There Must Be a Better Way To Mash a Banana

Written by

Nicki Sooter Wilcoxson

Occasionally I take inexpensive small online vacations touring blogs written by other people. I never cease to be amazed by the things I see and read during my short trips through blog land. Two blogs that I always make it a point to visit are written by the daughter of one of our Class of '63 classmates, and I must say that she (Terrell) reminds me very much of her mother. Terrell has a strong sense of independence coupled with a wonderful subtle sense of humor. Add in a lot of creativity, an amazing ability to see the world in an off-beat, non-boring manner and her posts become delightful vignettes guaranteed to make the reader smile and often laugh out loud. Oh yes, I had better mention that Terrell has a double dose of Childress genes as her dad is a Childress graduate, too! Maybe that is why she is so very talented, much like my own daughters!

Recently, Terrell wrote about an injury that she had received as the result of an impulsive decision that she probably later regretted. However, we all know that stuff happens and hindsight is always better than foresight in many instances. We have all had those moments when we have to stop and think, "What was I thinking?" when in reality we probably weren't thinking at all. It is like trying to learn to skateboard at the age of 60 or climbing on the top rung of a ladder when we know better or sticking a tongue to a frozen pole just for fun or trying to keep up with the 30 year old "kids" on the treadmill. Many of these often end in excruciating pain and/or extreme embarrassment. Terrell very cleverly calls her post "Obligatory Embarrassing Injury of the Year" and it inspired me to confess a similar "stupid human trick" of which I have been guilty recently. Actually, I have so many to choose from but this is the one I will share.

As a rule I spend most of my time wearing comfortable shoes, sandals, and mules because after a life of spending much of my time on my feet, I think comfort should have the final say most of the time. However, I really do love shoe shopping and I occasionally treat myself to shoes that make me look taller, or more dressed up, or even feel sexy. Okay, now I am laughing! A couple of years ago I bought a very trendy great-looking pair of wedge sandals while shopping with my daughter, Kim, in Dallas who voiced apprehension that even though the shoes that I tried on were really cute, perhaps the heel was a bit too tall for what I am used to wearing. Translation, "Mom those are way too dangerous for a person your age." Against her better judgment, I had to take them with me. I couldn't wait to show them off when I got to her house so I put them on, took about 5 steps and fell on my booty. Without saying a word, I took them off and handed them to Kim who was giggling while she managed to tell everyone, "I knew, I would get a new pair of shoes today!"

But wait! That is not the end of the story. Always having been a slow learner about some things, I later purchased another pair of wedge sandals with a shorter, more sensible heel and YES they are very comfortable. I really love them and I wore them all last summer very successfully. About a month ago, once again in Dallas, I wore my shoes to the Tom Thumb to grab a couple of things. It didn't take long and then I was on the way out to the car carrying two sacks with a few items. Suddenly, there I was on my hands and knees on the sidewalk in front of the store with my few grocery items scattered around me. I had literally fallen off on one of my shoes!

Now picture it! As fast as I could, I jumped up, slipped on my offending shoe, gathered my groceries and took my wounded self home. Well at least my pride was wounded--my body not so much except for a skinned knee and elbow. This time I wasn't about to tell "the family", but while I was putting everything away, I pulled out the bananas or what was left of them because two of the four were no longer in their natural state. They were all smashed as if they had been in a blender. I can only assume that my knees were responsible for smashing them into mush. I certainly don't remember doing that, but I do know that I did NOT SIT on them!!

If only this could be the end of my story, but sadly it isn't over yet. On a Sunday morning about two weeks later, once again wearing the same cute sandals with the cork wedge heel because I had vowed not to hurry when wearing them, I walked out of the garage to get into the car where Jim was already waiting to drive us to church and we were a little late. I guess I got into a bit of a rush and right there in the drive way, I fell off my shoe again, jumped up and got in the car feeling like a total idiot one more time. I wasn't so lucky this time as I had to spend the rest of the afternoon lying on the couch with an ice pack on the side of my foot which was in severe pain because I had probably strained a muscle in my foot. I was so sure that the next day I would have to call my doctor and confess the sin of once more having fallen off my shoe. Luckily the next day I was much better, and I was spared the final humiliation of going to the doctor. No, I haven't worn my cute, cute black sandals with the cork wedge high heel again. I might be a slow learner, but I am not stupid. However, Kim isn't getting my shoes this time. I still have hopes of wearing them again another time. I think I might look really good and styling when I have a walker to wear them with!

