The Brooks Range

The Brooks Range is the northern-most mountain range on the continent. We flew over it. :)

There are 2 little dots about 5 o'clock. They are bears. :)

Then there is the view of the helicopter, from the helicopter:

With apologies, this is a little more obscene than I'd intended.

Looking down from my seat

Lithus being all studly. Most pilots use white helmets. I like that he wears a yellow one; I know him when I see him.

Potlatch Take 2

We're backing up in time here (this won't be the last time it happens, either; you still haven't heard anything about last summer) and heading back to Galena. Remember earlier in the season I wrote about Potlatch? Well, my friends Dee Dee and Shirley invited us. We only made it one night out of the three but it was beautiful, emotional, and I would imagine, healing. 

It starts with a community dinner. And it is a community event. The elders are given the best seats. The adults have organized and prepared the food. The teens and tweens serve, dim sum style. Very small portions of huge amounts of food and everyone gets plenty. Several macaroni salads, soups and bear ribs. Yep. Bear ribs.

After cleaning up, the mourning ritual starts. The families come out, bound together by material and furs ~ bear, moose, and wolf furs are most common. The singers stand in the middle of the circle and/or sit just outside of it. They sing the songs for the dead; the families form the circle, dancing round. This continues for two nights. On the third night, the material and furs are sewn together and the families give gifts to the people in the community who have attended the potlatch.

I was honored to be there.

My friend, Dee Dee

Me, in traditional dress (from Shirley), filming for Dee Dee

Update-ish

Blogging is taking a backseat to writing these days. I have an October deadline, so am working hard right now. However, we have left Galena and are based out of Fairbanks these days. Lithus is (as of right about now) in the Yukon fighting a fire. I've put the Do Not Disturb sign out, made a huge pot of coffee, and am writing, writing, writing. I'm still out here, though. Still loving it. And still wearing stilettos. ;)

More soon...

Schmoopiness

I stepped out of the room today to run a couple letters down to the front desk to be mailed when I heard helicopter rotors. Now, this isn't a big deal now that we're in Fairbanks and I thought about looking, and then thought no, don't be silly, and turned to head into the front office. And stopped again, searching the skies.

Guess who flew over. :)