COPYWRITE 2006 Gary B. Van Voorhis
It's 41-degrees and 6pm as I write this; probably the warmest it's been today. And yet there are people who we have seen with our own eyes wandering around in T-shirts or shorts or sandals with no socks - - but none of them crazy enough to go for the entire ensemble.
On the other hand we look like tourists, eskimo tourists, with double fleece layers over long-sleeved T-shirts with a winter jacket buttoned up to the top button; fleece gloves and fleece snowboarder-style hats pulled down over the ears. And the wind still cuts through. The humidity feels Florida-style which adds to the 'chill factor'.
Still, we can see snow covered mountains surrounding us - - when the cloud cover occassionally lifts.
Checked out the car ferry terminal today. It was open, but very quiet since the next one due in isn't until midnight. In fact the only activity we've seen on the water was a float plane landing, dropping off someone and then taking off again.
The high point of the day was spending nearly 3 hours in the library reading old newspapers and magazines.
Tomorrow morning we start orientation or gathering to meet everyone or washing busses or something ... anything right now beats just hanging out although dry and sort of warm beats cold and rainy anytime.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Today's history lesson
I wondered how the Lynn Canal got its name so I Googled the item and got plenty of response but not how the name came about.
Lynn Canal isn't a canal at all. It's a Fjord like they have in Scandanavia; about 90 miles in length and 2,000 deep in most places. It's the longest / deepest in North America and in the top three in the world.
And you thought all we would write about was our adventures. Now on the adventure side Harry the Marmot isn't very happy because of the rainy weather and all the snow we came thru. In fact he really wonders if we didn't lie to him when we said he had relatives up here. We'll be on the lookout .. if the sun ever stays out for a long period of time.
We spent most of today on the computers or reading the $1 per paperback book bargains we got Jasper. We did do a short hike this morning but ran out of trail markings about a mile farther on than we should have. Not knowing the trail ended at the Pet Cemetery way up in the woods we wandered on and on until it was either take a really steep ascent or double back. We did the latter and were never visually 'lost' but all the trails we seemed to find on the way back kept leading in the wrong direction. Finally, we maneuvered down a steep slope to join the original (city built) Fittness Trail we had been on in the first place.
Lynn Canal isn't a canal at all. It's a Fjord like they have in Scandanavia; about 90 miles in length and 2,000 deep in most places. It's the longest / deepest in North America and in the top three in the world.
And you thought all we would write about was our adventures. Now on the adventure side Harry the Marmot isn't very happy because of the rainy weather and all the snow we came thru. In fact he really wonders if we didn't lie to him when we said he had relatives up here. We'll be on the lookout .. if the sun ever stays out for a long period of time.
We spent most of today on the computers or reading the $1 per paperback book bargains we got Jasper. We did do a short hike this morning but ran out of trail markings about a mile farther on than we should have. Not knowing the trail ended at the Pet Cemetery way up in the woods we wandered on and on until it was either take a really steep ascent or double back. We did the latter and were never visually 'lost' but all the trails we seemed to find on the way back kept leading in the wrong direction. Finally, we maneuvered down a steep slope to join the original (city built) Fittness Trail we had been on in the first place.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Skagway, at last
We arrived in Skagway after 17 days and just over 5,000 miles of driving. We didn't kill each other but 17 days in a fully loaded Honda Element would probably even strain a pair of saints.
The Klondike Highway from outside Whitehorse (British Columbia) to Skagway starts off in relatively scenic fashion - - think Blue ridge Parkway - - for about 30 miles and, in the distance, the Mackenzie Range which takes over when the Rockies stop looms larger and more snow covered with each mile. About 70 miles into the 100-mile drive we really got into what the trip was really about: surrounded by awe inspiring mountains, snow all over everything and blowing across the (mostly) dry road. Think following a curvy, up and down pencil line across a very white crumpled piece of paper. The pics we took convey some, but not all of how neat it really was. It was, maybe 20 miles, and a bit less than an hour, but the whole 5000 miles and 17 days were totally worth it.