Thanks to Terrell for being my inspiration.

Obligatory Embarrasing Injury of the Year

Wishes ... Dreams ... and The Garden of Eden....

The Looking Glass
by Jennifer Johnston












Qing Ming's Garden of Eden

When you wish upon a star,
Makes no difference who you are;
Anything your heart desires
May come to you.
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme.
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do ...
Fate steps in and sees you through.
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true.

Jiminy Cricket sang those lovely lyrics by Ned Washington at the beginning of the 1940 Walt Disney movie Pinocchio. I wasn't born until six years after the movie came out, and I don't really remember when I first saw it or heard the song, although it was likely in the 1954 theatrical re-release of the film, when I was eight. Whenever it was, those lyrics, and the lovely lilting melody, have lived in my mind and my heart since I was a child.

I've wished on many, many stars ... and birthday candles ... dropped a lot of nickels in a wishing well, saved the fortunes that the fortune cookies tell, got a lucky penny and a mustard seed (as the old song goes) ... pulled the petals off uncounted daisies ... and looked for the pot of gold at the end of countless rainbows.... But rainbows are optical illusions and leprechauns are notoriously tight-fisted, so that's just silly ... and I digress.... (grin)

I know that our wishes are not always granted, or perhaps not granted at the time the wish was made. But that does not preclude that one day, one life, we will realize our most cherished dreams, and all will be as it should be then, even if it cannot be that way now.

I've been very much enjoying Nicki's stories and pictures of her recent Alaskan adventure! Yahn and I did not make it to Alaska in our travels ... although it would be churlish of me to complain because we were fortunate enough to see so many wonderful countries and cultures. Unfortunately his health problems over the past few years have prevented us from taking any more trips. (This seems a good time to reiterate that if you have the desire ... and still have the health ... to travel, do not put it off because we never know when something may put a halt to our venturing forth, at least in this lifetime.)

So, instead of traveling to Alaska, or back to Bali or Egypt, or to new places which now it appears must be deferred for another life (but where I may already have been resident in previous incarnations), I have continued to spend some time recently interacting with diverse people on Facebook, and also blissing out in my virtual dog Qing Ming's lovely Garden of Eden in Dog World (DW), which I've written about in earlier posts. I am now happy to be able to share a picture of Qing Ming's little "world" with you (above), thanks in no small part to my DW and FB Friend Tasom Benim, a lovely and generous man.



The "Reflection Nebula" (NGC 1999) illuminated by
V380 Orionis, a variable star (NASA Image)

Qing Ming's garden is a place of fantasy (and fantasies are waking dreams) ... a place of desire, of tranquility and abundance ... a virtual metaphor for a halcyon life imagined by the creator of the glade (that would be moi). Nearly all the yards in DW are unique, except for those who are newly come to DW, who receive a basic "package" of materials to construct a rudimentary domicile. But like life itself, the person who is dedicated to helping the dogs (or others) and interacting with a wide range of people ... while seeking enlightenment and beauty in life to make his world (and the world at large) and his future as perfect as possible ... will take time and trouble and willingly traverse the "learning curve" to get his yard ... his metaphoric life ... as he wants it.

In doing so he (or she, certainly) may learn a lot about himself and he will learn the things he needs to thrive and grow and cultivate his sui generis garden ... and will find the tools and belief to eventually share it with a sui generis, yet twindred soul who will complement his paradise. It is a place not only to learn, but indeed to gain additional insight into the universe and contemplate his place there, before he can transcend this world and ascend to the world in which he will find true everlasting love, joy and fulfillment.

There is an "Adam" in Qing Ming's and my Garden of Eden ... but he has been cruelly hurt by some and locked in his own karmic struggle, and he prefers to stay by the stream of life but within the shelter of the trees, until one day when hurts may be put aside, and trust freely given, and thoughts and belief become knowing. That is his prerogative, part of his life lessons, and Qing Ming (named in part for the Chinese holiday set aside to revere one's ancestors) and I will wait, as ever....

Sometimes (frequently) DW denizens redo their yards, as they receive "gifts" from other traveling, questing souls ... from simple additions and subtractions to complete redecoration of the entire area, because they know they must keep striving and growing and changing until all is as it should be ... as it is meant to be ... as it will be one day when the time is right. Stasis, the status quo, may be soul-killing....

