Curious Critters

It pleases me to say that my mother has joined me in Anchorage. She flew in yesterday afternoon in time to attend Aunt Lyn's company picnic at THE Alaska Zoo. After munching our way through an hour of volunteer work at the soft pretzel stand, we meandered past the animal exhibits viewing the expected birds, bears, and grass eating beasts. There were, however, a few surprises…

1. When we first walked in, the polar bear was on his back bouncing a plastic tube into the air.

2. I saw my first Porcupine. Very cute.

3. We witnessed a seal sucking on his flipper until he fell asleep, drooling and tongue hanging out.

4. I caught a squirrel licking his ice cream bowl clean.

5. The wolves were howling.

6. I also saw a couple of the strangest animals. A camel and his alpaca cousins.

7. Stranger still was the bear we saw wandering uncaged along the path!

I'm a regular

Because we took off time to go to Seldovia and will be returning to Denali National Park on Tuesday, Katherine and I have been working extra hours this week. By the fourth consecutive ten hour work day, my cheery face begins to droop a little. Luckily, the Midnight Sun, our designated local coffee shop, is on the way to work. Usually when Katherine and I drive Lyn's car or ride the bus to work we stop for 16oz cups of coffee (no room for creme, thank you). During my years of frequenting coffee shops, I have observed a certain class of customers who rush in, pay for an unspecified drink, and walk out without a word exchanged between them and the employee behind the counter. I have also seen clients cheerfully welcomed in by their first names, small-talk with the employees—never about coffee—then the barista hands him his drink and wishes him good luck on the meeting that afternoon. Who are these people?! I wondered.
They are Regulars.
This summer, a goal was to become one of the savvy who steps into the coffee shop, say nothing about coffee, and leave with exactly what they want sloshing between their hands. Today, this hope was realized. I walked into the Midnight Sun Cafe at 7:50 and by the time I reached the bar, my 16oz cup of black coffee sat waiting for me on the counter. $1.50 later (no sales tax in Anchorage), I left without uttering the word "coffee" or any of those phrases usually required to communicate your coffee wants.
I'm a regular.

Take Time before it takes you.

Low-tide view of our cabin from the bay.

Same view at high tide from the boat.

Time rules my life. Whether I want it to or not is irrelevant. Ignoring time constraints, schedules and deadlines leaves a person ill-liked, in ill health and impoverished. Society expects, demands that we observe every tick of the clock as vital as every thump of our hearts. In some countries perhaps, people watch time less vigorously. When I was in Cape Town, leaving "just now" meant we'd leave in thirty minutes and meeting someone at 4PM meant they might show up anywhere between 3:30 and 5 without a scold or glare. Here in our great nation, however, t i m e T i m e T I M E t i c k T i c k T I C K s away and every second used unprofitably is a wasted second. Vacation time for a full-time (40 hrs/week) employee is 2 weeks in the US compared to the 5 weeks required of the full-time employees (35 hrs/week max) in countries like France. We over value time and forget to enjoy it until suddenly, we die and it means nothing. Yet breaking its cold grip on us seems impossible. We are also entirely too concerned with gaining withering treasure. That, however, is another tangent for another time.
In Seldovia, I left the time on my phone on the car seat, misplaced my ironman watch somewhere at Lyn's, and failed to understand time by the continuously shining sun. Time, bewitched by my apathy and ignorance, slid from my back and waited nervously in the shadows for my to return. I ate when my stomach growled, walked when I wanted to breath and slept when my eyes fell.

We stayed in tents near the cabin on a beach of a 100 meter wide peninsula. The tide changed about 20 feet in hight every 6 hours. One morning at low tide, Katherine and I went tide-pooling and exploring along the bare ocean floor. After dawdling along the rocky beach handling glassy pebbles, poking at sea life, and watching bald eagles, we returned for lunch and naps on the cabin deck. When we awoke from our naps, the water was almost to the deck supports and the towering rocks explored only a few hours before had disappeared beneath the sudden tide. Alaska is incredible. I watched my first Alaskan sunset our second night in Seldovia.

11:17:35 PM

A crackling fire, Swift's satirical story, and the slowly setting sun lured me to the opposite beach Saturday night, away from the poofs and pockets of the shimmery sleeping bag. I dont know how long I sat, sometimes reading, sometimes with book limply in hand, eyes or mind wandering, wondering. However long or short, that evening spent quietly near the fire was one of the best uses of time I have made here and I will not soon forget that night I sat on the beach doing nothing.

