As a young Alaskan woman I got the chance to travel around Alaska. One time I took a trip with a dear friend of mine. He worked up on the North Slope, and took me in small bush plane to a few villages were he had family members. We went pike fishing in Lake Minchumina the equator of Alaska. Many of these places we travel too, had no roads to get their. We also went to Takotna, McGraph, and Lake Illiamna. The people and the beauty lives on in my mind forever, as if just yesterday.

In the Beginning

In the Beginning
My grandfather was a Pig Farmer in Santa Clara County when he went up to Alaska to help put in the Eklutna dam. Later he sent for his family. My mother was one of eight children. She married a service man, and homesteaded alone in the wilderness for 2 years. My mother came across the pacific to Alaska on the ship Alaska, when she was 15 years old. My grandfather remained in Alaska for the rest of his life, doing the things he liked best, taking the old swamp buggy and hunting in the wilds of Alaska. Many of his children homestead off Knik Arm , just off of Wassila, in the early 1950's.

Early moments in time...........

 

I was born at Elmendorf Air force base hospital on the first snow in October. My first years were spent on our homestead on Knik road in Wassila Alaska. We would set net off of Knik Arm. I remember going down the arm on rope ladders on my mothers back. My mother Shirley homesteaded alone with two small children for a couple of years, without electricity or running water. Our water we would get from Fish creek. The cold mountain run off would make our lips so purple as we would ride the currents as children. Many lazy summers laying in the sand warmth next to the old gravel road staring at the Birch tree jungles. Many nights I would lay in the dark, looking out the window, watching moose walk by. Many children's Boigie men where monsters, mine were of Moose and King Salmon when I was a young child. Most likely because of their size and power. We moved into town, Anchorage, when my father bought a trailer and we moved to 4040 Folker Street, just off Tudor road.  I so wish to have been a gifted painter, so I could get this profound beauty that has been locked inside forever in my head down on paper.

Born in the land of the midnight sun, where the Caribou and the Salmon run, with forget-me-not's- in tundra's green, gave visions of an Alaskan dream I once lived. The first half of my life was in Alaska, the second half in California, now am wondering where my journey is to be, in my third part of life. I came from a village to out in the country on one of the oldest and largest natural lakes in North America, sleeping volcano "Mt Konocti" across from me. A week ago, I looked across the pacific, the ocean teases me with a scent I thought long forgotten.  Alaska is owner of my heart, where as California is owner of my lungs.....