The Blue Bus Barb Blog.

Tomorrow is my grandson, Kaden's second birthday.  Due to all
different kinds of distances, I have only seen him once...a few months
after his birth.  In writing this, I am hoping that some day he will
know that his grandmother loved him from day one AND that we will be
able to get to know each other. I am a firm believer that God(dess)
has a plan and that there is some reason for how things are working
out.

Yesterday, as Jeanne and I were talking on the phone, I heard her
grandson in the background.  Apparently Colin was gnawing on her foot
to get her attention in much the same way Vato does to me when I'm on
the phone.  Jeanne relocated to the Seattle area from San Juan Island
to be " The Nanny" for her daughter, Kristi.  She realized that this
might be her last grandchild and decided to seize the moment.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had headed South to
California instead of North to Alaska, iin spite of my son's pleas to
MYOB. ( mind your own beeswax )  I acknowledged his right to make his
own decisions in regards to his son, even if I didn't agree.  Bailey
was 19 when he became a father, unplanned, of course.  My dad used to
say that no children would be born if they were planned and I can
attest to that myself!  My grandchild was not conceived or born under
the happiest of circumstances.  My son struggling with recovering from
an addiction and a mother still under its influence.  How I prayed for
that baby's welfare asking God(dess) not to have the child harmed for
its parent's sins.  Miraculously at his birth he weighed in around 8
pounds and by his first birthday he looked so much like his dad that
it was uncanny.

I've watched my son taking baby steps towards accepting responsibility
for his child.  He'll be going to court to establish visitation, part
of the difficulty associated with a less than amicable split up.  I do
understand some of the hardships he has to look forward to.  I wish
that I could convey to him all of the struggles associated with
parenting are well worth the rewards. My Bailey has what it takes to
be a wonderful father.  He has nurtured and supported many others in
his short lifetime, even his own mother.

I, myself, never planned on getting married OR having children but was
blessed to have shared in the upbringing of four fine young men, all
of them unique and wonderful people.  I can't imagine what my life
would have been without them.

So say a little prayer for this wannabe grandma that she'll be able to
see her grandson on THIS trip to California.

Bearing Gifts from Grandma Barb

The Willing Suspension of Disbelief...

Back from this year's Homer Documentary Film Fest and, once again,
some masterful choices.  First a bit of crowing...traded ONE Cabella
bear for a film pass which included a GIGANTIC tub of popcorn and
refillable drink.  How cool is that??!!  Once again proves my theory
about the ( almost ) irrelevance of the almighty dollar...do you think
Delta airlines will take the rest of the bears for my Cali bound
ticket?  Hmmmm...

On to this year's offerings.  Managed to see all six films this year
at a rate of two a day.  I started off the festival with " In the
Shadow of the Moon", a beautifully edited film about the 60's race to
put a man on the moon.  With interviews that brought us closer to the
original Apollo teams and lots of never seen footage, it captured that
essence of the human race and that can do spirit.  Most touching to me
were the closing remarks by the astronauts...seems that each one
experienced some kind of a spiritual epiphany out there in space while
gazing on this beautiful planet from afar.

Followed it up with "Arctic Tales", the film made by the folks that
gave us "The March of the Penguins".  Save this one for DVD, folks,
not nearly as entertaining.  Lovely animal footage but just not as
gripping as their first offering unless you like the idea of a herd of
farting, belching walruses.

Day two, a bit more serious with insiders' views of the Iraq
"Situation" in the film, " No End in Sight".  I must say that this
film left me feeling pretty low and drove my fellow moviegoer,
Margueruite, straight to the margaritas!  What a fiasco but what a
film!

After hiding my head under a pillow for an hour and preparing dinner
for the Johnson household ( soon to include one more! ) I returned to
the theater to watch Michael Moore's latest offering, " Sicko ".  His
biting commentary on the US medical system was not much lighter fare
than that day's earlier film but served up with Mr.Moore's particular
brand of humor, far more palatable!  I was howling with laughter as he
pulled into Guantanamo Bay with three 9/11 relief workers onboard.
His mission?  To obtain the same level of medical care for them as
provided to the "detainees" there!  Provocative, insightful and
hilarious!

Started off Thursday's fare with a home movie viewing of another Capra
classic, " You Can't Take it with You" starring a very young, very
handsome Jimmy Stewart.  Alycia, now homebound for the final months of
her first pregnancy, and I watched this one together and enjoyed the
antics of the less than conventional family that was featured in this
film.  This, my friends, is the film that helped to propel me into the
lifestyle that I lead.  A must see!

Continued with far lighter fare than the previous day's offerings.  "
Chops" followed a High School Jazz band's progress and triumph in the
Essentially Ellington national jazz competition hosted in NYC.  If you
love jazz, this is a film not to be missed and includes an inside look
at Wynton Marsalis.  The kids were awesome performers...what an
inspiration!

The last film is an ode to all musical wannabes.  ( Karaoke, anyone? )
 " Air Guitar Nation " is a laugh out loud film highlighting a couple
of air guitarists vying for the first US spot in the annual air guitar
competion held in Oulu, Finland.  Anyone who has raised any adolescent
sons will fondly recall their kid's growing up years and remember
shouting upstairs to " TURN THAT MUSIC DOWN AND STOP JUMPING AROUND UP
THERE! ". This film was followed up by Homer's own first " North of
America" air guitar competition!  What a great way to end the
festival!

Aaaah, another wonderful Film Festival...wonder what they have in
store for NEXT year?

Been There and Back Again Barb

PS  Just by signing up for Homer Theater's Newsletter, I found a 2
movie pass waiting in my email box!  Yippee!  Who should I take, I
wonder?

Fifty Funky Postcards from the Edge

As I approach my 50th birthday I have been thinking about how I would
like to mark that momentous event!  Well, one thing that I will be
doing is flying to SoCal to spend it with my sons, their women and my
mom.  What a difference a year makes, right, Mom??!!  I am a stubborn,
hard headed woman sometimes but willing to be wrong.  I am really
looking forward to the next half of my life since the first half has
been so darned interesting.

So, I was thinking that a few of you have been asking for my mailing
address and since I actually have one at the moment wouldn't it be fun
to mark this momentous event ( the birthday AND the mailbox ) by
calling on all my friends to pitch in??!!  And do what, you might be
wondering.  Well, I would love to find at least FIFTY funky, funny
postcards from far flung friends and family waiting for me in my
mailbox when I return to Alaska. ( that's right I am going outside
AGAIN! )  There is something about good old fashioned snail mail...and
I'll see just how many of you are REALLY reading my blogs!!!  I will
be flying back in on my birthday, October 27th...ready, set, go!!!


                                      Back in Alaska Barb
                                      4116B E. Country Fair Dr.
                                      Wasilla, AK
                                      99654

Follow your Bliss...

Seems trite now, that particular catch phrase, but it seems to be the
phrase that keeps popping into my head lately.  A recurring theme the
past few days...in the films that I've been viewing and the following
my gut instinct way that I keep honing.

After my gig at Joseph's jewelry shop, I had headed back to Wasilla
with the intention of spending a day at home and then heading back out
to Homer and its annual documentary film festival.  Originally Kiwi
Kris and Electric Elinor ( how do you like that one, girlfriend? ) and
I had all planned the weekend together but the gal pals fell by the
wayside and I was feeling in desperate need of some downtime.  Read,
napped, prepared meals and watched movies...perfect way to recharge
those internal batteries.  As a nod to my Kiwi roomie, I watched "Once
were Warriors" solo on Friday and "Whale Rider" with her on
Saturday...both of these films with a Maori focus and the underlying
message of being true to yourself and that voice of the ancestors
within.  I had forgotten what a truly beautiful film that "Whale
Rider" was and the stellar performance by Keisha Castle-Hughes.  "Once
were Warriors" followed a mother's struggle to hold her family
together in a less than nurturing environment that included alcoholism
and domestic violence...painful to view.

Feeling recharged and revitalized, I dropped Kennicott Kris off at the
airport Monday, stopped by to see Joseph and headed Homer bound.  On
the entrance ramp to the Seward Highway, I spotted a young man just
putting the finishing touches on his hitchhiking destination sign.  It
read " Whittier".  I quickly pulled over and helped him toss his
backpack in the back explaining that he'd have to share his lap with
Vato as the back of the Jeep was full now with Cabella bears and tree
seedlings. ( don't ask! )  No worries...we headed out with me asking
him where he was from and he told me Washington and that his name was
Guiseppe.  I told him that I used to live on San Juan Island.  He
laughed and told me that he was from Friday Harbor!!!  I knew this
young man's parents, Scott and Beth, and we marveled at the smallness
of our world and perfect timing.  I told him I was Homer bound to see
ANOTHER Friday Harbor transplant, Alycia, and he told me that he knew
her brother, Sam.  Tried to lure him along but he had just spent the
previous week in Homer ( not realizing that there was a Carter
contingent there! ) and was on a mission to jump a freight train in
Whittier that would then be loaded onto a Seattle bound barge!  Aaah,
a young man after my own heart!  Before parting company, I gave him my
email address and asked him to let me know if he
succeeded...apparently this was one mode of travel that he had
successfully employed in the past!  I continued on until my fuel gauge
light went on...now usually I'm good for another 50 miles or so and I
do like to cut it as close as possible but I decided to stop at the
next station instead of rolling in somewhere on fumes.  As I pulled
out I spotted the chainsaw carousel that Denali Dean had just
mentioned to me the previous week...interesting, very interesting!
How can I ignore the wonders that surround me, the " coincidences"
that pepper my life as I follow my own bliss down the road?

Blissfully Blogging Barb

Sugar and Spice...cont'd...

Oops...hit the send button by accident with one of those newly
acquired french tip nails...still relearning how to operate them!

Anyway, Denise's original homestead cabin has the beautifully seasoned
log timbers from the 40's with a stonebuilt fireplace tucked into the
corner of the mainroom.  How cozy...just the way I envision a logplace
for myself someday!  Oh, and let's not forget a bearskin somewhere!
Sorry PETA friends, this IS Alaska after all!  Drove away with more
bags of fiber and a trade in process between myself and my hardnosed
roomie....just how many Vato hand dyed, handspun sweaters could I
squeeze her for.  Actually Vato is doing a pretty damned good job of
weasling his way into her heart and bed...his fitting is this
afternoon!

On to the grocery store where Kris insisted on holding up the line
while we all patiently waited for a runner to find that last copy (
discounted, too, whatta bargain! ) of Alaska Men magazine.( as
featured on Oprah )...hey, you never know!!  Back home to the kitchen
where I cooked up the halibut that I imported from Kodiak, rosemary
potatoes on the side and a nod to Kiwi Kris' British tastebuds...green
peas for the veg!  With glasses of Pinot Grigio in hand, we fired up
our favorite movie, " Gone with the Wind".  Who can resist that
ultimate, twinkle in his eye, call it like it is, grab the woman you
want, bad boy, Rhett Butler, and the ultimate strong willed,
independent, the hell with convention, " I'll think about it tomorrow"
bad girl, Scarlett O'Hara??!!  OK, you're right Kris, it is tough to
keep my eyes on the screen as I flip through the pages of the latest
offerings of Alaska manhood displayed on the pages of Alaska Men mag.
Hey, don't I know a few of those guys from Kodiak???!!!  Kris demurely
spinning away beside me, the picture of innocence...but as we bid each
other good night, I couldn't help but notice the magazine tucked under
HER arm as she closed her bedroom door.

Laughing all the Way to Bed Barb

What are Alaska Girls Made Of?

Sugar and spice and everything nice?  Is that what Alaska girls are
made of?  Well, I'm not so sure....think that it's a bit more complex.

Started yesterday conferring with roomie Kennicott Kris about the
day's gameplan...you see one little thing that she never seemed to
need when living in Southeast Alaska was her driver's license or a
car.  Lucky for her she ended up with a willing chauffeur since this
area is tough to negotiate without either one.

Gameplan in place, I jumped in the shower and upon emerging Kris told
me that Roger had just called with his Jeep storage instructions.  You
see he was just tying up the loose ends before heading out to go
opillio crab fishing.  You know, the deadliest catch!  Yes, we are
actually friends with one of those lunatics!  When first meeting him,
I pegged him for a metrosexual ( you know, one of those well groomed
city dwellers! ) but I must admit he threw me for a curve when he told
me he was going out crab fishing!  Does not compute, does not compute!
 Will he pack his Crest White Strips, I wonder?

Out the door....first stop...Wells Fargo to deposit Kris' booty from
her fiber sales ( and I'm not talking about bran! ) and Alaska Credit
Union ( hey, I gotta have an Alaskan bank, too, for those eventual PFD
deposits! ...that's Permanent Fund Dividend to you, Lower 48'ers. ) to
withdraw some of my meager resources.  Post office...check Kris' mail
then off to Big Lake to try to hook up with one of her spinning fiber
buddies.  ( no, not another form of ecstatic meditation like the Sufi
whirling dervishes! )  Hey, what's that?  A guy selling bunny boots
from the back of a trailer...remember I sold mine last trip up the
AlCan? Opted for Mickeys, the black ones with the lower rating...only
good to -20F...more stylish I thought than the white!  On to Big Lake
through the beautiful Fall landscape...crisp air, blue skies, golden
birch trees and snow tipped mountains.  A "Free Coffee" sign was the
next distraction...a cute little corner store offering organic
goodies. ( we opted for a shared eclair now and a take home cream puff
for later! )  Oh, look, neon colored duck tape...that's it!  The
perfect solution for that drafty Jeep soft top...gotta have it!  I
think my Jeep will end up with a pretty good weave and I'm not talking
hair!  Meandered the roads around Big Lake and ended up at Denise's
place.  Her home, she told us, was the original homestead built on the
lake in 1943.

Eat, Pray, Love....continued

OK, I'm back and can't help but share some profound bits from this
delightful book.  This woman and I MUST be soul sisters because all I
can do is laugh and weep simultaneously while reading such profound
statements as the cure put forward by Elizabeth's Balinese medicine
woman friend for getting over a broken heart.  And what is it?  "
Vitamin E, get much sleep, drink much water, travel to a place far
away from the person you loved, meditate and teach your heart that
this is destiny.". ( OK, so I forgot the Vitamin E just like Elizabeth
did! )  In India she was told by her Texan pal that " The best way to
get over someone is to get under someone new. "....hmmm, no comment.
However the bit that touched my heart the most was the following
because I COULD  have written this, too.

"I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men.  I have
always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks.  I have a
tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that
everyone is emotionally capable of "reaching" his highest potential.
I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest
potential of a man, rather than the man himself, and then I have hung
on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long )
waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness.  Many times in
romance I have been a victim of my own optimism."

I have found this to be what I do not only with my lovers but with all
people that I encounter and do feel that it is one of my greatest
gifts.  Once upon a time my mother told me that I was too trusting but
after a moment of thought she said that was why I probably had so many
friends.  I will not become cynical...I am proud of my heart that I
wear on my sleeve. After all, I once had the awareness that with each
broken heart that I have experienced it opened just that much more in
the process.

Do read this beautiful book.

Bountifully Blessed Barb

Eat, Pray, Love

Time for a book review...the kids on my school bus LOVED my movie
reviews last year especially on the new " Casino Royale ".  I for one
did not mind that Daniel Craig was cast in the role of our favorite
secret agent...Bond, James Bond.  What a great bod...oops, I meant
actor.

Anyway, I digress.  Elizabeth Gilbert's lovely book was written in
response to the ugly breakup of her marriage which spurred a year long
journey to three different countries.  Italy, India and Indonesia were
the countries that to her represented the three very different aspects
of the human experience.  Eat, ( no problem there ) Pray, ( in
whatever form that may take ) Love ( just starting that part but isn't
it clear? )  Dear friend and fellow bookworm, Kena, recommended this
book to me and since her direction pointing earlier led me to " Tales
of a Female Nomad " which resulted in my first step into print...how
could I ignore her??!!  Elizabeth speaks to me as a woman with the
capacity to laugh at herself and realize that we do choose to laugh or
whine about the circumstances that we find ourselves in.  Her Catholic
upbringing does peek out now and again with her angst showing but
overall I find myself cheering her on.  You go, girl, I think as she
struggles along the road to self knowledge.  I just completed the
India/Pray section with the image of her dancing in the silver
moonlight and embracing a tree in wholehearted bliss.  I know the
feeling...that feeling of deep joy, inner contentment and laughter
spilling forth from my lips...at one with everyone and everything and
that sense that nothing is more important than being right here, right
now.  Heavenly.  I can't wait to read about Indonesia/Love.  Already I
see the tiered rice paddies in my mind's eye, the lush tropical
locale, smell the flowers and feel the sweat trickling down my spine.
Does her heart open again?  Not just to others but herself as well?
Is HER story partially MY story....read on.

Back to the Book Barb

Redheads Gone Wild!

It's 9 AM, Sunday AM.  Do you know where your red headed friends are?

