Fairbanks, AK

Four hours. That was the total amount of possible sunlight in Fairbanks today. Yes, you read that right. Four hours. It wasn't until about 1:15PM that I actually saw the sun on a trip up Chena Ridge. At this time of year the sun sits so low on the horizon that if you're not high enough in the hills, you won't see it. At our house in North Pole, the sun spent the entire day just below the treeline.

Sunset on the Alaska Range 12/11/2009 3:35PM

Believe me when I say it could be worse. Our northern neighbors in Barrow haven't seen the sun since November 20th and won't see it until January 23rd when it might be visible for a whopping hour and nine minutes. That is if Old Man Winter cooperates. If a storm system moves in that hour and nine minutes could easily vanish. The good news is they weren't completely devoid of light; the moon rose in Barrow today at 2PM and didn't set until almost 10PM. That's 8 whole hours of... moonlight. Let's hope there are some romantics in Barrow.

Fairbanks will continue to lose 3-15 minutes of possible sunlight a day until December 24th when the tide turns and we gain one whole minute. I'll admit that a minute doesn't sound like much, but we'll take what we can get.

“When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness Of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly” ~ Patrick Overton

Praise God, we are ready to fly!

As southerners our world seems to revolve around food. Someone gets married, we eat cake. Someone dies, we take over fried chicken and potato salad. Have a bad day at work? A piece of pie will wash your troubles away (with milk of course). Get promoted? Well, that's a pie moment too or ice cream, or both. In good times and bad and for every emotion, there's a caloric remedy.

A few years ago in the rush of getting ready to host the mother of all holiday dinners we (since I do the shopping Kathy might say I) forgot to buy cranberry sauce for Christmas dinner. Despite the fact that there was enough food to feed Patton's Third Army, the absence of that canned cranberry sauce was a problem. Kathy did manage to find a couple of cans of the whole-berry cranberry sauce way back in the pantry that had been there since the dawn of time, but we're jellied cranberry sauce people and let me tell you, it was just not the same.

Imagine though, that there is no cranberry sauce of any kind, no turkey in the oven, no homemade dressing and gravy, no green bean or asparagus casserole, no sweet potato souffle. As we move into the Christmas season we would like to step out of the kitchen for a moment and remember those who don't always have a full cupboard. Imagine a holiday without all the foods that are a very real part of the season.

Sadly, many don't have to try very hard to imagine it. According to the USDA nearly 50 million people suffer from low food security. Low Food Security. That, of course, is a polite way of saying 50 million people struggle to put food on their table. Imagine that every person in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California did not have enough to eat. That's a lot of hungry people. While we can't feed every one of those, there is something we can do. It's time for our 7th Annual Christmas Dinner Giveaway. We will be giving away a Christmas Dinner Box complete with a Turkey and all the trimmings.

Do you know a friend, co-worker or neighbor that is struggling this year? This is your chance to spread a little edible holiday cheer. How does it work? It's easy. Just go to Christmas Dinner Giveaway and tell us who you wish to nominate and why. Nominations will be accepted through December 13th with the winner being announced Tuesday, December 15th. A copy of your letter will be delivered with the Christmas Dinner Box, unless you specify otherwise.

Sorry, the giveaway is open to Fairbanks area residents only... and working contact numbers are a must. We take your privacy seriously. Your contact information and that of your nominee will not be disclosed to anyone nor you will be put on a mailing list of any kind (unless you ask to be, that is)

Although some were hoping we would see a kindler, gentler Old Man Winter this year, it seems the old boy has other plans. According to a weather genius friend, and confirmed by NOAA, we're going to see record cold temperatures sweep across the Tanana Valley.

Bring it old man.

I could probably live without seeing the mercury slide down to negative 40 and colder. Doing anything outside at those temperatures is just not fun, and can be life threatening if you're not prepared for it. Note: Always be prepared for it.

But, I well remember winters in the 80's where temps in the 40 below range were not a once or twice a year occurrence, but an event that set in around the middle of December and lifted sometime early to mid February... sometimes as late as March. In (late) May 1985, we celebrated my birthday with four and a half feet of snow on the ground. I think it finally melted the second week of June. January of '87 saw us grounded for a week while we waited out a 70 below cold snap at our cabin on the Yukon.

Right now the forecast is calling for lows of 20-30 below through the rest of the week, but if the clouds clear out it's possible we'll see 40 or 50 below. Welcome to life in the Last Frontier.

Now, where did I put that hot buttered rum recipe?

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