EPILOGUE

Heading Home

Days 20-29  -  May 28-June 7

The pilgrimage has passed.

Memories are packed in heart cubbies.

Alaska afterglow rides within us.

BUT

The journey back to Maine

was NOT chopped liver!

We

passed again through Alaska mountains

with snowy peaks still shimmering;

drove past wild animals still grazing

right outside our windows;

wound through the majestic mountains of

Montana,

Idaho,

and Utah,

met more favorite folks
(of course),

and

(best of all)

stopped in Salt Lake City
to see
Rob and Emily and Dixie.

Here is a pot pourri
of that journey.

Matanuska
Glacier
revisited!



















Cannot resist those mountain vistas!

Our! First! Close-Up GRIZZLY!!!

Mama bear and CUB - our first of those, too!

Those bison still forever feeding --
and look how the calves have grown!!!

 Favorite Folk
#16 ...

Rolled down the window to talk with Ramona
while she directed road-construction traffic.
This neon "Stop!" lady grew up out there in the Alaska country
with no running water or electricity -
traveled to Anchorage each fall for school.

She is proud that now she has her mother
in a modern apartment - with all the conveniences.

When I think of Ramona,
I think about the courage and strength needed
to survive in Alaska,
especially in days gone by.

Meet Dave from our Coal River gas stop.
Dave has 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 32 horses;
comes to Coal River every summer.

We met his dog
Kahru (Russian for bear), who lives to chase bears.
One day a bear chased Kahru - 
right past the gas pumps 
("about 15 feet behind his ass," according to Dave). 
Ol' Kahru just looked over at Dave -
runnin'
and grinnin'.

By the way,
be sure to notice the "Coal River Frisbee."
Seriously!!

Dave is one of a kind.
So is Kahru!!

... and #17!!

The BEST sight of all!!

Always!

Rob and Emily ...

... and DIXIE!!

The Robert Dunklee IV's are packing for Austin, Texas
for Rob's new Hyatt job and "Chapter Next" in their lives.
Good luck and Godspeed to two mighty heart-special folks!
(Make that three!)

Thank you, Rob and Em, for letting us squeeze in a little visit --
and share Dixie's 2nd BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!
(a good time was had by all,
especially by Dixie and best bud Finn!!)

We got to Dixie-sit, too!
That girl is a peach!!!

Bye, y'all!



We have done all that we had planned - 
and more than we had dreamed. The home fires
- and summer gardens - 
are calling.
This wagon is headed to the barn.
That is a GOOD thing.

Yet the call lingers.


In the words of Robert Service...

"There's a whisper on the night-wind,
there's a star agleam to guide us,
And the Wild is calling, calling . . .
let us go."                          


Thank you for reading our blog
and sharing with us this amazing adventure.