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. :)

Darkness Falls

The other night, Lithus and I turned off the lights about three a.m. ~ and it was dark. Really dark. Nighttime dark. For the first time in months. As it turned out, there was a major weather system overhead and the clouds were thick enough to block all the light. Every night since, we've been back to the dusky, not dark but not light to which we have become accustomed. Still...it was dark. Part of me is grateful. Part of me, I'm surprised to say, found it disquieting. All of me continues to be amused at the very fact that a dark three a.m. was even notable. Winter's coming. And it's gonna be dark.

Summer in Alaska

Before moving here, whenever I thought of Alaska, I thought of the glorious icescapes and snow covered mountains. Those things are here. Absolutely. But there is also another side to this country.

It's verdant and green (and red and purple). I'm a bit amazed, honestly, at how quickly everything grows here. There's a savageness about the flora, as if each blade, weed, flower and twig realizes it has just so long before the snow flies again and once it does, it flies long and hard and deep.

 Gate E, June 19th











                                                                                            Gate E, July 16th

More than Helicopters

The Ducks.
Super Scoopers (or, as I have always seen it in my head Sooper Scoopers)
The CL-215.

I love this aircraft. In fact, I think since the Concorde is no longer flying, this is probably my favorite fixed-wing aircraft. (Yes, if there was any question, the fact that I do indeed have a favorite fixed-wing aircraft ~ and the implication therein that I have a favorite rotor aircraft ~ should solidify once and for all my awesome level of goobieness. Which is now a word. And my suitability for a life as a gypsy. Or pilot groupie, whichever you prefer.)

I wish there was some way to capture the elegance of these aircraft. On the ground, they just look like the boxy warhorses they are. But in the air...Man, they're beautiful. And the fact that they harken back to the romance of WWII or African explorers doesn't hurt.

Fourth of July Randomness

In light of the holiday, I thought I would spend a little time outside today. Enjoy summer. All that happy crap. So, I grabbed my camera and out I went. Sadly, I still haven't gotten close enough to the porcupine to capture him on film/digital/whatever it is in my camera now. Here's what I did get:

Really beautiful, fake looking clouds. And a mysterious looking ball thingy. Given that we are on a decommissioned Air Force base and it is so obviously not Epcot, I can't help but wonder what is/once was hidden in there.

The coolest birdhouse ever. Complete with denizen.

This...metal...wire...thing...attached to the fire hydrant. I got nothing here, people. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

And my personal favorite. Can't quite see it? Here:

Kinda makes you want to get on that bus and ride, just to see where you end up, doesn't it?