I have not had one minute to sit down ( other than in the Jeep ) since
my return to Wasilla on Tuesday night!  What amazing feats of
organization these past few days have required.  I think that I may
have discovered yet another occupation.  Jeep Adventure Tour Driver!
Buckle up, folks, hang on for the ride!

Don't think that I mentioned that I did have somewhat of a deadline
for my return to Alaska.  Roommate, Kennicott Kris, had arranged me
rendezvousing with her in Whittier after deadheading there once her 2
week stint at sea ended.  This was to take place on Thursday at 7:30
AM.  I did tell you that I live with a redheaded sailor, right?

To continue...I still had one small hurdle to cross upon my return.
Just exactly how was I going to extract that car from the box van?
Hmmmm....hey, isn't that a Midas Muffler and don't they have vehicle
lifts?  The guys there were more than happy to help with my little
problem but that just created one MORE little problem.  How could I
drive TWO vehicles back to my place?  Call in the professionals!
Contacted School Bus driver, Beth Ann, who happily assisted with the
vehicle transfer process.  Dropped her back at the bus barn for her PM
shift...did I tell you she's a redhead, too?   Then it was off to
Great Clips with my $6.99 coupon in hand to get my newly dyed ( darker
shade of red for Fall ) locks clipped.  Off to Anchorage to have
dinner with Joseph to discuss my latest jobshift to jewelry sales and
then the necessary acquisition of a new set of french tipped nails.
Gosh, one's hands SHOULD look great when handling jewelry, OK!?  ( we,
women, can justify about anything! )  Over to Roger's Home for
Displaced Women ( whatta guy! ) to crash 'til getting up at 6 AM to
make the trip to Whittier through that fun train/car tunnel past the
beautiful Portage Glacier. Kennicott Kris and I had lots of catching
up to do on the way home and we laughed most of the way back as I
regaled her with road stories.

Friday AM...back to Anchorage to pick up Geocaching Julie ( yet
ANOTHER redhead ) for her monthly visit and we're off!  OK, Jules, we
can stop by the Art Museum again so you can claw through that garden
just one more time.  Back to Wasilla to load up Kris for her weekend
sales gig and retreat...good thing that I still have my little
trailer!  Don't forget those Cabella singing, dancing bears.  Then off
with Julie to the Four Corners Bar for a night of two stepping to the
music of the Ken Peltier band!  Gotta bust out those cowboy boots now
and again!

Saturday...1:00 AM...Back at Anchorage International to scoop up Oahu
inbound red head Kris ( confusing, I agree, but it is ANOTHER
Kris...same spelling, too...go figure! ) Off again...after all aren't
those clubs open 'til 3 and didn't we guarantee that Econo Inn room
with plastic?  OK, Kris, if you want to...we can hit Fantasies on 5th.
 Actually patted down for weapons by a bouncer that I could have given
birth to...kinda fun to be on the other side...remember my short lived
bouncer gig?  Had to busta move on the dance floor but what was this?
After returning to our barstools, it seemed that someone just had to
have Kris' white WalMart jacket!  Wait, Julie, no need to open that
can of whoop ass, OK?  Security!  Off to Leroy's Diner for the post
bar gorge-a-thon, then the major crash and burn back at Econo Inn! Had
to smuggle Vato in...after all we couldn't leave him behind!  Lucky
dog!

Are you tired yet?  I sure am!  Woke up before 11 AM check out time to
sing Happy Birthday to Julie's turning 14 son, RJ on Kodiak's call in
line.  What??!!  You, two are hungry AGAIN??!!  Over to Peggy's by the
Runway for java, etc  then gas up and go back to Wasilla.  Drop off
stuff for Kennicott Kris, MORE geocaching, check out Oahu Kris'
property in Big Lake...yes, I DO want to stop at their library to pick
up " Eat, Pray, Love ", back to house to crash.  Pull on those cowboy
boots one MORE time...did I mention that Julie is a shutter bug
groupie of Kenny's band?  Danced up a storm AGAIN...gotta love those
two steppin' cowboys and Kris you do lead really well!  What??!!  No
free Cokes for the DD?  Off to the airport to catch those early AM
flights...yeah, yeah, we do have time to stop at Taco Bell and yes,
one MORE potty break, Kris...didn't these suitcases come out of the
Jeep?  Why won't they go back in?  I think I can, I think I can...stay
awake that is. Dropped off my two frozen gal pals...gee, didn't those
blankets help at all to ward off the breezes coming in through the
more than adequate venting in my Jeep top?  Back to Wasilla...by now I
am operating in homing pidgeon mode.  Have put on another 530 miles on
the odometer since Wednesday...think it's time to stop!

BUT, great to do the BFF thing and have fun with your women friends,
old and new!  OK, Oahu Kris...I really will look you up if I ever find
myself back in the Islands...just ask my old friends...open a door and
I'm there!

Best Friends Forever Barb

Angels on my Shoulder

Whew!!  Whatta ride!  I am now back in Mainland Alaska, Tok to be
exact at Alaskan Gifts, the only internet access that I could find.
Greeted here by your warm messages online AND quite a few funny phone
calls.  Who was that that left the heavy breathing one? Cute, very
cute...at least I think it was the right number.

I am truly convinced that I lead a charmed life and definitely a
blessed one.  Remember my last "Sunday on the AlCan" miracle?  Well,
here's the latest.  Hang on to your hats.  After leaving Hyder, AK and
pressing on northward, I had decided to push through and put in a 10
hour driving day.  I thought that I would either camp out overnight at
Sally's Cafe and dine with my rescuer/owner pals from last go around
OR push on to Teslin.  Thought it would be great to show up in time
for a shower and All-You-Can-Eat Sunday breakfast at Muk Luk Annie's!
I passed up Sally's and attempted to fill the tank at Nugget City
where my card was declined!  Rats!!  What was THAT all about??!!  Oh,
well, still enough gas to reach Teslin but ran out of energy some 90
miles short.  Curled up one more time in the cab with Vato burrowed
under my down comforter at the next fuel stop...would worry about that
declined card in the morning.  Woke up cramped, stiff but still
optimistic!  The owner managed to squeeze my card for $50...wish I
could remember that darned PIN number!  Anyway, decided it was time to
go back into sales and stacked up my latest Cabela catch and made $100
in 15 minutes!!!  Knew it was a winner!  Topped off the tank and
headed out for Muk Luk Annie's and that hot shower.  As I headed down
the hill into Teslin, I felt the truck drifting and remember thinking
that it wasn't windy.  Drats...Annie's was closed for the season...so
I kept going.  About 5 miles later, I heard something hit the road and
saw a hubcap take off for the ditch...oh, crap, pulled a U turn and
got out of the truck and walked back to check the wheel.  My dualies
were hanging on by ONE lugnut!  My stomach flipped...imagine that
happening in the dark??!!!  Yikes!  Decided to hitch back to Teslin
with dog in tow.  Several cars passed...must have looked pretty scary,
after all it had been awhile since the last shower. ( not to mention
my hair still standing on end! )  A big rig finally pulled over with a
tall, weather beaten looking gentleman at the wheel.  It turned out
that Bob has been living in the area for 40 years, running a heavy
equipment operating business and raising 3 sons with his lovely wife,
Evelyn.  When I asked him what his wife would think about him dragging
home some strange woman, he replied that he had done far worse in
their many years of marriage!   What great folks!  Bob called a buddy
in Whitehorse to tow me there for repairs and we spent the day
together waiting for him to show up.  Seems that they had housed some
stranded motorists for up to 4 days!  Hey, we even had moose liver for
dinner...another first for me!  Cory showed up around 9:30 PM and we
spent a couple of hours sharing road warrior stories on the trip back
to Whitehorse.  He had already told the manager at Kal Tires ( a buddy
of his ) about my impending arrival and by noon on Monday I was back
on the road to Alaska!  The fellas in the shop were hanging on to my
wheels because they confirmed that this was definitely one big miracle
that those wheels did NOT fall off!

Well, think that that was enough excitement to last me for at least a
wee while...good to be within spitting distance of Wasilla!

Back in One Piece Barb

Back in Alaska...Well, Kinda...

Decided to take the Stewart Cassiar Highway northbound this time
rather than the AlCan...after all, been there, done that!  What a
gorgeous route with all the Fall colors painting the way...can't help
but think about Millie and her New England trip in progress.  Now, I
had heard that there was a short detour into Hyder, Alaska and, what
the heck, I was feeling a bit homesick.  Little did I realize what a
great detour it would be!

Stewart, BC and Hyder, Alaska share the border at the end of spur 37A
and if you ever get the chance do NOT miss this chance to see glaciers
up close and personal!  Wow!  Spectacular with waterfalls careening
off the cliffs, roaring rapids heading towards the Pacific and
prolific wildlife enroute.  Managed to get a closeup of a black bear
grazing on berries!  From inside the truck, OK?  Not like Vato's and
my last black bear encounter.  He slept right through this one.  I
have to tell you that he is not holding up his end of the
conversations, doesn't seem too enthused by my singing OR seat
boogeying.  Starting to go a bit stir crazy, I guess.  Me, not the
dog.

I do also want to let you into a little insider info.  Homeland
Security seems to be slacking.  Hyder, Alaska is a weak point, Mr.
President...no border patrol!  Vato and I slipped in undetected to the
friendliest ghost town in Alaska, at least that's what the sign said.
Now, Dan, talk about perfect timing...the previous night I had found
myself with credit card blocked unable to talk my way into a room in
Prince George or even trade for one with assorted trade goods. I have
been unable to squeeze into the back of the truck since loading a car
in there, not to mention my Cabela found booty even though I did try.
Got tweezers?  I am still pulling splinters out of my body from trying
to slither in there a few nights ago.  Where is a video camera or
suitable operator when these moments take place in MY life?  This
episode was a sure winner on America's Funniest Home Video!  After
sleeping in the front seat of the truck, I was in desperate need of a
REAL bed.

Well, anyway, it seems that I arrived just in time at the Sealaska Inn
where proprietor, Gary, and the local Karaoke King, Johnny ( as in
Cash ) were wiring up the equipment for that night's entertainment.
Could I help myself?  Not!  After being Hyderized ( don't ask! )  I
went on to entertain 25 0/0 of the local population...all 20 of them
and a few lingering tourists.  Boy, it was a bit of a stretch since 73
year old Johnny prefers the oldies and my old familiars weren't
available but what the heck!  I'm sure that Patsy Cline was rolling
over in her grave when I sang a duet with Johnny of " I Fall to
Pieces" but I did bring the house down with " Harper Valley PTA"!  The
last time I sang Karaoke was in Blaine, WA..remember Starr and
Sheilah??!!  Met alot of local color which just proved to remind me of
the importance of the roadhouse to Alaska history.  Jim, the
Watermelon Man, from Memphis, who hauls up watermelons from down south
every year for his annual Festival, (  make note...Stewart, BC on July
1st and Hyder, Alaska on the 4th ) Brothers, Eli and Bob from
Billings, Montana, ( Marilyn, Bob knows your boss at Metrapark! ) a
couple of young newlyweds from Alberta and let's not forget Johnny's
birthday girl bride, Ann, a local wildlife photographer. Her specialty
is bears and she insisted on taking my picture while singing with my
bear paw tattoo showing!  Not THAT one but the one on my arm!  Well,
enough for now...as Willie Nelson would say...

( Back ) on the Road again Barb

Hot Springs Junkie

Yes, I admit it...my name is Barbara and I'm a hot springsaholic.  In
spite of having left my electric blue Speedo back at the Waters of the
Gods Sunday night, I could not help myself when I spotted the White
Sulphur Hot Springs sign as I headed towards Great Falls.  Now I did
get a nudge over the edge by Laura ( always good to park blame at
someone Else's doorstep, right? ) who highly recommended the funky
hole in the wall motel and accompanying hot springs pools.  I swear
that the truck was drawn like a magnet to the spot!  I figured that my
black bathing suit bottom ( oops, seem to have forgotten the top half
in Alaska ) and my perfectly adequate black bra could serve as
suitable attire.  ( once again, clothing optional was not an option! )
 As, I floated effortlessly ( buoyancy has never been a problem for
this woman...built in water wings! ) in the near empty outdoor pool, I
felt peace and tranquility washing over me.  The walls surrounding the
pool covered by murals depicting the local wildlife and the starlit
sky helped complete the setting.

I floated blissfully and thought about my friend calling me a hot
springs junkie.  Thinking over past addictions...hmmm, let's see
alcohol, any speed-like drugs, blackjack, bad boys, control, dieting
and let's not forget, drama...just to name a few...I think that I am
not doing too badly as I close in on my 50th birthday.  Not sure that
sobriety actually means abstinence...doesn't it just mean approaching
things in a sober manner, no idolatry in the mix?  I also think that
replacing the more healthy with the unhealthy is a good technique.
Today's passions ( prefer the term over addiction ) include french tip
nails, full blown accessorizing, karaoke, one way tickets, boundary
setting, driving anywhere, anytime, immersing in nature, ( and hot
water! ) and let's NOT forget...buy, sell and trade!!!  There is SO
much more that could be added to the list but best to leave it at
that.

Con'td....Where's Blue Bus Barb, now?  Sitting in a lovely French
bistro in Jasper, Alberta after having emerged from healing waters
AGAIN that are tucked in the Canadian Rockies.  Wow, ain't life grand!

Partially Parboiled Barb

The ( Hot ) Water of the Gods

I love hot springs, the more natural the better!  Clothing optional is
also a major plus but, hey, you can't always have it all.  Last night
Laura and Eric took me to partake of the " Water of the Gods " just
south of Bozeman.  No shit, oops, I mean, no kidding ( after all young
Will was with us, too )...that is what it's called.  Seemed kinda
appropriate since I was travelling with Eric AKA Jesus sometimes
onstage and I myself also auditioned for the role of God once upon a
time!   I must say there was not all that much room in the pool to
practise any water walking skills.  Even on a Sunday night this seems
to be quite a popular destination especially with the college set.
Could have something to do with the fact that alcohol can be purchased
at their " No Loose Dogs Saloon " ( sorry, Vato ) and imbibed while
soaking or could also be the musical entertainment provided by the
Holy Bucket Bluegrass Band.  The band was set up in a dome-like
structure with a clear wall facing the pool and the acoustics were
great!  It reminded me of that hidden in the desert treasure of
Cascabel in Arizona where I've been with a few of you.  Secluded, lit
up by the stars... nature and music a part of the picture.  What a
treat!   This is why it's so cool to hang with locals when travelling.
 They know the special tucked away places.

We were laughing last night over being reunited again so soon.  After
all wasn't I just in Montana in June?  Good to catch up with friends
face to face not only via email or phone.  Sharing turkey dinners and
soaks in hot springs are wonderful distractions from the miles that
lie ahead.  Might be awhile before I glimpse the smile on a familiar
face as I head northbound tomorrow.  I did mail Gus a Corn Palace
postcard to Ft. Nelson to let him know that I might be dropping in and
there IS Susan at Burwash landing in the final Canadian leg.  New
friends encountered on the last AlCan trip in July!  I'll be out of
cellphone range for awhile but will let you know when I'm back in the
Last Frontier and I'm pretty sure I'll find a library or two along the
way!

Bookin' along Barb

Cowboy Up!

Recovering from a hangover ( turkey, one that is! ) this morning at
Bob and Jose's in Montana and getting over my trucklag...is there such
a thing?  Vato is just beside himself and his tail almost fell off
wagging with joy as we pulled into their driveway last night.  He is
being hopelessly spoiled rotten by those two men!!  Vato obviously
remembered our time here in June.  Do you know that Jose' put a down
comforter out for the dog and a scrappy polyester blanket por moi??!!

Well, six states in three days...pretty good, I think.  Gives lots of
time for thought.  Yesterday morning, I left Billings and headed
westbound after staying with Marilyn in her 10 acre oasis near
downtown.  I met her while working my bouncer gig at the Fair where we
didn't really have alot of time to chat.  Somehow I casually mentioned
the trucker gig one evening and she insisted that I stop and see her
when I made it to Montana.  Now, folks, I am the type of person that
takes casual comments like, " Call me sometime. ", quite literally and
have asked people in the past if they mean what they say because I
will call or show up if offered an opening.  Open a door and I'll walk
through...just my nature and my belief that no door opens without a
reason.

As I headed back out on I-90,  I passed a scorched area along the
highway and recalled Bob telling me how bad the wildfires had been in
the area.  My thoughts wandered off to the summer that I spent cooking
for firefighters travelling from one conflagration to another.  I
recalled seeing all of the massive destruction that fires can wreak
but also knowing that new life would come forth again from the ruins.
Marilyn and I had been talking about the destructive quality of
abusive relationships and how they impact our lives but the conclusion
that we came to was how people can heal from these experiences and
become more empathetic and loving people.

