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Published: January 7th 2006
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This blog is about how not to stay at someone’s house and a very nice drive up the scenic Matanuska Valley to the Glacier of the same name to a wide frozen valley covered in a hoar frost. I also allude to where I am headed next.
One way I want to show gratitude is to those graciously opening their homes to me leave the house in better shape then I found it. Here is how it has gone so far. Just before New Year’s my Dad went to turn on the vent over his fancy Viking gas range, but it did not work. When the $60 an hour repair man showed up the following week we discovered that in the search for the disposal switch I had inadvertently flipped the switch that cuts the power to the whole thing.
The next day after Dad and I took a hot tub we discovered that there was no hot water and no heat in the house. Can you imagine getting out of a hot tub in 20-degree weather and having no hot water? “The boiler man is a good one to know” goes the local song up here.
On
Thursday I woke up early to take pictures of the morning routine in order to practice my ‘documentary’ photography skills. The idea was I was supposed to be the observer and everyone was to ignore me as I clicked away. I did share breakfast with the family. Dad was going to work with Christine to pick out the next book to read; a great shot that I had to prepare for. As I got up from the table I tripped, landing my plate on Christine’s milk glass, shattering it all over the Christmas tablecloth. In the process I also ripped the nail off my big toe.
Mornings are a highly scripted affair of chores, homework, redirecting a very creative and energetic nine year old with the main goal of getting her on the bus at 8:34 am. So here I am hopping around trying my best not to curse, while also attempting to take responsibility for the carnage. Triage in action: clear all bare feet away, stop the bleeding of milk through the seam of the table, mop up the soaked Christmas pattern, and clean up the glass.
Since then a mug has fallen from a top shelf and shattered, two small plates have bit the dust and (my host don’t know this yet) I broke the plastic top off of their glass cleaner.
In my defense I did help fix the screen on the fireplace, cooked some fine meals and did the dishes. One down, seven more to come.
Matanuska Drive Yesterday I took the day to drive up the Glenn Highway through the Mat-Su Valley and follow the Matanuska River up to its source at the Matanuska Glacier. After years of living at the outflow of the damned, diked, and harassed Puyallup River it is wonderful to see a river that is truly free flowing for most of it’s length. Half frozen with blue green ice, the river managed to chart a stream within a stream.
It was a great trip to do by myself. There were many emotional, spiritual, and personal reasons for this. The reason any potential passenger might be interested in is that I have developed a hybrid photography/birding form of taking such a drive.
For the uninitiated, birders are some of the most dangerous drivers on the road. Eyes glued to the sky, ears to the trees, and foot hovering over the break they are ready to pull to the side of any road.
As the light constantly changed while the sun made its slow low ark through mountain valleys I was constantly looking for that next big find. Stomping though knee high snow to photograph a white Martianscape of trees covered in a hoar frost; freezing my bippy off squatting next tot he river; getting stuck an a steep driveway with a no trespassing sign - I was having a blast. The pictures included here are from the small point and shoot. I also took black and white with my new medium format camera.
I stopped near a bridge to takes some pictures at sun rise over the river (10:15 am or so) and ended up back at the exact same spot to catch the sunset (4:30ish) after a couple hundred miles of travel.
From Here From here I fly back to Tacoma, then to Oregon to visit with Jenny, Stewart, and family in McMinnville. Possibly a bike ride to Salem, then a trip to Portland and then I am off to see my younger brother in LA.
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Corina Going
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birding on the highway!!
Dear Bryan: I sure hope you've already found someplace ELSE to stay when you are back in Tacoma!! I mean, we have homeowner's insurance, but....... Your skiing and snow adventures sound like a ton of fun. I must take exception to your comments on birding drivers. I only use my binoculars at stoplights,really, I do. And I'm trying to write fewer notes to myself while driving, at Kevin's request. OK, maybe I did slam on the brakes when I thought I spotted a Merlin yesterday near a highway entrance ramp; but a Merlin spotting is important, don't you think?? I'm enjoying living vicariously through you; we're drowning in heavy rain here in Tacoma, so prepare yourself!! Corina Going