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The last few weeks were rough. Teaching, grading, presentations and papers, final exams, random paperwork that for some reason is always due around finals week, cleaning out my office, blah, blah, blah. Despite everything else we still managed to get out a little. Here are a few things to do to put off what you need to do and a few things that just happened over the last week.

(1) Trains: The open house of the new railroad station. We got to tour some train cars, go for a train ride, and buy tickets 2 for 1! We’re riding down to Denali National Park next week.

(2) Spring: is sprung!

Fairbanks is finally turning green again this week. Temperatures are in the 70’s in the day. The mosquitoes are out. It is really spring!

(3) Evening walks at Creamer’s Field: with the Sun setting after 11pm there is no excuse to not get out for a walk. The last of the cranes are on their way north to the tundra, but the evening light is gorgeous on all the birch.

Sandhill Cranes feeding on the grounds at Creamer’s Field.

Flock of Sandhill cranes over Creamer’s Field

Strolling through the Boreal Loop Trail at Creamer’s Field at 10:00pm.

On the boreal forest loop at Creamer’s Field. The Sun is just about to go over the hills at 10:15pm. Still another hour before official sunset.

(4) Just go outside for a minute: this is Alaska.

We went almost a month without seeing a moose after visiting Denali National Park. In the last week I have seen about 7. This one was really good at bending and breaking trees.