Erica Watson

@rickirobin

Writer, reader, knitter, sometimes organizer. Student of climate & shifting seasons. Contentedly discontent. Ghosts of Distant Trees, Porphyry Press 2025 Denali National Park, AK. Part of my heart lives in the desert. she/her ericarobinwatson.com

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Erica Watson@rickirobin· 17d

The One Sunny Saturday coincided with some non-negotiable admin chores so we didn’t get out til late in the day and not very far, but the new snow - call it what you will - remained through the day

A boggy spruce forest, bluebird sky, and dusting of snow on a near-distant mountain

A black dog on a road, trees framing a snow-topped mountain

Erica Watson@rickirobin· 20d

Anyone from #AlaskaSky gonna be in McCarthy next week? Come hang out with me and @pataky.bsky.social!

LIFE ON THE BOUNDARIES
SHORT READINGS - ON-STAGE DISCUSSION - RECEPTION - SIGNING
GHOSTS OF DISTANT TREES
ERICA WATSON
BETWEEN
LATITUDES
Poems
MICHELLE LATVALA
Drawing from their poetry, essays, and lived experiences, local authors Jeremy Pataky and Michelle Latvala, with Denali-area author Erica Watson, will reflect on how they understand and communicate place in their work while living in close proximity to National Park Service public lands.
How does the environment, seasonal rhythms and changing climate, and human history and policy interact to create both belonging and tension in communities?
Join us for an evening of short readings followed by conversation. A reception and signing will follow the program, with books available for sale.
PORPHYRY PLACE
DOWNTOWN MCCARTHY WMC CAMPUS
TUES, JULY 28, 2026, 7 PM

Erica Watson@rickirobin· 23d

Worst-timed fishing trip of my life but for a brief moment the sun came out and I took this nice photo (Cheers to anyone else who was on the Kenai these last few days muttering to strangers “not like last year, is it” whole shivering together in the water)

Taken from in the water, shallow waves rolling onto a beach. A group of dinette’s stand in a line near where the water seems to meet the sky. Nearer to the photographer, a group of silhouetted children. Gulls fly in a line overhead. No one is catching fish

Erica Watson@rickirobin· 27d

“(Biden’s restoration) was a victory for the outdoor recreation-industrial complex, cementing the idea that the tribes’ connection to Bears Ears & what they have to lose frm its reduction are = to those of the industry,just another stakeholder along a firmly colonial spectrum of public land mgmnt.”

Cover of Marketing the Wilderness by Joseph Whitson, sitting in a bed of dwarf dogwood flowers

Erica Watson@rickirobin· 28d

Rich in pathogen-free lettuce

A white woman with glasses with homegrown lettuce sticking out of her mouth

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Jul 9

Got a new oven a couple months ago. It took us like 7 years to actually buy it and get it shipped and installed etc. It replaced an indestructible cheap yellow range from 1979 that will outlive us all but it won’t be pretty. This new one is nice. I’m enjoying it.

Sourdough bread and pizza with sausage, nectarines, greens, and cheese

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Jul 7

not suggesting it's worth a presidential pardon but for the sake of sharing new-to me knowledge about pollution mitigations & impacts: my partner is a diesel mechanic (mostly heavy equipment) for the NPS & I sent him this link this morning, & here's his reply.

There is a system that attempts to remove soot from the exhaust using a diesel particulate filter and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). The fluid freezes below 12 degrees requiring a heated tank in winter. The system has been a continual problem on our machines that use it - especially the dump trucks. It’s a pita. The fluid comes in 2.5 gal plastic containers that last for one tank of fuel on a pickup truck. For heavy engines in equipment we use a lot. The system is a complex assembly of hoses pumps wires actuators filters and special metals that can handle high heat. Repairs usually involve assemblies rather than small parts. All in all, considering the environmental cost and the energy use of mining, manufacturing, and transport, the fluid production, plus the plastic jug waste stream - I would be curious to see if we’re actually saving on anything

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Jul 7

I spent last week as a guest speaker and nostalgic wanderer at Camp Denali. It was nice.

