A collection of essays, outdoor adventure stories, ruminations, wordplay, parental angst, and blatant omphaloskepsis, generated in all seasons and for many reasons at 64.8 degrees north latitude

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Fresco/Cable 2024


Thank you for choosing Fresco/Cable 2024, a blend of new and traditional flavors since 1999! Each wholesome, high-fiber, organic1 day was lovingly grown and hand-picked by members of our own family. From the chill darkness of January 1st to the also chill darkness of December 31st, we selected the very best hikes, theatrical performances, peculiar hobbies, and hilarious pet antics to make this year enriching, satisfying, naturally sweet, and full of crunchy goodness.

Long before it reached your table, this delicious year began at the Fresco/Cable Farm2 in Fairbanks, Alaska with the classic warmth of a roaring fire3, a purring cat4, and an enthusiastic5 sled dog who is always eager to join us on all our snowy adventures. We followed this up with a sprinkling of academic writing, a dash of conference attendance, a soupcon of coding, and a sweet taste of Kokhanok.

Springtime included planting a new driver's license and sowing new ideas and experiences via college visits6. A piquant roster of high school classes, aged to perfection through the spring thaw, were topped with a delectable graduation ceremony in May.

Summer’s harvest featured two fully-grown twins – celebrated with cake and puzzles. At the height of the season, as the abundant wild blueberries ripened in our very own mosquito-infested swamp, we infused our recipe with hints of Greenstar microchips, Shakespearean battles, backcountry tussocks, and the copious droppings of swallow hatchlings.

This fall, we expanded our farm to two new locations in Massachusetts: Amherst College7 and MIT8. This resulted in many memorable new flavors, including Art, Biology, Calculus, Writing About Nature, Writing About Poetry, Chemistry, Physics, and Multivariable Calculus -- always a crowd-pleaser9.

Meanwhile, we continued to offer our more traditional flavors, including UAF, Rock Climbing, Horseback Riding, Marathon Slog, Excessive Snow Biking, Wrenching Political Angst, Why Are You Borrowing a Victrola, and Ten Minute Play About Something Nerdy.

In this cozy10 winter season, we hope you enjoy every heaping spoonful of Fresco/Cable 2024. Write to us to share your own favorite recipes!  From our family to yours, we wish you health, happiness, and a resilient sense of humor. As always, please continue to savor our full range of delicious years, including our upcoming new offering, 2025!

 

1 Not certified organic; 2024 includes pesticides, herbicides, microplastics, unidentified lint, and lost socks.
2 Not actually a farm, despite all the kale
3 It’s a pellet stove, whatever
4 Deeply affectionate, highly opinionated, and allergic to everything, including human dander
5 He means well
6 With huge thanks to Sarah, then and throughout the year
7Slightly farm-like?
8 Most definitely not a farm
9 If you hang out with the right crowd
10 Dark and frigid