Qing Ming's and many other yards are wonderful creations ... and to some extent I think a reflection of the soul of the person who builds and tends them. Some yards are dark and fearful ... those "feral darkling gardens drowned in shades and shadows, sorrow's sighs...." (Although certainly not all "dark" yards are fearful ... some are wonderfully poetic, romantic concoctions which make lovely, otherwordly settings and reveal that side of their "owners.") But Qing Ming's glade is intended to be a place of dreams and visions and enchantment. In Qing Ming's yard (as pictured here) there are wisteria and Japanese maples, a lily pond, blue and red orchids, a sleeping kitten, lovely bluebells, dramatic orange shelf fungu, a passion flower (under the wisteria on the left), and ginseng and "plaid" eggs which represent health, memory, life and rebirth.

The little sugardust fairies, the hummingbird and the blue butterflies really flutter ... the peacock spreads and folds its tail ... the dandelions dance on the cool breeze ... the wind chime sways and actually chimes (you can really hear it) ... the white kitty (Chaya, an enchanted being who also represents the cyclical and ongoing nature of life ... indeed, her name means "life") paws her cushion ... the red Japanese lanterns (draped with red orchids) glow in welcome ... the candles on the chanukiyah flicker ... the koi swim in the terraced koi ponds ... and Qing Ming moves (jumping for joy if he's happy, displaying the appropriate range of emotions if he needs food or water or medicine, which are duly supplied not only by me but by kind, passing strangers and Friends who leave gifts and notes complimenting the yard, or to encourage us, or just to wish us a nice day or week.

Occasionally Guinevere the Druid Goddess and Blog the Troll drop by to pass some time there. Blog particularly enjoys it because it is so shady that he doesn't have to worry about bursting into flames, which could happen if he stays too long in the sun.... (grin)

It is worth noting that our group has saved over 310 dogs, and counting....

News Flash: I believe in wishes .. and I believe in dreams! I am a dreamer! I am also a believer in magic, in mystery, in love ... in the unbearable lightness of being, to borrow a line ... and in the unbelievably short blink of the universal eye which constitutes our individual existences in this time and place. I truly believe that things that are meant to be, will be ... in good time, when the place and the plane and the circumstances come into the perfect alignment for the realization, the fruition, of our wishes and dreams and hopes. And while we await transcendence to that perfect place, we learn and grow and prepare for our future in the here and now. Any precipitous attempt to thwart or skew fate, to rend the fabric of our destiny, to hasten the dream to waking before the time is right, will likely lead to pain, and frustration and loss ... will obstruct and delay the fulfillment of our promised future and our ultimate joy and happiness.

Perhaps some inborn or inbred solipsism keeps many of us from fully comprehending that there are twindred souls with whom we will come into contact ... who will like what we like, laugh at the things we laugh at, think the things that we think, fully understand and share the range of our interests and our desires ... but I do believe such souls exist. It may take kissing a lot of frogs, as the old saying goes, or spending time with perfectly wonderful people who still don't quite fulfill all our needs ... but I believe the "twins" will, when time and the universe are right, find each other and achieve complete joy in their blessed and ordained joining. When time and circumstance and knowing coincide and are right, all things are possible....

In stating this belief I must note that we are all given choices in life, and yet sometimes our choices and the course of our lives in any given existence are dependent on the choices and karmic obligations of others. One of my favorite writers and philosophers, Viktor E. Frankl (1905-1997), an Austrian psychiatrist and philosopher and a survivor of the Holocaust, wrote:

Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of the human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

And so we must live our lives ... choosing the path we will take when our dreams must be deferred because of the choices and the karma of others. Sometimes we will be disappointed ... but if we are wise, we will learn and grow from those disappointments, and from the pain they sometimes bring us ... we will understand and absorb the knowledge that one day we will have what we desire, when we have reached a level of existence and growth so the dream will come at the right time, in the right place, in the right way ... we will, if we are prescient, feel the many resonances which are all around us and speak directly to the striving soul.