The south peak of Denali in evening sun, clouds on each side, as viewed surrounded by spruce trees. The top of the mountain is reflected in a small pond in the foreground

Denali from a different angle, taken near Eielson Visitor Center, with a wide river bar and foothills visible. A few drifting clouds

A flagpole flying, in order from top to bottom, the earth glad, Alaska flag, and progressive pride flag

An alpine lake reflecting a dark colored mountain streaked with remaining snow

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Jun 22

Still fighting the plague* but celebrating Solstice anyway

A mediocre selfie of a white woman in sunglasses and a visor holding a drink, spruce trees and partly cloudy blue sky behind her

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Jun 19

nonstop moose parade over here…OR: a tour of the stupid number of cars we have right now

Moose mama butt and an uncertain calf, standing over an orange sled filled with water

The same moose walking away across a driveway

Same moose, this time mom’s head is visible. Yet another truck in the background

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Jun 4

Doing a sort of maximalist book event at Denali on Saturday- if you’re in the area you should come! There’ll be tacos and music and a surprise poet and art for sale, information and more!

GHOSTS OF DISTANT TREES SUMMER RE-LAUNCH PARTY
ART &
JUNE 6:
ACTION!
6:30-9PM

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Jun 4

There’s already cottongrass out Stampede Road what

Cottongrass tufts, like cottonballs on thin stems, bobbing in the brown tundra on a sunny day

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 29

I’m having such a nice time

Selfie of me, a white woman with dark hair, glasses, and a lot of knitwear, in front of a sign that says “welcome to bethel, hub of the Kuskokwim, quyana tailuci”

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 24

Aaaand today

Drooping Pasque flowers in the snow. Again.

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 24

Did you know the Latin name means the vague anxiety you hold in your body after the snow melts but before greenup, when it feels uncertain if anything will ever grow in this mud & it goes on forever until suddenly —or no wait, something something about rocks I dunno

Purple mountain saxifrage growing from a rocky outcropping, snow in the background

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 22

For those following along: yesterday I got 4 separate envelopes w 4 cards backdated to the month I applied (AUGUST 2022) & a 5th envelope saying it’s time to reapply. (Again, I’ve had coverage via other means for all but like the first 5 mos of these 4 yrs, but this is the 1st I’ve heard ANYTHING)

4 DenaliCare cards, each dated one year since August 2022

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 20

I’m looking forward to meeting and writing with the writers of Bethel at the end of the month! Join us!

Community Writing Workshop with Erica Watson

Friday,
May 29 5:30 - 8 pm.
@ Cultural Center

In this session, we will spend time reading examples of short nonfiction, writing in community in response to prompts, sharing what comes of those prompts (always optional but encouraged), and talking about techniques for honing our skills.
Participants will leave with some drafts to keep working on, and/or tools for getting started on new projects. Writers of all levels welcome.
Please bring your writing materials of choice (pen and notebook, laptop, tablet), and a spirit of curiosity and openness!
No time commitment is required outside of the workshop.

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 16

What We Do in the Shadows characters on stage with Bernie Sanders, masked in mittens, (5 genders on stage) and a bald figure in the pit looking up at them, labeled #6

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 16

when you realize the friend who lets you copy their homework might be wrong

screenshot of Forrest Dunbar looking at Rauscher's notes with a subtle "wtf" look on his face

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 15

Alright nerds: I PAID for old software that would live on my computer & never touch the internet specifically to avoid this shit. Never updates, never makes suggestions, does its job. Yet here we are. Anyone successfully free yourselves from office? Word-compatibility is nonnegotiable for me.

Screenshot of an email:

We have an update about Office 2019 on your Mac.
Starting July 13, 2026, a security certificate update is required to keep Microsoft 365 and Office apps current. Since you have a device that cannot support this update, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote will switch to view-only mode. You can still open and read all your files, but editing and saving will not be available on this device. Your files are safe.
Office 2019 for Mac ended support in October 2023 and is no longer receiving updates. This means the certificate change cannot be resolved by updating or reinstalling your current software. Your files and documents are fully intact. Here are your options to keep working:
• Use Microsoft 365 on the web for free. Open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in any browser, no installation required. If your files are saved to OneDrive, your existing files open and work just as they always have.
• Purchase Office Home 2024. Check aka.ms/

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 13

Omg finally #denalipasquealmanac

A purple pasque flower finally unfurling

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 13

We visited the takeoff site in Ny Ålesund in 2024, as part of the Arctic Circle residency. I’m not particularly compelled by Exploration Narratives ™️ , but i like watching people look at plaques and sort of mill about imagining. One of my fellow travelers asked I’d been to Teller. I haven’t.

