Autumn is quickly turning into something that looks a little more winterish in Ninilchik, AK. I can tell it’s getting colder when cinnamon sounds good in just about anything, and I reach for a toque before walking out the door. Frost now greets my windshield every morning, and forecasts predict temperatures will continue to drop. With mountains all around us, people look to the peaks for signs that winter has arrived. Freezers are chock full of fish and wild game, woodpiles stocked, and propane and oil tanks are filled to the brim.

A quality of imminence characterizes general sentiment while we are on the vanguard of waiting for white fluffy stuff to fall down and blanket the ground. Some of us wait excitedly, waxing skis and snowboards, while others are euphemistically less enthusiastic about all that accompanies the season of winter. It’s true, there is more gear to put on and tote around, it takes longer to get anywhere, and there are days when it just won’t stop snowing and blowing. On days like these, getting cozy with my Kindle and steamy mug can be especially helpful.

There tends to be a lot of hype about life in Alaska from people who have never been here, giving popularity to shows like “The Last Frontier”. I find the dramatization of our “rustic” life is quite humorous, actually. I cannot speak for all of Alaska, of course, but I can say that day-to-day life on the Kenai peninsula - where “The Last Frontier” is filmed - is relatively comparable to most small towns in the United States. Almost anything is accessible within a 60 mile radius, or with the click of a button if one can patiently wait for their package in the post.

I think that there is something substantial about subsistence living and Alaska, though. It’s not that people have to live off of the land anymore, but that many of us choose to do so in one way or another. It’s an integral part of Alaska’s past, and these values have been carried forward to today. I feel a little bit silly writing about Alaskan sentiment, because many people would call me a “cheechako”, or newcomer. I don’t know how long it takes for one to obtain “sourdough” status, but I sure hope that I do some day, and that it won’t require proficiency with an ax!