This particular train of thought brought me to the Couchsurfer's
Network that I joined this summer online, prompted by young friend,
Erin.  The mission of this organization is to help travellers connect
with others at their homes worldwide promoting communication,
understanding and peace, in the process.  I loved the idea as I have
always had an open door policy myself and have found my friends to be
of the same mind.  ( thank God(dess) since I have surfed many a couch
through the years )  Friend, Elinor, who I have dubbed my Networker of
the North, was responsible for pointing me in Anchorage Koala's
direction, not to mention dragging me to Roger's place at 3AM!  Whatta
guy... leaving door open, lights on and coffee brewing for two crazy
women whom he had never met!  What a wonderful way to meet people!

Marilyn shared a lovely story with me.  She had received a rosebush
from her children one Mother's Day and had babied it along towards
blooming but was unsuccessful. She found herself opening her heart to
a man after 18 years and shortly after the rosebush bloomed.  Her
sweetheart noted that it was love that brought it to blossom.  Aaaah,
the power of love...eros or agape'.  Open hearts, open arms, open
doors.

Still Blooming Barb

Gotta Stop in Sturgis!!!

Alright already...I MUST be getting older and possibly wiser!  OK, no
chuckles from the peanut gallery.  How could I pass up the bars, the
bad boys and ALL of those billboards advertising blackjack
opportunities??!!  Believe it or not, yours truly headed straight to
the Sturgis Public Library with not one detour!!!!  This is my second
time in the town of Sturgis and this wannabe Harley rider has yet to
actually be here during Bike Week.  The closest that I ever came was
on that cross country bike ride 27 years ago with old friend, Betsy,
when the two of us rode my 450 Kawasaki.  Two crazy girls who didn't
bother to bring rain gear but brought our gold lame' shirts to " get
down " in San Francisco!  We were sucked in to Wall Drug by the never
ending billboards and parked the bike on the blistering asphalt.  A
giant of a man pulled in beside us on his Harley with long black beard
and hair flowing down his back.  He asked us if we were headed to
Sturgis for the rally in the highest falsetto voice...quite out of
character with his leather clad exterior.  It was all we could do not
to laugh out loud.  We decide that Mt.Rushmore might be the better
choice, after all we WERE still babes in the wood at that point in our
lives. We agreed that it might not be too advisable to show up on a
rice burner...might get our butts kicked!  Now here I am years later
sitting in the Library....too funny!!

I am happy to report that I am feeling sooo much better after 11 hours
of sleep which I managed to grab in the Kozy Korner Motel in
Belvidere, SD, pop 30.  As I made my way westbound last night the
heavens opened, lightning filled the air and I felt the truck
beginning to hydroplane.  Deciding that these were not the ideal
driving conditions and what's the hurry anyway, I pulled off the first
exit and pulled into the only motel in town.  Picked up chicken noodle
soup, honey to go with my mint tea and beef jerky ( for the road AND
Vato loves it! ) at the only gas/grocery store in town and curled up
under the covers after a long, hot soak in a bathtub.  Aaaah, bliss.

So, now I am heading off towards Montana with Bob and Jose's promise
of an early Thanksgiving Dinner ( gosh, when will there ever be time
to shed those extra pounds?  Fasting through Canada, perhaps? ) and a
visit with Laura, Eric, William and Vato's pal, Buddy, in Bozeman.
Time to hit the road.

Wannabe Harley Barb

P.S. Just could NOT resist the pink knit Sturgis Heartbreaker souvenir hat!

Dog is My Co-Pilot...

Did I ever mention that I have an AMAZING life?  Yesterday, well I
think it was yesterday, I stepped off the plane in Springfield,
Illinois to be hit by a wave of hot air.  Maybe it was my body
temperature since I managed to catch a cold the last few days of my
bouncer's gig at the State Fair.  No, it really was 90, far from the
balmy 60 at the Anchorage Airport the previous evening!  Granted I was
feeling a bit punchy as I toted my sidekick, Vato, towards baggage
claim.  Didn't manage to catch alot of sleep en route because this
television impaired woman could not tear her eyes from the monitor
showing the latest installment of the Fantastic Four movies.  This
does prove that total crap can still manage to be distracting!  ( Miss
this one folks! )  We also had a three hour layover in Chicago's
O'Hare where I did manage to ignore the posted signage stating that
ALL pets must be caged. Could I manage to pass him off as a service
dog?  Vato did not deserve to be contained that long in his cramped
travelling quarters and I was still a bit miffed that TSA had
confiscated not only my Deep Woods Off ( hey, it wasn't aerosol, OK? )
but my new tube of toothpaste.  Forgot about these potential weapons
of mass destruction!  Whoops.  Just my good fortune that the young
woman from whom I was picking up the truck was a dental hygienist and
slipped me a 1.5 ounce replacement tube, well within the 3 ounce
limit!

After affixing the Alaska plates, I headed out on the highway for the
nearest rest stop to catch up on some sleep.  You know there isn't a
whole lotta air circulation in the back of a box truck parked in the
sun but the good news is that I managed to sweat out some of my cold!
 I stopped at a local truck stop to take a shower...after all, I was a
long distance trucker now and proceeded to fall into line with the
other trucks out on the road.  I find myself in America's Heartland
and I'd forgotten just how beautiful it is.  Acres of corn, soybeans
and alfalfa stretch in every direction with lovely old barns dotting
the fields.  As I passed through Iowa, I found myself heading towards
Cedar Falls, a lovely little town that I used to live in when working
for John Deere many years ago. I love Kenny Chesney's song, " She
thinks my Tractor's Sexy ".  But what was this??!!  A population
explosion seems to have taken place and nothing looked familiar but I
did spot the Kawasaki dealership where I had bought my first brand new
motorcycle!  Interestingly enough I find myself travelling the same
route that I followed those years ago after Deere gave me the boot.  (
another story in itself )  The heat of the day fell away as night
approached and I drove down the road with only other trucks around me.
 A trucker's life is a whole other subculture, mile after mile flying
beneath your tires driving until you can't see straight and pull over
on a ramp, at a truckstop or a rest area to grab a few winks before
heading out once more.

At 3 AM, I pulled into the Blue Earth, South Dakota rest area and
crashed after walking Vato and admiring the red crescent moon hanging
over yet another cornfield.  This morning I awoke to read that Blue
Earth was where Interstate 90 was officially completed with a stretch
of gold colored highway.  Did you know that you can drive it from
Boston to Seattle and at 70 MPH you could accomplish the task in 44
hours?  Blue Earth also has an 80 foot high Jolly Green Giant!
Imagine that!

And where am I now, you might be wondering.  Well, I just could not
pass up stopping in Mitchell, SD.  Billboard after billboard shouted
out how a"maize"ing the city's Corn Palace was and how I'd get a real
"ear" full of information about it.  I'm a sucker for some tourist
traps!  But also, fellow Alaskans, did you know that Mitchell is the
home of the one and only Cabella's??!!  Their catalog right at home
next to Kris' Vanity Fair on our coffee table!  And, fellow liberals,
home to the George McGovern Library!   Next stop?  Wall Drug for free
water, the still 5 cent cup of coffee and the best cake donuts with
chocolate frosting anywhere!   ( or so I've heard! )

Box Truckin' Barb

Love the Ones you're With....

I sat down to write a last Fair update prior to my departure to the
Lower 48 but took a moment to read my emails.  Some sad news was found
there.  Last night, my elderly friend, Gerritt Nickels, in Carson
City, Nevada, left this earthly plane.  We met through a mutual
acquaintance as often happens and recognized each other as kindred
spirits.  Both of us, travellers in the world and spiritual realms.
Gerritt reminded me of my own father who died 11 years ago.  He was an
immigrant from Holland, a musician, an engineer, an accomplished
dancer and an outrageous flirt!  Gerritt suffered from macular
degeneration, a condition that greatly impaired his vision but did not
prevent him from taking long daily walks aided by his " guides ",
those unseen presences that he believed are available to all of us.
Call them Guardian Angels, if you like, but this was a man whose faith
in the spiritual realms was rock solid.  He believed, as I do, that
everything happens for a reason and followed his guidance unerringly.
When we met he was convinced that my big Blue Bus would be living in
his backyard since he was guided to build a new fence with a large
gate in it.  Weren't we both surprised when I ended up leaving my Jeep
there instead, a year after our initial meeting!

Gerritt's self imposed schedule often puzzled me but from it, I see
now, he derived a sense of security.  He confided in me that he often
felt lonely since his eyesight had been adversely affected.  I think
that it is one of the failings in our society that our elderly become
invisible.  They have so much to teach us and such wonderful stories
to share.  One evening Gerritt took me out to a local casino for
dinner and upon our return to his home, he serenaded me on his piano
and then insisted on the two of us sharing a tango!  Remember Al
Pacino in " Scent of a Woman " ?  Wow!  Took me back to the day my dad
taught me how to waltz in our living room.

What saddens me is that I felt his presence this week and failed to
heed the psychic hotline.  I missed an opportunity to talk with him
one last time, to tell him that I loved him.  My life is richer for
having known him and being able to reconnect with a father figure.  I
laughingly told him, more than once, that he needed to remember he was
my father's age and that I had long passed through my older man phase!
 Gerritt Nickels was a unique, complex individual and I will miss him.

My promise to Gerritt is that I will continue to keep the faith and
keep my heart open to the people that are placed in my path, realizing
that each and every one of them has something to teach me.

Heading Back out on the Road Barb

Six to Midnight at The Oasis

Some of us will remember Maria Muldaur's hit, Midnight at the Oasis,
but did you know that she is an accomplished blues performer?  I
didn't know this until I had the pleasure of seeing her perform
several years ago on the San Juan Community Theater stage.

But, I'm on a sidetrack.  Realize that I never did mention exactly
what it was that I'd be doing at the Alaska State Fair.  Hold onto
your hats now...yours truly has been cast in the role of " Beverage
Enforcer".  Now what exactly does that mean, you might be wondering.
Well, I knew that that alcohol management certification course would
come in handy SOME day.  My job at the Fair consists of wearing a cool
shirt and jacket with my title printed on the back ( have been offered
a few bribes for these desirable items ) and I am invested with the
power to enforce order amongst the possible mayhem that might arise in
a drinking establishment.  OK, OK, in layman's terms, I am a bouncer.
I did have to laugh when they told me that I would be working six to
midnight at the Oasis...the young woman assigning me my post didn't
see the humor in that, while I, myself, had a disco flashback.  Now, I
am a woman of a certain size and have certainly had my share of
exposure to intoxicated folks before but I did wonder to myself if
crowd management would be my forte.  Granted, I did have a hand in
raising four sons and did manage to maintain order on a school bus
loaded with up to 60 students.  Hmmm, how hard could it be?  Well, it
appears that I do have a knack for this job.,  Another one of my
duties is checking ID's and I have made it into a one woman show
soliciting laughs from many.  What a great way to make an older
woman's day and to get a grin ( and even a hug or two ) from the young
men when I point out to them that I have sons their ages!  Not too
difficult to remember the appropriate legal age either since son,
Bailey just turned 21 yesterday!   Also have found that some well
placed humor can quickly dissolve a potential conflict.  Two young men
had started tussling in the Sluicebox, the fair's honky tonk, (
remember this is Alaska! ) and broke it up after I laughingly told
them that there was no same sex dancing permitted in the state!  Good
one!  Aaaah, all those touchy feely New Age conflict resolution
courses also have finally paid off.

Now there are some benefits to this job, unfortunately not monetary.
Good thing that I work for the experience rather than monetary
remuneration!  Let's see...unlimited access to the fair, front row
parking in the Employee lot, meet lots of fun ( and sometimes
challenging ) folks, hear lots of great local talent AND since I am
new to the area...see which men to avoid at all cost!   Sounds like a
pretty good gig to me!

What's next?  Well, it seems that I am going to be piecing together
odd jobs in the future.  Perhaps being a wanderer in that area rather
than on the road.  I'll be giving my sore feet a rest and flying out
to Springfield, Illinois next week to drive a small truck back up the
AlCan.  This time, all expenses covered AND paid for my time, as well!
 Hmmm, how to maximize my earnings?  Road side sales again?  Haul
stuff back to Alaska?  What IS a hot commodity here?  Oh, and don't
worry about sidekick, Vato.  He'll be travelling in the cabin with
me...no way is he staying behind!

Signing off for now...Bouncing along Barb

Team Bratz Babies Triumphs!!

To continue.....I thought that I was off the hook but little did I
realize how deeply Julie's passion runs for geo caching.  I thought
that I would distract her by setting her on a different kind of trail,
an art walk searching for stylized salmon sculptures in the downtown
area.  You know...kinda like the cows in Chi town or the bears in
Berlin.  Suddenly I realized that we were in Couchsurfer Koala's
neighborhood so I took a chance and dialed her number.  Boy, was she
surprised to hear that I was in sight of her front door!  In true
traveller open door mode she ushered us in to introduce us to partner,
Susan, and we started to regale them with our geo caching trials and
travails!  Oh, nooo, next thing I know Julie is online looking for
MORE locations with Koala's assistance in determining suitability for
access!  Julie dragged me out of the nice warm, dry house and we're
off again now looking for a "visual" geocache...a landmark rather than
an actual cache.  OK, so we weren't in the woods BUT you try driving
amongst one way streets in a downtown area with a crazed navigator
telling you to back up 20 feet as other drivers are checking out your
out of state plates and thinking what a moron you are!!!  Better yet,
imagine her telling you to drive into a JC Penney's parking garage
insisting that it must be further up even though the GPS isn't working
and then actually finding it on the roof level!  OR, how about her
breaking a fingernail lifting concrete slabs in a garden area just
outside the Anchorage Art Museum trying to look casual.  I must admit
watching her crawl under a tree on the Coastal Trail while a Muggle
was sitting on a nearby bench was funny as hell.  It's no wonder he
left.  Probably thought it was contagious!  The funniest by far was at
the Anchorage Visitor's Center.  This geo cache was hidden by a group
of school students as part of an orienteering geography assignment and
when we asked the grandmotherly volunteer about the project her eyes
instantly told us where the prize was hidden...don't trust this woman
to keep a secret or be deceptive!!  What a day!  What a blast!  We're
already planning on expanding Team Bratz Babies next month by
indoctrinating ( oops, I meant introducing ) roomie, Kennicott Kris
into this fun past time!

Did I mention that I spotted a GPS at the local Pawn Store??!!

Could this replace Blackjack?, Barb

Seeking Hidden Treasure...

And I was feeling a little bored...silly me!  Sitting in Piper's
Lounge by the float pond near the Anchorage airport typing away on
friend, Elinor's laptop.  Just dropped Julie at the airport for her
9PM return flight to Kodiak.  It seems to be Kodiak Island Express
these last 2 days as we picked up Elinor for her stopover from Kodiak
to Salt Lake City.  My head is spinning and I'm the one who was
drinking diet Coke rather than the house specialty, Piper's Punch!

Julie was dropped off yesterday afternoon at my Wasilla doorstep and
it's been nonstop since then!  After she found out that there was no
TV to be had, she quickly went online in order to introduce me to yet
another possibly addictive past time.  Geo caching.  Has anyone heard
about this one?  Basically, it is a form of scavenger hunting on a
grand scale that requires an available computer, a GPS,
transportation, goofy, fun trade items AND it helps to have an equally
crazed ( or should I say crazy? ) sidekick.  I'm not talking about
Vato, I think he was the only sane one in the new division of Baby
Bratz.  Did I tell you team names are cool, too?  Now, I have to tell
you that Julie knew exactly the hooks to use to land this fish.  Let's
see...driving, trading, travelling AND a mystery to be solved.
Exactly where were these caches to be found and just what would they
contain?  On Sunday, we made quick work of our three missions finding
the locations and trading our goods, all while trying to not attract
attention from Muggles.  And what is a Muggle, you might be wondering?
 Outsiders, aliens to the mission, civilians, those not in the know!
Let me tell you that this is harder than it sounds. With Mission
Accomplished, a splendid shared repast and a few glasses of wine, we
both slept soundly until roused by those rude alarms early Monday AM.

(continued Tuesday AM)

We headed into Anchorage with more clues in hand...seems my Team
Leader had been up quite late plotting our next moves.  After getting
those pesky real world errands out of the way, we headed off down the
road to adventure.  As we zeroed in on our first location, we shared
stories of recent bear encounters able to laugh at them in hindsight.
The thought of a 9 month pregnant Julie scooping up a 2 year old and
beating feet down a Kodiak Island trail had me howling!  Little Vato's
chest swelled with pride as I recalled his feat of derring do in BC.
Aaah, here was our arrival point.  What happened to the city?  Where
was a sidewalk and was that a trail through soggy brush?  Better take
the high heeled sandals off and throw on the Skechers...good thing
that those are color coordinated, too!  What, Julie?  Vato and I
should lead the way?  Hmmm, I wonder why?  After a few minutes, and
encountering a rushing creek, we decided to woose out...wasn't this
looking suspiciously like bear territory and it IS raining out here!
Ixnayed # 2 location, as well, aren't you hungry, Julie?  Didn't you
say Taco Bell?  OK, just ONE more.  How bad could it be in a public
park, anyway?  My confidence grew as we strolled down a paved path in
Russian Creek Park spotting a couple of Muggles ahead we retreated to
the woods where the GPS was leading us.  After awhile I noticed that I
was getting a little wet and I seem to have misplaced Vato in the
underbrush.  His little head popped out and the look on his face
convinced me that he was not at all amused by this little adventure!
OK, I'll carry you... one of the advantages of a small dog.  What's
that, Julie?  Trees throw the GPS off?  Great!  My interest in this
new past time was quickly waning.  My feet are wet, my pants are wet,
I'm hungry, I was whining inside but I'm no quitter!  You want to
stop, Julie?  You think?  Well, OK, if you want to!  ( Thank God, get
me outta here! )  Hmmm, I wonder if my car heater will dry my pants up
to my hips?  Not looking quite so stylish anymore!

