I woke up yesterday morning to grey skies and heavy snowfall. At first it came down driving, mixed with icy rain, when it changed to huge, fluffy flakes that fell at a leisurely pace, like snow in a snowglobe. It snowed all afternoon, accumulating a good five inches here before the clouds finally broke up. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful Earth Day. By this morning it had all melted away, back to the bare mud and yucky soup of the season.
It isn’t unusual for have snow. In fact as far back as I can remember it has always snowed around Earth Day – something which seems to take a great number long-time Alaskans by surprised, which just confuses me. Every year they cry and moan that it’s never snowed this late, when I can remember that it snowed on the 25th last year, and the 27th the year before. Just goes to show you that no matter how dry and warm it’s been it doesn’t pay to take the snow tires off until May. And hey, if you wait the ground will be nice and dry so you don’t have to muck about in the mud to do it!
Yesterday was Earth Day, which leads me to something – not quite a week ago Roz Savage begin the third leg of her journey to Australia. One oarstroke at a time she is rowing solo across the Pacific, attempting to become the first woman to do so. When I first heard her story two years ago she captured my imagination. I find her to be an amazing, inspirational woman – she an ordinary person who found an extraordinary will within herself to do what she wanted to do. When I was a kid I never understood the concept of having a hero. During the time I grew up it seemed like all the rage – everyone had a hero, and I was frequently asked who mine was. Usually I just spit out the first name that came to mind, but now I have a real, actual hero – Roz Savage.
Currently I have her book, Rowing the Atlantic, waiting for me on my bookshelf and I’m looking forward to it – I’m planning to read it as soon as I’m through with the pile of half-read books that are waiting for me. It amazes me how, with today’s technology, we can receive daily updates from someone rowing alone in the middle of the Pacific. Roz is blogging, and posting to twitter, and even records a podcast. For the last couple of days I’ve just left the Roz Tracker open in my browser, checking in on her progress every once in awhile. It puts things in perspective, and gives me a sense of awe and wonder. I’m rooting for you, Roz!