I firmly believe that life itself does not end with the cessation of this corporeal existence ... that we have lived other lives, and that we will be born again into additional lives until we have achieved our full potential and promise, at which time we will ascend, transcend if you will, to a higher plane ... whether you call it heaven, or ecstasy, or joy, or pure love, or whatever resonates within your soul. I realize that my beliefs do not necessarily "track" with those of many (perhaps most) of the readers of this blog ... and I firmly support their right to believe as they choose. The world's great religions and schools of thought and belief share certain commonalities of what I feel is bedrock truth, and I believe that we all come to enlightenment ... to growth and transcendence ... in many ways. This is simply a statement of what I have come to believe after many years and many existential lives.

The Siesta (Afternoon of Dreams), painting by Frederick Arthur Bridgman
(Late 19th or early 20th Century)

In his traverse of the universe, and in his good time, Dr. Frankl came to understand many things which have helped me in my journey. He also wrote:

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

I believe we must live our lives well ... taking great care for the lives and hopes and dreams and happiness of others ... feeling empathy and compassion for other fellow souls ... learning to love fully and passionately and completely and unselfishly, as we ourselves hope to be loved ... growing and stretching and seeking until we reach the light. And ... if your whole heart is in your dream ... then one day, one life, if we "act well our part" we will find that all of our wishes and dreams and yearnings were simply signposts and touchstones and resonances of promise for the life and the love ahead of us....

When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true.

I wish ... I dream ... and I believe....

)O(

The End of Our Great Adventure: Part 5

Written by Nicki Sooter Wilcoxson



Orca Pod Near Crab Ship







Eagle looking for food. Note
the wing span






Photos taken by Vince Migliaccio
off the Sea Crab Fishermen's
Tour

Humpback Whale




Kim, Vince, and Cole
on the Sea Crab Tour









Wow, What a catch!!! Crab legs for dinner.

Following a very long day yesterday, Sunday, June 21, Jim and I returned home 8 days after leaving for our trip to Alaska. In my last post I talked about our trip to Juneau and about seeing my whales which was a big thrill for me. When we got back to the ship, ate, and worked a bit on the computer, we decided to fore go the planned excursion that we had planned for Friday which was to be another look at the misty fjords and glaciers. Our ship would be in port in Ketchikan and I really wanted to spend time exploring the village; taking the excursion would leave us with little time to spend there. In the meantime, we found another excursion for Kim, Vince, Cole, and friend Kelly to participate in. It was billed a Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour. To make it short, we totally misread and misunderstand what would take place, but we thought it was definitely something Cole would enjoy doing, and the rest of us not so much. Sometimes we make good decisions and sometimes not so good decisions. The decision that Jim and I made not to go was a BAD decision. Everyone came back raving about the excursion. They saw pods of 8-10 Orca whales close by that really put on a show, a humpback whale that swam to the ship, and flocks of bald eagles drawn to the ship by raw fish the kids got to throw out to them. Several other species of wildlife were nearby, too. The kids and the adults loved it. Boo Hoo for us and we will know better next time.





The Eagle makes the catch.










An Orca breeches the water.

Waking up to Ketchikan outside our windows was awesome, too. (actually we didn't get there until 2:00 P.M.) Ketchikan is really one of those quaint villages built into a mountain side with rivers and streams running through the neighborhoods. The houses are painted bright colors and despite being old and for the most part a bit dilapidated the atmosphere is reminiscent of the old times of miners, adventurers, and fishermen, so picturesque that you want to capture every scene on film. Lots of shops are all around the docking area. Ketchikan is also the home of a lot of totem poles and a nearby native village that has worked to retrieve totem poles from all around Alaska in order to preserve them in one place. I have always been somewhat fascinated by totem poles so for a couple of hours Jim and I walked around Ketchikan in a light rain (bless our waterproof jackets and hoods) admiring the wonderful flowers, inhaling the woodsy, piney smells, and staring in awe at the rivers and streams running behind the homes as part of the landscape. We even saw a water ladder for salmon to assist them in their quest to get to their spawning grounds. By the way there is an obvious warfare going on between the fish farm hatcheries and the wildlife natural spawning of the salmon. Everyone is urged to avoid the farms and buy wild for better taste and so on. I don't know all of the issues. We found ourselves in a totem pole museum and saw totem poles from the 18Th century--very, very, old worn and weathered. We also learned about chum or gift giving and how it related to the status of the native families. I wish we had been able to go out to the native village for more, but the stay in Ketchikan was one of the shortest ports of call. We ended up in a cafe on the top floor of an old building, eating fish and chips (halibut) one more time--Oh so yummy. So despite having missed out on the wildlife excursion, we still had a good, relaxed, time and soaked up some of the Ketchikan culture.

