The light is returning. It’s one month after the solstice and I now can head home at 4:00 p.m., in the light. I soon will be able to leave the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel and get home by 5:00 p.m. and have enough time to ride.

I left the hotel at 4 p.m. today and returned home to tend to the animals because Pete and I were going to Wasilla, to eat at Nonna’s and to hear Eric Howk of Portugal The Man do a solo guitar performance. Interesting, I was not at all concerned about driving – and didn’t ask Pete, who was at the hotel, to go in my place. I just went.

I remember when I bicycled everywhere. And I quickly realized when we moved here that I would not be bicycling everywhere. This is a huge loss. I hope (there’s that word again) that this changes in the near future.

I need more time to recreate, and this includes horseback riding. This reminds me – I had a dream last night that a riding instructor moved close to where I lived – I was living in a large, wood frame house. I liked where I lived and I liked having the option of having lessons. I decided that I’d ride Tyra.

This was what I called a close to the surface dream, one in which it was close to something that I was wanting.

We got home late. I did not work on the Shelf Life proposal today – I really didn’t have the time. I did have my math lesson – I am still working on learning fractions. I still have not gotten the big picture when it comes to addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and division of fractions.

Interesting, I gave information so that I could sign on as an Alaska Literacy Program student. The questions I was asked, such as, what is your highest level of education? And are you receiving any government assistance? Made me realize that there are people out there who have not had the opportunities in life that I have had.

I did get lucky. Oh, one of the volunteers showed me a key pocket chain digital camera, yellow and red, in the Kodak Company colors. It was a miniature camera, like a camera shrunken down. Seeing this, I was reminded as to what it was like growing up in Rochester, NY, a town that was comprised predominately of Kodak workers. I did not end up there, although I could have. I did have family connections. Me, I could have ended up like my Aunt Margret and Uncle Mac, spending my adult life working in the dark room. Ya know, I didn’t even ever ask them what they did.

They had a Noxzema Skin Cream jar on a kitchen window shelf. I was told this was their pension.

Seeing this camera got me thinking that when I finish Shelf Life, I’d like to write a book about Kodak, some of its history, and some of my family history. I could get most of the information here, but then I’d need to go back to Rochester for a while. Obviously, more than just a thought.

Next: 21. 1/21/26: More Daylight