Most of October has been spent easing into the Alaskan weather. The days of rain and sunshine have been replaced with rain and darkness. I must admit that getting out of bed, in the morning, in the dark, has been hard.

Oddly enough, whenever I’m heading home, the rain stops. Sitka gets about 86 inches of rain each year. For now, we’re getting the best rainbows. I’m hoping to see more, before my walks home happens in the dark.

While we still have sunlight, I’ve been able to get in a few more road trips around town. Most residents in Sitka live on just 35 miles of paved road. I’m having a good time learning street names. There are fun ones like Alice Loop, Gil Truitt Circle, and Halibut Point Road.

The great part of Sitka is that you can always go up. Most of the Americorps members hike. I’m sixty four, so … nope! This winter, we should get enough snow to ski and snowshoe. Happy to try the latter. My ski days ended, on a black run, at Aspen Mountain, back in the 1980s.

There are some amazing neighborhoods in Sitka and it’s been great fun learning about the different areas. I’m looking forward to the darkness. And, yes, I’m taking vitamin D.

I should be able to “slip and slide” my way to work and home, in the dark, once the ice hits town. —GGT