Hey, what's that???  The mailman ( oops, woman ) just arrived.  Could
this be the OTHER treasure I've been waiting for?  Gotta run, more
later!

Team Bratz Member Barb

All We are Saying....

A few hours ago I received a phone call from a friend.  He had spoken
with his daughter earlier and his news was not good.  You see, this
young woman and new mother was told today that she will be shipping
out to Iraq on September 21st.  Some of us know him and have been
aware that this event has been looming but it and that "conflict"
somehow still don't seem that real to most of us.  Jeff is one of
those " rough around the edges" types but an unusual one who fought
for custody years ago when the courts generally favored moms.  He
spent most of his youth raising her himself and he has been Mom and
Dad to Shasta.  Needless to say, she means the world to him. Today I
put in my weekly phone calls to my two sons and managed to get hold of
one of them.  It will be my youngest son's 21st birthday next
week...the same year that I turn 50.  I remember my time of worrying
about whether he would actually live this long as he struggled with an
addiction.  No parent should outlive their child, I had told him,
having witnessed the suffering that others of my friends had
undergone.  Jeff told me that he wept with his daughter as they shared
the loss of separation from their children, for his daughter has left
her son with the father's parents. Both parents are being shipped out.
" The Sandbox " is what the soldiers are calling it, he told me.  Far
different than the sandboxes of these children's youths.  Yet aren't
they still children to the families that they have left and are
leaving behind?  Will the madness of war continue?  Will we ever get
it right?  Can't we give peace a chance?

I'll be praying for one man's little girl tonight.


Don't Believe we need to Be there Barb

Gee, I could get used to this...

It's another beautiful, sunny summer day in Alaska and I hear Vato
contentedly crunching away on Puppy Chow while I sit here typing.  The
setting is idyllic...an arched window in the little office loft
looking out over a birch tree strewn mini park with that oft seen
Alaska flower, fireweed, also present.  Aaaah, peace and quiet.
Difficult to believe that I am only a few blocks away from the Palmer
Wasilla Highway, a major thoroughfare between the two towns.

The past week has been a bit chaotic with me doing everything possible
to avoid facing the unpacking process.  Now, it's not THAT
overwhelming...have actually managed to set up my bathroom oasis and
integrate the rest of my kitchen stuff into appropriate locations.
The task of setting up my bedroom though has me somewhat frozen.  Is
it that fear of commitment thing or the "this is too good to be true "
syndrome rearing its head?  I must admit that I have perfected the art
of remote control garage door opening, operating a house key and
checking a mailbox since I DO have an actual mailing address again!
Did you know that you can't get a library card without showing a piece
of mail addressed to you?  ( Thanks, Elinor, for that first piece of
residential proof!  )  My goodness, how quickly the fetters of
"normalcy" begin to manifest themselves!  Went for my Laidlaw job
interview this morning and it appears that I will be once again
driving a school bus.  The signs were fortuitous...set up at the
Palmer Farmer's Market on Friday ( actually applied for a business
license! ) and found myself next to a Laidlaw driver.  Then at the
audition for " The Hound of the Baskervilles ", I shared the stage
with a High School principal, an English teacher AND an aide! ( Sorry,
Vato, but you didn't get the role of the hound. )  Now, if we can just
get past that little "being fired" incident.  Not sweating it since my
last actual employer was Dan the Transit Man on San Juan Island, who
when hearing of my termination said, " WHAT!!??  Are they nuts??!! ".
Not to mention that the Palmer branch has some 200 buses
and what's that expression?  I think it's, " Beggars can't be
choosers. ".  Takes a certain personality to want to drive a school
bus and let's just say, it's not everyone's cup of tea!  The, I think,
good news is that a less than 7 hour day is rather the exception than
the rule.  Hmmm, is Blue Bus Barb up to the challenge of a "regular"
job, a (semi) permanent residence, AND not hauling her worldly goods
from pillar to post?  Will keep you updated....

Know where my Bed will Be tonight Barb

Slowly Sinking In....

4:00 AM AK TIME

Doesn't that sound cool?  Alaska time.  A touch of the wild just in
itself...a whole hour ahead of the rest of the country except, of
course, for Hawaii.  And what am I doing up at this hour?  Sun up
already, you might be wondering.  No, in spite of all the rumors, it
does actually get dark here.  Just stays lighter longer AND winter
will be here sooner than you know it with the arrival of what Alaskans
call termination dust...the first snowfall.  No, I find myself awake
due to a couple of factors,  My "new" bed in my "new to me" home is an
inflatable mattress and it appears to lose air very slowly.  At such a
rate that Vato and I seem to meet in the middle in the valley formed
after several hours.  ( Yes, I did say Vato, my dog, the only male
sharing my bed at the moment! )  Now, this mattress does have a handy
feature.  It's an air pump that's built right in with a little push
button switch that reinflates it!  Comes in handy if you can reach it
from the valley!  The other reason that I am up is that the muse seems
to show up at odd moments and I just couldn't get the phrase, "slowly
sinking in" out of my mind.  Now those of you who know me pretty well
are aware of the fact that insomnia and I are unusual bed
partners...rarely happens.  Sometimes, though, I do find myself awake
at what I call, the witching hour, and all kind of stuff pops up.

It seems that I am slowly sinking in...in more ways than one.  For I
am falling once more into Alaska's embrace and it is starting to feel
like the real thing.  You know what I mean right?  When the first
bloom of love appears it is a giddy ride...hang on to your hat,
butterflies in your belly, everything that your new lover does blows
your mind and enchants you.  That has been my experience with my love
affair with Alaska.  It started close to two years ago.  That is if
you don't count those coy glances northward, on my part, for years.
When I first travelled north on Alaska's Marine Highway, it was a slow
and easy courtship that began at that point.  Also Fate started
playing her part by introducing Kennicott Kris into my life.  Who
would have known that one day I would find myself sharing digs with
her??!!  I have been in and out of Alaska a few times since that first
step on its shores in Haines and each time that I have returned I have
felt my love deepen for this heart stoppingly beautiful place.  I am
an Alaskan now and maybe always was one deep in myself.  For it does
speak to me and asks me to deepen that connection, sink down some
roots and make it my home.  Difficult for a gypsy to think of any one
place as home but I have found that it is important when travelling to
have a homebase to return to.  Looks like I have made the break with
Arizona, healed my broken heart and am ready to make a committment to
Alaska.

Since returning, I have discovered just how many friends were waiting
here to greet me and it was with a touch of sadness that I left quite
a few of them behind on Kodiak Island.  But no sooner had I landed in
Homer when I ran into Alycia ( 5 months pregnant...wow!! ) and hubby,
Lionel, at Duncan House Diner.  Seem to always meet up with her in
shops!  Had a great visit with them and then received an email from
Elinor on Kodiak telling me to be sure to look up a woman named Koala
( how could I resist ) on our Couchsurfer's Network.  By the way,
Elinor is on the trail of Diane Thompson, and we'll know more soon!
Contacted Koala in Anchorage and was graciously greeted by this long
time Alaska resident and found an instant rapport.  The breadcrumb
trail continued with her introducing me to Shirley, an actress that I
had seen perform in " The Delaney Sisters, the First 100 Years " on
Kodiak last winter!  As I left Anchorage, they encouraged me to look
up Molly upon my return to the Valley who runs the recycling center.
After a day of job hunting ( got one, so far, at the Alaska State Fair
in Palmer at Koala's prompting! ) I headed home and passed a recycling
center.  How many could there be, I wondered?  Stopped in and , sure
'nuf, there she was and soon was offering to meet me for a beer at the
Schwabenhof around the corner from my new digs.  We spent a great
evening together and I had my first dinner guest, you know how I love
to cook for people!  This is one woman who is passionate about
recycling and dedicated to the cause.  She aptly demonstrates how one
person CAN make a difference and also, for me, how great causes
require a wholehearted committment.  Yes, I am starting to see a
recuring theme here...committment, committment...I think I'm getting
it.

Enough for now...Ready to Be Committed Barb ( Yeah, I know it has a
dual meaning! )

Who was Diane Thompson?

This morning as I was leaving Homer, Alycia asked me if I had changed
my name?  I thought she meant was it time to adopt an alias but she
was referring to the name displayed on my little igloo cooler.  I told
her the story of how I had acquired it and she thought that it was a
good story to share.

When I was back in Tacoma at Patricia's place and I was riding on the
coattails of the estate sale across the street, it was all that I
could do to not go and see what treasures were waiting to be
uncovered.  After all, I was trying to make money not spend it.  Of
course, as it was drawing nearer to closing time and with a few
dollars in my pocket, I made my way across the street to join the
other vultures picking through the rubble.  As I moved from room to
room a sadness filled me that these things were a reflection of a
person's life.  The little knick knacks, the costume jewelry, the
funky handbags and kitchy kitchenware were all that remained of a life
lived.  One that I could see had involved if not actual travel then
armchair wandering and a love of the wider world.  I found myself
picking up a few of those items... a straw Mexican handbag, a carved
figurine and funny necklace, all for a mere $1.50.  I wandered down
into the basement and spotted a bright yellow mini igloo cooler with
the name, Diane Thompson, written on it in permanent Magic Marker.
The handwriting was beautiful, the flowing way that we were taught in
school but rarely use anymore.  I saw her in my mind's eye...an
elderly woman with marker in hand being sure that she could identify
her cooler amongst many taken to a picnic or small gathering.  I
thought about all the people around me looking for "deals" and
wondered if anyone was remembering that these things meant something
to someone.  I found myself asking for a refund and running across the
street to Patricia's to find an additional $.50 for that cooler.
Someone was going to remember Diane Thompson.  Thank you,
Alycia...funny that you were the first person to ask that question.

Another Wandering Woman in the World

It's Friday on Kodiak Island!

What a whirlwind of a week back on the island and I am just about to
wrap things up here before heading back to Wasilla....wow, that's a
whole lot of w's in one sentence!

My arrival on Monday was heralded with a fog encrusted dock, a not
unfamiliar sight to this island loving woman BUT enough already.  It
has been a good thing that I left some warmer clothes here amongst my
leavings because I would swear that this feels like winter in the San
Juans.  What fun to have a vehicle here as I headed up the hill for
Rae Jean's house and fresh rhubarb muffins just out of the oven!
Yummm!  When people worry about me and this gypsy lifestyle that I
lead, I always laugh and tell them that the good Lord has never let me
go hungry and I have the hips to prove it.  I had planned on couch
surfing at assorted homes but Rae Jean graciously adopted not only me
but sidekick, Vato, for the duration.  She quickly sussed out that I
am fairly low maintenance but I really think she did not want to
separate Vato from his first REAL love.  Vato and I have been sharing
digs with lots of folks and four leggeds but the way he has been
comporting himself since meeting Ernie, Rae Jean's 8 year old female
black Lab, has been a bit embarrassing.  I am not against May-December
romances and the size differential seems to be a bit challenging but I
do think that he's starting to get on her nerves.  Not to mention that
neither of them has the appropriate plumbing...starting to get the
picture?  Oh, well, truly a case of love being blind.

Collected my belongings and deposited them in Rae Jean's back room for
sorting, sifting and chucking, after all it does have to fit in the
back of the Jeep!  Salmon dinner that night, lunch with Elinor at the
Senior Center and halibut with Julie Tuesday, Mike's farewell lunch at
El Chicano's ( might be handy to know Fairbank's newest DA...remember
that little police incident a couple of years ago?) then over to his
and Katherine's place to pick up my freezer goods that Ron stashed
there... like money in the bank, I knew that I'd be broke when I got
back...hmmm, what's this shrimp, halibut AND salmon...gosh, it's tough
having no money!  Hey, and what's THIS??!!  Homemade eggplant
parmigiana?  Dinner for Wednesday! Finally caught up with Sharon for
tea on Thursday, ( stuck on the Mainland since Monday due to fog and
connections!) lunch, gotta get warm broccoli cheese soup and
strawberry rhubarb pie at Monk's Rock Bookstore...have to support St.
Innocent's Academy and a man grilled dinner of corn, steak and crab
legs!   ( not to mention the beer and that shot of Yukon Jack ) Sorry,
Ron, about kicking your ass at cribbage. ( yeah, right! ) Transferred
that much needed Curves membership to Wasilla this morning, just
finished a crab salad sandwich ( made from last night's leftovers )
and am heading out to donate stuff not needed.  Now, let's see, what's
left to do?  Did the laundry, finish packing Jeep, Women in Black
peace gig at 4:30, can I cram in bagel time with Anita?...off to
Julie's later for that sex toy party, or should I say instruments of
pleasure?...oh, my God(dess) still need to get my bear paw tattoo
finished....breathe in, breathe out...everything in perfect timing.
Hey that ferry doesn't leave 'til 10PM tomorrow, right?  Better check
that ticket!  Can I fit in that concert with Seth Freeman out at the
Fairgrounds?  Gotta run!!!!

Busting out of my Jeans Barb

Time to get some Waders!!

Well, well, well...boy, have the scales fallen from my eyes!  I have
been feeling for some time that I was open to the possibility of new
romance in my life.  Now, some of you might be thinking that Alaska
should not be that tough for finding a man.  BUT the saying does go, "
The odds are good but the goods are odd. " !  I can certainly vouch
for that and was exercising will power and my new boundary setting
skills to keep my heart safe.  How do we meet potential partners
anyway?  Leave it up to fate, Craigs List, friends...we ALL know that
bars are NOT the way to go.  Well, women, grab your waders and follow
me!!!  While travelling down the road towards the Homer/Kodiak ferry
terminal, I started seeing a recurring pattern.  The hell with the
salmon, ladies, the rivers are full of potential mates!  My God(dess),
there's a man every 6 feet clad in waders with a fishing pole in hand!
 Damn, I knew that I should have never quit fishing!  Did so the day
my brother told me that he would no longer bait my hooks back when we
were young.  My last attempt was on San Juan Island and as I recall I
did manage to hook and land a 6'5" guy that I should have released
immediately!  Perhaps with my more honed discernment skills it might
be possible to go into those waters again and if men can practise
catch and release when it comes to fish, I should be able to do the
same in the dating department!  You know, there are all types of
possibilities and benefits that could arise from getting my feet wet.
Could I become the future matchmaker supreme of the Alaska rivers?  I
mean, so what if I can't find one for me?  What about all of my
single, fabulous gal pals.  A newsletter, perhaps?  " Fish and Dream
"? Hmmm, I see some interesting possibilities here...will get back to
you...I wonder how much a pair of waders goes for anyway or what about
one of those floating tubes with them built right in?  Where's a
Cabella's mag when you really need one?

Back to the River Barb

Welcome to Wasilla

A whole new world has opened up to me in the past few days.  A few of
you have heard parts of this story but until I checked it out
firsthand, I didn't want to let the cat out of the bag.  While in
Blaine, WA, my friend, Ketchikan Kris called me and on the 4th of July
she asked me to do her a BIG favor.  Without thinking, I replied, " Of
course, I will!  What is it? ".  She went on to explain that she was
going out of the country and needed someone to house sit her brand new
condo for 6 months over the winter.  Me??!!  A condo??!!  Now, when
Kris had initially told me that she was buying this condo in Wasilla,
I had to chuckle because this woman comes from similiar gypsy roots.
How else does a Kiwi from New Zealand end up in the wilds of Alaska?
AND, this is a woman who has lived in the Bush and knows how to run a
trapline, too!  Not to mention shoot, trap and skin beaver!  ( OK,
minds out of the gutter, now. )

Now, I will tell you that a couple of weeks before her proposal, I had
been thinking that the cushy life would not be tooo bad ...maybe a
nice place for awhile to just nest.  How about that one, God(dess)?
Little did I know that at about that time, Kris,was thinking about who
she could ask and my name popped into her head.  Aaahh, the Force at
work again.  When we spoke on the 4th, I told her somehow I wasn't
sure that Wasilla and a condo were me.  She then went on to tell me
that she had forgotten to mention the 2 1/2 car heated garage and, oh,
by the way, she didn't have a car!  AND that Vato was more than
welcome, too.  Hmmm...more and more tempting since my poor dog is
relatively hairless and my Jeep has a soft top, not to mention a few
holes and broken zippers.