I can only laugh

Tonight, I was going to post a beautiful and thought provoking piece inspired by my time in Seldovia last weekend but frankly, I am not in a postion to write it. Sleep deprivation has made me punchy. Although I met a girl yesterday, Melissa, who sleeps only 4hrs a day during the 5 week long fishing season, my wits begin to scatter after only a few days of les than 7.5 hrs of sleep. One of the signs that my body is sleep deficient or tired is an overactive giggle box. I could hardly carry on a conversation this afternoon with one of my coworkers. I found every word laughable! Fortunately, I realized what was happening and pulled it together. Unfortunately, the bike ride home drained all remaining energy and intensified the weariness, resulting in and increase of the volume and the frequency of my laugh. The attempt to reenact a So You Think You Can Dance move left us heaving in silent laughter until that ear ripping laugh that some of you know so well burst through the house. It's a miracle I didn't gash my head or pull something hazarding the dance impression. Lyn's creative comments like "Get the chicken out of your ear" didnt keep the family solemn either. It's been a while since I have laughed so heartily.

A post about my wonderful weekend in Seldovia is coming but tonight, after much laughter and a delicious smoothy, I am going to bed EARLY.

It's casual

Another rainy day. Another restless night.

Packing and picking our accessories

Only 3 days of work this week. Lyn invited Katherine and I to accompany her and her girlfriends to Seldovia, Alaska's best kept secret, for their annual bike trip. Early tomorrow morning we will drive five hours to Homer then ferry across the Kachemak Bay to the beach where our yurt and tent space awaits. I have mountain biked only once…and that was Tuesday afternoon. Camping, though, is another matter. Camping in the rain, camping in the snow, camping in the heat, camping in the camper (the wind blew ferociously and we couldn't get our tents up so we crowded into our grandparents motor home), camping in Texas, camping on the Appalachian Trail, sharing a tent with little brothers, sharing a hammock with my smelly socks, waking up with the Buffalo, not going to sleep because someone else's dad was snoring.… I've been camping. However, I have not been camping in the kind of clothing that I will be wearing this weekend. I will be sporting a stained and well worn raglan styled sweatshirt from the 80s, too-big-for-me multi colored woolen mittens, and Uncle Stuart's faded sweatpants. Hopefully it will rain so I can lace up the draw strings and wear the even larger blah-green rain pants!
Alaska is comfortable. No one seems to care who designed my dress, where I got my purse from or if my shoes say genuine leather on the soles. I continue to play dress up most mornings as I prepare for work but now I do it because I enjoy it, not because I am trying to draw compliments from the people around me who have also bowed to the pitiless scepter that fashion and society wields. We long for her to acknowledge us. But every time she extends her elusive, glittering rod, she pulls it back faster than before and our enjoyment is unsatisfactory, the pleasure increasingly hollow.

Camping. Double dont care what you wear.
Bring it. I'm stoked.

Sun 'till midnight and snow 'till June

Anchorage from Blueberry Hill at 9:48 PM

The blueberry bushes

After a slow Friday morning and a casual day in town, the family (i.e. Stuart, Lyn, Katherine and I) joined together for a dinner of toast, eggs and homemade jam followed by a late night hike. Several other people hiked in Chugach State Park that night too, many going as far as the peak of Flattop, but we only went to the summit of Blueberry Hill. Yes, you heard me correctly, B l u e b e r r y Hill. I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard that either. Mid-August, just before I leave, the hillside will be covered in blueberry bushes ripe for the picking. I will spend the last week in Alaska sitting in the foothills of the Chugach mountains, singing and eating blueberries, moving only when I have picked every juicy berry within my reach. For now, I content myself with a family hike along the trail, quietly planning my attack on the hillside.

Sometimes I forget how much I love being out and walking among the wild things, a pleasure especially satisfactory when barefoot or wearing boots. Since we were hiking, I wore my hiking boots. My feet and I enjoyed every step of the way. Mud, dust, shale and snow smiled invitingly rather than deterring us, and we could not refuse their invitations.

These geraniums almost reach my chin.

Yesterday, the women of the house ran many errands, my favorite one being our trip to Bells' Nursery. Behind Bell's gift shop stood a happy gathering of patient greenhouses. The warmth of the bright sunshine, the glowing colors, the sweet smells, the soft sounds and the beauty that touched every one of my senses was breathtaking. My soul was captivated.

