About a tenth of the population is, incongruously, Filipino. In summer the sun traces a huge circle around the sky, never setting between May 10 and August 2. On August 15, it's possible to enjoy two sunsets in one day, one just after and another just before two midnights. In winter, the sun drops below the horizon on November 18 and does not appear again until January 22. Right now, it's a long time until sunrise, and the lunch hour is nearly over.
Customers shrug into their heavy parkas and repocket their radios.
Fran slides around the room, clearing tables as she continues to visit with the customers. The whole town takes lunch between twelve and one o'clock. They don't say that no more. Fran's son, Joe the Waterman, breezes in, grabs some milk from the kitchen and starts out again. I better take it now, I'll never live long enough to get it, you'll run me into the ground.