Weather, News & Entertainment from Kenny Lake

Alaskans love their music!

3rd Annual
Music Between the Ranges
July 17, 18, 19, 2009,
11 mile Edgerton Hwy
Kenny Lake, Alaska
www.musicbetweentheranges.com
www.betweentheranges.com

One of the things that hooked me on Alaska when I came up in the 70s was all the great music. Most nightclubs still had live bands (in the age of disco), there were lots of piano bars and honkey tonks (I was a can can cutie at the Palace Saloon in '79), and in the summer there were glorious outdoor music festivals. The old Solstice Festival in Fairbanks out on Chena Hot Springs Road and the old Talkeetna Bluegrass Festival were my favorites. Both events drew musicians from all over the state and the quality was consistantly top notch. Even after the mainstages shut down you could wander from fire to fire and listen to the small groups of pickers who played all night long. Of course most events eventually went big time, became over organized and their Alaskan hometown charm faded, but here and (somewhere up near Healy) the tradition of low key, music lover's festivals is making a revival. I didn't go the last 2 years, but this year I get 2 free tickets to Music Between the Ranges because I'm going to help with their advertising and websites!

What happened to our summer????

Big winds all day yesterday and it was the day I set aside to finish the roof and walls on little gertee. Made for a challenging makeover but I finished most of the exterior coverings by midnight when it got a little too dark to see. Insulated and covered the entire western wall (no window) and made the eastern wall completely screened and covered it with cut pieces of canvas I can roll up (if it ever gets warm here again). I'll get partial morning sun through the trees and have shade in the afternoon with a nice breeze flowing through ... I am dreaming of 80 above!

Outside temperature at 3:00 am

Took the inside thermometer outside,
had to see if it was really 20 degrees.

Gerteeville update

Gertee prototype at 3 am this morning.
Trimmed the new roofcover and installed the woodstove

Fred makes sure insulation is properly installed

Mini flower arrangements

Fresh wildflower mini bouquet

Dried and hairsprayed wildflower mini bouquet

Miniature willow basketweaving

Anika stopped by to see if we want to ride her horses.
She's always looking for riders if that sounds fun to you!
She stayed to show me how to weave a mini willow basket.

Starting is the hardest part because you slice the stems
and have to weave branches through the holes.