We are staying / living in a cabin on the property of the company we'll be working for. /basically it's one big room including a small kitchen and bathroom with shower. For Significant Other this is heaven because we've unpacked and aren't living in the Honda anymore. It seems to be quite ok even more so because the cell phone works and we have wireless internet connectity - - at least right now.
The weather is typical for near 60-degrees latitude. Check a globe or atlas and you'll see that Moscow and Oslo and some parts of Siberia have that address also. this means 40s with rain likely and since we're surrounded by mountains on three sides and have what they call the Lynn Canal which is really an open water passage for cruise ships to come to Skagway and dock. So, for now, I'll reserve an opinion on Skagway except to say that it's probably better than I expected.
The Klondike Highway from outside Whitehorse (British Columbia) to Skagway starts off in relatively scenic fashion - - think Blue ridge Parkway - - for about 30 miles and, in the distance, the Mackenzie Range which takes over when the Rockies stop looms larger and more snow covered with each mile. About 70 miles into the 100-mile drive we really got into what the trip was really about: surrounded by awe inspiring mountains, snow all over everything and blowing across the (mostly) dry road. Think following a curvy, up and down pencil line across a very white crumpled piece of paper. The pics we took convey some, but not all of how neat it really was. It was, maybe 20 miles, and a bit less than an hour, but the whole 5000 miles and 17 days were totally worth it.
We are staying / living in a cabin on the property of the company we'll be working for. /basically it's one big room including a small kitchen and bathroom with shower. For Significant Other this is heaven because we've unpacked and aren't living in the Honda anymore. It seems to be quite ok even more so because the cell phone works and we have wireless internet connectity - - at least right now.
The weather is typical for near 60-degrees latitude. Check a globe or atlas and you'll see that Moscow and Oslo and some parts of Siberia have that address also. this means 40s with rain likely and since we're surrounded by mountains on three sides and have what they call the Lynn Canal which is really an open water passage for cruise ships to come to Skagway and dock. So, for now, I'll reserve an opinion on Skagway except to say that it's probably better than I expected.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
WHITEHORSE, YUKON
It's been a few days (Monday) since we had internet connection. The Alaskan Highway is in really good shape but got sort of lonely once we left Liard Hot Springs. In fact there weren't hardly any oodges, gas stations, etc. open so we tanked up about halfway to Whitehorse (at a lodge we had planned on spending the night at) and drove all the way in..about 405 miles.
I like rustic but this place was way beyond that. .. It had the feel of "The Last Frontier" as the Yukon likes to be known. Whitehorse is (for the Yukon) a big city and has plenty of services including a WalMart - - which, as we know, says you've made it if your town has one. We're glad because we had a lot of shopping to do for food and other items we didn't want to pack. Skagway is very small (850 pop) and thus has limited, and expensive, goods. However we'll still need to pick up bread / mile / etc. there after stocking the Honda with hard goods and two pillows.
It's right at freezing with a fair breeze blowing so for Florida folks you bundle up like eskimos and look like tourists.
This blog is being written in a coffee shop which has computers. We've been thru a number of shops and hotels and nobody has .. or even really seems to care about .. wireless. Oh well.
I like rustic but this place was way beyond that. .. It had the feel of "The Last Frontier" as the Yukon likes to be known. Whitehorse is (for the Yukon) a big city and has plenty of services including a WalMart - - which, as we know, says you've made it if your town has one. We're glad because we had a lot of shopping to do for food and other items we didn't want to pack. Skagway is very small (850 pop) and thus has limited, and expensive, goods. However we'll still need to pick up bread / mile / etc. there after stocking the Honda with hard goods and two pillows.
It's right at freezing with a fair breeze blowing so for Florida folks you bundle up like eskimos and look like tourists.
