Oh, how my little black heart beats passionately for this day! The worst of my times in the foster care system were during the summer equinox, and until I get the frontal lobe lobotomy I’ve always wanted I’ll be stuck with memories of roaming the empty city streets in the midnight sun, homeless. So it makes sense that the opposite of that is my favorite holiday. And what an interesting holiday it is! It’s the only one I know of that is dependent on the sun, and only really appreciated at extreme latitudes.

I left the cabin just after noon and made the short walk down the road to the musher’s hall, where a young girl beamed at me outside as she said “happy solstice!” Hell yeah, sister. That just elevated me into elation as I scoped out the trails and sun-filled field along the musher’s hall.

Then a squadron of F-35s boomed overhead, reminding me of the present state of things. Well… that was predictable. With all the sabre-rattling with Russia, the military bases around here have become a series of hornet’s nests. I’ve never seen them so busy before, but if shit really hits the fan then I suppose Fairbanks immediately becomes a front-line city. Not that I’m intentionally being dramatic, but I get why there’s so much activity. Soon the squadron and the sun have traveled beyond the horizon though, and I’m back enjoying my darkness fetish in silence. A few dog teams came and zipped by under the vesper sky. Hmmm… given all my car troubles, it might be easier to just get a dog team and mush around town.

Solstice in the Long Dark

Tired Iron

Freezing Eclipse