At the direction of Lyn, Katherine and I ate a couple of the yellow blossoms shown bellow in the left side of the picture. First, they tasted plainly of lettuce. Once the lettuce taste left, a sweet, fresh tangy flavor developed. After 11 chews, a heavy, unwelcome pepper flavor suddenly exploded within the confines of my mouth.

Today, Katherine, Lyn and I spent our afternoon at the Sunday Market. Our new friend Eric performed another magic show (he is incredible and won the World's Best Teen Magician title in Los Angeles this year). When his friend began playing his electric guitar, I was stunned and immoveable for several minutes. Those who posses great talent, especially in one of the arts like music or dancing, have a power to move people in a way that nothing else can. It stirs that part of you that God rests in.

Laughing in Alaska

9 Things that have made me laugh...

1.  "bhOwth"

         I love the way people pronounce "both." It makes me laugh every time.

2. Aunt Lyn's stories

This is not a story but it's a good example of the type of expression Lyn uses to tell her stories.

3. Meagan's laugh

         Every now and then, I hear a short chirping/hiccup giggle from her office (what is she laughing at?) and I cant help but reply with my own chortle.
4. Crazy names
         These are some of the names we have booked in hotels and tours for Aramark:
           Mrs. Puliparambkunnel Chandrashekharan Shyla
           Sandra Sue Donahue
           Yuk Wah Yu
           Veri Strange
           Li Li Wee
           Bing Zhang
5. Paddling upriver
         When Katherine and I went rafting in Denali, our guide sometimes instructed us to paddle upriver even though our raft continued to move swiftly downriver. Every time our raft faced upstream and Mitch yelled "3 strokes!" we laughed so hard we could hardly hold our paddles. We eventually discovered there was method to the madness.
6. Small fluffy dogs
         A Pomeranian (Todd) in front of Lyn, Katherine, and I, refused to cross the gorge in the hand-tram. Fortunately for the rest of us hiking in Girdwood, his little person was no match for his human companion. In very short time, nervous Todd found himself on the floor of a large cage staring 80 feet down at the rushing river below.

7. Riding People Mover
         One evening, an inebriated man shuffled onto our bus, sat directly behind us and immediately confided to the sober figure beside him, "wish I cou be25 a gain." The previously bored, sober man was only too happy to suggest he catch a leprechaun and make the little green man give him his years back. The following conversation proved extremely entertaining and before I was ready to leave, the bus pulled up to our stop.
8. Weston's wit
         Here's a brief look at Weston and the rest of the gang. Weston's the one hiding behind the bushes...

Hard at work...or hardly working?

9.You Tube

         Aunt Lyn showed me this video a few days ago.

A Pleasant Day

After staying late at work, Katherine and I rode home. We probably looked biker savvy with our shiny mounts and in our tight black shorts and neon jackets...until we got on the bikes, that is. Actually, the slightly uphill ride home was invigorating and I only stopped twice; once to fix my backpack, then again to put my chain on because it popped off as I peddled firmly to catch up with Katherine. During our ride through the woods, I noticed the ferns, almost a neon green, shooting out of the ground. Every gulp of air tasted sweetly of white blossoms that covered the trees gathering along the trail. Unfortunately, people crowded the path. Despite the clear and piercing bell attached to my handlebars, I was forced to concentrate on remaining on my bike and off the walkers when I would have rather stopped to smell the flowers. Several close calls and daunting hills later, we reached home and dinner.
My jelly legs were quite unstable as I carried my bowl of Aunt Lyn's Butternut Squash Soup to the table. However, the hazardous walk from the stove to the table was worth every spoonful of that warm, thick, golden liquid (Lyn just told me the soup is called "Golden Winter." Lovely.). By the time I devoured my soup finished dinner, I had regained control of my leg muscles and relocated to the tweed couch under the windows of the living room. This is where I currently sit. I love how the sunlight comes through the trees at this time of night (around 8:30). Tonight, behind Crazy Marilyn's pale-washed home, a soft, pink, knit tunic gently swings in and out of the light. How is it that simple things like this bring such delight and contentment?

Thanks for Opportunities

When we were driving home (i.e. to Anchorage) this afternoon from the little town of Hope, a wooly haze hung over our heads, mingling with the mountains. It well depicted the state of my mind...not clouded, but overflowing with thought.
Mind reading powers are not required to discover the amount of brainpower I've been using. Just check my fingernails. If they are shaved too short, the cogs and gears have been going full speed. After days of cloud and crowd upstairs, I would like to share a thought to create space for the blue sky.

"I'll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all..."

