Alaska VIII

June 25, 2008.  Juneau, the state capital.  I know that because I was a geography major.  I was a geography major because I always thought it was a good idea to know where you are (for no matter where you go, there you are) – and where you’ve been – and where you’re going.

The gang would meet up for dinner every evening – same time, same station – to discuss the day’s events and what we had all been up to.  We had our own dedicated sommelier, because we were just that special.  He had an assistant as well – something to do with our little peccadillos such as wanting our feet washed and our necks and shoulders massaged before dining.  Anyway, they were great guys with great stories about the life and times working on a cruise ship.  Wish I could remember their names.

[Can you imagine how hard it was to keep an eye on Crazy Dave in this place?]

[First stop, Mendenhall Glacier, part of Tongass National Forest, about 12 miles from Juneau.  The visitor center was built in 1962, when you could almost touch the glacier from the “front porch.”  The glacier has receded two miles since then.]

[Mendenhall Lake, created as the glacier recedes.]

[For those who would know her, doesn’t the photographer in the foreground look like Cindy Dale?]

[Pretty impressive – but where we’re standing is where the glacier used to be.]

[“I wish I had a glacier in my backyard!”]

[Perfect weather.]

[Ruthie & Anne checking for Dall sheep on the mountainside.]

[Crazy Dave garnish?]

[Great hiking.  We wish we could have spent more time here.]

[Well, maybe we don’t want to do any more hiking – that’s a bear in the tree!]

[Checking on the bear, who was next to where all the buses are parked!]

[This is Anatoli.  As reported, July 2, 2008: For all you basketball fans, Anatoli is not just famous for having his picture taken with Ruthie.  He is a history teacher at Juneau High School where he taught NBA All-Star, Carlos Boozer.  Carlos was a very good student, he said.  He moved to Juneau from Russia in 1992 and still has a very strong accent.  In the summer, he drives tour buses where he entertains the likes of us with history questions and great humor.  So, I guess it is true that you can see “a Russian” from Alaska.]

[Alaska State Museum in Juneau.]

[Out and about, seeking garnish.]

[As I recall, we climbed a lot of stairs in Juneau.]

[The Governor’s mansion.]

[The state capitol.]

[Looking for Sarah.]

[Always looking to pick up stray animals.]

[The shopping district.]

[Here you can see why there are no roads into Juneau.]

[Bill & I find what we were “shopping” for.]

[Ketchikan will be our next, and last, stop in Alaska.  Then we begin the long trip home.]

About tomobert63

The Journey Begins Thanks for joining me! This is the follow-up to the original, “alexandriacardinals.wordpress.com,” which overwhelmed the system’s ability to handle it any more. Thus, this is “Part 2.” As the original was initially described: 10-26-07-4 “It all began in a 5,000 watt radio station in Fresno, California” . . . wait a minute, that was Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show! Let’s see . . . oh yeah, it all began in 2003 when retirees, i.e., old people, in Alexandria, Minnesota, who had no desire to become snow birds, went looking for mid-winter entertainment here in the frozen tundra of West Central Minnesota. We discovered girls’ high school hockey, fell in love immediately, and it remains our favorite spectator sport to this day. Initially, and for several years, reports on these games were e-mailed to those who were actually snowbirds but wanted to keep abreast of things “back home.” It was ultimately decided a blog would be more efficient, and it evolved into a personal diary of many things that attracts tens of readers on occasion. It remains a source of personal mental therapy and has yet to elicit any lawsuits. ~ The Editor, May 9, 2014 p.s. The photo border around the blog is the Cardinal girls’ hockey team after just beating Breck for the state championship in 2008. It’s of the all-tournament team. The visible Breck player on the left is Milica McMillen, then an 8th-grader – she is now an All-American for the Gophers. The Roseau player in the stocking cap I believe is Mary Loken, who went on to play for UND; and the Cardinal player on the right, No. 3, is Abby Williams, the player we blame most for making us girls’ hockey fans who went on to play for Bemidji State. *********************************************************************************** Photos contained herein are available for personal use. All you have to do is double click on any of the photos and they will become full screen size. You can then save them into your personal “My Pictures” file. They make lovely parting or hostess gifts, or holiday gifts for such as Uncle Ernie who wants to see how his grand niece is doing on the hockey team. If any are sold for personal profit, however, to, for example, the Audubon Society, National Geographic, Sven’s Home Workshop Monthly, Curling By The Numbers, or the World Wrestling Federation, I only request that you make a donation to the charitable organization of your choice. You have two hours and fifteen minutes. Pencils ready? Begin! **********************************************************************************
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