A tower where, as I recall, the airship launched from, on a tundra landscape with arctic mountains in the background. Artists milling around. Not a great photo if im honest

A plaque commemorating the transpolar flight, showing the airship Norge. In the background, the sea and snow capped peaks.

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 7

I do not complain about subarctic snow I do not complain about subarctic snow I do not complain about subarctic snow

Subarctic snow.

Falling in a forest flooded with meltwater.

Wow.
It’s a lot.

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 7

Dropped off a batch of scrappy mitts at my LYS, Polychrome Fibers, open for the season next week 🧶

6 pairs of colorful fingerless gloves, arranged in a circle on snow. 3 of them have embroidered designs on them: a tree, a crescent moon, a mountain

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 6

Little morning update from #denalipasquealmanac I’ve heard they’re blooming elsewhere nearby, but on a hill that’s trickier for me to integrate into my days, so I’ll just show you these little snow covered nubbins for…the rest of our mortal lives, apparently

A single flower bud covered in light snow, growing from a mossy forest floor

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 5

Met Gala discourse got me thinking of this piece I saw at the National Museum in Oslo a couple years ago (actually I never really stopped thinking about it)

A triptych of images resembling mountains, drawn over graphs

MARIANNE HEIER
fedt / born 1969, Norge / Norway
Landscape Landskap
2007
Lysboks / Light box
Kjopt / Acquired 2012
NMK.2012.0131.001, NMK.2012.0131.002, NMK.2012.0131.003
Som mottaker av et statlig kunstnerstipend, fär Heier anledning til ả arbeide pà fuiltid som kunstner.
Engasjement i norsk kunstliv stár sentralt i hennes kunstneriske praksis, og hun pätar seg forskjellige oppdrag.
Inntektene fra arbeidet investeres i norske oljeaksjer.
Lysboksene viser bevegelsene i disse aksjene. Kurvene likner norske fjellandskap, og fargene er hentet fra nasjonalromantiske malerier. Heiers verk trekker linjer mellom oljenæering, kunstproduksjon og nasjonal identitet.

As recipient of a state artist's grant that covers her living expenses, Heier is able to work as a full-time artist. Since casual employment is central to her artistic practice, she spends her time odd-jobbing in the Norwegian art system instead of working in her studio. In this project she invests her earnings from such work in Norwegian oil shares. The light boxes show the development in the value of these shares. The curves resemble a mountainous Norwegian landscape and the colours are taken from national romantic paintings. Heier's work links the oil industry with art production and national identity.

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 2

When your one true love (snow) is leaving you #dogsky

A mostly black dog with brown eyes looks forlorn while laying in rotten spring snow. It’s tragic, spring.

Erica Watson@rickirobin· May 1

Going through old folders & dug out this AGDC handout on Alaska LNG from 2015, and even then they were saying that if we throw a bunch of money at it the jobs and dollars *COULD* go generally up, so it seems like all questions have been answered

Potential Benefits
Alaska LNG
Would be the single largest investment in Alaska's history: $45B - $65B
Jobs
* Could create 9,000-15,000 jobs for design and construction ~1,000 jobs for operations could be generated
Could generate billions of dollars of new tax revenue for Alaska Would provide access to natural gas for Alaskans

Followed by 3 graphics showing dollar signs and an upward arrow, human figures and the caption “15,000 added jobs,” and a bar graph with no values on the axis, saying “investment in local economies

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Apr 29

Pasque flowers incoming! For years I’ve shared #denalipasquealmanac elsewhere, & I’ll bring it to Bluesky too. Last year, when one of these hills melted out in JANUARY, I learned that they form buds in fall to be ready for their early bloom. This year is later than recent yrs, which tracks.

5 fuzzy flower buds emerging from a hillside brown with last year’s grass and leaves. In the distance a snow patch is visible through the trees

2 buds, slightly further along than the previous photo, with a bit more definition on what will become the petals. They’re growing from a mossy patch, a bit of green among brown twigs and grass

Erica Watson@rickirobin· Apr 25

McKinley Village, Denali (mp 230ish parks highway) I don’t have the app and this didn’t include upload speed…I’m surprised it’s not faster