Thursday, July 21, 2016

Palmer, AK - Horsetail Falls, the Spirit Houses and Huge Veggies

Very interesting day today: a waterfall and Spirit Houses. First the falls since it was not raining - yet - and we expected it to start any time. This is a popular hike since it is so close to Anchorage and the trail is wide enough for a marching band.
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Good hike through a forest up to this falls. Very pretty.
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Next we headed over to Eklutna where the Eklutna Village Historical Park is. Eklutna is a small village which integrates Orthodox religion with native Dena’ina Athabascan ways of life. In front is a small church with the traditional copper-colored onion domes topped by the three-barred Russian Orthodox cross.
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In back is a cemetery where the Spirit Houses of the Dena’ina cover each grave. It’s an interesting combination of two cultures but it works.
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Originally the Dana’ina cremated their dead but, when they converted to Russian Orthodoxy in 1836, they had to adapt their practices to the Orthodox taboo of cremation. Thus was born the practice of Spirit Houses, places where the spirits of the dead could go for 40 days until they make their final journey.

When a person dies, following the Orthodox tradition, the body is buried but then a blanket is placed over the grave rather than flowers. Then a Spirit House, decorated with bright paints and carpentry is placed over the blanket 40 days after the burial to house the spirit of the deceased and their possessions. The fancier - the wealthier. Some have fences, some have windows, some have cupolas. Many have things around them that the deceased liked. The one for ‘Grandma’ Julie Jones on the right actually has two Coke bottles amidst the flowers.
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The colors of the paint reflect the clan or family that the dead come from.
We wondered why the Spirit Houses looked so bedraggled and uncared for.
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But that is part of the tradition. Once placed, they are allowed to go back to nature, since the spirit needs them no longer. Here’s one that has almost succumbed.
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In the Eklutna Cemetery, around 100 spirit houses cluster near the edge of the woods, sheltered by birch and alder trees.

Most of the houses are like long, low boxes built over the graves. They have peaked roofs, usually with a board like a cockscomb that runs along the ridge. The boards are cut into fancy patterns, like Victorian gingerbread.

Some have a Spirit House within a Spirit House - these are for mothers and children who died.
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But, here is the fanciest Spirit House, for Marie Rosenberg who died in 2003. It’s a 4’ high two-story building with a red tin roof that glistens in the rain. You can see how big it is by comparing it to Gary. (BTW - if you haven’t guessed: it’s raining.)
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Originally, only Greek Orthodox could be buried here but now others can also. We particularly liked this grave stone - a moose with the favorite hat of the deceased on its head.
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Inside the Church itself is a beautiful altar.
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The old church, which was built around 1870 is still on the grounds and is one of the oldest log structures in the Anchorage area. It is used as a museum now and inside are some icons that date back 200 years.
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Here is St. Nicholas for whom the church is named.
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Next we headed into the town of Palmer to visit the Palmer Museum of History and Art which has a garden out side and a bit about the world-record holding veggies that they grow here. Here’s a sculpture with some of them in it - at their original size: a cabbage, a carrot, a rutabaga and a cucumber.
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Here is a chart about the record sizes.
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But you’re probably asking as we did, why can they grow record vegetables here - in Alaska with such a short summer. There’s a chart about that too.
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But, how big are the ones they grow in the garden here? Equally as big.
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Inside I enjoyed this painted VW hood.
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And we also enjoyed the small museum which covered lots of Palmer history. - Next blog.

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