Last Leg

I am sitting in a 108 year old hotel looking out the window at yet more amazing mountains with lots of snow on top.  This is Haines, AK.  The town is about 2,000 people strong and 1,990 of them work at fishing or in gift shops!  It's a charming little place.  There used to be a fort here and the hotel is where the commander lived. 

Today has been a day of rest for us.  We got off the boat (ha ha) around 9:30 this morning, did a little exploring, and then took naps, or in my case, tried to nap.  I hate sleeping in a situation like this because I'm afraid I'll miss something.  :)

The trip on the ferry was great.  It was a large ferry and so, had many amenities------observation room, game room, bar, cafeteria, but not internet or TV.  We had a "state room" which was a way of saying VERY tiny room with bunk beds and a closet-sized bathroom.  The room was so small that you had to back up to turn around, and if you felt the ship sway while you were in the
 bathroom, there was no reason to worry.  It was way too small for anyone to fall down!

No matter about all this.  There was such incredible scenery to watch out on the many decks that  in the "state room" was not where you wanted to be.  Of course it was rather cold and windy on the decks.  The temperatures during the day were in the 50's but the wind took care of any feeling of warmth .

Tomorrow we head out early to Tok (pronounced with a long "O").  We have been told to watch out for moose and bear.  It's a two lane road through  more than 400 miles of very remote area.  Can't wait!  We are both enjoying this trip so much.  It's a real gift to be able to do this, and we are grateful.

A couple days ago Nels found a coin on the ground.  I commented to him that he's really good at that, and then he told me this story.

It seems there was a young boy who was good at finding pennies on the ground.  He was so skilled at spotting them that he purposed to always be looking for them so he could save them.  By the end of his life he had collected $17.94, but he had spent his life looking down and had missed all things seen when looking up.

Nelson and I spent the last few weeks literally looking up at the glories of nature.  We have spent the last 38 years looking up symbolically.  And that, my friends, is the only reason that we will be celebrating our 43d wedding anniversary right at the time we move into our Homer house.  I highly recommend "looking up".  Sometimes dreams come true.  Sometimes they don't.  But God is good either way.