Saturday was an at sea day when we sailed from Ketchikan to Vancouver through the very narrow Strait at Georgia past Vancouver Island. Wonderful mountains filled with pine trees, a few homes, fish boats, cruise ships, and even a whirlpool. A great deal of this was during the night. Victoria is on the tip of the island and very near Seattle. In my opinion, it would be a place that bears more investigating. Most of our day was spent packing to disembark, attending festivities planned by the ship's staff, and visiting. Sunday morning, disembarkation was meticulously planned and went smoothly. No, they wouldn't let us take our stewards home with us. They told us now we would have cook our own meals, clean our own houses, make our own beds, and no more room service. Several women even offered to leave their husbands behind on the ship in exchange for a steward. Most of all I will miss the view outside my bedroom window and I can't imagine wanting an inside room with no window.

The worst part of the day was getting through the Vancouver airport which is an international airport. Showing, passports several times, doing declarations for both Canada and the U.S., waiting in long security lines, and meeting the most arrogant, horse's rear of a Canadian Security Officer who searched my carry on bag with a fine toothed comb and a contemptible attitude really ruined a bit of my day. I am all for security and very patient, but this man was not a nice man. It was only a 4 hour flight home to DFW and then to Amarillo after a couple of hours layover.

Last Thoughts:

Coming home was/is a bitter sweet experience. I am so glad I got to go on this "bucket list" event. It all far exceeded my expectations and it was wonderful to share the time with family, too. Alaska transcends any attempt that I make to describe what we saw and did. It is the kind of place that no matter where you look, no matter what direction, you see the most beautiful bit of nature that you can ever imagine seeing--mountains, oceans, stream, rivers, glaciers, volcanoes, wildlife, gulches, canyons, and people who are beautiful inside and out, people who love their land and have to put up with so much inconvenience to live there, but do it anyway. Alaska is the kind of place that makes you want to take pictures of everything you see-wildlife, mountains, clouds, glaciers, ice chunks, people, shops, cars, trains, lakes, flowers, trees, food, and oceans. I think there is a fear that if you don't record it all you won't be able to make anyone understand what you have seen or done. There is also a fear that you will forget it yourself and won't be able to hold it in your minds eye forever. I know my son-in-law who was our designated photographer took between 400-500 photos (I intend to share them ALL with you) LOL. The danger that lies in trying to take too many photos of everything is that you will be so busy taking pictures you will forget to "live" in the moment.

The other side of the bitter/sweet is that despite the beauty, the fun and all the rest, I am glad to be home. I am so glad that I took a cruise--my first and maybe my only. I have tried to make a good/not so good list of taking a cruise, but I haven't articulated it yet. I loved Alaska and the idea that in all likelihood, I won't be going there again, makes me very sad. Hopefully there will be many other adventures to be explored and shared in our lifetime. We are happy we had this one and we have the photos to prove it!
Really Dorkie person enjoying the Napkin Dance performed by the Dining Staff at the end of the cruise.

Most photos were taken by Vince Migliaccio. Thanks, Vince

Our Great Adventure Continues: Part 4:

Written by Nicki Sooter Wilcoxson

A view of Juneau

Today, Thursday, June 18, was the best day we have had so far! We woke up to find the ship anchored at the docks in Juneau. What a wonderful sight! Quaint, picturesque houses set to the backdrop of gorgeous mountains and trees were so wonderful to see.

Our excursion for the day was a Whale Watching & Wildlife Quest that included a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier. Learning about glaciers and actually being in such close proximity to one was a wonderful experience.

However, the icing on the cake was a boat trip from Juneau and the Auke Bay into the Lynn Canal. The focus of the entire trip was to find Alaskan Wildlife in its natural habitat. It was so exhilarating to see the sea lions, bald eagles, Dall’s porpoise, and best of all MY whale (several really) made appearances to show off and play a bit. Actually they were busy making feeding dives for food.

