The last regular season concert of the Sitka Summer Music Festival is this evening.  It has been a glorious month of music.  The Festival has concerts or events 6 days a week, evening concerts, brown bag lunches, cafe concerts, music based movie nights, a kid’s concert, a garden party concert and a concert on a boat floating in Krestof Sound.   About half the events are free.  The concerts are a delight, with four centuries of chamber music performed on instruments that span five centuries.  June is a month where I know I am exactly where I should be. Thanks to … Continue reading The Sitka Summer Music Festival Ends Today.

When the rain came back earlier this week I had the feeling of fall coming on.  It has been beautiful the last two months, with our long northern days and lots of good weather.  We have been so blessed with weather that I can’t let myself believe that it isn’t autumn already.  But, of course, we are just beginning summer.  A friend told me we are fortunate to live in Sitka because when something normal happens, that is normal for other people, a blue sky, it is a cause of celebration in Sitka.   We have had two months of celebration.  … Continue reading An Early Summer in Sitka

After a 31 year absence, the Carnival came to Sitka over the weekend – not the cruise ship Carnival, but the cover-your-kids-in-cotton-candy carnival. Golden Wheel amusements brought 14 rides, games, funnel cake, and corn dogs. Sitka was ready. KCAW’s Rich McClear sent this audio postcard from the midway. Awesome – This is fun, do it again next year – cool –I haven’t seen a lot of people gathering like this for a long time, very active, good for the community – my kids were born and raised here so they have never been to a carnival before, They’re super excited, … Continue reading The Carnival Comes to Sitka

I started the day telecommuting with places like Tbilisi, Georgia and Washington, DC.  (I am, after all, only semi-retired.)  Mid-morning there was time for a workout on my recumbent bike while listening to Grace play classic rock on Raven Radio.  Suzi, our friend Nan and I, were downtown in time to hear the glorious noontime change bell ringing at St. Michael’s cathedral.  Just after noon we took the few steps into the Centennial Building to enjoy a brown bag concert by artists from the Sitka Summer Music Festival — Bach, Chopin and Dohnanyi.  The glass wall behind the musicians framed … Continue reading A Day in the Life of a Semi-Retired Sitkan (June 5, 2014).