"I stand with arms high and heart abandoned" when I look outside or walk amid the trees and mountains (DISCLAIMER: I know, these words were written to praise God for his sacrifice and I am taking them out of context a little). The Lord created an especially beautiful world here in Alaska, an inconvenient place for a Texan. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend my summer here, in awe, in fact. When I was sitting in the sun on a bench in Denali, waiting for a tour bus, God suddenly turned on a flashing, red, neon sign in my head that said, "thank your mom and dad."

So here's to you, Mike and Tami. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for me, beginning with your decision to love and cherish one another till death parts you. Marriage is not a piece of pie or cake. Thank you for sacrificing your own dreams and aspirations so that I can chase mine, even if they do not make sense to you. Thank you for working hard to make ends meet and to keep things together at home so that I can run off and have the adventures that you could be having but, out of love, have chosen to forsake (only temporarily, I hope). Forgive me for taking so long to realize the great opportunity and blessing God has given me by blessing me with you. Thanks Daddy for letting me be your princess. Thanks Mom for being my most adamant cheerleader. I love you both very, very much. Thanks for letting me be here.

More on Denali

Still raining.

As you can see from the itinerary posted yesterday, my weekend in Denali was not for the faint of heart, the weary of body, the Katherine Ford, nor myself. Over the 4 days, we participated in the amount of tours, meals and activities an average vacationer would engage in over a 2 week holiday. This was because the trip was planned for a group of Reservation Agents from Aramark's Central Reservations Office in Arizona, not Katherine and I. Aramark invited them to take a "fam" trip to the park in order to experience their product with the hope that they will increase Aramark's number of bookings. Katherine and I tagged along. As a result, we were treated like princesses along with the 6 others from "C. Res," as they liked to call it. "The boys" (Katherine and I are "the girls" in the office) are in Denali now, but I guarantee, though they may come back less tired than I, they are not having as incredible of an experience as Kathy and I had (in fact, I heard that Weston and Philly's raft flipped, their helicopter flight was cancelled, and Dillon is green and hurling).

Here's another version of the itinerary:

Friday
Wind blown
Warmed by the sun
Awed by mountains
Laughed with Katherine at everyone's teeth (including my own), stained blue from the berry cobbler
Smiled and laughed with excitement 'till I fell asleep, exhausted and content

Saturday
Day dreamed, dozed, and stared out at wilderness for six hours, occasionally pausing to use my new, blue camera to capture mountains and wildlife
Ate wild Lingonberries

Smiled and laughed with excitement 'till I fell asleep, exhausted and content

Sunday
Watched from the 8 passenger plane as a group of hikers ascended Mount Mckinnley below
Hung out the car window, trying to get closer to the moose (and was asked by the park ranger to sit down and put my seatbelt on)
Napped for over an hour but interrupted by the cleaning ladies
Got a simultaneous ab, arm, and back workout from laughing and paddling, complete with a cold bath in the river
Enjoyed cheese grits good enough to compete with Dad's

Smiled and laughed with excitement 'till I fell asleep, exhausted and content

Monday
Slept in...got up at 6:15 instead of 5
Nearly fell asleep during a five minute van ride
Rode through dust and mud till I walked away with what looked like a spray tan
Discovered the Alaskan Husky is much different from the Siberian Husky
Played corn hole, hula hoop, and ate homemade ice cream  for 1.2 hours while waiting for Katherine's slice of pizza in Talkeetna
Rode 4 to 5 hours home in a recall van with 7 crazy adults

Denali Itinerary

It rained a little today for the first time since I have been in Alaska. When I hurried from the bus to the fish tacos waiting patiently in Lyn and Stewart's house, my nostrils filled with the sweet, vibrant smell of a thriving world.

Katherine and I returned from Denali yesterday evening. So many things happened Friday through Monday but I will not, cannot possibly, tell all. So tonight, I begin with the list of itinerary...

Friday

Gold Star train to Denali

Cabin Nite Theatre Dinner

Tour of the Village Lodge

Saturday
Tundra Wilderness Tour
Tour of the Chalet Resort
Triple Lakes Hike (previously known as Lake 1, 2 and 3, these lakes are now called Lake Katherine, Lake Meagan, and Lake Emily)

Sunday
Summit Flight to Mt McKinley
Paddle Raft Adventure

Monday
Visit to ERA Aviation (hopefully the helicopter ride comes later)
Black Diamond ATV Tour
Husky Homestead Tour
Shuttle back to Anchorage (with a crazy dinner in Talkeetna)





More on the trip to Denali tomorrow.