Gustavis, Alaksa
Between the 13th and 16th of May I went to Gustavis to visit Jeff. In summer he escapes from the tourist gridlock of Juneau to his cabin in the woods. Gustavis is unusual in that you are in the midst of Alaska, and it is absolutely flat.
On the first night we visited some friends for dinner. This involved driving to the end of a road, parking, and walking for about a mile through the forest and muskeg, spotting bear and moose prints along the way. Gustavis, unlike Juneau, has moose because it adjoins the mainland connecting Glacier Bay and Haines, and the rest of Alaska. Moose are big, curious looking creatures with soft noses that cause more fatalities than bears each year. They get pissed off if you mess with them, or suprise them, or go near their little 'uns. I have much respect for their long legs and heavy hooves.
At the cabin, little Oola was learning to plant peas with charming confidence and delight in the giant playground where she lived. Pink skirt and big rubber boots, she was a stunner. After dinner there was music making and good old fashioned merriment. The walk home throught the dusk of midnight was accompanied by the ka ka kaa of snipes - little loud birds that whizzed all around us as we navigated the boardwalk through the mud. It was magical, and only slightly distracted me from the great fear of roaming bears in the dark.
At Jeff's there was gardening to do and big trees to climb. The simple life was had at Gustavis.
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