Living for years in remote ‘bush’ Alaska leaves an indelible imprint on the mind. Sometime during the week either one of us is bound to set off reminiscing about the far worse/ better bush Alaskan experience that relates to our current daily life predicament.
These memories emerge at unexpected times e.g. during a particularly large grocery shop, “Yeah it is a lot of stuff, babe, but lucky it’s not the annual grocery expedition in Anchorage,” or after suffering through a particularly humid day one may remark, “Oh for the cold chill of an Alaskan fall day.”
Even a domestic flight disruption does not seem half as bad when one of you can drum up the memory, “Better than being stuck in Bethel airport waiting for a seven-hour delayed flight and discovering the toilets are all bolted shut with ‘Not Working’ ‘Overflow’ signs plastered on the grimy doors!”
No doubt then, you could imagine us this week when two special friends flew in to stay here in Nelson NZ with us. These friends hail from our Pilot Station on the Yukon River, ‘Walking on Ice’ days! Their visit is creating a succulent remembering fest that can last for hours.
It seems one person’s memory can jog another’s.
“Remember when Jim hid in the cupboard and caught the pantry robber at the school?” General raucous laughter, then someone pipes up.
"Yeah and didn't that robber actually have a set of keys?"
"Jim still laughs about that.. he reckoned he squatted in there for hours while he was waiting. He reckons he passed the time reading a book by torch light behind the flour bin!"
Someone breaks into the laughter with yet another story.
“How about that silly new teacher who never listened and built a lean to on the back side of the house. Even when we told her it would never work, she insisted and guess what?” We all await the denouement, smiles at the ready to hear of the folly of a cheechako teacher. “You can guess! First snow, the door froze solid. Couldn’t open it! Couldn’t get in there… and her snow machine was in there!” Hoots of laughter and table thumping while we all enjoy the folly of the new comer, remembering when we had been one ourselves. “You know we had to get picks out to open that door! " LOL
It seems one person’s memory can jog another’s.
“Remember when Jim hid in the cupboard and caught the pantry robber at the school?” General raucous laughter, then someone pipes up.
"Yeah and didn't that robber actually have a set of keys?"
"Jim still laughs about that.. he reckoned he squatted in there for hours while he was waiting. He reckons he passed the time reading a book by torch light behind the flour bin!"
Someone breaks into the laughter with yet another story.
“How about that silly new teacher who never listened and built a lean to on the back side of the house. Even when we told her it would never work, she insisted and guess what?” We all await the denouement, smiles at the ready to hear of the folly of a cheechako teacher. “You can guess! First snow, the door froze solid. Couldn’t open it! Couldn’t get in there… and her snow machine was in there!” Hoots of laughter and table thumping while we all enjoy the folly of the new comer, remembering when we had been one ourselves. “You know we had to get picks out to open that door! " LOL
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Any of our neighbours who should venture outside during one of these post meal ‘remember when’ sessions over the coming week, may well hear the shouts of laughter and lively banter of four friends reminiscing about a Bush Alaskan experience few are privy to.
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