July 4

We had a wonderful Fourth of July!  Although we weren’t able to celebrate the holiday with our biological family, we did enjoy celebrating with our Alaskan-work family.  The holiday was different from any we ever experienced.  It all began July 3^rd, with street dance beginning at 9:00 and fireworks beginning at 11:45 p.m., because it doesn’t really get dusk until 11:30.  From the middle of June to the middle of July we really don’t see a dark night, just dusk until 3:30  a.m. then daylight begins.  There was an amazing fireworks display, with fireworks being shot off of a barge in the harbor. 

How cute!

The Fourth dawned with a Kiddie parade beginning at 9:30 a.m., which ran three blocks long.  After the three blocks some of the kids from the parade entertained us with singing, tricks, or dance routine.  

Ten o’clock was the adult parade.  The old White Pass engine blocked the sight of the adult parade until it was ready to begin.  The Royal Mounties even made an appearance.  The parade went seven blocks through town, around the court house and back down the same seven blocks, so you have the opportunity to see the other side of the parade. 

There was a full day of games and races.  I’ve never heard of a SLOW bicycle race. It was hilarious watching people trying to ride their bikes as slowly as possible.  If you lost your balance or your foot touched the pavement you were disqualified.   

Courtney participated in the spike driving contest, placing fifth out of 14 girls.  Not too shabby. Now, she is suffering from sore arm muscles. An example of train tracks were laid on the street. Contestants tried to drive spikes into the ties.  Men had to drive five spikes, women three spikes in two minutes or less.  The winning time for men was 12.5 seconds.  Winning time for women was 46 seconds. Courtney completed it in 1 minute and 46 seconds. Not bad for a girl who has never swung a sledge hammer before. When she completed the competition she looked and sounded like she ran a few miles in that amount of time.

The reason for this contest was because the railroad was the major reason Skagway didn’t become a ghost town.  Ships unloaded cargo onto train cars, shipping supplies into Canada.  Goods were shipped by rail from Canada into Skagway to be loaded onto ships for transport.  From 1989 to 1942 the train ran right down the middle of the main street of town.

Skagway will celebrate anything to the fullest, even a big reason for keeping a small town alive! 

Courtney and Rejoy, her sister in arms, after they completed the challenge.

June 21st - Sandy

OK, I get it. We’re in Alaska.  We’ve seen humpback whales, eagles, sea otters, bears, caribou, and tourists (10,000 a day).  I had dinner at a party and the guy sitting next to me was from Washington, MO.  We’ve gone on nature walks, trail walks, train rides, BUT REALLY…… LIGHT all night LONG????  Haven’t I endured enough already??  We can’t even get a good night’s sleep because of the light.  When they say the sun sets, it really just slides past the horizon washing the area in a light dusk.

We went to an outdoor summer solstice concert (a bit nippy but fun).  There were four bands, all from Skagway.  People brought blankets and lawn chairs, sat or danced, just enjoying the beautiful outdoors and the sun.   

No, actually, I love being here, it’s an adventure every day. At the park, where we work, we run into people from all over the world. Some have even gone to Port Aransas, TX, where we used to live. Many don’t even speak English.  Everybody’s got a story about their trip. And, I’ve only met one person who was disappointed with their cruise. Can’t please everybody, I guess.  If you want adventure and fun (besides all the parties) this is the place to be.

We work with a great group of people, most in their mid-twenties to thirties, and then here we are in our 60s.  We are beginning to jell into a close knit group.  We are asked to join in with the younger generation like we are their ages.  BUT really, Jim and I can’t quite keep up.  We’ve been to a mock wedding, bingo, party after party, outdoor concerts, a magic show, trivia night, and the list goes on.

The kiddies love dancing to jams.

And the adults love dancing to the jams, too.

And, look! A rhubarb that is bigger than me!