Off again exploring, and this time...what a trip! I just got back from the most incredible trip! After various people gathered at our home from elsewhere in the states, we drove from Northern California, up through Oregon and Washington, beautiful british Columbia, then one gorgeous corner of Yukon Territory, and into central Alaska. There were so many places we wanted to see more of that we traded away our return ferry trip (saving that experience for another time, maybe when we are no longer able to camp and hike)and drove all the way back home again!
One of the perks about being a teacher is...you guessed it...summer vacations (although I often spend more than half the so-called time off configuring lesson plans and experiments). Wow! What a trip!
We drove from our homes in northern California up through Oregon, stopping to visit with some long-time friends there, then up through Washington and British Columbia, staying in Hope BC which we love, Ft. Nelson, Kluane area, Yukon Territory, and various places in Alaska. We got to Fairbanks for the Summer Solstice and found out it really IS the land of the midnight sun. What a WOW trip!
British Columbia � near Hope
Misty white-gray above evergreen spruce boughs reaching up to stir the mists,
standing on light moss-green covered gray granite cliffs,
Towering above the temperate rain forest nestled below and between them.
White rushing waterfalls trickle as softly as small wind chimes,
Bouncing here and there from rock edge to rock edge,
Until the silver-white stream joins the thick layers
Of green and brown, leaf and needle mulch on the forest floor.
The Sasquatch caves are further back from where we now walk,
silently, hand in hand,
In awe at the tall fern fronds all around us.
These woods are ancient
And yet they ring with the voices of today and tomorrow
For they are protected.
One expects to see small faerie lights flittering here and there
Between the tall rough trunks of the trees,
And miniature wooden bridges
Built meticulously over water trickles that, to us, are an easy step
But to the Little Folk, a much bigger jump.
S.M. Chisam July 2007
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Just Because - Harley�s Diner
Some people go to Alaska to see the whales and such;
Some go when it is snowing to see the sled dogs mush.
Some even go to the North Pole to see old Santa Claus
But we discovered a hidden wonder there, just because.
Just because we were hungry the North Pole caught our eye
But it was way too crowded so we drove right on by.
Just because there was construction we got all turned around
And pulled onto a side street�and guess what we found?
No placer gold, no silty treasure as found by hardtack miners:
We found a silver haven known as Harley�s Diner.
It was the summer solstice, and the temp was ninety-three;
First thing we noticed inside the door was the air conditioner�s breeze.
Just because the food was great and the hot dogs were out of sight,
Motorcycle posters on the wall and tiles in black and white,
Doesn�t mean we liked them more, nor that we liked �em less�
(By the way, if you need anything, just ask the guy in the vest.)
Just because they welcomed us and laughed with us a while;
We couldn�t help but grin � they all had the greatest smiles!
Just because the place was clean and the chrome shinier than a mirror,
Well, I have to tell you - you�ll find good people here.
So if you�re up by Fairbanks and your stomach needs some pleasure,
Pull off the road just south of North* and you will find a treasure.
You won�t be stuck with hardtack like last century�s miner:
You�ll find laughter, great food and good people at the place called Harley�s Diner!
Suzy Chisam June 2007
(*just south of North Pole City)
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Shared Vision
I smile as my feet walk the cement walkway
laid so many years ago
beside the Chenah River
in the heart of Fairbanks
in the the heart of Alaska
and here I
recapture a piece of my mother's heart
from a place she has never been
but where walked the feet
male and female
of those who later walked with her...
held her hand...sang to her...read to her.
With eyes and hearts wide open
we ascend the many steps
of this small church
beside the river,
make our way down the long aisle,
sit in the pew where
just maybe
my grandmother sat
as she listened to the sermon...
surely, possibly
hearing the same Irish brogue
from County Tipperary flowing liquidly
from a young priest
much like this one.
It amazes me to sit here
knowing that
four score and four years ago
they were here
right where we are now
Did they ponder the beauty in the stained glass?
Did their heart soar with the organ�s song?
Did they feel a sense of sharing,
or did they, like many newly wed couples,
only see each other?
Yet
those shared looks
became a vision fulfilled,
a vision of family
struggling, living, sharing
becoming so much more, including
my mother
and myself.
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Riverboat Discovery
All smiles, we board the wonderful paddle wheeler
Discovery 3.
In a short three hours we experience so much
A float plane takes off from alongside us
soars high into the air
bright red against blue sky
like an over-red hawk
then lightly touches water
as the skilled pilot
sets her down again
alongside the other side
of the boat.
We see homes, restaurants, and, thankfully
many native plants and trees
still growing alongside the
sublimely reflective Chenah River.
We see many sights, but my favorites were
three:
the Trailbreaker Kennels,
the Chenah Native American Village tour,
and the convergence of the rivers.
July 2007
forest-eyes/chisam