This blog is being written in a coffee shop which has computers. We've been thru a number of shops and hotels and nobody has .. or even really seems to care about .. wireless. Oh well.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Harry heads North, to Alaska
The humans loaded the car this morning and we headed out from Jasper to Dawson Creek and the (eastern) starting point for the Alaska Highway. I don't take long to pack since all I've got is the piece of green grass in my paws. They tell me I've got cousins in Alaska. They've got to be a little crazy 'cause it's too darn cold in Japser. Of course they may have a better fur coat than I have.We stopped at a highway intersection near Hinton where we hung a left and...well the sign tells it all. So now I'm starting my own photo album. The grouchy one stuck me in the back so I could see where we had been, but I'd rather hang out on top of the dash - - which reminds me of my favorite rock back in the Tonquin Valley.
Yesterday we had some snow which was pretty interesting as I usually sleep, well hibernate really, through the winter - - that's Jasper-style winter which seems to be September to April. The snow was heavy enough that we turned around halfway to Moraine Lake, went for a short hike, and by then the road was a bit clearer.
Man, everybody was out. We saw elk all over the place, plus deer and big horn sheep. And one dumb coyote. This coyote guy had some serious backbone as he was challenging two elk..at least until he realized that they were a whole lot bigger than he was. He turned tail and slowly trotted off thru the brush.
Later after coffee and scones and muffins at the Bear Paw bakery we went for a walk to check out the stores. Now this was a learning experience. there's no easy way to put this...blatant Marmot discrimination. No cute stuffed marmot toys, no marmot magnets, no marmot stickies, no marmots on t-shirts. We got bears, we got moose, we got wild flowers but no marmots. It's an outrage.
Friday, April 21, 2006
The adventures of Harry, The Hoary Marmot, Part 1
HEY! HEY! You're in the right place. The guy with coffee in his veins is hanging out nearby while I take a turn at the keyboard. So, the best place to begin is at the beginning so here goes:
You're probably wondering what the hell is a Hoary Marmot and how did I get myself into a situation like this: Well, we're sort of like tubby groundhogs only way better looking and way more intelligent. We spend our days searching for tender grass shoots, moss and other veggie things to eat - - when we're not hanging out in the sun and looking like stuffed pillows on the rocks. But. hey it's a life and we do our turns at sentinel duty warning the rest of the colony if danger comes our way with high pitched squeeks. did I say we're very intelligent and good looking.
Anyway, I was minding my business just lying in the sun and trying to stay awake when I sensed DANGER! But was it real UPPER CASE danger like a bear or cougar or wolf or coyote looking for a meal. Or was it the lower case type where somebody has just stumbled into the neighborhood. I was on alert, I was ready to sound the alarm but I was tricked with the oldest scam in the book - - food. Now hunting for food takes energy and is time consuming so when these two humans put out some nibbles and bits I forgot all my training, all the time spent learning E&E (escape and evade) tactics; all the classes on unarmed combat; all the ciphers and secret codes and dead drops ... did I mention that I read spy novels in my spare time??
So there I was: mouth stuffed, belly full and just too lazy to run and hide.
So here I am: I now have two humans as either (a) guards or (b) soft touches who will make my life GREAT. Personally I'm counting on selection B. When in doubt remember the old addage: Dogs have masters; Marmots have servants.
Now my 'servants' don't seem to be that bad: One human is grouchy and has a scruffy beard; the other, the one he calls Significant Other, tries to be nice but ignores me most of the time (I bet she has ADD - affection deficit disorder).
NOTE: The marmot that appears on the blog (lydiahinshaw.blogsport.com) is a very distant and very ugly cousin; probably a poor relation from the wrong side of the tracks or rockpile. Did I mention that I like music? Even that Tibetan Monk Reggae thing.
