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January 18, 2022: Short Days Growing Longer

The days are growing longer, so we now really are on the flip side of winter. The solstice is now almost a month ago – it seems like yesterday that Pete and I went over to Becky’s place and celebrated the solstice, the light returning, the flip side of the time prior to the solstice.

Today I met with Amy and Tracy who work for the Mat-Su Valley Health Foundation. And Logan came and took 35 minutes of video footage.


We met in front of the Vagabond Blues bookcases. Logan was in the background. Logan was video taping us – we were very much aware of this. I had not told Amy or Tracy in advance, so they were a bit surprised. We were the entire time “on” – I don’t think it would have been this way had Logan not been there.

I was very thorough, extremely so. I talked about every facet of the project, using the bookcases as an example. We continued with the tour, going upstairs and downstairs in Vagabonds and then over to the Valley Hotel, then over to Turkey Red Restaurant. I introduced everyone to Alex, the owner of the restaurant – she was very uncomfortable and not up for being videoed.

We then went over to the Meeting House, and I showed the pair the set up. They had to have been impressed – it was hard to say. Sheila who cleans the books came in early – I had told her to come at 1:30 p.m. This threw things off a bit, but then these kind of things are to be expected.

I talked with Logan for a bit after Tracy and Amy left – we both thought the session went well. He even offered to stay and take footage of the sorting, cleaning, and categorizing. I suggested that he come back another time.

I am a little nervous about his jumping into the fray before we have grant money to pay for his work. I should be a bit more optimistic.

It is looking like the Knik Tribal Council is going to let us use their 501(c)3 to send books to villages. And Rachel Miller, who is a professor at Alaska Pacific University, is very interested in our locating the portable building on Spring Creek Farm property. Both things are pieces of a puzzle. The puzzle board is in place. The pieces just have to fit.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sorting books in the library room. Sheila, Lois, and Nan cleaned the kids’ books and got them organized for distribution. Had two visitors, one woman came and got Spanish/English dictionaries, and Sharon, who I met last week at Carol McNamara’s party, had her grandkids pick out books.

I am now driving the SAAB again, so I am now more mobile. Snow is in the forecast, so I am not sure how long I’ll be on the road. Tonight, on the way home, DGNPNY did fishtail.

A full day. I am now very tired. Tomorrow I am going to spend time with my animals, horses included.

Next: 19. 1/19/22: Mother Nature and Cage Fighter

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