When I told son, Bailey, about this offer he answered in his normal
dry sense of humor, " You're right, Mom, probably not your
style...better find a bus. ".  Wise ass!  Other response included, "
Hey, we know you're crazy but don't be stupid!" and " Are you
nuts??!!! ".  Alright already, I'll check it out!  Arrived on Tuesday
in Wasilla and managed to find the place prior to Kris' arrival .
Could it be a sign?  A German restaurant right around the corner, a
Pawn Shop down the street AND the school bus depot within 3 miles of
the place!  Also, located in a slightly rural area between Palmer and
Wasilla with an amazing view of the Chugiak and Talkeetna mountain
ranges.  Next morning, I met up with Kris, just off the boat, so to
speak.  ( remember we met on the Alaska Ferry on my initial trek north
)  She kept on the pressure by handing me a house key AND a remote
garage opener...never had one of THOSE before!  Must admit that I am
falling into the place and the lure of the road is wearing thin.  Both
of us are being sucked in by all of the modern conveniences...fridge
icemaker, microwave, washer AND dryer, not to mention THREE flush
toilets.  Screw outhouses, OK, even if this is Alaska, I am liking
this place!!!  So, is Vato...lots of ankle biters around here, too!
Oh, and I am already pulling my weight, too.  Chauffeur, cook, and
house engineer...yes, Kris, it does help to turn the switch on.  How
will she manage without me while I return to Kodiak to retrieve the
last remnants of my worldly possessions?  It's great to be needed!

Signing off, This is the Bee's Knees Barb

P.S. Ketchikan Kris will now be known as Kennicott Kris after the
vessel she works on!

Too Pooped to Pop!

I AM BACK IN ALASKA!!!!

Wow, I can hardly believe it but it must be so, since I find myself in
Wildman Jimmy's front room in Fox, Alaska sleeping on a bearskin rug!
Hey now, don't get any ideas...Jimmy is safely off with a posse of
guys fishing. ( one who surprisingly bears an eerie resemblance to
son, Bailey, during his bleached blonde, all black wearing, boxers
hanging out phase )

Just had a nap 'cause yesterday's self imposed schedule was
exhausting! At 11:49 PM AK Time, I arrived at Milepost marker 1422 of
the AlCan Highway in the town of Delta Junction! It was a looong day
which started at Burwash Landing Lodge, Yukon province at the crack of
dawn...well, not quite, since there doesn't seem to be alot of dark
anyway. I had arrived there the previous evening after putting the
pedal to the metal upon leaving the town of Teslin, location of the
longest bridge span on the AlCan. Had seen another cool bridge on an
old section just north of St. John, BC...a wooden planked bridge with
a nine degree curve! Quite an engineering feat but abandoned since
it's weight capacity was only 25 tons, forcing heavier vehicles to
ford the river instead. Anyway, remember me mentioning the beautiful
weather? Well, things shifted to the soggier once I crossed into
Yukon Territory...apparently very unusual for those parts. Gee, I
seem to remember something similiar in my last summer's attempt at an
Alaskan summer! Found myself in Watson Lake AND Teslin getting rained
on but the heavens really opened in Teslin! I waited it out for two
days until my stuff had dried sufficiently for repacking. Found
myself unable to find a suitable spot for selling in either Teslin or
Yukon's capitol, Whitehorse, ( gee, are gypsies supposed to have
business licenses? ) so I scrounged some stuff out of the back of the
trailer ( gosh, I hate opening that thing! ) and found a willing buyer
at a business called " Needful Things". Guess I really don't need my
Bunny boots at the moment or that mini crockpot. Oh, and a nod to
Boxboy Brian, as I parted with a few more items acquired during that
unfortunate incident...thanks for the gas money, Bro! This scrounging
enabled me to make it to Burwash Landing on fumes by late Tuesday
night to yet another free campsite...gosh, I love those Canadians.
Clever enough to realize that charging the mega RVs for hookups and
letting the lowly campers stay gratis benefits all. The campers are
then more inclined to pay for showers and sundries like meals, snacks
and internet access. I had left myself with $10, I figured enough to
keep me sufficiently clean for a couple of days if sales were slow.
The day boded well when I went to ante up $4 for my morning ablutions
and the cashier admired my necklace. I commented that it and other
things were for sale. She quickly forked over $10 and told me that
she, Helen, was the owner and that I could set up outside, no problem!
By 3 PM, I had made mucho dinero or at least enough to get me to Fox
with a small surplus! Also, made a few more friends and ran into a
guy from Mt.Vernon who used to play tennis with Dick Barnes from
Friday Harbor. Keep in mind that this was a pretty small place! By
this time, I had Alaska fever and nothing was going to stop me from
crossing that border by nightfall! OH, yeah, never mind...not alot of
nightfall, remember?

Now, all this time I had been wondering what all that fuss about the
dreaded AlCan was about...the road wasn't THAT bad. Well, let me tell
you that the road from Haines Junction to the US border was everything
that I had heard about!!! Lots of construction, one lane bridges,
frost heaves ( did I mention that I was operating on only three shock
absorbers? Couldn't find one anywhere along the way from Blaine, WA
on!!! ) and let's not forget long stretches of gravelled road. I am
now proud to be included amongst the folks that have suffered
windshield damage along the way! Hey, it's not THAT bad...none
obscure my field of vision and I think that one looks a bit like a
hummingbird in profile! Also, wondering what the Beatles meant when
they sang, " There's a hole in the roof where the rain comes in, it
stops my mind from wandering..."? I had no problems with that
particular issue as it seems that I am getting used to my drafty Jeep
top and did I mention that since Keith fixed my lights, my heater
seems to be working again??!! I will admit that I wept when I
photographed the "Welcome to Alaska" sign and could not suppress the
grin plastered on my face while being questioned at the Border by one
of our diligent Customs officials. Did you know that you can't import
any animal products like fur, antlers or horns? I didn't. Good thing
I had sold the steer horns enroute! The agent's eyes alighted on my
seal fur covered Inuit yoyos dangling from my rearview mirror and I
told him that I acquired them in Bristol Bay last year. He told me it
was importing OR exporting out of the country. Always one to argue, I
did point out that they had flown down with me in March and had NO
other way to return other than by Jeep. I was prepared to hand them
over but he just laughed and waved me on. Forgot entirely to question
Vato's nationality! Oh, well, another Mexican slips through!

I am, Sooo Happy to Be Back Barb

It's Sunday and Here's the Good News!

So much is talked about today about the negative around us and the
media continues to perpetuate that myth. I, myself, still believe in
the inherent goodness of people and know with a certainty that this
life that I have chosen for myself, allows me to see it. Don't get me
wrong my oft trusting nature has brought me into a scrape or two but
overall I have found people to be incredible when the chips are down.
This entire trip has been a continuing miracle but the last few days
have really shown me how interconnected we are and as Dan the Transit
Man always says, " Timing is everything.".

On Thursday evening, I found myself with enough gas to reach Fort
Nelson, BC but not any cash to secure a campsite for the night and
given my last renegade camping experience ( remember Vato and the
bear? ) I was leaning towards camping with company. Safety in
numbers, is the expression, I believe. Couldn't resist a place called
Sasquatch Crossing and when I parked next to an 8 foot sculpture of
the legendary beast, Vato leaned out his window and growled
menacingly. Guess he needs to show me that he's still the man, my
little hero! Anyway, I walked into the lobby and laid the cards on
the table and the folks, Mag and Mel, agreed to a barter. I found
myself snug that night nestled amongst a group of young dreadlocked,
tattooed and multiple pierced young tree planters with an exhausted
Vato at my side. ( first hot shower since Monday! ) He had kept them
entertained for hours with his antics! Next AM off to Fort Nelson and
realizing that it was payday I positioned myself across from the bank
and the Fort Nelson Hotel. Smart move!! Guess the locals don't see
too many gypsies 'cause sales were brisk AND I met Gus, a Cree man,
who recognized a kindred spirit and offered a place to crash for the
night! Great timing 'cause it lightening, thundered AND poured for
the first time on this part of the trip. Gus has 2 great dogs so Vato
had some great company, too, and Gus insisted on that old giveaway
tradition. I found myself leaving town with MORE trade goods than
when I arrived! Off to Watson Lake, I was determined to reach the
Yukon by Saturday night. Sakes alive, the provincial motto is,
"Yukon, Larger than Life ". Well, let me tell you that the mosquitoes
definitely are! I did see other wildlife though...a bear cub,
gophers, mountain goats and kids, caribou AND wild buffalo...they
really set Vato off! After setting up camp, I headed downtown for a
beer and what was this??!! Karaoke night BUT I found the atmosphere
pretty depressing with alot of blatant misuse of that dreaded demon,
alcohol. Woke this morning with Whitehorse as my next goal when what
was this 20 miles down the road?? A shower of sparks in my rear view
mirror!! Blew a tire on the trailer and banged up the rim! Hmmm,
what to do? Thank you, Jimmy, for telling me that I really did need a
spare and Bob and Jose for finding me one, new rim and all. However,
could not get the damned lug nuts loosened even after putting my
considerable weight into the job. OK, now what? Also, had tried to
have spare inflated back down the road but the tire guy couldn't get
the tire to sit right. So, here I am on the side of the road with a
shredded tire that I can't remove with a spare with no air and it's
Sunday! Not good. Thought that it might be time to abandon the
trailer and came up with what I thought was a pretty good gameplan.
Backtrack to the route 37 cutoff, empty the Jeep, go back and empty
the trailer and return to Sally's Cafe to have a massive Trailer
Blowout Sale! Brilliant! Good not to be too attached to stuff
anyway, right? Asked the folks there, turns out Sally is really
Eldon, if I could do that and they insisted on calling son, Adam, to
try to fix the problem. A mere hour later, I was fed a really great
omelette ( high praise coming from an omelette Queen ) and rolling on
down the road once again!! Now here comes the full circle kicker! I
stopped at a rest stop two hours later and meet a family from Maine.
As we swapped stories with me encouraging them to stop at Sally's
Cafe, they told me how they had been saved by the folks at Sasquatch
Crossing! Stranger than fiction, right? I love my life and I believe
in people!!! Pass it on!!

Been Bailed out a Time or Two Barb

Mile 0, AlCan Highway, Dawson Creek, BC\

FINALLY!!! The legendary AlCan Highway, my goal these past few months
and a dream realized. I had been thinking about a slightly different
route BUT came to my senses realizing that it's not every day that one
has the opportunity to travel on a bit of history. Kind of like
travelling on historic Route 66 ( done part of it! ) or the Pacific
Coast Highway. ( done it all! ) Started in the height of WW II in
1941, it is one of the major engineering feats of its time and built
at a cost of a mere $140K, a mere pittance in today's dollars! Now
for those of us that love to drive ( and you know who you are! ) there
is something special about longhaul travelling and roads unknown.
Just what is around that next curve anyway? Yesterday it was a moose
cow and her twins, today a grain elevator fire off in the distance as
I approached Dawson Creek. Turns out it was across the street from
the Tourist Info Center and the start of the AlCan! The young women
at the Info Center pointed out the official mile marker to me which is
located smack dab in the center of an intersection. They laughed when
I asked if I could stop in the middle of the street and take a picture
of it! Having seen the silliness that overcomes tourists in the San
Juans, I couldn't help but do the same myself in someone Else's
hometown! I DID keep the Jeep rolling as I snapped my shot.

I am happy to report that any so called "delays" have proved to be,
once again, fortuitous. The weather is glorious!! Everyone
complaining about the heat but I am loving it, even though my left arm
IS getting way darker than the rest of my lily white body! And my
little Arizona transplant, Vato, is coping well, too. After all it is
a bit soon to be busting out his winter wear for Alaska and best to
keep him on a need to know basis.

So, anyway, folks, it's back on the road again towards Delta Junction,
Alaska...the official end of the AlCan!

Barrelling along Barb

Vato the Invincible

For those of you naysayers about my judgement in including a
chihuahua/ Heinz 57 mutt as part of this years northern migration,
hear this! Pint sized Vato proved to be worth his weight in gold last
night. I had found a renegade campsite on a lovely secluded lake,
finished my mac and cheese dinner ( yummy! ) and was relaxing with a
good read when Vato started barking his little, fool head off.
Somewhat annoyed at having my tranquility disturbed, I poked my head
out of the tent to see him holding a juvenile black bear at bay!!!
Yikes!!!! My first thought was, " Oh shit, where's mom???!!!". But
after collecting my wits, I did observe that he was no cub but
probably between one and two, about four feet at the shoulder and ears
too large for that baffled looking brain. He seemed uncertain as to
what his reaction to his puny adversary should be. Was it a rat or a
dog and just why was it making sooo much noise??!! Myself on the
other hand was not sure whether to beat feet, grab my mutt or go after
the damned thing with my mac and cheese pot...maybe throw him the pot?
As Vato danced around that bear ( and boy, is that one fast dog! ) I
decided to break camp ASAP! Where the hell were my car keys AND that
damned pepper spray that Tom had given me??!! You have never seen
anyone break down a campsite as quickly as yours truly or just how
fast a bear can run until you've witnessed it! Thank God he was
running away and not towards, is all that I can say. Vato was
reluctant to give up his warrior stance and join me in the Jeep but
when he figured out that I really WAS leaving with OR without him, he
reluctantly joined me. I high tailed it back to the closest town
barely making it in on fumes and set myself up in a more densely
populated area after checking in with the Mounties ( remember, I am in
Canada now! )...just where is an officer when you REALLY need one?
Woke refreshed, broke, tank on empty and very much happy to be alive
and well!!! What a beautiful day!

But don't worry about us, set up the gypsy wagon at the local gas
station and the first sale was the steer horns off the front of the
Jeep! Was thinking that I'll need a set of moose antlers now that
we'll be calling Alaska homebase for awhile and now there's a space
for them!

Seen enough of Bears for now Barb

Your Story in Six Words

Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words.
The result was "For sale: baby shoes, never used."

Here's an interesting and challenging activity. Try to compose YOUR
story (the story of YOU) in EXACTLY six words (no more, no less). For
some, this may be painful. (It's very hard to tell your whole story in
six words.)

Rich - If you can't laugh, good luck.
eastsidesue - The sign said "Caution." She laughed.
Kris- Will work for food and roof
Mandi- Oh the hats that I've worn.
Daltonland - He tightened his grasp around nothing.
Christie- Pain told her she was alive
Teenah - sweat. tears. act. laugh. drink. repeat.
Sarah- Don't forget; it's all worth it.
Lauren- Listen and love; don't forget yourself.
Brandon- Don't worry about today, tomorrow's anew.
Heather- Live, love life. Ignore the flames.
Amanda- Forget bad times, embrace the good
Gayanna - Trust everything happens for a reason
Annie ~ The best thing he's ever had
Jessika - Life is a garden, you dig?
Rachel - Broken heart again, another lesson learned.
Clay-Boring life scares me:All well.
Eric-Learning about yourself --a constant journey.
Jai - "Alright," she said. "I'll do it".
Janae- Just smile, it makes it easier
Bassey- She loves, she breaks, she loves.
Marv- Laugh Now, Cry Later, Trust God.
Ms. Diva- Trust and Respect, the elusive dream...
Scott - When I'm bored, I create drama.
Christina-I'm loved because I help others.
Anna- Pain. Fear. This Too Shall Pass.
Nikki- Divorce. Lonely. Depressed. I will survive!
Sandi- "When in doubt; open new doors"
Davina-Live,laugh,Love,Learn,and Dream. : )
Dax- Even Ernest Hemingway got the shits...
Tha Punch! ~ Everything I do is for her.
bridget - I ain't got no pretty please
PEPPER SOMERSET - WE KISSED. YOU LIED. YOU'RE DONE.
(THAT ONE IS DEDICATED TO CRISS ANGEL)
Mr M ~ It ain't easy being Memphis Mike LOL
Kelly O--One day it'll ALL make sense
Baker...Just Baker--it's not about me, but Him.
Evil Linda~~Neither for nor because of us
FALON - PUNK ROCK SAVED UNDERVALUED LITTLE BOY
9353 - Somehow Spared For Reasons Still Unknown?
pam - i fucking refuse to give up
Zodiac Lung ~ Don't Worry. Keep in the Sunlight
raySyar<> "Consciousness is the Only True Reality"
Blue Bus Barb- Feel fear, break through, live fully.

Farmer's Market... Open Daily

Have had the most remarkable adventures in the past few days.
Remember the Kettle Korn couple from Tucson??? Well, we discovered
our connection when Keith went to introduce me to the folks that owned
the Farmer's Market. But of course, I knew them!! Sharon had
operated a Tshirt Shack in Friday Harbor, WA for 10 years and we had
spent time chatting every summer when I was driving the bus. Sharon
and hubby, Terry, sold the business the same year that I bought Big
Blue and headed off island. While I was on island I wondered what had
happened to her and here she was in Birch Bay! I should have known
that God(dess) was at work when I spottted a blue bus in the back yard
AND an English doubledecker bus parked up front! Needless to say
that's where I parked myself and trade goods for the past few days and
camped out in the back 40!

