Honk

That's it, summer is officially over. Done. Finished. Goodbye!

It's a little after 6:30 a.m. and I'm here at the desk sipping a great cup of coffee. Two weeks ago it would have been light outside but this morning the sun is barely creeping over the Chugach mountain range. The official temperature at Ted Stevens Int'l Airport is 46*, but as always it is a few degrees cooler at my house. I know this because while sitting at the desk reading the morning news I heard the sound that seals the deal, the sound that summer is over and winter is only a few weeks away.

I heard... HONK. Then another, followed by a lot of honks.

Got up and walked over to the deck and saw a gaggle of Canadian geese flying... north. Also glanced at the deck thermometer and saw the temperature, 42*... only 10 more degrees to go until we hit the freezing mark.

To a Cheechako (greenhorn/newbie Alaskan) this may appear strange, but as an older, seasoned Outpost of Doom dweller I know what this means ... it means the geese are gearing up for departure. They're taking test runs and getting all their yearling's wings prepared for the upcoming migration. The geese must practice, must learn their formation routine. The head HONK-O must get his troops in line.

It's a sad state of affairs when birds know better than humans. If humans were half as intelligent as geese every Alaskan would be preparing to join them for the great migration south/ south east. The birds know this is no place to be when winter sets in. That honk I heard this morning marks the beginning of my 17th winter in Alaska.

Goodbye summer... see you next May.