Pro Bowl Sunday

It's good to be home for a few days! Angel picked me up in Anchorage on Friday night about 11:30 pm. We were home by 1:30 am after dropping off our physical therapist friend, Heather. Heather works with me on the Slope. She flew out of Barrow on the same flight as me. Heather was on her way home to Vermont for a few days. She'll soon be back for another two or three week stay in the Bush. Such is the life of an itinerant.

I haven't been very productive today. Procrastinating for the most part. It was -10 this morning under a clear sky with a full moon. Angel cooked us eggs, reindeer sausage, and toast for breakfast. I read the Anchorage Daily News, messed around with camera gear, watched the Pro Bowl and took a nap. Angel did laundry and exercised. It has been a quiet and relaxing Sunday. Tomorrow, Angel is off to work, and I'll "reload" for the road.

Last night, Angel and I watched a National Geographic special called "The Whale Hunters". It was a documentary showing the hunting of the Bowhead Whale by the Barrow whaling crews last Spring. Arnold Brower, an 86 year old Inupiat elder was featured in the film. When I was in Barrow last October, Brower was riding alone on his snowmachine about 60 miles from Barrow, when he fell through the ice. He managed to pull himself out of the water, but froze to death shortly after. His sons found him a day later. This land forgives no one.

I recommend "The Whale Hunters". Even if the thought of killing a whale makes your stomach turn, the film is informative and will help you to better understand the culture of the Inupiat Eskimo. I'm posting a few of my photos taken during the Fall whale hunt of 2006 at Point Barrow. The whale being butchered was one of four taken during that hunt.

Finally, today's Anchorage Daily News had a tribute to long-time Denali Park Mountain Rescue Ranger, Daryl Miller. Miller came to Alaska about the same time as Angel and I. He grew up in Washington state, but spent a good amount of time in and around Havre, Montana, where I grew up. He became the most decorated Rescue Ranger in Denali during his tenure with the Park Service. He was forced into retirement by Parkinson's disease. Miller now lives in Anchorage with his wife. Why do I mention him? Because some of you reading this blog know Daryl from "way back", and the story is worth reading. Check it out on ADN.com.