Now remember that I am a true believer in listening to that small
voice within ( and sometimes without ) and found myself pondering on
when I should leave. Sharon and Terri have a soft rock station
playing while business is open and the next song lyric was, " Hold on
for one more day". 'Nuf said! Music must have been in the air as I
headed for La Cantina Saturday night to satisfy a red meat craving (
sorry to any of my veggie friends out there! ) and was told by
Farmer's Market resident and waiter, Robert, that it was Karaoke
night! Music to my ears and as he offered me one of several
margaritas I plotted my songlist. It has been awhile since I have
been able to sing since that bout of bronchitis but I am happy to
report that I was in true form and seemed to please the crowd as my
margarita glass seemed to continue to be filled. Yikes! Remember my
old adage? Moderation in all things, including moderation. Well,
let's just say it was a less than moderate evening. Met 2 awesome
women and interestingly enough we discovered that our birth years were
'57, '67 and '77...all out on 7/7/07. Hmmmm! I don't think that I
have laughed sooo much in quite awhile and guess that I needed a gal
pal blowout. Never did finish telling Starr about my singing altar
ego Starleen, the Texas country western singer! Maybe another time.
Had to chuckle on Sunday when I spotted several karaoke singers at the
Market while I was hiding behind my sunglasses. Gee, that light was
awful bright yesterday!

So today, I am pulling up tentstakes once again ( OK, Micki, I know I
was at the Hostel again last night! ) and FINALLY jumping the border
into Canada and heading for Alaska!!! Whoopee!!!

Signing off for now,

Borders Crossing Barb

Independence Day!!!!

Independence....what does that word itself evoke? On the eve of the
4th of July, I sit in a library perched on the border in Blaine, WA
thinking about that one. For you see, I had felt that it was
important for me to celebrate this particular holiday in the US rather
than the place of my birth, Canada. I had hoped that it would have
been in Alaska but, as we know, things have a way of shifting in my
life. The "plan" was to pick up a rider in Bellingham but it seems
that Craig's List and I are not doing too well in the rideshare area.(
except for long lost "son", Thad, of course! ) I ended up cutting
that person loose when agreements were not kept and I am finding once
again that boundary setting seems to still be on my worklist.
BUT...everytime I do take the crucial step of regaining my self and my
independence there is an incredible sense of lightness and once more
magic is afoot.

I left Friday Harbor on Thursday feeling the tug of bright lights and
the siren call of the casinos along the way. I admit that I was
unable to resist and found myself missing Jeanne in Seattle where I
was headed to be reunited with my trailer. I was exhausted after
pulling a marathon night and wasn't able to raise other Seattle
friends so I found myself setting up my tent in Jeanne's backyard
oasis, a little bit of nature in the midst of north Seattle. Not too
shabby, included her hot tub! Waking refreshed on Saturday, I headed
out to the Taste of Tacoma with Patagonia friend Patricia and her
hubby, Marcus. Opportunity knocked when they told me that an estate
sale was happening across the street from their place so we set up our
wares on Sunday and rode on its coat tails. Back to Seattle and
Jeanne's where I decided to make the journey north solo, as I had
always envisioned it. Jeanne pointed out to me that it appeared that
when I put my trust in other people, I allowed myself to be let down
but I think what was going on was a needed lesson that there is a line
between being flexible and TOO accommodating.

So, today I followed the pull of the ocean and found a beautiful tent
site at Birch Bay State Park nestled amongst giant cedar trees within
earshot of the water. Driving through the camping area, I noted all
the young families and recalled my early days camping with my own
family. God(dess), how my mother hated camping but grinned and bore
it. Part of the deal was that my dad had to do the cooking and I
LOVED his campstyle breakfasts! I am sure that the campgrounds were
full then, too, but I don't remember that part just the joy of being
in a tent, marshmallows over a fire, the smell of the woods.

Continued on the 5th.....

Wow, wow, wow!!! What a truly wonderful 4th...a true slice of
Americana. My son, Josh, was right...wherever I go I can find hokey
people doing hokey things and, boy, do I love it! Met a couple from
Tucson, Keith and Eva, fellow vendors and road warriors on Tuesday and
found myself sharing dinner with them. Did the Blaine pancake
breakfast at the Senior Center, watched the AWESOME parade, ate shaved
ice and a hot dog, checked out the cooool car show, listened to a
bagpipe band, sampled Keith and Eva's kettle corn ( did I mention that
was what they sell? )caught a siesta in a seaside park, moved to the
Bristol Bay Hostel where they put on a helluva fireworks display
aaaand FINALLY crashed after a full, full day!!!! So, today...setting
up at a local Farmer's Market, Keith fixing my tail lights, hanging on
a beautiful day in Blaine....

Being in Blaine for the Moment Barb

The Last Supper on Dinner Island

What a perfect way to close out my time in the San Juan Islands...an
impromptu barbecue on Dan's family isle just within sight of Jackson's
Beach! I found myself feeling a tad melancholy as I was preparing to
leave Friday Harbor with a sense that it would be some time before I
would visit these shores again. OK, OK, yes I have been back several
times since the beginning of May but I REALLY mean it this time...it
was getting a bit embarrassing telling folks that yes, I had left for
Alaska but was back AGAIN!

But back to my story....over the years friend and employer, Dan the
Man, has ferried countless folks back and forth to his idyllic family
retreat spot of Dinner Island and this year, I felt that something was
missing this go around. Over a few farewell drinks on Tuesday, Dan
mentioned throwing a barbecue together the following night and that IF
I was still around....how could I possibly miss out???!! Hard to
imagine escaping to an island when one lives on an island but I guess
only an islander would understand it. Dinner Island is down another
few notches on the laid back meter especially in the midst of tourist
season when San Juan Island's shores are flooded with a deluge of
visitors. It has hosted several bus drivers' escapes over the years
with spouses, kids and drag alongs in tow. Usually they happen
towards the end of the season when burnout is setting in. One of the
things about being an island bus driver is people think you know
everything and what is REALLY scary is that you do!!! I did love it
this go around when people asked me where I lived and my reply was, "
Alaska, but not to worry, I think I remember how to get around this
place! ".

Wednesday night there were some new recruits and after breaking bread
(OK, we had a little more than bread and why is it that I ALWAYS
forget how much a pound box of pasta expands??) we took the Dinner
Island Tour...one tour Dan doesn't mind giving, lasts all of 15
minutes on foot, and the place that holds a special place in his
heart. Walking the Frisbee golf course, spying a seal pup on the
rocks, looking heavenward to see the abandoned eagle condo, checking
out the skinny dipping spot with the natural steps in the rocks and
wondering just where are those darned mosquitoes coming from anyway,
we wended our way through this magical island oasis far from the
maddening crowds. Old friends, new friends sharing a meal in a lovely
spot...does it get any better?

While sitting in the bow for the return trip, I realized that it was
the water that I need to head for in Alaska not inland as I first
thought. Time to get home....has a nice ring to it. Will be FINALLY
heading northbound on Monday to take my place in history following
many that have gone before me up the AlCan highway...love to all of
you that helped make my Lower 48 closure trip the grand adventure that
it proved to be.

Finally Going Back There Barb

Crippled Creek Ranch

Aaah, the toxic work environment...where to begin?

Just realizing that it has been close to 2 weeks since my last
transmission and, once again, sooo much has transpired in the life and
times of Blue Bus Barb.

Montana is truly Big Sky country but it is amazing how quickly the
beauty of a place can fade when one is not deeply satisfied within
oneself. I found myself working in a beautiful setting at the Triple
Creek Ranch, employed as a Pack Lunch person and managed to bite my
tongue AND hold the job for all of four days! Imagine yours truly
being questioned on the truth of my statement that I had actually
placed sliced tomato on a sandwich...hmmmm. I must be maturing though
because I did manage to maintain my calm instead of telling my
inquisitor that when she found the aforementioned tomato she could
take it and the job and put it in another choice location...my choice,
of course! I also had to hold back from laughing when the manager
told me that she hadn't seen my resume'. Could she really be serious?
A resume' for a position that normally starts at $7/hour and for
which I managed to extract $8.15/hour ? Surely you jest? The mood in
the kitchen was somber at best...no music, no easy camaraderie and all
too much willingness to "play the game". You know...the"let's look
busy to justify our job " game. After all, just how large a staff is
required to feed and house 40 guests? Apparently, at Triple Creek
Ranch, it's 100 . And you do the math folks...if Pack Lunch moi has
made 30 lunches and occupancy is 35, how many lunches have the Sous
chef, his assistant and a dining room staff of 5 prepared and served?
Interesting, very interesting?! It could also have been the added
bonus of no breaks during an 8 hour shift and get this....no staff
meals! This was a new one for me since one of the draws of the low
paying food service industry has always been that if nothing else, you
knew you would never go hungry. The scuttlebutt around the ranch was
that turnover was extremely high and only the desperately
underemployed locals managed to hang in. What with mortgages, car
payments and assorted other bills, the ranch was one of few options
for folks that choose to live in the area. Just how do people manage
to make ends on such paltry wages, I wonder? This, of course, is in
contrast to clients that have the wherewithal to shell out $1000/night
to stay at this exclusive resort.

I do feel fortunate that I can choose to take whatever jobs that I
like AND that I work for the fun of it, not the money. That's because
of the lifestyle that I've adopted...extremely low overhead. Now on
the flipside was my experience working with the lovely Suzanne at The
Silverspoon Diner, an alumnus herself from the ranch...how she managed
to hang in for 10 years is beyond me. ( and her, too, I might add! )
Suzanne is one of the overworked, underpaid( if paid at all, after
everyone else is paid! ) and , so often, under appreciated small town
business owners in this country. She started leasing the restaurant 4
years ago and was forced into learning how to cook when she had to
deal with the inconsistency of cooks. She is a single mom who
raised 3 daughters virtually singlehandedly and her girls all play an
active role in her business. She personifies Hera herself, keeper of
the hearth and her doors are open to one and all in the small
community of Darby, Montana, population 650. Good old homestyle
cooking and I found myself slipping into the place like an old pair of
shoes but the road called once more with a call to yet another
smalltown hero, Dan the Transit Man. Back to the San Juans to drive
around in circles, sit on my butt, talk to people AND get paid!! The
perfect respite from kitchen madness for yours truly.

So, here's to all the workers in the world just trying to make a go of it....

Back to the Bus Barb

No Waders, No Spikes

What happened to the signs that say, " No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service"
? I must be in Montana, land of fishing and logging! Boy, have I
landed in it and with both feet. Went out to one interview yesterday
and somehow by day's end, I found myself with not one but THREE jobs!
Amazing the power of manifestation and following those open signs
along the way. Suzanne at the Silver Spoon Cafe was feeling badly
that she could only offer me a few part-time shifts ( no problem with
me )so she pointed me towards the Three Creek Ranch and suggested I
ask about a pack lunch job. Called Nick and without even getting the
words out, he said that he had 2 days available in Pack Lunch. And
what exactly is Pack Lunch?? Just what it says...packing lunches for
take out at this VERY upscale ranch resort. Seems they had to turn
the Rolling Stones away last year...imagine that??!! I had dressed in
appropriate ranch wear for my interview, you know how important proper
costuming is to this woman. Black Levis, black denim jacket and, of
course, my black and red Nikonos ( cowboy boots, to you greenhorns ).
Add to that my matching black Jeep and turquoise jewelry. I felt
confidence oozing from my pores as I strode into the lobby and was
mistaken for a guest checking in...cool! This joint is pretty swanky
and the kitchen all stainless steel and bustling with black and white
clad kitchen staff...by the time I left I had not only secured the
Pack Lunch spot but was tempted by an offer to cook breakfast and
lunch 2 other days. Their capacity is only 40 guests and 2 cooks
cover every meal plus a prep person...sweet! Hmmm...we'll see how it
goes. Tomorrow I start 2 days of training in sandwich making. Wonder
if I'll be able to catch on before I solo on Sunday. You think??

At day's end, I was cruising the aisles at the local market, when I
spotted a tall, handsome cowboy with the definite air of the bad boy.
( and the smell of liquor on his breath ) Would I be able to resist?
Couldn't help baiting him as he was toying with the sweet, young and
VERY blonde cashier. Seems he found me amusing and turns out that he
owns a local fly shop ( as in fishing ) in need of a caterer next week
for a 25 person float trip! Good grief!! I wasn't totally convinced
he would remember our conversation despite his protestations. We'll
see when I show up for today's meeting about the menu...hmmm, wonder
what he has in mind for that?

Anyway, looks like I've got the job scene covered. Still need a spot
to pitch camp but I'm sure it will all fall into place. Oh, did I
forget to mention that ALL of these jobs still allow me to pursue my
gypsy trader path on the weekends...toooo cool!

So once again, signing off for now...Busy as a Bee Barb

Atop a Mountain Aerie

The eagle has landed atop a mountain aerie in Bozeman, Montana. Laura
and Eric's home is perched on a wildflower covered hillside
overlooking still snow covered mountains to the east with a lush
valley spread at its feet. It is a lovely light filled place of wood
and stone. It is quiet, at the moment, for all are sleeping while I
type away. Usually the Concord household is a nest of activity with
assorted kids, dogs and adults vying for ones attention. I realized
that this is the largest group of folks that I have found myself with
during my travels. What a time to be here, too! I arrived on Sunday
to be stand in grandma at Serena's HS graduation and tagged along with
the clan to the event. The last time that I attended one was 2 years
ago at my son, Bailey's graduation. So much has transpired in that
time period and I, too, feel that I have graduated to a new phase in
my own life. Graduations mark completion and change...a falling away
of the old and perching on the edge of the nest preparing to spread
ones wings and soar into the future. Eric took a lovely and , I
thought, quite symbolic shot of the new grad perched on the edge of
their deck in a King of the World pose. ( remember Leonardo DiCaprio
and Kate Winslet in that "Titanic" scene?) What better way to capture
that moment of excitement before any dramatic change? Eric and Laura
are launching a few of their chicks this year. Libby, newly graduated
from college will head off to England for a Master's program...should
be a snap for her after spending a good part of her junior year in
Dublin, Ireland...came back with a celtic knot tattooed on her back! (
my kinda gal! ) Serena is sharing an apartment here in Bozeman with a
couple of friends before heading out in the Fall for Brigham Young
University. She is the Mormon anomaly and has charted her own
spiritual course with the support of her family. It reminds me of
when I found myself living at the Findhorn Community in Scotland when
" My DInner with Andre'" came out in the 80's and my friends and
family wondered whether I had been abducted by aliens! Adam, Serena's
6'6" fraternal twin, has decided to attend the school of hard
knocks...the one that I also chose to attend and young William
graduates from middle school tomorrow night. Soon, Eric and Laura
will only have young William in their Montana home and it will take on
a different feel . I recall when Bailey decided to move in with his
dad and I found myself alone in the bus with just Buddy, my dog.
Change can be exciting, exhilarating and a little scary but isn't that
what makes us feel alive? It certainly makes me feel that way in my
ever changing world.

Today, I head out again into that uncertain future..I have an
interview today in Darby, Montana for a cook/waitress job at the
Silver Spoon Diner. Friends Bob and Jose', in Hamilton, decided that
I was in need of gainful employment and since sales were a bit on the
slow side at our joint yard sale last Saturday, I found myself shoved
in proprietor, Suzanne's, direction. Poor woman, she thought she was
just walking away from the sale with a simple purchase, not with a
future challenge named Blue Bus Barb! I'm sure the arrangement will
be mutually beneficial, though.

So, once again into the void...Could be Baking Again Barb

Newsflash: Bozeman, Montana

I've made the final cut for a collaborative travel/cookbook AND I
couldn't have done it without ALL of you...your continuing support on
sooo many levels has enabled me to realize a dream. Your
encouragement, continuing positive feedback on my writing,
constructive criticism, couches offered, stomach filled, laughter and
tears shared....that most precious gift of friendship have spurred me
on. God(dess) bless each and everyone of you that have crossed my
path.

Working title for the book is, " Break Free, Break Rules, Break Bread
". All proceeds will go towards funding a vocational training program
in New Delhi, India.

Black Jeep Barb

Chocolate on Chocolate, but of course!!!

This one is fun! Don't cheat. Now don't cheat on this one, go with the
first dessert you choose!!! If all of the desserts listed below were
sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only
pick one!) Trust me....this is very accurate. Pick your dessert, and
then look to see what psychiatrists think about you.

After taking this dessert personality test, send this e-mail to others,
but when you do, be sure to put your choice of dessert in the subject
box above! ALSO, SEND IT TO THE PERSON WHO SENT IT TO YOU. DON'T
FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR DESSERT CHOICE IN THE SUBJECT BOX BEFORE YOU
FORWARD IT.

Here are your choices:
1. Angel Food Cake
2. Brownies
3. Lemon Meringue
4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing
5. Strawberry Short Cake
6. Chocolate on Chocolate
7. Ice Cream
8. Carrot Cake

No, you can't change your mind once you scroll down, so think carefully
what your choice will be.......OK

Now that you've made your choice this is what the research says about
you... SCROLL DOWN---No Cheating

1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE -- Sweet, loving, cuddly. You
love all warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times.
Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of
the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and
immature at times.