Thought for today: "Used to worry 'bout rich and skinny 'til I wound up poor and fat." Delbert McClinton
You're probably wondering what the hell is a Hoary Marmot and how did I get myself into a situation like this: Well, we're sort of like tubby groundhogs only way better looking and way more intelligent. We spend our days searching for tender grass shoots, moss and other veggie things to eat - - when we're not hanging out in the sun and looking like stuffed pillows on the rocks. But. hey it's a life and we do our turns at sentinel duty warning the rest of the colony if danger comes our way with high pitched squeeks. did I say we're very intelligent and good looking.
Anyway, I was minding my business just lying in the sun and trying to stay awake when I sensed DANGER! But was it real UPPER CASE danger like a bear or cougar or wolf or coyote looking for a meal. Or was it the lower case type where somebody has just stumbled into the neighborhood. I was on alert, I was ready to sound the alarm but I was tricked with the oldest scam in the book - - food. Now hunting for food takes energy and is time consuming so when these two humans put out some nibbles and bits I forgot all my training, all the time spent learning E&E (escape and evade) tactics; all the classes on unarmed combat; all the ciphers and secret codes and dead drops ... did I mention that I read spy novels in my spare time??
So there I was: mouth stuffed, belly full and just too lazy to run and hide.
So here I am: I now have two humans as either (a) guards or (b) soft touches who will make my life GREAT. Personally I'm counting on selection B. When in doubt remember the old addage: Dogs have masters; Marmots have servants.
Now my 'servants' don't seem to be that bad: One human is grouchy and has a scruffy beard; the other, the one he calls Significant Other, tries to be nice but ignores me most of the time (I bet she has ADD - affection deficit disorder).
NOTE: The marmot that appears on the blog (lydiahinshaw.blogsport.com) is a very distant and very ugly cousin; probably a poor relation from the wrong side of the tracks or rockpile. Did I mention that I like music? Even that Tibetan Monk Reggae thing.
Thought for today: "Used to worry 'bout rich and skinny 'til I wound up poor and fat." Delbert McClinton
Signs of the times, part 2
Sometimes you think the computer is your friend..and sometimes you're wrong. So, rather than spend the entire night trying to figure out how to add the copy to the pic I posted yesterday I gave up.
Canada is a friendly place, it's also metric...so your gallons of gas become liters and the speed limit is in kilometers and when you're buying something like fruit you get grams / kilograms, etc. Having dealt with this situation before during a number of trips to Europe and Canada with Significant Other we've come to the conclusion that some things are meant to be - - gallons / pounds / miles per hour and others aren't.
The speed limits I figure out using something I call the rule of 10: 16kilometers = 10mph; 8k = 5mph so 80k is 50mph. The problem comes when you get into a speed reduced area where it drops from 50k to 40k to 30k in a short distance. The first rule in this situation is that you are driving a car with FLORIDA tags in CANADA which is a dead giveaway so you want to be damn sure you are creeping along.
Gas mileage is complicated enough that you don't want to go there unless you have a degree in quantum physics; buying things by weight is easier because all you do is eyeball the item and pay whatever they want if it looks good. After a while you don't really notice too much.
Jasper's wild life hasn't let us down. Groups of elk graze along the roadways and, at least early in the morning, wander through town looking for something / anything to munch on. Judging by the vast array of fences/screens/ribbons/and various other items designed/not designed to ward off hungry animals from making everyone's yard a barren wasteland the elk will eat anything or at least try to. A few years ago we were in Waterton-Glacier National Park (the half on the Canadian side) and were walking by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police station where a small herd of elk were merrily grazing on the well kept lawn and shrubs totally ignoring the signs to "Keep Off".
Canada is a friendly place, it's also metric...so your gallons of gas become liters and the speed limit is in kilometers and when you're buying something like fruit you get grams / kilograms, etc. Having dealt with this situation before during a number of trips to Europe and Canada with Significant Other we've come to the conclusion that some things are meant to be - - gallons / pounds / miles per hour and others aren't.
