Alaska 2020-Day10

Today started EARLY! There must have been a blood-hungry mosquito in our room last night because even my bites have bites. I should’ve started collecting carcasses at the beginning of this trip so I could have a cute little mosquito pelt coat ala Cruella DeVille. 

We pried everyone out of bed for our 5:30 boat launch to go salmon fishing. This particular activity was Mr. Bullington’s idea. I know you are shocked by that. We’d actually had quite a time booking this outing. The outfitter that we’d originally planned to go with canceled on us and we rebooked with another company who could only take us out toward the end of our trip as opposed to the beginning which meant I had to reverse our itinerary and completely rebook our entire trip 2-weeks before we left. Wheee! Happy fun times!  But actually, not that hard since not many folks are traveling these days. I didn’t really understand the game, but apparently King Salmon just finished their run upstream to do it and die and Sockeyes are set go against the flow any day now. Unfortunately, that day was not today. We fished and fished and fished and then fished. Perhaps we scared all of the fish away with our Thomas. He started out loud and strong as he is wont to do, but after a misstep followed by an unintended  polar bear plunge into the glacier fed river, he decided that fishing was the worst thing ever. Our guide Jeff, took us up river in a zippy little boat to all the fishing holes, he changed out our lures, he gave us different poles, we tried fishing on one side of the river then on the other side, NOT. ONE. FISH. But, it was a pretty morning! And we saw an eagle fly down the river and I am pretty sure I spotted a Lynx.  

Picture perfect morning! Ready to catch all the fish!

What happy, hopeful people! Optimism, be damned! 

Doppelganger: Dan Owens

Only this girl would cast with a jazz hand

Fishing: The World's Okayest Sport

Hard Core, for now. 

GoPro poised to capture the capture.....

Just the girls! And, photographic proof that I was there! 

So tired by day 10. 

It was a disappointing fishing day to say the least and a double bummer that our trip was approaching an end. I say this every year, but this trip has been my favorite and I am not ready to go home. For the last 10 days we've gotten to chill and slow down and escape from the 2020 dumpster fire.   We aren’t as sick of each other as we normally are at the end of a road trip, and that is just a Christmas miracle because we’ve had SO MUCH TOGETHERNESS these past few months. Maybe the RV is the secret to happy travels? Our flight leaves at 10:30 pm and we finished fishing around noon. That means we had some time to kill. After scrounging around for what food was left in the RV, we headed to Anchorage. It took about 2 hours to get there and ya’ll, I was able to use that travel time to pack everyone, and strip the beds, and clean out the fridge without the stress of having to vacate a hotel room or rental car. I even washed the dishes with running water while riding down the ROAD! Thank you, George Jetson!

An RV Still Life: Books, Bugspray, empty wine glass and wooden weapon crafted by a mystery Bullington. Who could it be???

Alaska is a magnificent state. She is HUGE and inhabited by the kindest, loviest people. They welcomed us and were so grateful for our business. They've been economically destroyed by the lack of a cruise industry and it was sad to see so many shuttered businesses. But, they are a sturdy people. You kinda  have to be to live in a state where the temperature can plummet to -60! And, it goes without saying that they think we are a bunch of wussies, but they didn't let it show, and I am grateful for their lack of judginess. We could all learn to be a little less judgy, amiright?   We handed over the keys to our beloved Minnie Winnie. I wish she could be my souvenir from Alaska, plus my sled dog nativity, of course. 

I'm pretty sure he's doing it wrong, but how does one slurp a slushie during these uncertain times? 

We arrived at the the airport and found the one restaurant that was open. We settled in right next to a bunch of really cussy dudes that have been out for months on a fishing boat and can only communicate in words that begin in "F", not fart, the other one.  

A $5 investment in a magazine that featured Harry Styles and my girl was HOOKED! 

Bye, Alaska! Or, as they say in Alaska, Bye, Alaska!

Finally, we started the LONG ride home. It took 5 hours, 1 layover, and 2 more hours, for us to arrive in our blessed town. Every other year I can't wait to tear through the city limits to sit on my porch and catch up with my neighbors. But this year it's different. I love my town, but she's a bit torn, she's divided, she's a little rough around the edges.  But, I'm going to focus on her history of unity and acceptance. "Be Somebody". I love that we have a history of people respectfully living with people no matter who they vote for or what they believe. Leaders making tough desisions and being respected even when you don't agree.  We are all a big afghan of experiences. You may not know me, I may not know you, but we are part of the human family. And, I'm just gonna lay this right here because some of y'all need to memorize this. Hate is Hate and Love is Love. It's not hard. I mispoke, it is hard. But, we can do hard things. And we must do hard things. We are betta in the 'retta. What if we all hunkered down and worked through this together? You in? Are you in to not judge me because I pay for a country club membership and I'm white? Are you in not to question my motives because I am black? What if you didn't judge me because I took a nice vacation that I saved for all year? What if you didn't judge me because I left my kids at home alone because I had to work to buy them food?  Are you in not to judge me because I feel safest in my home until we have a vaccine? Are you in to accept your neighbors who chat with each other on the street without a mask? Are you in to be kind to the guy without a mask who might've forgotten it at home? Can you not be ugly to me if I stay home from church because crowds scare me? Can you be nice if I just don't know who to vote for?  Y'all, We are betta. You can be a divider or a unifier.  Ask yourself, Do you divide or unify? It's your choice.
We are betta, but we need to prove it. 

The Human Family

I note the obvious differences

In the human family.

Some of us are serious,

Some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived

As true profundity,

And others claim they really live

The real reality.

The variety of our skin tones

Can confuse, bemuse, delight,

Brown and pink and beige and purple,

Tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas

And stopped in every land,

I've seen the wonders of the world

Not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women

Called Jane and Mary Jane,

But I've not seen any two

Who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different

Although their features jibe,

And lovers think quite different thoughts

While lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,

We weep on England's moors,

And laugh and moan in Guinea,

And thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,

Are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ,

In major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences

Between each sort and type,

But we are more alike, my friends,

Than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

Than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

Than we are unalike.

-Maya Angelou