You are surrounded by beautiful mountains on every side and every home has a good view.
Cross-country skiing down the middle of the street is commonplace during the winter.
Occasionally you wonder if you could test positive for THC (marijuana) just by walking by certain houses.
The population fluctuates between 1,500 - 3,000, depending on the season and the snow conditions.
Picture taken from: http://www.muni.org/Departments/SWS/disposal/Pages/GridwoodTransferStation.aspx
In a given day, you may have frost on your windshield, wear sun glasses, get rained on, and be comfortable wearing a T-shirt.
"Taking out the trash" involves a dollar per bag, plus a dollar recycling fee, driving to the waste transfer station, and a half-hour conversation with someone you haven't seen for a while.
Picture taken from: http://anchorage.craigslist.org/reo/2049696626.html
An add for inexpensive lodging may include a converted sauna, a motor home, a yurt or a 10' x 15' dry cabin. You know several people who live off the grid, don't have plumbing and heat their homes with a wood stove.
In a given day, you may have frost on your windshield, wear sun glasses, get rained on, and be comfortable wearing a T-shirt.
Picture taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Stevens
People have varied opinions about the late "Uncle Ted" (Senator Stevens), but many are thankful for the extravagant library/community center and post office he helped bring to his home town.
Picture taken from: http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuKoeubzgrdTB2YtLfyE8wbHXk87fDdp2g2zU1TPGARWylqTgkUkvxAmzi
People put their studded tires back on their truck in October.
It's not uncommon to have your car buried in the snow several times each winter.
Free roaming dogs run down the streets day and night. Their owners are nowhere to be found. Girdwood is a dog's paradise.
God makes half the snow, man makes the rest.
Many of the public projects have been built by volunteers (skate park, hand tram, bike path bridge over RR tracks, community playground, etc.).
Your church has sixty people including three sets of twins!
People have known each other for years, but sometimes they don't know each other's last names.
When you ask someone for their home phone number, they may give you four digits (most people have the same prefix, 783-xxxx).
It is not considered rude to stop your car and talk with someone in the middle of the road.
You feel like you have been transported back to a simpler time when people knew their neighbors and prioritized relationships.
Girdwood will always have a special place in our hearts.
....and sometimes you find a moose resting in the backyard. We think Girdwood is a type of shangrila and will always treasure our time spent with you there.
ReplyDeleteIt has a special place in our hearts too....and I think I recognize that buried car!
ReplyDelete