Endings and beginnings...

Fall has already begun...especially as we head north...

Warning: Nostalgia Ahead… OK, so our journey has officially begun, as of 0842 hours on 9-7-2008 when we pulled out of the Fred Meyer in Eagle River where we stayed for the night (who’da thought that the Eagle River Campground would be full after labor day). The first song that came on the radio as we pulled onto the Glenn Highway ramp was the Styx classic “Come Sail Away,” which I thought was somewhat appropriate as we took to the road in our ‘land yacht’ to “search for tomorrow on every shore,” as the verse says. Normally, I’m not much one for looking backwards, but it did strike me that just over 17 years ago, we drove into town on the very same road, not knowing at that time where life was taking us. Now, we are leaving with that same uncertainty, and I hope are just as excited about what’s to come.

As we headed out, we were passed by two APD cruisers, obviously on their way to a call, and I couldn’t help but think that I should have been going with them. It was quite disconcerting to think that was no longer the case. As we made our way towards the Knik River and the border of the Municipality of Anchorage, I saw that those officers had gone to cover another officer on a traffic stop, and that all was “10-2,” or “OK,” though it was obvious by the empty stopped vehicle that someone was in custody. All I could think of as we left the MOA was the two APD officers who had made the ultimate sacrifice over the course of my career, Officers Dan Seely and Justin Wollam, both of whom I had known and respected. The phrase “There but by the grace of God…” came to mind, and all I can say is that I hope to never again hear of another fallen brother at APD or anywhere else, but sadly, I also know that will not be the case. All I can offer is the reminder that I had taped to the steering wheel of my cruiser: “Is this THE call?” and the admonishment to “STAY SAFE.” Please… stay safe. Once again, thanks to all the officers who helped keep me safe over the course of my career, and I sincerely hope that I was able to do the same. To all of you not in the law enforcement community or in the military, please take a minute to thank those that serve next time you see them- you don’t necessarily realize their sacrifices, nor those of their families, unless you’ve “been there.” While I’m thinking about this, this is a good reminder that I need to thank Laura- I realize that it’s just as tough, if not tougher, to sit at home worrying about what’s happening out on the streets, or across the world, when you have no control over it…

OK, enough of that…

For our ‘prologue’ trip down to the Kenai Peninsula just before we headed out, I must note that on both our trip down and then back up the Turnagain Arm, it was close to high tide, and each time, we saw beluga whales feeding very close in to the shoreline, closer than we’ve ever seen before. I figure that must be good luck of some kind… They were all the way up near the Arm’s headwaters (or should that be shoulder-waters, given the name?), and it was encouraging to see them, given that sightings have been less and less frequent as their numbers have dwindled. For those of you not from waters frequented by belugas, and who are picturing these great creatures thrusting themselves skyward in pursuit of their prey, the elusive salmon of Alaska, their flukes (tails) striking the water with ground shaking force as an exclamation point, think again. It’s more like little whitish-cream colored bumps breaking the surface every so often before dipping back underwater, but still exciting for us who have seen too few “lumps” recently.

So today we made our way to Tok, Alaska, our last stop before our first foray into Canada, and I realized that Alaska is very fiscally responsible when it comes to road construction and repairs. For those who haven’t been to AK, I should explain that Alaska has two seasons, winter and construction (even more so than elsewhere). While I already knew this, especially as I had worked quite a few overtime details doing traffic control for Anchorage construction projects (which I worked as a way to save money for the diesel for this trip, with each OT detail thought of as x tanks of fuel, and unfortunately as fuel prices spiked, as 1/x tanks of fuel), it really struck home as we made our way north. How exactly is Alaska frugal about its DOT expenses, you ask? Well, it really costs a lot to repair some of the remote, frost-heaved roads up here, so rather than rip them up at the first signs of damage, they first wait until they get really bad, at first putting up temporary signs warning of “ROUGH ROAD AHEAD” conditions. Then, when it REALLY gets BAD, they take down the temporary signs…and erect permanent “ROUGH ROAD AHEAD” signs. Smart, huh… When there are really bad dips in the road (other than the one driving the motor home) they put up these little flags at the roadside to denote the bad spots which look eerily like the flags used to denote an underwater diver. I thought this odd until, after the bumps and undulations of several of these “diver down” flags, I came to appreciate what it must feel like to have the bends.

More later...