I put up a few pictures from my Juneau trip a month ago, on the appropriate posting- you're all smart enough to find them, if you're so inclined.
Not a lot happening here right now, except a few soul-searchings and a lot of trip-planning. My mother and my biological clone plan on visiting in early September, and Glenn may even put in an appearance. After that, my future gets misty again- I look forward to mist!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Meandering Musings on being back
It's funny how going back to old friends can remind you of who you are. Even though I don't feel that I acted much like myself in North Carolina, it has demonstrated to me that here in Skagway, I've been a mere shadow of my formal self, no confidence at all. So since getting back I've been letting my personality flex its wings again, and it feels good. Skagway is so small that people have nothing to do but create drama, and it takes leaving town to realize how inconsequential these little fracases really are. Rather than worrying about drama that other people are splashing around, I'm content to hang out with the lesser of the dramatic folk, and stare at the mountains and the ocean and remember why I came to Alaska in the first place.
Finding the motivation to sell things has been difficult this week. I always find that after leaving Wolf Park or the people from there, I have a strong "I want to go home" reaction- the Park being home. And yet I know I don't do well when I stay in one place. Well, what is life without its contradictions? My father tells me that contradictions are what make good characters and good books. Anyway, it's hard caring about finding someone a matching set of earrings when secretly, you're thinking more about a wolf's funeral in Indiana.
Also, I've been having funny dreams, related to some life realizations I had down Southways. This makes it hard to focus.
In other news, the quest for an African adventure starts today on the internet. Wish me luck.
Finding the motivation to sell things has been difficult this week. I always find that after leaving Wolf Park or the people from there, I have a strong "I want to go home" reaction- the Park being home. And yet I know I don't do well when I stay in one place. Well, what is life without its contradictions? My father tells me that contradictions are what make good characters and good books. Anyway, it's hard caring about finding someone a matching set of earrings when secretly, you're thinking more about a wolf's funeral in Indiana.
Also, I've been having funny dreams, related to some life realizations I had down Southways. This makes it hard to focus.
In other news, the quest for an African adventure starts today on the internet. Wish me luck.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Over my shoulder, upon return
Well, I just got back from Nick and Payton's wedding in North Carolina (and boy, are my arms tired? Anyone? No? K, moving on-) . I arrived in Skagway to find it wreathed in the smoke of a forest fire which is going on several hundred miles away- we must take into account that this fire encompasses about 500,000 acres. Very bad summer for fires. Also, the whole town smells like fire, which I actually rather enjoy...
The wedding was lovely- the dress was beautiful, I loved the informal rehearsal dinner, and the food all around was brilliant. Of course the crowning highlight was the groom's cake, which was red velvet and shaped like a roadkill deer. Complete with red gummy worm guts. Oh yeah. Ceremony itself was quite short. It didn't make me cry, but some of the toasts nearly did the trick! And making me cry is not easy, unless you make me furious (for whatever inconvenient reason, blind fury sets off my tear glands)
It was wonderful seeing Payton and Nick so happy, and just as wonderful seeing the other Wolf Park people involved! I did go through some stress caused by a person present, but since I didn't start a blog as to gossip or trash-talk, I'll bypass that point as quickly as I raised it. Suffice it to say that certain kinds of stress really play with my digestive system, so I think I may be the first person in history to actually lose weight in the course of wedding festivities. But despite this, I had a great time catching up with people.
A brief note about a wolf named Orca: a number of Park wolves have died recently, but I believe that Orca's funeral will draw the greatest crowd that the Park has seen in years. He was a figure of inspiration to many, many people across the world. An early alpha in the main pack, he lost the use of his back legs when he was three by slipping a disc in his spine. He regained 80% use of them for the majority of the rest of his life. The last few years, he dragged them beneath him, only using them when offered substantial rewards. But Orca never lost his enthusiasm for food and human company, or for life itself. We never had any particular sign that his days were almost done- an intern found him peacefully still in the grass one morning. He was fifteen.
Orca, I'm very sorry that I couldn't make it to your funeral. You and I had many good talks over the years, and you know that wherever I was, I was thinking of you. Indomitable, incorrigable, stubborn-ass wolf. I'll miss you. Maybe now you can visit me now and then? Much love, Irene
The wedding was lovely- the dress was beautiful, I loved the informal rehearsal dinner, and the food all around was brilliant. Of course the crowning highlight was the groom's cake, which was red velvet and shaped like a roadkill deer. Complete with red gummy worm guts. Oh yeah. Ceremony itself was quite short. It didn't make me cry, but some of the toasts nearly did the trick! And making me cry is not easy, unless you make me furious (for whatever inconvenient reason, blind fury sets off my tear glands)
It was wonderful seeing Payton and Nick so happy, and just as wonderful seeing the other Wolf Park people involved! I did go through some stress caused by a person present, but since I didn't start a blog as to gossip or trash-talk, I'll bypass that point as quickly as I raised it. Suffice it to say that certain kinds of stress really play with my digestive system, so I think I may be the first person in history to actually lose weight in the course of wedding festivities. But despite this, I had a great time catching up with people.
A brief note about a wolf named Orca: a number of Park wolves have died recently, but I believe that Orca's funeral will draw the greatest crowd that the Park has seen in years. He was a figure of inspiration to many, many people across the world. An early alpha in the main pack, he lost the use of his back legs when he was three by slipping a disc in his spine. He regained 80% use of them for the majority of the rest of his life. The last few years, he dragged them beneath him, only using them when offered substantial rewards. But Orca never lost his enthusiasm for food and human company, or for life itself. We never had any particular sign that his days were almost done- an intern found him peacefully still in the grass one morning. He was fifteen.
Orca, I'm very sorry that I couldn't make it to your funeral. You and I had many good talks over the years, and you know that wherever I was, I was thinking of you. Indomitable, incorrigable, stubborn-ass wolf. I'll miss you. Maybe now you can visit me now and then? Much love, Irene
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)