2. BROWNIES -- You are adventurous, love new ideas,
and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of
dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your
saber. You are always the oddball with a unique
sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE -- Smooth, sexy, & articulate
with your hands, you are an excellent after-dinner
speaker and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew

gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, but
you have many friends.

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Fun-loving,
sassy, humorous, not very grounded in life; very
indecisive and lack motivation. Everyone enjoys
being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others
should be cautious in making you mad. However, you

are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE -- Romantic, warm, loving.
You & care about other people, can be counted on in a
pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. Can
be very emotional.

6. CHOCOLATE ON CHOCOLATE -- Sexy; always ready to
give and receive. Very creative, adventurous,
ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a
cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid
to take chances. Will not settle for anything
average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM -- You like sports, whether it be
baseball, football, basketball, or soccer. If you
could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy
watching sports. You don't like to give up the
remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high
maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE -- You are a very fun loving person,
who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People
like to hang out with you. You are a very warm
hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many
loyal friends.

SEND TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS....INCLUDING ME! DON'T FORGET -

Having a Ball in Montana!

OK, OK!! I know that it's confusing as hell but remember I did say
that I was standing on the edge of a cliff looking into the void.
Having cut the ties that bound me, figuratively, of course, I spent a
couple days regrouping at Millie's on Whidbey Island. ( Yes, we
actually met somewhere other than Tucson! ) With NO obligations at
all, I had time to sit for a bit and listen to the voice within. I
cast my net wide on Craig's List looking for possible
rideshares...responded to several postings. Vancouver, Whistler,
Alaska AND Montana. ( which has been tugging at me for awhile ) Only
response was from a young man trying to get back to Helena and his
pregnant woman. How could I resist. Add to that a last minute
Memorial Day weekend hook from Dan the Transit Man and things started
falling into place in its usual magical, mystical way.

During this whole process, I realized that the answer as to where I
would find a homebase in Alaska had been staring me right in the
face!!! Hmmm, let's see.... I was looking for a place that was near
the ocean, had theater opportunities, great people connections, easy
access to a major airport and alot of Alaska's wild wooliness. Good
grief, Charlie Brown!!! Kodiak, but of course. Sometimes I am a
little slow on the uptake, what can I say? I just started my
relationship with Kodiak Island and I was already prepared to jump
ship. Foolish woman, certainly I should know that for a relationship
to develop commitment is necessary. So, anyway, with that
realization, there was no rush to head up the AlCan. After all, I had
been originally envisioning a leisurely Blue Bus Barb style trip this
summer wending my way northbound.

Sunday found me heading Seattle bound to meet up with Jeanne, Sherri
and Tucson Pal, Fred to do the city thing. We rendezvoused at Jazz
Alley to listen to the smooth, sultry sounds of Michael Franks.
Monday found me regrouping at Jeanne's and making room for my Montana
bound passenger...no small feat, I might add...my little black Jeep is
stuffed to the gills!! Called Laura in Bozeman and got the nod from
forthcoming H.S. grad Serena that I was welcome to be surrogate
grandma for the day. Tuesday AM picked up my passenger at Pike's
Place Market and headed east for the wide open spaces of Montana.
What a great travelling companion and guess what??? A fellow
trader!!! Score!!! A young man after my own heart! Stopped at an
Antique shop in Ritzville, WA and the games began...yippee!!! More
gas money AND a couple of new jewelry acquisitions. Starting to feel
pumped again..woohoo!! On to Helena, where a couch was waiting and
then off this AM towards Hamilton to meet up with fellow traders, Bob
and Jim, at their Montana homestead!

So, where am I just now you might be wondering? How could I resist
free internet access in Clinton, Montana at the Rock Creek Lodge?
Home of the world famous Testicle Festival, where else!!

So signing off for now, Getting her Balls Back Barb

Dancing with the Stars

There is a popular show on TV at the moment ( for those of you who
have TV's ) that has caught my interest in the past few weeks. "
Dancing with the Stars " matches up fairly well known folks ( gosh,
would I qualify? ) with professional dancer/choreographers and sets
them up mano a mano. Watching over a few weeks, I find that the thing
that separates the good from the great dancers is the ability to fully
engage with ones partner. It is a beautiful thing to see two people
dance together and feel that chemistry of passion ignite before ones
eyes. Now, of course in this prurient world all kinds of speculation
flows about whether these partners are also dancing between the
sheets. Having been on a few dance floors and stages, I can tell you
that people often mistake that shared passion for performance, for
romance. It is not difficult to cross those boundaries because if we
are really on our game, the walls that we so carefully construct
around ourselves begin to crumble. We become exposed emotionally and
physically and therefor vulnerable. No big surprise when co-stars
become romantically involved.

Sexuality is a powerful force and sensuality can ignite it. Doesn't a
person who has a passion for anything become more attractive in our
eyes? I certainly feel that's true and also think that those folks
are also the folks that scare us just a little bit and also make us
wonder if we are missing something in our own lives. The people who
inspire me the most are those that expand boundaries of any
kind....explorers of all the deep, forested places not just in the
world but our very souls. Also, the compassionate ones, that nurture
and feed us on so many levels...that see beyond the outer shells to
that soft, vulnerable inside that we all have. The Mother Teresas,
the Ghandis. I'm afraid that I think of myself more as a spiritual
warrior, slashing and burning, clearing temples but I do admire those
gentler souls!

Recently, I have been feeling somewhat vulnerable...think that it is
the uncertainties and transition of shifting homebases. Everything
feels fluid at the moment ( not tooo uncomfortable a state for a
Scorpio gal ) and am definitely feeling a bit off center. Realize
that I have been holding back and trying to play it safe... tempted by
offers of places to live, expenses covered, jobs proffered and beds to
fill. All of them, seemingly safe havens. However, I do know myself
well enough to know that my passion does lie in uncharted
territory...where no man ( or woman ) has gone before. I always did
love Star Trek and you could count me in for an alien encounter! (
skip the anal probe! )

So, I guess the latest update is that I have decided that I am no
follower and have decided to head out solo for Alaska. With that
decision, I feel a great burden off my chest ( no small feat for me )
and feel a renewed excitement for my quest. I do love relying on my
wits and have managed to accumulate more trade goods enroute. Now
with my health restored, my trusty companion, Vato, riding shotgun and
all my worldly possessions, I will head North to the Last Frontier, my
new frontier and all of the passion and promise that it holds!

Once again Black Jeep Barb

P.S. Seems that ALL security blankets are being removed, too.
Limited cash AND seems that I forgot my phone charger back on San Juan
Island this weekend...so keep those emails comin'...I know they have
libraries in Canada!!!!

Leaping into the Void...5/20/07

I stand poised on the edge of yet another cliff and I am not afraid to
admit that I am scared shitless. This week ( god(dess), I hope it's
FINALLY this week, 'cause the suspense is killing me! ) I will be
travelling up the AlCan to begin yet another chapter in my Alaska love
affair. Some things have not changed for me...funds are limited but
what the hell, what's new? I will be travelling north via wagon train
with Cowboy pal, Jimmy, driving appropriately enough, another bus.
Jimmy says I will NOW be White Barb Bus. He will be leading the way
hauling plunder ( a bit of the pirate, too, methinks ) with me
following, covering our backs. My beloved black Jeep will be making
the journey, as well, along with sidekick, Vato, the dog. Somehow
feels a bit archetypal.

And, just why am I feeling fragile, scared and vulnerable? Could it
be PMS? Wait a minute, I thought I was menopausal??!! OK, all
kidding aside..I guess that I realize that I AM at one of those
crossroads in my life and what I do now will have long term
repercussions. I have been realizing, as of late, that there is a
desire within myself to have a true homebase...a desire to fully
immerse myself in ONE place..to God(dess) forbid make a committment
and to more fully step into my personal power. The foundation that I
will be laying in the Last Frontier will be critical and pivotal to my
future work in establishing community. How all of this will tie into
that, I don't have a clue but I know deep in my gut that it is so.

Many have trod the path before me to the Last Frontier, in search of
all kinds of different things...for Alaska does represent many things.
Uncharted territory, elemental wildness and the lure of undiscovered
riches just to mention a few.

What does Alaska hold for me this go around, now that I have pulled up
roots from the Lower 48? Where will your gypsy friend root herself?
More unanswered questions and uncertainty BUT what an adventure life
is!!! Can't wait to find out myself...

Soon to Be...White Bus Barb

The Stranger 5/18/07

There is an often read guide to city life ( any city ) that details
ALL sorts of distractions available to the public at large. I believe
that it is quite appropriately called," The Stranger". For in it are
recorded and offered all manner of amusements and events to stimulate,
distract, titillate and hold forth the promise of connecting in some
fashion with the pulse of the city in which one finds oneself. Not
just the pulse of the city but with that latent desire in all of us to
connect with each other.

What is it that we seek? Opposites attract, like attracts
like....both theories appear to be contradictory....what exactly is it
that can satisfy that desire to feel closer to our fellow inhabitants
on this remarkable planet that we call Earth? OR is it Mother Earth
that we long for...a connection, a spark of recognition to make us
feel just that little bit less alone. In that brilliant Steven
Spielberg film, " E.T. ", didn't we all connect with our alien
protaganist on some gut level when he communicated his desire to just
phone " home" ? E.T. had found a family to protect him, to nurture
him from the dangers of our world but still had the deep seated desire
to reconnect with others of his kind. We do this on a daily basis
ourselves when we seek out the company of others from whom we draw our
sense of security, identification and reflection of our innermost
selves.

At more than one point in time, I have told my sons that we are ALL
truly alone in this world and if we are able to count our good friends
on one hand we are blessed. If we can count them on two, we are
wealthy beyond words. I am not speaking of the folks that make it
onto speed dial on our phones but those we know on a gut level will
have our backs no matter what...those that have offered that most
precious of gifts, unconditional love. Don't want to sound sexist BUT
I do believe that most women understand that concept. Mother love,
that fierce kind of no holds barred love that allows us to love
another no matter what. Told my sons more than once that I would be
the only woman in their lives that would love them come hell or high
water and boy, have they tested that promise a few times.

For myself, I have often felt like an observer...a stranger in a
strange land, operating in alien and oft times hostile territory. The
world that is brought to us through the media offers little to comfort
us on our paths back home to that shelter from the storm. I believe
that it is within ourselves that we must find that wellspring of hope,
love and compassion that we sometimes appear to be so desperately
seeking from others. Love or fear...we make the choice.

No Stranger to You or than You Barb

Rough around the Edges Revisited 5/9/07

Last Fall, Jeanne made the comment that she had met a man who was a
little scary. " You know, " she said, "kind of like how YOU like your
men...rough around the edges. ". I then realized that that was what I
was falling in love with about Alaska. No, not its men, though they
have been a challenge to resist, but the essence of Alaska itself. A
wildness, unpredictibility and inability to control outcomes kind of
thing.

What started this train of thought was leaning over a bathtub,
scouring it, so that I could actually take a bath without risk of
contagion. It seems that part of my journey in the Lower 48 is about
falling in love with men again...not one particular man but that
essence of maleness. How can a woman who has been surrounded by males
try to block that tidal wave of raw masculinity?

While visiting my sons earlier last month, my youngest made several
comments to his girlfriend about his mom being a wannabe lesbian.
Yikes! I would LOVE to know where he picked up that idea...yes, I
wholeheartedly confess to loving my women friends for in them I see
reflections of myself and receive the emotional support and let's face
it, the shared history of being wives, mothers, daughters,
grandmothers and lovers of that oft times frustrating male species. I
had a conversation earlier this week with Susan about an odd phenomena
that we have noticed lately...it appears that feminism is becoming a
dirty word amongst our youth. I love to see young women today fully
embracing their femininity, sexuality and personal power but wonder if
they fully realize the groundbreaking that went on before them.

As a young girl, my dad took me out in the garage to show me how to
work on a car...my younger brother, George, had no interest in that
area. My dad wanted to be sure that I never felt helpless or
incapable around so much as a flat tire. At 17, I started in his
footsteps down a path in engineering. I had always been told that I
could do and achieve anything that I wanted. The tried and true
comment of when you grow up and get married never passed my parents'
lips! I was the only woman in my classes, surrounded by young men,
some returning Vietnam vets, all older than myself. I tried to hide
my curves behind baggy flannel shirts and to blend in. A stranger in
a strange land peopled almost exclusively by men. I learned to
operate in this world but eventually joined the ranks of people who
dropped out of living a conventional lifestyle. The creative, the
artistic, the impoverished ( at least financially)...my fellow gypsies
on the path of self-realization.

I have always been comfortable in the companyof men...their rules of
engagement far clearer than those of my own sex. Not so many hidden
agendas, what you see is what you get and they usually say what they
mean. All of the men in my life, including my sons are definitely
unique though but do seem to share some basic traits. Since my last
heartbreak two years ago, I have been more cautious in my
relationships with men, pursuing the path of friendship rather than
passion. Trying to rebuild my trust has not been an easy thing but in
creating new ( and I trust, lasting ) friendships, and nurturing
already existing ones, I'm finding myself opening again to the
possibility of romance. I have discovered that it is possible to
peacefully cohabit with the male of the species while spending my time
here on San Juan Island. Interestingly enough, I have found myself
sharing living spaces with the men in my life rather than the women.
Now, I do want you to know that this is the second bachelor domicile
where I find myself with Comet in hand leaning over a tub. Is it only
women who like to take baths or see that encroaching life form as we
shower? Remember last year's visit to my sons' bachelor pad? Same
scene, different players! Guess what I'm getting at is that I am
finding that peaceful coexistence is possible and I might just be
ready for another go around!

Gotta go, hear a toilet brush calling my name...God(dess), what IS
that under the rim??!!

Tidy Bowl Barb

Are you my Mother? 5/2/07

Does anyone remember that great kid's book, " Are you my Mother?"? A little bird finds himself tumbling out of the nest and he starts his journey in search of Mom questioning all that come across his path, including a huge steam shovel.

This morning I find myself in Seattle and more specifically at Kristi and Gary's house AND new arrival, Colin's. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting the young man who is friend Jeanne's, grandson and newest member of what I consider to be a part of my extended family. I am a great believer in a quote that I read years ago in one of my favorite books by Richard Bach, " The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah". Mr. Bach wrote that the family we are born into is not necessarily our true family. As I strolled around the neighborhood this morning with MY newest four legged family member I was mulling this over. How often it seems that we have more patience and allow our friends more latitude than our own family members. Does familiarity truly breed contempt and if so, how tragic. I feel myself softening in my own attitudes in recent years... no less passionate in my convictions but far more ready to forgive, recognize my own limitations and those of my loved ones. Aren't we all just doing the best that we can?

Many years ago, a young woman of 25 made the choice to marry a grieving widower and take on the task of raising two motherless children. It wasn't until I became a new mother myself at 2, with the birth of my oldest, Joshua, that I realized the magnitude of the decision she had made. I phoned the woman that I call Mom, for she is the only mother that I remember, and acknowledged that choice. Over the years I have often lost sight of the impact that her decision made on all of us. When my mother and I saw each other last month in San Diego, it was coincidentally the 11th anniversary of my father's death. It could not have been a more perfect time for reconciliation as we shared stories, laughed and cried together about the man who had played such a pivotal role in both of our lives. We agreed that a few Martinis and that bottle of Gewurztraminer that I apparently drank solo helped lubricate the way!

As I watched Kristi hold her firstborn in her arms, I marveled at the bravery that it takes to create life, choose life and risk truly living. Parenting, nurturing, mothering...how much it has enriched my own life. I never saw myself marrying never mind ending up with two sons, two stepsons and a grandson! I can't imagine a life without them now with the wealth of experiences that they have brought into my life. Admittedly some of those experiences I could have done without like this weekend's phone news that skydiving Josh had had his first cutaway! What's that you might be wondering. His primary chute tangled and he had to cut it off. Aaaaah!!!! Of course, Josh didn't tell me in our earlier conversation but Bailey did and also mentioned that Josh had the event captured on video. That's one that I think I'll miss. When I questioned Josh about his failure to mention this little detail he said, " I just knew you'd be upset! "...you think??? Isn't that part of our jobs?

So...Happy Mother's Day to all those folks who take the time to provide shelter from the storms of life...love you, Mom!!

