This photo was taken at 12:05 am in Chevak right before we left last week. It was still light.
We’re exhausted. Just plain exhausted. When we got off the plane last Monday night, it was like sensory overload. There were trees everywhere, cars coming from all different directions, people everywhere. Pretty different scene from old Chevak. After two days of driving around in the traffic I was ready to head back to the quiet bush. Tom’s trusty truck started beautifully and Tom was a happy man. It was pretty dirty because we had not really cleaned it up from the camping trip last year – too much to do that last week. Left over dog hair mainly – so about the third day we were here in Anchorage we purchased a vacuum cleaner that would fit behind the seat – a real vacuum cleaner and we vacuumed out as much as we could, then Tom ran it through the car wash. It is a wonderful truck. The plane ride from Chevak to Bethel was uneventful except that the plane went rather high and my ears started to get a good bit of pressure. I was in front – where the larger seat belt is, and Tom was in back tending to Roxie, who went seat fare since her kennel was so large. Tom was feeding her snacks to keep her quiet since she was pretty mad about being in that kennel. I needed him up there tending to me with my ear pains. When we landed in Bethel I was completely blocked up and could hear nothing. People kept moving their mouths and I felt like I was in a vacuum. The real trouble started on the Alaska Airlines flight from Bethel. Talk about pain – I was dying with sharp pains in my ears. I’ve never experienced anything like that before and hope I never will again. I am not back to normal yet and it has been over a week. We stayed two nights at the Microtel and then transferred over to Elmendorf Air Force Base to a room that cost $28.50. It was just as nice as the Microtel room we paid $90 a night for. We spent the next five nights in that wonderful inexpensive place - the very same service we got at the motel. Tonight we’re at the Merrill Field Inn – across from Merrill Field with all the multicolored planes. Tomorrow we get the camper.
It is so relaxing to go out to Elmendorf. You have to drive slow, and you have to get permission to go on base – they don’t let just anybody in any more. We got a month long pass because we are going to be camping there. The place is wide open, green, with parks everywhere, planes taking off, and the wonderful marvelous commissary and px. You are in Anchorage one minute with all the thousands of cars and crowded houses and the next minute you are in Elmendorf where everything is beautiful and peaceful. What a difference.
About the camper…we looked and looked at trailers. They were pretty big on the outside, huge, but then on the inside they were a little claustrophobic. We have finally decided on a pop-up camper and are getting it tomorrow I hope.
Between us this week Tom and I have been several appointments and have several more the next few days. I thought it might be fun to list them.
Ann – dermatologist, dentist for a crown, family physician for bad knee, high blood pressure, tetnus shot, ear pain resulting from flight, and the gynecologist (annual check). I still have to go for a mammogram, MRI of my painful knee, blood check for cholesterol, etc. a bone density scan, second appt for the crown, a teeth cleaning, a second dermatologist appointment for a full body scan.
Tom - dermatologist, family physical for his annual man exam, excema in his hands, eye exam, sleep disorder clinic for his apnea and a new CPAP, He still has to go back for his full body scan at the dermotologist, blood check for cholesterol, dentist for teeth cleaning, and his cardiologist. Somebody might think we were old and sick but really we are just careful.
Our friend Jean (Libby’s mom – remember Tom walks Libby everyday in Chevak) is having some surgery tomorrow and will recoup with us in the pop-up camper till she returns to Chevak. Welcome to Alaska!
We ate breakfast our first day here with Carmen at Gwennies Old Alaska Restaurant – pretty good food – I liked the stuffed bear and moose and old photos. We mistakenly addressed our boxes (five of them) to the address of Carmen’s parents instead of the address for general delivery at the post office. So we had to keep going over to their house in downtown Anchorage to see if packages had arrived. We were really looking forward to getting our insured package of computer stuff and paperwork (since I haven’t done the taxes yet – I must do that this next week). Anyway, when the insured package finally came we went over to pick it up and Carmen’s elderly parents told us how heavy it was about four times. We felt terrible. I’ve got to get organized and not have these mix-ups. We took them a basket of goodies for our apology!
I’m really looking forward to our travels this summer – can’t wait to get started on the 10th with Terry and Dee! Noticed a bunch of folks fishing in Shipp Creek this afternoon – so I guess some fish are already biting.
We found an REI store and are going to take Jean when she feels better.
I know most every street in Anchorage. Tom knows them all.
Below you can see the lake in Chevak gradually defrosting. This was taken in late May.
