This happens to me every summer. I don’t really want to beat myself up about it, but maybe you noticed that my last blog post was at the end of June? As hard as I try, the summer slips by, and I find myself feeling a bit like the Snowshoe Hare in the illustration above - like I can’t quite spread myself across all of that distance.

The other side of that story is that I’m doing a lot of cool things in person, and often in the backcountry, away from the computer, the internet, and you. Especially when I’m traveling from place to place I struggle with being present. Being present and finding a sense of place to convey with my work is so important to me, so perhaps that’s one reason why I switch my blogging muscles off. It’s easier to be present away from the internet.

I don’t know how much it matters to you that I tend to skip blogging for a month or two every summer. As much as I try not to, I think it’s part of the rhythm of my work cycle. After my time being away and being present all over Alaska, I’m glad to be home. I saw the cranes start migrating when we were in Cordova. Up in the mountains the tundra plants are a rainbow of color. Down here on the Nizina, the leaves are just starting to turn gold, the fireweed is changing, the cranberries should be picked, and all of my garden’s root vegetables are ready to harvest.

We are enjoying a stretch of clear and cold blue sky days, and I’m sure the mountains are going to be white soon. I’ll also be here more soon, sharing my adventures and catching up on the blog. I hope you’ll forgive me for my seasonal migration away from the computer.