Quarter Century

THE PLAN: Spend my birthday in Vegas and PHX with loved ones and see anyone and all I possibly could. Possibly squeeze in some NAU homecoming...and LOTS OF SUN.

I am happy to say this was all accomplished.

I departed Whitehorse on October 16 at 8 a.m. There is something magical about watching the sunrise at 40,000 ft. I landed in Vancouver and had a seven hour layover before my connecting flight to Las Vegas.

Here is a word web and some photos of the 10 days that followed...

Sunrise . Carry on . Turbulence . Clinique . Dad . Vancouver . Chelsie . Maggie . Beattles LOVE . Revolution . UVA . UVB . Marco . Saguaro . Mom . PCL . Beth . Beyowulf . Emily . Flagstaff . NAU . Tequila Sunrise . Tire Pressure . Interviews . Baklava . Jon . Christian Louboutin . Kaleb & Dustin . Flip Flops . Pool Adventure . 25 . Sushi . Shopping . Bananagrams . Layover . Lunarglides . Eric . Verizon . Mirage . Whistler . Lance . Scarf . Sephora . Apple . Supper Club . VB . Pat . Sunset

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.”

~ C.S. Lewis

Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. Sitting here at the kitchen table, I am presently thankful for the bright sunlight bursting through the trees on this clear and cold -8* c (17.6* f) morning. The glow is a wonderful sign of a much 'warmer' afternoon.

Thanksgiving is not as big in Canada as it is in the lower 49. I was invited to and attended a couple of dinners over the weekend, and am reminded of how thankful I am for a plate full of turkey, stuffing, and the rest. I made and brought a pecan pie to both suppers, which I found out is a very American tradition.

It has been over 10 years since I was here for this holiday. No matter the amount of time that passes or my proximity, I find there are a few things I am consistently thankful for; my family, friends and good health.

I am one very lucky girl, who knows that luck has little to do with it. You can't win loving parents by playing scratchers at the Seven Eleven or throw a healthy heart in craps. For this, I try not to take them for granted and remember that unlike poker, my family, friends and health are things I am not willing to gamble.

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

Turkey

I went to dinner on Sunday (the night before Canadian Thanksgiving) at a friends house. It was so delicious and I had such a great time that I had to share some photos. Amazing turkey, homemade eggnog, battle of the blades....so thankful.

Carpe Diem

"Courage is not the absence of fear , but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. "

~ Ambrose Redmoon

Good Morning Jack Frost

I took Kramer and Buddy for a walk this a.m. HELLO COLD. I left the house looking like a stuffed chicken: down jacket on top of sweatshirt on top of long sleeve, wool socks, wellies, and a touque. I returned home wondering if my nose was still on the end of my face. The sad thing is this isn't even cold in the Yukon. The thermometer reads -1*c right now. I need my cold weather clothing....STAT!

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer"

~ Albert Camus

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Life goes on! It is October. And it is cold. And it snowed today. A LOT. If my camera's battery hadn't been dead I would have a photo to share with you. I will have to upload one tomorrow.


So I am excited for the next coming weeks. Other than life itself, much is going on. More travels on the horizon. More adventures. But first...I need snow tires.

" The living moment is everything."
~D.H. Lawrence

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Since this is the case, my heart is bi-coastal and international. Having grown up in Canada and the US, my friends and family are everywhere in between. But first and foremost I have found that it is where I am. Where my head lays to rest and my dreams manifest.

You may think that after years away, there would be some sadness in returning to a childhood home that sat relatively unopened. Locked. After much time, harsh cold winters, and divorce....the house is oddly full of life. Of love. I remember being saddened the first time I returned 4 years ago after have been away since high school. But when I cross the threshold this time, there were no tears. Why cry over spilt milk? I am now comforted, calmed by a structure and by property that is priceless in my eyes. Rich with memories, not to mention water front views.

Returning now as an adult, I appreciate all the hard work it took to make that house a home. All the work my Mom and Dad did. I only wish that we could all return together to coo at someting that makes up a huge part of what we were....who we are.

I am so thankful for all that was done by my parents to make my childhood epic. Warm. Safe.

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”
~ Maya Angelou

Down the Great River

In passing one day, Anne invited me to partake on a river trip she and Harvey were planning for good friend, Ellen Davignon. Long time Yukon resident and author, Ellen had never made the long trek via agua to Dawson City from her once home of Johnson’s Crossing. Among many other sweet and savory delights, Ellen is hands down the best maker of Cinnamon Buns north of 60 (well, anywhere for that matter). I couldn’t turn down what will probably be for me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The four of us embarked on an amazing escapade up the Yukon River from August 13-17.

We put our boat in at Johnson’s Crossing and rode down river to Dawson City. An 8+ day excursion in a canoe, it took us 4 days by motorboat.

The first night we camped at Hootalinqua, the second at Minto, and the last night on Olgivy Island.

There are so many miles of untouched, unremarkable scenery --- sooo much history.

While there were countless moments of whit and wonder to write about….I want to share some info about the amazing waterway that carried us along.

Yukon means "great river" in Gwich'in.

The longest river in Alaska and the Yukon Territory, the Yukon River was one of the principal means of transportation during the 1896–1903 Klondike Gold Rush. The river passes through the communities of Whitehorse (where I am), Carmacks, (just before the Five Finger Rapids) and Dawson City in the Yukon Territory.

The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. Over half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska, with most of the other portion lying in and giving its name to Canada's Yukon Territory, and a small part of the river near the source located in British Columbia. The river is 3,700 km (2,300 mi) long and empties into the Bering Sea at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.


It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and for that I am forever grateful!

Camp first night at Hootalinqua

Paddlewheel @ Hootalinqua

Ellen, Anne and I :: Big Salmon

Yukon Sunset

Anne, Harvey, and Ellen :: Fort Selkirk

Last Campfire :: Ogilvy Island