Packing Up the Memories-Weird, Wild and Wonderful

Time to leave this place.

We've packed the car and turned in the key.

Today's blog tries to do 2 things:

1. Show a few pictures that just haven't fit in anywhere and

2. Try to summarize the wild and wonderfulness of it all.

BE AWARE--there are lots of random pictures.

(Better than lots of words you say? I heard that!)

**A brief Photographic Tribute to Our Summer in Alaska**

The land that has:

-- a limited "road system" and depends on dog sleds, boats

or these bush planes. They frequent the skies above;

-- the "Kids Don't Float" program.

Not only the wisdom and warning, but the life jackets are there for the taking.

And people seem to be honest since they don't disappear.

Just borrowed for the day and returned when back on land;

-- the Large Arctic Animal Research Center

where we heard information on the big, hairy Musk Ox

(Try saying THAT fast 5 times! Musk Ox, musk ock, mock.....);

and these beautiful caribou;

-- races at midnight and no artificial lighting;

-- B & Maybe B--hee, hee

Let's hope you don't wake up with an appetite;

-- way too many rainy days...

but that rain sure made things grow in great perfusion!

-- weather that makes us sometimes wear winter coats in July and August.

(Jack is NOT a fan of this.);

-- moose casually hanging out along the roads

and learning how to deal with them;

-- finding buildings with this sign:

"Please Lock Your Vehicle"

Why would one even park here in the first place??

--and giving us memories of a lazy riverboat cruise down the river

with some of our favorite people.

Amidst the parades and festivities there was still a moment or two for culture.

The director of this concert was from the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC.

And lots of time spent loving on that dear little grandbaby.

(She's thinking, "Hmmm, Daddy's hair isn't like this?)

With this little 4th of July firecracker it didn't matter

that there was no fireworks display in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

She gives us all the sparkle and ooh's and ahh's we can take!

Even so, we knew our weird, wild and wonderful days were numbered.

This car sat in our parking lot every day reminding us of the dual

lives we were living and that we weren't alone in that duality.

Alaskans call leaving the state "going outside".

As we put the car in gear and headed "outside",

this friendly fellow watched us drive away and asked the big question:

When will we be returning to the land of the weird, wild and wonderful?

God alone holds that answer to that one!

For now we have memories to last quite a long time.

And that is good. Very good.