The speed limits I figure out using something I call the rule of 10: 16kilometers = 10mph; 8k = 5mph so 80k is 50mph. The problem comes when you get into a speed reduced area where it drops from 50k to 40k to 30k in a short distance. The first rule in this situation is that you are driving a car with FLORIDA tags in CANADA which is a dead giveaway so you want to be damn sure you are creeping along.
Gas mileage is complicated enough that you don't want to go there unless you have a degree in quantum physics; buying things by weight is easier because all you do is eyeball the item and pay whatever they want if it looks good. After a while you don't really notice too much.
Jasper's wild life hasn't let us down. Groups of elk graze along the roadways and, at least early in the morning, wander through town looking for something / anything to munch on. Judging by the vast array of fences/screens/ribbons/and various other items designed/not designed to ward off hungry animals from making everyone's yard a barren wasteland the elk will eat anything or at least try to. A few years ago we were in Waterton-Glacier National Park (the half on the Canadian side) and were walking by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police station where a small herd of elk were merrily grazing on the well kept lawn and shrubs totally ignoring the signs to "Keep Off".
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Hunting for action
The little known "Feast of The Three Bears" is celebrated on April 19 in the Bow Valley and the areas around Lake Louise. This is apparently a day of rest for all the animals - - who probably belong to a union and work 35 hours a week. Not even the squirrels or chipmunks were out. The robbins we saw probably didn't get the memo.
In short, if you were taking a day off from traveling and planning on getting more animal shots like yesterday you were out of luck.
So instead of big game hunting with a camera we went big game shopping with a credit card. this type of endeavor on a day off can often lead to numerous confrontations...as in "you're not going to BUY that! Are you! However a bargain is a bargain and, if the item is on sale, you get one "Get out of the store free" card to play.
I won .. or lost..the battle depending on your point of view. The waterproof hiking boots were in stock in my size. Significant Other (SO) found a pair to her liking but not any that would fit. She'll have plenty more chances.
There is plenty of ice and snow around but water levels are low in the rivers and streams. Consequently, one of the most photographic spots in Banff - - Bow River Falls - - was reduced to swiftly flowing water with a lot of ice sculptures clinging to the rocks above the water line.h When the water level is high, the falls roar with power.
Finally, we were reduced to hunting for a wi-fi spot...free if possible...to surf and write. The further north we go the internet cafes and motels with free wireless dwindle. Can't imagine what you would do on a cold and gloomy day up here without some sort of connectivity.
But there are plenty of coffee spots.
In short, if you were taking a day off from traveling and planning on getting more animal shots like yesterday you were out of luck.
So instead of big game hunting with a camera we went big game shopping with a credit card. this type of endeavor on a day off can often lead to numerous confrontations...as in "you're not going to BUY that! Are you! However a bargain is a bargain and, if the item is on sale, you get one "Get out of the store free" card to play.
I won .. or lost..the battle depending on your point of view. The waterproof hiking boots were in stock in my size. Significant Other (SO) found a pair to her liking but not any that would fit. She'll have plenty more chances.
There is plenty of ice and snow around but water levels are low in the rivers and streams. Consequently, one of the most photographic spots in Banff - - Bow River Falls - - was reduced to swiftly flowing water with a lot of ice sculptures clinging to the rocks above the water line.h When the water level is high, the falls roar with power.
Finally, we were reduced to hunting for a wi-fi spot...free if possible...to surf and write. The further north we go the internet cafes and motels with free wireless dwindle. Can't imagine what you would do on a cold and gloomy day up here without some sort of connectivity.
But there are plenty of coffee spots.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Bear with me
It's clear and cold here in Lake Louise, our latest stop on the journey. Since we like LL and have hiked in the area many times we've decided to spend two days here. Of course with all the snow the hiking is basically out of the question, but the spectacular vistas of snow-covered mountains in all directions makes up for that. So it's been short walks on crunchy snow with a detour first to Laagens - a bakery / coffee stop - and then after checking out a portion of the actual Lake Louise shoreline a stop at Bill Peyto's - - a restaurant in the hostel here. Good food, good prices and a confortable lounge around area upstairs..from where this is being written.
