aaaaaaaaand we’re back up.
other
After July 11th
After a wedding that was all but breathtaking, my dearest wife and I set forth to check out the southeastern part of Alaska. We drove 1200 miles in a day and a half, took the Alaska Marine Highway (big ferry boats) down to Ketchikan, got marooned in Juneau for a few days, encountered a roving chautauqua group who sang us a wedding song, made it over to Prince of Wales Island, hung out with a wonderful family, our friends Isaac & Katie & Co. (https://stealawaynorth.wordpress.com/), explored a bit, camped at the very far north end, explored some more, listened to whales breath, eagles cry, fishing boats chatter (yeah, fishing boats actually do chatter!), built lots of woodstove fires, woke up late and drank coffee and whisky. Shared hearts, grew closer, discovered untold beauties. Saw a bear and gazillions of deer. In general, things have been wonderful.
Almost all the pictures I captured of this goodness were film pictures, so it’ll be a while until I post it here.
On July 11th…
My soulmate and I got married :)
I want both of us
To start talking about this great love
As if you, I, and the Sun were all married
And living in a tiny room,
Helping each other to cook,
Do the wash,
Weave and sew,
Care for our beautiful
Animals.
We all leave each morning
To labor on the earth’s field.
No one does not lift a great pack.
I want both of us to start singing like two
Traveling minstrels
About this extraordinary existence
We share,
As if
You, I, and God were all married
And living in
A tiny
Room.
~Hafiz
Things that happened this summer before July 11th
Tailwheel endorsement with quite possibly the most badass flight instructor around: Heidi Ruess. Eighty years old and a fantastic pilot and instructor.
Longest flight* yet! Anchorage to Nome, loaded to the gills with groceries. Beautiful. Also in the same event I moved to Nome to hang out with my favorite person in the entire universe!
Lots of funny faces
Lots of hanging out with my favorite person in the entire person in the universe, including but not limited to: beach combing, walks, flying together, playing music, making bread while imbibing favored libations, dancing, picnics, and helicopter rides.
Tasty & healthy food
Flying around Nome, exploring, Council and Salmon Lake*
A flight* back from Nome to Anchorage, during which I saw the most beautiful scenery & light I have ever seen. It was & is still hard to believe to be real.
Musk Ox!
Wildflowers!
More flowers!
My soon-to-be in-laws traveled (quite adventurously, I should add!) to Nome to hang out. We went flying*, saw a parade, walked on the beach, explored. It was wonderful :).
I got to take my parents and little sister flying*! Of course, I had to be all scowly and grumpy! Grrr!
Photographic evidence:
*Any time I went flying this summer (with the exception of my tailwheel instruction with Heidi), it was entirely thanks to the incredible kindness, generosity, and trust of Darla and Robert G. In exchange for a promise to take good care of her, they let me fly around their homesick angel, 65Q, for a month or so. Huge thanks to them!
Summer’s here
Final classroom cleaning: check
Apartment: almost cleaned. still have the kitchen to do!
Grades: done
Goodbyes said: sorta
Weird feeling of leaving somewhere I’m attached to? Check.
Most amazing woman in the whole wide world to go hang out with for the rest of my life? Check.
Flying to do? Check.
Summer is here? Check.
Springtime’s here, summer won’t be long
This is what it looks like..
..when a big bird takes off on a small runway. And, by ‘big,’ I mean 4000 radial-engine horsepower pulling fifteen tons of 1940’s airplane.
All a man needs
I read this article by this fella named Brett McKay, on this website The Art of Manliness, about this one study. If you have the time, jump over there and read the whole thing: love is all you need. So about this study: in few words, it’s a scientific be-all & end-all of what makes a good life. Of course, ‘scientific’ comes with the usual caveats: they had a very small and very homogenous test group but they cross checked results with other those of other studies of different demographics, procedure and methodology play a significant role as always, yadda yadda. Want the punchline straight? Here: ‘happiness is love. full stop.’ Really, that’s it. Reminds me of the ending of one of my favorite movies of all time, Kung-Fu Panda: ‘the secret is that there’s no secret at all.’ The more love, the better the life.
OK, so while there’s no secret…there are a ton of details and interesting facts and wonderful insights, all for which I’d highly recommend reading the article. The article is actually a summary of a book, The Triumphs of Experience, which I believe I’m going to have to add to my reading list.
This is what it looks like..
..to take off from a small airstrip in a small town in the largest state on a beautiful springtime day.
Sitting in the pilot’s seat (left): shana, the coolest girl in the whole world.
Sitting in the co-pilot seat (right): heidi, an astoundingly incredible pilot & flight instructor
Sitting in the back seat and enjoying the ride: yours truly
Flying over lake clark (edit: strut shot!)
Golden morning
Catching a photo of a bird
Shana
Japanese garden
