Alaska, Part Two: The Bush

The Bush was very much part two of our trip. Fairbanks and the Bush couldn't be more different.

We made our way through several villages by way of a small Bonanza plane, and it was an incredible experience. The first day we flew, it was -35 degrees F (1 degree colder and we could not have safely flown), but it was a gorgeous sunny day and you could see everything. The rugged landscape was breathtaking.

The beautiful people who live in these tiny villages were also a pleasure to meet. We enjoyed meeting several Christian teachers who live and work among the native people, and we have such respect for what they do.

Enjoy the pictures!

It was cold.

This was just lying on the Wilson's kitchen counter when I came inside. A moose leg. It just looked so appetizing that I thought I would sneak a taste while no one was looking.

Us with our fantastic pilot, Jerry.

Our sweet friends, Bill and Wanda Wilson. We stayed with them and their wonderful kids. They consider Dan to be a brother, so it was a real treat to get to know them.

The view as we are about to land in a village.

I flew a plane! With lots of assistance.

The view is breathtaking - too much for a camera.

Dan finds new friends in all shapes and sizes. This one is particularly cute!

And these are pretty cute, too.

The high school class in Chuathbaluk.

Dog sled race!

Dan makes the news...

http://www.army.mil/-news/2011/01/13/50368-musician-storyteller-visits-wainwright/?ref=news-asiapacific-title6

Alaska Part 1: Fairbanks

"And to our right, you'll see a native Alaskan in his natural habitat." That's my favorite quote of the week, spoken by one of the Air Force guys we met at the retreat this weekend. It was -20 degrees and we passed by a man outside in nothing but jeans and a flannel. That's what I call acclimatizing. We city folk from middle Tennessee just don't see how 15 degrees is considered unseasonably warm.

Our week in Fairbanks has been eventful. Enjoy the pictures!

This is where we've been staying. It's so warm and cozy.

Okay, not really. We do stay in an actual house with actual heat.

Dan plays for a youth group

Trivia: is the sun rising or setting? Answer: Both!

The beautiful woods after a snowfall

Some sweet friends we met along the way...

House concert on Fort Wainwright

Marriage retreat at Chena Hot Springs

Ice Museum - a work of art

Some of the folks at the singles retreat this weekend

This is THE place to stay if you're ever in the Fairbanks area.

Next week, we'll be in the bush. I hope to see some moose!

Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl

It's a dizzying read, but it's good.

Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl trailer from Gorilla Poet Productions on Vimeo.

One of my many favorite sections:

Ants are easy to describe. They have six legs. But what words do I have to capture the transcendent? The truest description I conceive if sure to have a false side. Which of these twenty-six letters should I use to try and shape you a bust of the Infinite?

Shall I tell you a poem about footprints in the sand?

Should we talk about spheres, about spinning, about war, about philosophy, about children and insects and soil and tombstones and stars and antimatter? It is not enough.

When the Artist set Himself to this same task, naked mole rats happened. So did haiku, Saturn's rings, the three forms of water, fire, Greek people, and the occasional egg-laying mammal.