The day started with some reservations about road conditions between Kalispell and LL. Despite some bad info on the internet, the road (BC Rt. 93) thru Kootenay National Park was clear and dry with plenty of Wildlife Warning signs. And there were plenty of deer, mountain goat and young elk (with what appeared to be beards) along the route. Fortunately none decided to try their luck crossing the road in front of us. Significant Other took pics while I drove.
Lake Louise also has a ski area with the top runs starting at 8,200'. We know this because a couple of years ago we hiked to the top and the sign notating the elevation after asking a worker at the end of the visitor tram ride if it was possible. He was very helpful and even drew us a map. And maybe had a good laugh after we set off. The area is pretty wide open so it was easy to get off track and we ended up crossing a rockfall on our way to the top...which was after seeing a rather large area of torn up ground/ vegitation like an animal would do when searching for food. We did a thorough scan of the area for any large bear-sized brown shapes.
From the top, we followed the map out a spine which looked down into the valleys on each side and led to a dead end with fantastic views but the only way down was a steep slope of loose shale-like rock (scree) which sort of slid with every step we took. Once off the slope there was still a long hike ahead, but these are only fun if you aren't scanning the woods and open meadows while looking for the quickest way down. The area has since been posted as a Grizzly Habitat ... and probably was when we were trying hard to see if there were any around.
For those of you who enjoy camping - - and we do - - the LL campground is surrounded by electric fence, cattle guards and special gates in case the carnivore population gets nosey.
This was probably the best day so far as the weather, roads, scenery, room reservations abd Significant Other all worked together to provide as little stress as possible.
The day started with some reservations about road conditions between Kalispell and LL. Despite some bad info on the internet, the road (BC Rt. 93) thru Kootenay National Park was clear and dry with plenty of Wildlife Warning signs. And there were plenty of deer, mountain goat and young elk (with what appeared to be beards) along the route. Fortunately none decided to try their luck crossing the road in front of us. Significant Other took pics while I drove.
Lake Louise also has a ski area with the top runs starting at 8,200'. We know this because a couple of years ago we hiked to the top and the sign notating the elevation after asking a worker at the end of the visitor tram ride if it was possible. He was very helpful and even drew us a map. And maybe had a good laugh after we set off. The area is pretty wide open so it was easy to get off track and we ended up crossing a rockfall on our way to the top...which was after seeing a rather large area of torn up ground/ vegitation like an animal would do when searching for food. We did a thorough scan of the area for any large bear-sized brown shapes.
From the top, we followed the map out a spine which looked down into the valleys on each side and led to a dead end with fantastic views but the only way down was a steep slope of loose shale-like rock (scree) which sort of slid with every step we took. Once off the slope there was still a long hike ahead, but these are only fun if you aren't scanning the woods and open meadows while looking for the quickest way down. The area has since been posted as a Grizzly Habitat ... and probably was when we were trying hard to see if there were any around.
For those of you who enjoy camping - - and we do - - the LL campground is surrounded by electric fence, cattle guards and special gates in case the carnivore population gets nosey.
This was probably the best day so far as the weather, roads, scenery, room reservations abd Significant Other all worked together to provide as little stress as possible.
Monday, April 17, 2006
One Huge Step
Copyright 2006 Gary B. Van Voorhis
Double Espresso might seem a strange title for a blog but to caffine junkies who need their 12 or 16oz. fix each morning it's a much easier way to get the motor running. In this case the DoubleEspresso is a metaphor for retiring AND within 11 days leaving the house, the cats and the Florida sunshine for a job as a tour guide in Alaska. Such is life.
Of course this didn't just happen overnight. Last summer my constant companion / overseer / best friend and travel buddy pulled the plug on her career of 31 years, packed her bags and left me to watch the house, the cats and pay the bills while she worked a summer job in Montana's Glacier National Park. Such is life. I survived.