I was thrilled to have finally seen “real” ocean living humpback whales including a mother and her calf. It was so much fun! There was at least as much excitement as one would expect at the OU/UT football game!!! The quest ended with a trip to the Orca Point Lodge for a dinner of smoked halibut.(photo at left)

We enjoyed Juneau and the bit of shopping we had time for. As I mentioned above the town is beautifully quaint and because it is the almost totally un-accessible capitol of Alaska it was the most updated/modern city after Anchorage and Fairbanks. There was even a Wal-Mart there! Our bus driver told us that there are only 3 ways to get to Juneau—airplane, boat, or birth. No, Gov. Palin does not live there at all despite its being the capitol.

We will be making more memories tomorrow (Friday). I look forward to sharing.

Nicki

Our Great Adventure Part 3: Haines, Alaska

Written by Nicki Wilcoxson

The flowers in Haines were beautiful as they were everywhere we went in Alaska!

This morning, Wednesday, June 16, we awakened to find our ship in port at Haines, Alaska. As we peered out at Haines from our ship’s windows we were quite amazed at how tiny the community appeared. Later we learned that Haines has a population of about 1500 people. Most of their jobs are related to tourism. One young woman who drives a shuttle, getting tourists from the ship around the town to a variety of small museums including one displaying the history of hammers, told us that her husband operates a helicopter business and they have a skiing service in the winter. During the winter they leave Alaska and travel wherever they like, skiing and enjoying life. By the way she didn’t charge for her shuttle service, but accepted tips in a jar. So far we have found the people of Alaska to be very friendly and helpful to us. When they find out we are from Texas, they enjoy teasing us about various t-shirts for sale here in Alaska poking fun at the size of Texas in comparison to Alaska. The more we explore the area the more we are amazed at the differences in the life styles of Alaska and Texas. Haines along with most other Alaskan towns is so isolated. Food, clothing and so many of the items we take for granted are very hard to come by, arriving only weekly or monthly from far away via boats across the ocean.(No Wal-Mart nearby) Often water or air is the only means for getting to stores or medical services.( very few roads and highways) Even buying via the Internet is slow both because of poor service and extended wait time for purchases to find their way into the isolated parts of Alaska. One man told us today that the children in Haines play sports, but usually spend 18 or more hours traveling by boat to get to the games. Sometimes we just need to talk to our far away fellow citizens to have our eyes opened to what it means to live in the United States somewhere besides Texas or most of the rest of the lower 48.

We have found our new calling in Haines!

Today was also the day for our first excursion off ship. Our trip was to Skagway about 20 miles from Haines. While Haines is off the main routes for most cruise ships, Skagway boasted at least 4 huge cruise ships in the harbor. Unlike the sleepy laid back streets of Haines, the streets of Skagway were crowded with tourists, tour busses, restaurants, cars and all the rest. We were taken by a ferry across to Skagway where we were loaded on a tour bus and taken to a “lovely” little place called Liarsville where we receive a humorous re-enactment of the Alaskan gold rush and then we were given the opportunity to pan for gold. Cole loved it and treasures the little flakes of “gold” that he sifted out of his pan. From there we were taken several miles to the top of White Pass Summit, and then we boarded the White Pass and Yukon Railroad for a fascinating and awesomely beautiful trip back down to Skagway. The trip was full of the history of the building of the railroad back in the days of the gold rush in an effort to get supplies in and out for the gold miners. Sadly, we also learned about the hundreds of horses and mules who were killed, starved, or worked to death all because of man's greed. (Did I mention how cold it was?)

It is a story of tragedy and success in accomplishing such an impossible task. But for us today, our senses were totally overwhelmed with the beauty, the smells of the trees, the sound of the streams of water rushing over the rocks, and the overwhelming knowledge of what had occurred so long ago in that very place. By the way were in Canada for part of our trip so we got to show off our passports! After 5 ½ to 6 hours were ferried back to Haines and our waiting ship. I do highly recommend riding the White Pass Yukon Railroad if you have a change. I am just sorry I didn’t get to explore Skagway more, but we did eat lunch at a great place called the Skagway Fish Company. Awesome Halibut fish and chips!!!

When we wake up tomorrow we will be in Juneau and off to another excursion that promises me that I will finally see MY whale which hasn’t happened yet so I am cautiously hopeful!

As a side note we are very grateful for our warm clothes and the layers we are wearing as it is extremely chilly when the wind is blowing. Jennifer, my Uggs didn’t get to come with me this trip. Maybe next time??

If you visit Haines, Alaska, be sure to look for this
Totem dedicatd to our grandson, Cole! LOL