Opinion: ARCTICULATES

By: Certainly Uncertain about being Certain

Ahhh, Remember when talking about the weather was a good thing? It was a nice icebreaker between complete strangers. It was a great way to start a discussion, when there seemed to be nothing else to talk about. It was a safe subject that everyone had an opinion on, and it also could be the one thing that two people that never agree on anything, could agree on, or agree to disagree on.

Not so now!!! If you say “How about this weather? The response will almost always be what I will from now on call “the look” which is a head slowly shaking back and forth with downcast eyes and a sigh and groan in the voice saying, “I can’t believe all this rain, wind, smoke (Smoke is also part of the summer weather here in Delta, and if you live here long enough you will understand why) too hot, too cold, cloudy, dry,” etc etc.

And if you happen to be a “see the glass half full” type person and always try and see the good of it by saying, “Gee, the sun will do the flowers and gardens good”, the response with “the look” will be, “Yeah, but it brings the bugs out big time, so who has time to enjoy it with all that swattin”, or “I am housebound when the sun is out; don’t want to take chances with the big C”, or maybe in trying to find a bright spot, you might say “I’m glad that we are getting the rain, I don’t have to worry so much about how dry it’s getting, and about fires starting, endangering homes and lives”. The response will be “the look”, with the added brows pulled down, and the “how could you be so cruel” expression on the face, while saying “Don’t you know how many wildfire fighters are out of work, and will starve this winter from lack fire fighting paychecks?”, or “What about the farmers, they won’t be able to get their crops in if this weather keeps up!”

With the rain we have been having almost daily, I have overheard some saying “this summer will be short, so we better get ready for a long, long (the second long is said with “the Look”) hard winter” or, “summer? What summer? Doesn’t look like we are going to have one this year”, or “If I wanted to live in a damp climate I would be living in Seward or ___”. I have yet to hear a positive response, like: “Wow, have you noticed how green and plush the plants are? Or, “how amazingly clean and fresh the air feels when the rain lets up? Or, just how awesome those clouds look on our big, expansive, clear blue skies, as they build up, and darken up, just before a lightning and thunder show, with pelting rain?”

I do have to say my lungs are in a real quandary on how to behave, because of the last two summers with dense smoke from the wildfires, that covered a good portion of Alaska, it feels strange this summer to breath deeply now without that “little cough” at the end. It is also nice to view the beautiful mountains nearby, and see their majestic definition with sharp clarity, that is usually missing from the wildfire smoky haze, summer after summer. I do realize that some people depend on the income from the wildfires in Alaska and it is ecologically good for the land, but one summer of less fires and smoke is actually nice. Now, if we can just do something (now I have the Look) about those pesky insects that are messing with our trees and greenage. After a long winter of white, grey and dark browns colors, the various shades of greens and the wildflower colors are soothing for the eyes. It seems a travesty to have insects feasting on the green leaves destroying the color we cherish, summer after summer after summer…

Editor's note: This was submitted as an opinion article. The author wishes to remain anonymous.