The Blackburn Digest

DAY FIVE – Tuesday, June 19^th, 2007

Today was “glacier day” – Mercury continued to cruise towards Yakutat Bay and the Hubbard Glacier this morning.  As we turned into the opening of outer Yakutat Bay, “small” icebergs (some the size of your average SUV, others the size of a refrigerator) appeared in abundance.  Our speed slowed as the Captain carefully maneuvered through the colorful bergs; while we were happily snapping photos of the exposed part (“It looks like a horse!” “That one looks like a panda.”), we were only looking at one third of their bulk while the remainder lurks underwater.

Icebergs  range in color from white (relatively “new” ice, still full of air bubbles – these are fun when they calve off of the glacier, as the air bubbles make them sizzle, crackle and pop!), or a beautiful blue (old ice which has been compressed until there’s virtually no air left in them, which is what makes them refract the blue spectrum of light) through striped or black (from the rock and crushed boulders scraped from the valley floor during their travels. )

(Scotty in Star Trek, The Voyage Home)

DAY THREE – Sunday, June 17^th, 2007

Up at 7 AM; by 8:25 AM, we were whale watching! The Captain’s announcement that a large pod of hump-backed whales was in the vicinity came just as we were sitting down to breakfast – we ate with more-than-usual haste and made a dash for the Navigator Nightclub (our favorite viewing location, even when they’re not serving libations – LOL!) The whales put on quite a show; none breached, but there was a wealth of tail-fin sightings and spouting. By the time the pod had passed us (or we passed the pod?), the Captain estimated 15 to 20 whales. Very cool way to start the day!!

Alaska Travelogue

DAY ONE – Friday, June 15^th, 2007

Up at 5 AM in San Antonio, we made short work of the last-minute packing, plant watering and fur-kid provisioning. Having decided late Thursday evening to eliminate stress and uncertainty by being our own taxi, we were on the way to the airport at 6 AM with all of our travel gear stowed in my Camaro. Traffic was still quite light through the troublesome areas of our route; very fortunate, as the driver (me) was not yet fully awake! I had expected a bit of a mess at the airport security check-point; we had quite an array of well-stuffed carry-on luggage and my leg braces were going to make the sensors go crazy. Must say our airport has vastly improved the TSA system; everything was speedily accomplished and all of the staff had a businesslike but refreshingly respectful attitude. After a wait just long enough for a much-needed Starbuck’s fix, we were called to board our plane; a relief, as my carry-on bag was doing a terrific job of imitating a large lead weight! But wait. . .we’re descending to the tarmac? There are only five steps involved in boarding the plane? We’re flying to Salt Lake City in an overgrown cigar?? Practically – it was a (Delta) Canadair Regional Jet; two by two seating and zero leg-room! One and one-half hours into our flight, I was finding the tightly packed seating somewhat difficult – with no opportunity to shift positions frequently, we weren’t at all comfortable! Some fairly hefty turbulence caused us to perform the well-known “coffee trick”. . . .keeping our cups in the air and constantly moving so that (hopefully) cup and contents remained partners. (The trick worked rather better for me than it did for Tom; I performed the “club soda trick” for him on our Salt Lake City to Vancouver flight, successfully lightening the stain by several degrees. LOL!) One marvelous miniatures-related find during the flight – I discovered perfect one-twelfth scale replicas of 32 Sky West magazine covers!! When I (eventually) create my “Seasoned Traveler” scene, I can scatter a few of those about.

Title & lyrics by Peaches & Herb, 1979. . . . .O.K., so I’m dating myself. Flip the numbers (1979/1997), and it fits!!

Yesterday, eleven days after my ‘97 Chevy Camaro was admitted to the Cardiac Care wing of Ancira-Winton Chevrolet Service Department (if you consider the engine to be the heart of a car), or the Brain Surgery unit (it did have a cracked head, after all), she was finally returned to my custody and care, after a last-minute visit to the Urology Department (her water-pump was leaking!)

With no intended or implied disrespect to the Kia Spectra I finally rented from Enterprise Rent-a-Car (it actually was quieter, more responsive and better behaved than I expected), it was a HUGE relief to slide (well- -drop, really) into the Scarlet Lady’s deep bucket seat and drive her away from ICU (”It’s Costing U”). The Kia Spectra is, after all, a compact, short-nosed, efficient family sedan. The Lady is……well….a sleek & rebellious denial of my impaired mobility!