I flew to Montana in mid-September, picked her up and we spent three weeks meandering back to our home and cats. And on the way she was already talking about where to go this year - - with or without me. So here you have it, I was a sort of work-a-holic who enjoyed his job sometimes and talked about retirement without ever pushing the plans too far. But that was before "she who must be obeyed" issued the "velvet" ultimatum: retire or spend another summer carrying on conversations with the cats. DoubleEspresso, Please!
Rule One for surviving: Repeat after me - - Yes, Dear. Hey, I had already set the hook by having her stay home and relax while I supported the house....This was a great stress reliever for both of us. She's mellow (reminder: bring home chocolate regularly); learned how to bake bread and cook dinner - - which sparked some territorial debates as I had one all the cooking for 15 years but you gotta learn to give and take.
And so we sent out resumes together - - although secretly I think she sent out enough extra to hedge her bets in case I got cold feet and backed out of my promise to retire. I admit I needed a bit of prodding..which she is good at in various ways. We hit on a couple of plans, decided to try for jobs in Alaska with Montana as a fall back.
The short story is that within two months I / we had gotten jobs and I gave notice of my impending retirement; put the paperwork in place and began a mad scramble to get everything in place to leave for 6 months.
So here we are, 3,000 miles into a 4,500 mile journey heading to new (summer) jobs in Skagway, Alaska and tonight I can look out the window of the motel in Kalispell, MT and see snow covered mountains and see the trees wave in the 40-degree breeze. Such is life.
Now, if one blog is fun, two is even better...or in some cases might send you looking for a double espresso. Check out lydiahinshaw.blogspot.com for the rest of the story or for her "take" on the day's events.
Double Espresso might seem a strange title for a blog but to caffine junkies who need their 12 or 16oz. fix each morning it's a much easier way to get the motor running. In this case the DoubleEspresso is a metaphor for retiring AND within 11 days leaving the house, the cats and the Florida sunshine for a job as a tour guide in Alaska. Such is life.
Of course this didn't just happen overnight. Last summer my constant companion / overseer / best friend and travel buddy pulled the plug on her career of 31 years, packed her bags and left me to watch the house, the cats and pay the bills while she worked a summer job in Montana's Glacier National Park. Such is life. I survived.
I flew to Montana in mid-September, picked her up and we spent three weeks meandering back to our home and cats. And on the way she was already talking about where to go this year - - with or without me. So here you have it, I was a sort of work-a-holic who enjoyed his job sometimes and talked about retirement without ever pushing the plans too far. But that was before "she who must be obeyed" issued the "velvet" ultimatum: retire or spend another summer carrying on conversations with the cats. DoubleEspresso, Please!
Rule One for surviving: Repeat after me - - Yes, Dear. Hey, I had already set the hook by having her stay home and relax while I supported the house....This was a great stress reliever for both of us. She's mellow (reminder: bring home chocolate regularly); learned how to bake bread and cook dinner - - which sparked some territorial debates as I had one all the cooking for 15 years but you gotta learn to give and take.
And so we sent out resumes together - - although secretly I think she sent out enough extra to hedge her bets in case I got cold feet and backed out of my promise to retire. I admit I needed a bit of prodding..which she is good at in various ways. We hit on a couple of plans, decided to try for jobs in Alaska with Montana as a fall back.
The short story is that within two months I / we had gotten jobs and I gave notice of my impending retirement; put the paperwork in place and began a mad scramble to get everything in place to leave for 6 months.
So here we are, 3,000 miles into a 4,500 mile journey heading to new (summer) jobs in Skagway, Alaska and tonight I can look out the window of the motel in Kalispell, MT and see snow covered mountains and see the trees wave in the 40-degree breeze. Such is life.
Now, if one blog is fun, two is even better...or in some cases might send you looking for a double espresso. Check out lydiahinshaw.blogspot.com for the rest of the story or for her "take" on the day's events.
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