I picked the Food Bank of Alaska and the Anchorage Library Foundation; I’m thinking of adding Cook Inletkeeper this year, a group that does research and advocacy to keep our Cook Inlet waters clean.

The PFD and Pick.Click.Give. are strictly Alaskan, but I bet other locations have easy ways to contribute to organizations they care about. The United Way campaigns come to mind. Proactive communities are always looking for ways to help people get involved.

 So, did you Alaskans apply yet? Did you Pick.Click.Give.? If you’re not from Alaska, what group(s) would you choose for Pick.Click.Give. or other donations?

--- Lynn Lovegreen
 www.lynnlovegreen.com