Break-Up

It’s that time of the year again. The time when the days grow longer (MUCH longer, 6 minutes per day added daylight), the snow turns disgustingly black, garbage appears from beneath the snow, the parking lots become a treacherous mess, and everything smells like poop. Yup, it’s that time of the year—“Break-up”.

Panorama of the street. The 6 foot tall snow berms are hard as a rock and black as coal.

Break-up describes the idea that ice and snow are melting (250,000 tons of snow or around 500 million pounds to be exact). For the average citizen, this means that all of the snow cover is now turning to slush, and mini rivers flow EVERYWHERE. All of the debris that has accumulated over the winter (who wants to go outside at 40 below to clean up the yard?) is now coming to the surface. For those of us who have dogs, and God-forbid, dog teams, this presents a special problem!

There are always surprises! One may discover, surfacing, their neighbors' mail, the missing mitten their grandchild lost, dog bones that were the subject of much barking, pacing, etc., children's toys, and assorted articles of missing clothing, etc., etc. Pick-up trucks are a special menace, as many Alaskans use these to store their trash. When the trash carrying pick-up is on its way to the dump station, lots of debris can fly out. There are many surprises as to what can emerge and plant itself in one's yard.

You are looking at a snow pile...with trash

A melting ice covered parking lot reveals many things

Parking lots are like washboards with a foot of ice here, dry pavement there, puddles which appear only inches deep until one drives through them revealing two feet in depth. There is one particularly bad pothole near Fred Meyer. Do not be deceived to think it is but a “puddle” this is the death of a car’s alignment!
With puddles EVERYWHERE it’s the time when children and adults get out their “Breakup boots”. My “breakup boots” are a cute pair of bogs. They are seriously the best boot ever. Good for snow, good for rain, good for life.

Check out the size of those ice ruts!

Parking lot, this giant puddle was over a foot and a half deep.

This...is a parking lot

 Children are admonished not to enter through the front door. They must come into the side entry, the Artic entry, or the attached garage (for those of us to be so fortunate), to take off all offending footware and clothing before they enter civilization. This takes special reminding, but mothers and grandma's are very good at this! Spare sets of dry and clean clothing are kept on hand this time of year!

Dogs are not allowed in the house until they have "dried off". This means that they are shut in the garage, howls of protestation abound, until they are deemed by the lady of the house as safe to enter and recline on the carpet. A thorough toweling is a pre-requisite to entering a civilized home.

There is a river under the ice

Melting ice water flows down the downspout and under the very ground (ice) I walk on.

This puddle may or may not have altered the alignment on my car. YIKES!

This is why you need breakup boots at all times!

A special thrill is the breakup of the river ice. A friend has a break-up party each year. I’m told they all gather on the banks of the inlet for a special party. Ice chunks go floating by. There is a tinkling sound. They barbecue sausages, slug down some beer or wine, place out beach chairs on the banks of the river, and enjoy.

Breakup season is here but I await spring. Spring, like fall, is one of Alaska's shorter seasons. Its length depends on what part of the state you're in; in Anchorage, it often begins in late April when the first carefully nurtured crocuses appear and ends in early June when the lilacs bloom. But for now I am enjoying the many hours of daylight and warmer temps (today 39*F for a high).

Sledding anyone?