No, We Don't Live in Igloos

I think Alaska must be pretty foreign to some people. I get a lot of questions such as "Do you eat a lot of fat?", "How do you handle 24 hour darkness?", and the best question of all "Do you live in igloos?". I will try to answer these and other good Alaska questions the best I can.

First of all, we shop for groceries at Safeway, Costco, Natural Pantry, and other similar grocery stores. Yes, we do have most of the same foods that are available Outside. (For a detailed explanation of the term Outside, see my previous post) Plus we almost always have that great Alaskan salmon that Outsiders beg us to bring them.

Now, about that 24 hour darkness. Well, Alaska is a big state that stretches across many latitudes. You will have to ask someone from Barrow or Kaktovik how they deal with the darkness. I don't know. Where I live, we get about 5 hours of daylight on the shortest day of the year. And on December 22ND, we start gaining five minutes of daylight per day. Before long, we have lots more light than you Southerners. In fact, one of the things I missed the most during my Southern stint was the summer midnight sun. So, I ask the same question of you "How do you handle the darkness?". I mean really, it gets dark at 9:00 PM instead of 2:00 AM.

Now to answer the question about our humble homes. Are they made of snow and ice? Well, if they were, they would melt in the summer! No, most homes in Alaska are typical stick frame construction. Granted, we sometimes use glazed double pane windows and 2X6 rather than 2X4 construction so we can stuff in extra insulation. With such long cold winters, energy efficiency is important.

All that being said, for a little while Tim and I will have a somewhat atypical living situation, for the city of Anchorage anyhow. Nearly 30 years ago my grandfather built a one room + loft log cabin on the land behind his house for my mother and I to live in. I grew up hauling water and wood for the two wood burning stoves-one for heat and the other for cooking. Going to the bathroom then was kind of like it is in India; As you like. Later a large deck, lean to closet shed, and an outhouse was added. Finally, much later, two straw bale rooms, a grey water drain field, simple plumbing, and a hot shower were added. But the outhouse remains. And I can positively guarantee you that there is no snow and ice included anywhere in the construction.