Hi there!
What a great day!
The truth is – after I write on the blog, I’ll come back into my room for a couple of days to see if anybody wrote back! Today I see there are three comments – but, unfortunately, before I could open more than the first one (Thanks, JANE!) the internet was OFF again and is still off 6 hours later.
That’s OK – It was so nice to know that somebody (including Jane) wrote back! Cool.
So, I get to answer Jane, anyway, and sometime , the internet will work again.
Did we feel the earthquake? I was already at work. Didi and her friend were on their way to Denali and I hadn’t gotten coverage yet to have a day off with them. The only person who could cover for me had been working for 7 days and was feeling a bit like having a day off. Further, the lodge was really full and we weren’t sure there’d be a room available –
Finally, Didi and her friend, Michelle arrived! My co-worker decided to give me his day off if I would take his shift the following Sunday – DONE. Then I received a call that they’d found a room available in Building 5 (There are 5 Buildings 5 – but that’s another story!)
Shortly after Didi arrived, the earthquake struck. I didn’t feel it – but my supervisor had enjoyed the morning off and was lying down. She certainly felt it. We all went into emergency mode – not knowing what damage had occurred – Trains were stopped. Guest departures were delayed. Roads were closed until bridges were inspected. I had planned to get off work at 5ish. I was finally able to leave at 8. It was wonderful because no one was reported injured. The tracks were not damaged. I watched employees being so careful for everyone’s safety.
Our guests are generally extremely nice and very patient – they’re on vacation, after all. One lady, however, came up to me to let me know that her train had been delayed by more than two hours. I explained that we had experienced a Level 5.5 earthquake earlier that afternoon and that all tracks needed to be inspected before the train could carry passengers.
She replied, “Well, that’s just unacceptable.”
I guess she really WAS on vacation. It is sad that life doesn’t settle down for people on vacation. Some people have been notified while on vacation that their parent or that their child was dying. They’ve been quickly driven to an airport and every effort made to get them to their loved one. At least two people have died during their vacation. Another woman fell and broke her hip. Yet another broke her ankle on the ATV’s.
Generally, though, there are thousands of people who come through, are treated like royalty and have a very fine time. As employees, we generally have a fine time too! Today I was helping a couple when the wife said to me very slowly, “I do not speak English.” She spoke FRENCH! Wahoo! We were able to talk in French – very simply and briefly – but it sure was fun and she was happy. Me too.
I am very proud of this employer. Our managers have real heart. The bottom line isn’t the dollar. The people who are in charge love this company and really enjoy the guests.
There are so many stories that I’ll forget if I don’t write them down.
My roommate just showed me pictures of wolves that she took the other day inside the park. There are signs posted on every door at the lodge – and at people’s rooms – there is a grizzly who is wandering through the lodges – and it’s important to look around before going outside – and to never walk alone. My supervisor says last year a grizzly hung around the parking lot. Keeping the guests away and preventing them from going up to the grizzly gave some of them headaches – and they’re hoping this distress doesn’t last too long. Evidently, somebody threw out some ice that had been chilling salmon. The smell attracted a hungry bear. No more tossing ice out.
I have a story about Stanna. It’s another moose story. Stanna and her husband, Bob, brought their pickup and camper up for the summer with a green canoe riding on top. They found a section of the Nenana River, about 17 miles upstream, that was calm enough for the canoe. They set the canoe beside the river and Stanna stayed there with the canoe while Bob drove down the road to park the pickup at their decided take-out point. Then he was to ride their scooter back up to Stanna. Stanna was enjoying the outside reading time by the canoe when a teenage male moose walked over to her. Teenage moose are the most dangerous. They have more power than brains. Stanna immediately tried to hide behind the canoe – crawling along on the gravel. The moose kept coming toward her. There were no trees around but there was a traffic sign. Stanna tried to hide behind the sign. The moose peeked around the sign as if to say hi. Then he returned to the canoe and rummaged through their supplies, finally wandering off again.
This is a great place to spend the summer. Those who travel through with one or two nights here are missing so much!
When Didi was here, we went all the way to Wonder Lake. That happens to be the lake that Martin put up on the picture above this blog. It’s beautiful. It’s 4 miles long and ½ mile wide, AND 280 feet deep. It’s a young lake with few fish, only some grayling and a few large trout that eat rodents unlucky enough to fall in (and I wonder who is sitting around Wonder Lake long enough to notice such phenomena!)
Ask Didi about the mosquitoes.
Thank heaven for DEET.
My next day off is Sunday – it’ll be the first day off since Didi was here. I’m thinking of going to Kantishna – go up on the bus and fly back out – but I have to stay rested or by the day off I only want to sleep –
Please write to me. Either on the blog or by e-mail or (thank you, Per) by letter.
I really enjoy the people here – but hearing from home is SO comfortable! And if I can’t open the internet one day, surely it will open the next – or at least in a few days!
G' nite friends and family! I miss you! Stanna loaned me a book she found in the library about an Eskimo woman of the early 20th century. I'll finish the last chapter tonight.
This is simply an amazing place. Wish you all were here.
much love,
barb
Martin - you would love this place! About the work - I tend to sleep more up here than I would at home - many of us have noticed that - we think it's from pure exhaustion - but it's good work and there's lots of fun.
Tracy - I'm glad you like your soap - I love the smell of that one! I'm sure glad you have the summer off and understant that this may not be a time for a family vacation up here - perhaps we can plan for NEXTsummer - ha, I think I want to do this again - if only I can! Hug each of the boys for me, ok? (including Will!) And have Will hug you for me.
love, Mom