Jarn’s Journal Year 3 Day 22

This is ridiculous.

I am not a young buck trying to impress the does, though no doubt there will be some at this gather. I am certainly not trying to convince anyone that I am a god – the People (as they call themselves) seem altogether too inclined to believe that anyway. So why am I worrying about clothes?

Worrying about footwear would make sense. My feet have still not hardened to the point I can walk any distance without covering them, though I can now walk for an hour or so in the tanned skin bags I have fashioned. The rest of my wardrobe ….

Well, my ship clothing is past repair. I have the linen tunic and a leather vest that Songbird made me, but they are getting badly worn. My tanning skills are not up to Songbird’s, and nowhere even close to her mother’s, but I’ve managed to tan — sort of – some gazelle skins for breechcloths. But compared to the men of the people, who were preparing for the gather when I visited them early today ….

I wish I could just go naked, the way I do around the shelter. But the people honestly believe that the difference between the People (they think of the word that way) and animals is that the People adorn themselves. Pigments ground from rock and plants, scarification, feathers, beads, shells, finely crafted tunics and breechcloths and even whole hides tanned with the head on. They would be shocked by my nudity. Beside, I would prefer to be as inconspicuous as possible, though my veined eyes and relatively straight hair would mark me out.

At least I think I have found the site, near a lake. Storm Cloud’s group is no more than a day’s travel away, which is no doubt why they have stopped for a day or two of preparation.

I hope they do not take my rather scruffy clothing as an insult.

Farmers’ Market: Fairbanks, Alaska

The Tanana Valley Farmers Market is open!

Writers’ Guild booth

Not for produce – even the greenhouses aren’t producing anything but plants yet. And it’s cold – only a few degrees above freezing when the market opened. But there were lots of seedlings, potted perennial plants. and shrubs. Handmade jewelry, quilted and knitted items, local yarns and hand-decorated clothing were interspersed with jams and jellies, baked goods and candy. Food stalls were doing some business, though many people did not realize the market was open yet, or were attending the parade downtown. (Usually it’s quite a wait in line to get in to the more popular stalls.) Wood items varied from hand-turned bowls to furniture to birdhouses, and ceramics were also on display. And this year the Fairbanks branch of the Alaska Writers’ Guild has a table set up in the indoor part of the market.

Hand decorated clothing

So far we have three authors and six books, but we’re hoping to get more. The authors take turns running the booth – there isn’t really room for more than one person at a time. We’re still working out the schedule, but I hope it will be half days – a full day is a bit much, especially as the building is unheated.

I was shopping as well as selling books, and came home with several basil plants and some pear butter – from Alaska-grown pears, no less! I knew crab apples and lots of berries grew up here, but I have to say the pears surprised me. I’ll have to find out the variety, though I suspect they’re grown in a very favorable location.

Food stalls. The photo was taken while most people were downtown watching the parade. There are picnic tables behind the row of stalls.

If you happen to be in Fairbanks over the summer, come by the Farmers’ Market. It’s on the red and blue line bus routes, and it’s open Saturday 9-4, and Wednesday 11-4. Sundays 11-4 will be added at the end of the month, but only the outdoor canopies are used for that. Not good for selling books.

I don’t know for sure that it’s the farthest North Farmers’ Market in the 50 states, but it must be close to it!