Been There Barb

Women who Sleep with the Bears 4/1/07

Please realize that I am speaking metaphorically of course.
Interesting how events unfold over a period of time that seem to
follow a certain theme and this week it appears to be menopause and
related life shifts. Hey, if it can make the cover of Newsweek, I
guess it can make it out over the web, as well. I haven't felt as
close to my women compatriots since giving birth to my first son.
Somehow going into the cave of crone hood ( is that even a word? )
makes me acutely aware of the long line of women that has been there
before me. I am blessed with many women friends that have trod the
path before me and encourage me along the way. I think that it is a
good thing that I live alone at the moment. Can you imagine living
with a woman who has been on the rag for 17 days??!! Thank God(dess)
for Verizon Wireless and my Menopausal Advisers near and far. What??!!
No hot flashes! Guess that I am amongst the lucky 25%, as noted in
Newsweek, that don't suffer from that particular symptom. No, Julie,
it's not hot in this bus and you can close that driver's window, OK?
And Amanda, yes, that angry woman WAS your mother and look what you
have to look forward to! I am surrounded by others of my kind. Or is
it that curious phenomenon that seems to occur as we go through our
life cycles? I seem to remember being surrounded by pregnant women
when I was one. And what about those women around me forced into
early menopause through various medical procedures where their
mysterious female parts were extracted? What was that silly Purdue
chicken commercial? "Parts is parts."? That probably meant if it was
female parts, right? Chicken, not rooster parts. I guess the closest
comparison to a hysterectomy would be having ones prostate gland
removed. And isn't there some theory circulating that even men go
through some type of menopause, too? What's that all about? Another
attempt to co opt a woman's experience or minimize it? Or, God(dess)
forbid, yet another way for men to access their feminine side! Gag
me, already! I don't know about you women but I'm with Mae West when
she said, " It's not the men in my life that counts...it's the life
in my men.". It seems only a short time ago that I was feeling a bit
sad that my childbearing years seemed to be behind me. After all, I
hadn't had a visit from my little friend in three months. And then,
the flood gates opened and it feels that I am giving birth to yet
another Self. How exciting, another life chapter with MORE stories to
share! Can you believe that Jeanne now has TEN grandchildren??!!
Don't worry Jeanne, I'm sure that there will plenty of mountains to
climb as your youngest grandchild first crawls, then walks and finally
follows in your footsteps. Welcome to the planet, Colin Lucas
Roundtree! And to close a quote from Albert Camus..are we sure it
wasn't Alberta Camus when he wrote....

                              In the midst of Winter,
                                I finally learned
                              that there was in me an
                                Invincible Summer

Signing off...School Bus Barb

Born to be Wild... 4/1/07

Music so often has the power to conjure up images in ways that words
alone can fail to do. Once again, the witching hour and I found
myself waking to the strains of Steppenwolf's, " Born to be Wild",
playing in my mind. Can't think of a better way to explain the thrill
of the road, especially on a motorcycle.

                            Get your motor runnin'
                           Head out on the highway
                           Lookin' for adventure
                            And whatever comes our way
                             Yeah, Darlin', go make it happen
                             Take the world in a love embrace
                             Fire all of the guns at once and
                             Explode into space

                             I like smoke and lightning
                             Heavy metal thunder
                              Racing with the wind
                             And the feeling that I'm under

                             Like a true nature's child
                              We were born, born to be wild
                               We can climb so high
                               I never wanna die

Friday night, another fantasy fulfilled...perched on the back of a
Harley gliding through the desert, at one with the elements and my
guide in front of me. In biker lingo, riding bitch ( translation:
behind someone on the bike seat ) has always been the ultimate trust
issue, for in doing so, not only do you give up control ( oh, noooo! )
but MUST be fully in the moment taking your cues from your partner as
you lean into every curve. My son, Josh, explained that same feeling
coming over him the moment he freefalls from a plane. You can't be
anywhere else but right there, right now.....what a thrill! I
remember years ago when I acquired my first real motorcycle ( not dirt
bikes or that 175 Kawasaki! ) and let it out to full speed on an Iowa
road that stretched out for miles in front of me. I shot through time
and space and felt a sense of power surge through me tinged with fear.
And come on, admit it, when you see bikers, how does it make you
feel? A bit edgy? Enticed by images of tattooed biceps, black
leather and yet another, " Call of the Wild "? For bikers are our
modern day outlaws and even if one is only a weekend warrior, we are
reminded of the fact that we WERE born to be wild....signing off,
Biker Babe Barb   (gotta love all of those alter egos)

The Road less Travelled... 4/6/07

Today, I leave Arizona with a glimpse in my rear view mirror and head
in a new direction towards New Mexico. Several of you know that it
has been calling to me in recent years with that continuing vision of
community. It has been some 5 years since I stood in the plaza of Las
Vegas and wondered what had drawn me there. It feels like it is time
again to have a look and seems no coincidence that some of you are
feeling a similar pull. But what about Alaska? Don't know how it all
fits in and remains a part of the puzzle for me, too. I do know that
it is time to strike out in new directions literally and figuratively,
stretch those comfort levels again. The boys released me from my
intended visit and understand that the road pulls me elsewhere. This
time in Arizona has been gift of renewed ties and some unexpected new
ones. How is it that Millie and I seem to never manage to see each
other in Washington, where our friendship blossomed, but have had a
rendezvous in Tucson for the past few years? Afghani restaurants,
Solstice Celebrations and let's not forget Saguaro Corners, where she
swears the bartender was checking out our cleavages! He used to work
at Brennan's in New Orleans, started bar tending there in '59 and told
us of the secrets of the perfect Margarita and how Bananas Foster was
named. ( and I had thought it was our scintillating conversation! )
And talking about bars, I just could NOT keep Hermit Juliette from
dragging me out to the Stage Stop Hotel in Patagonia but as she
pointed out it could be another year before we get the opportunity
again! And of course, Goddess Kena, of Hippie Hill, who always has a
door open for any weary traveller, and a spot for any nudist at heart
to sun and skinny dip...what fun!!! Let's shock the neighbors in her
ever encroaching gated desert community. To the lovely Helen ( who
lets me wear pieces of jewelry previously purchased from this gypsy
trader ) and Biker Hubby Mike who share my love of animals, especially
dogs...oh my God(dess) how could I have failed to mention that I have
a new travelling companion??!! Just had to bust him out of jail!!
You know how I have a fondness for those bad boys and the attraction
was instantaneous..his name is Vato ( Home Boy, to you gringos out
there! ) and he is part Mexican...well, more accurately, chihuahua!
As I put him in the front seat, I told him, "Welcome home!"...little
does he realize how true that statement actually was...did I fail to
mention Alaska?? Oh well, I'm sure that he will become as adaptable a
sidekick as Buddy, who rode shotgun for 10 years and was the longest,
successful male relationship of my life...could it be because he was
so darned agreeable? Something to ponder...well, anyway, the road
calls and as Bonnie Raitt would croon, " The road is my middle name.."
Adios(sa) from Arizona, Blue Highway Barb

Standin' on a Corner in Winslow,Arizona... 4/11/07

Hey,wait a minute!!! Thought that I had left Arizona in my rearview
mirror. Oh, well, the best laid plans of mice and men...anyway, since
last contact, I heeded Bob & Jose's advice that you have to spend
money in order to make money. 'Nough said...did I take them tooo
literally? After one last stop(or so I thought) at the Essence of
Tranquility Hot Springs in Safford,AZ, I came upon one of those hole
in the wall junk stores. ( in other words, for us, gypsy
traders,goldmines!) Just could not resist those 2 Mexican Fire Opal
Navajo rings and the kitchy painted ceramic frames, after all I was
looking forward to a great selling day on Saturday in Albuquerque.
But first, a long overdue visit with old friend,Margie, in Lordsburg,
New Mexico...how is it possible that in my nearly 5 years of having
Patagonia as my homebase, we never seemed to pull off a get
together??!! Marg and I have been friends since our youngests were in
nursery school together in Upstate New York and it was with some shock
that I realized that the adolescent voice answering her phone was her
grandson!! Yikes!! Wasn't he still a babe in arms?? Well, I'm happy
to report that neither Marg OR I look any older, at least in my mind's
eye! Isn't it great how the mark of true friendship is how no time
seems to have lapsed when you see each other again? Sorry, Marg, but
I am going to mention that I kicked your butt at Scrabble. ( well,
not THAT badly) Once again, another kitchen Goddess...yummm,meatloaf
AND strawberry shortcake. Man, I am really going to have to catch up
with my exercise routine!! Found out we are both on Verizon, so no
need to hold back on phone calls anymore!! With a fond hasta luego, I
headed out to wend my way towards Silver City, a gem tucked in the New
Mexico hills on the edge of the Gila National Forest AND to pick up a
few more treasures! Vato, my new 4 legged companion, is proving to be
extremely adaptable and had no problem with a spontaneous siesta by a
burbling stream deep in the forest....I am beginning to wonder if he
could possibly be Buddy reincarnated when he scrambled on top of my
piles of stuff to gain a lookout perch above my right shoulder! Some
of you can recall wondering just exactly where my long legged Buddy
would possibly find a spot in my stuffed to the gills Jeep! Something
to be said for downsizing.

Well, then, deep breath...on to Albuquerque but what was this?? High
winds, rumors of snow enroute and as I pulled into the city, I
realized that perhaps I had cut things a mite close once again. No
problem, topped off the tank with remaining pesos, held back the $20
booth fee for the Flea Market, rushed over to Pep Boys to return a not
toooo desperately needed car part to secure indoor accommodations
for the night. Woke to chilling temps, light flurries and an empty
market....hmmmm, now what? Plan B, of course. Stop at local Pawn
Shop, negotiate small sale and trade, (Sorry, Bailey, go figure he
smoked your brand of Newports!) onto next stop, Buffalo Exchange to
sell the shirt off my back (well, not that literally) and started
heading West again. Sorry, Las Vegas,NM will have to wait 'til
weather is more conducive. Now the grubstake that I had managed to
pull together would hardly get me too far so what rabbit could this
gypsy pull out of her hat to ensure continued northward movement...oh
my, is that a casino up ahead??!! Ahh well, when in Rome, right?
Entered the den of iniquity and managed to exit an hour later with
hunger sated ( always cheap grub available ) and $100 richer, boy
that was easy!

So, as I pulled into Winslow, Arizona (yes, THAT Winslow, AZ!) I
couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment that this girl has
STILL got it! Good thing that I fly solo...not too sure how many
could handle the ride and still maintain blood pressure of 110/70!
Don't worry, Alaska, I'll be back, God(dess) willing, of course!

Signing off, Alter Ego #9, Gypsy Woman

Nesting on "The Rock" 4/16/07

A haven, a refuge, a perch, a port in the storm...all images that I associate with islands. I have come to rest with my sidekick, Vato, back on San Juan Island to be engulfed by the warm embrace of old friendships and familiar places. What a whirlwind since leaving Wiinslow, AZ, with every day a test of faith and a reaffirmation that I am surrounded by loved ones on the physical and spiritual planes.( and thank God(dess) for those strategically located pawnshops and junk stores enroute!) Am I getting too old for this lifestyle that I embraced so many years ago? Naaah!! Just need to actually listen to those wise ones around me. You mean that I don't HAVE to actually rush into the void penniless and not quite my usual perky self?? That hacking cough and overly breathy voice is not all that attractive and what IS the rush anyway?? OK, OK, it's that old loss of control thing again...isn't that gone yet? I think that the motion thing that I find myself caught up in, on sooo many levels, needs breathing moments to assimiliate experiences.

Now the perpetual motion thing of my life took me through some awe inspiring vistas in the past week as I wended my way through Navajo lands past a hogan strewn landscape climbing gradually through the Kaibab National Forest. Continuing on to southern Utah and the Zion region where I had to crash and burn on Easter Sunday with a bad hit of bronchitis...running on empty. Wish that I could say that I experienced a resurrection but it was not to be so and after doing the hustle at Hurricane, Utah's local pawnshop, I pushed on hoping that I could make Bend, Oregon where I knew I would find a safe refuge at Jane's place. Could only manage Ely, Nevada before I ran out of gas...not the Jeep, but yours truly and once again collapsed at the Hotel Nevada where apparently Ingrid Bergman had also rested her weary head. Throw in a touch of food poisoning, continued labored breathing and waking to a flat tire on my trailer and I did start questioning my sanity, and why not??!!! Others have been doing it for years, why shouldn't I get on the bandwagon? BUT, I do tend to look for that silver lining, after all I could have blown that tire at 75MPH going down that desolate desert road the day before! And let's not forget that in my world there are REAL heroes and heroines...a few well placed calls and 2 knights in shining armor were summoned to rescue this damsel in distress. OK, this damsel still had to pull a few strings herself but shouldn't good relationships be teamwork? I had to laugh when I read the local tire store's ad that special consideration was given to ladies and senior citizens...I didn't quite fit into either category...what now?? Well, once again, I discovered that a sense of humor and a warm smile ( a strategically cut shirt didn't hurt either) can open all kinds of doors and I was soon on my merry way. Well, OK, maybe not that merry...it WAS starting to get a bit old! Northward Ho, towards Bend and the light at the end of the tunnel...loooong day through some of the most beautiful countryside in southeastern Oregon, spotting pronghorn, freerange cattle, horses, deer and incredible ring necked pheasants! Wow!! What a country we live in! Jane's warm embrace was waiting in Bend and we swapped news into the wee hours of the morning before I found myself waking to Dutch Babies, blueberry whey smoothies and cups of Throat Coat tea...yummmm!! Off again to try to make that night's ferry sailing but was stymied by annoying delays but managed a rest stop at Patricia's where she questioned the parentage of my travelling companion, miniature Doberman, perhaps, Manchester Terrier??? Who knows, Heinz 57, perhaps? Up at 2AM, in Tacoma, to race for the ferry landing, after all, I had a charter bus to drive at 11AM and a breakfast rendezvous with Jeanne and Cam before they took off for Oahu. Wheww!!! Made it! Are you exhausted yet, 'cause I sure am! Two days of bus driving, two days of yard saleing and I am tooo pooped to pop...time to rest, recuperate and gather myself for the next leg of the journey...nodding off, Bronchitis Bitten Barb

Muse in the morning. 4/17/07

OK, already, I must be a success since am sooo damned adaptable BUT I am feeling a bit worn out and tired from this living on the edge..taking a breather on the Island and waiting for my damaged lungs to regroup...am I getting tooo old for this nomadic lifestyle....hmmmm, I wonder if it might just be time to take root SOMEWHERE. Love your mind, baby....Blue Bus Barb

On 4/14/07, raysyar <raysyar@shoresoflight.com> wrote:

Darwin pointed out the dilemma of life. The requirement for success in
life ( success = you are alive right now and can read this) is constant
adaptation to change. "Get with the program or get off" is the mandate
of life. Seems to be some kind of filter. This all driven by the great
gravity machine rendering the physical side into "neutron juice".
Another filter? Seems the neutrons and protons are allowed through.
Electrons turn away and photons have little interest. A big magnetic
vortex separator. I wonder where the gold is? Life? I guess it renders
out around here somewhere. Surfing the magnetic waves from the sun.

It seems to me that the things we call "alive" are busy assembling
things into more complex forms. The tree outside my window is a
cellulose assembly machine. The raw material are carbon from co2 in the
air and stuff it pumps out of the ground. It is powered by the sun and
functions per the "life mandate" for life. "Teilhard de Chardin" called
it a "Noosphere" this invisible something that animates thing in order
to assemble stuff. Lets consider this as a force field. The "Pingal"
equals the force necessary to bring together two units of material for
assembly. It may require millions of "Pingals" to assemble the dust mite
that I just inhaled. Most things require many trillions of "Pingals"
called the "TP".Any "Noosphere" can then be rated by it's ability to
assemble stuff in "Pingals per second". The most powerful "Noospheres"
not only assemble things internally but there form also helps magnify
their power by helping them assemble stuff externally also. Many
zillions of Pingals per second.(ZPS) So your position is a natural one
for a refined "Noosphere". (The Phenomenon of Man-Teilhard de Chardin)

Frederick :)

Canceled due to Weather 4/23/07

Sitting quietly indoors, typing away on my new to me laptop ( thanks, Santa AKA Ana...I did exercise patience and was duly rewarded...does that actually work?? ) and pondering the art of the sale. Today's Yard Sale has been canceled due to inclement conditions, that oh so unpredictable weather factor that always has to be dealt with when one is a gypsy trader. Remember snow flurries in Albuquerque? I don't know about all of you but because of my tendency to live on the edge ( a most precarious situation, at times ) I find myself acutely aware of the ebb and flow of my finances...or lack thereof. In times that seem fraught with peril, I often have to remember that I am from the " you can't get blood from a stone " school of thought or the Alfred E. Neuman " What me worry? " Fan Club. I do wonder how some folks can survive this oft times overwhelming, chaotic world without the benefit of some spiritual faith or grounding...it is certainly what keeps me going through puzzling circumstances. For we certainly have no control over others and their actions just as we have no control over the climactic changes that we wake to every day. That lack of control definitely manifests itself in the realm of selling, as well. The old axiom that one man's junk is another man's ( or woman's ) treasure is never more aptly demonstrated than in the sales arena. How often, in my many years in sales, have I seen what I believed to be a sure seller do a total flop and yet also have managed to call a true homerun out of the ballpark? Remember the initial " Tickle me Elmo "? I remember the first time I tickled his little tummy and heard his endless giggles...knew those sales would skyrocket! This morning, I was recounting to Eric, my Yard Salemate, the many sales that I conducted over the years when times were lean. My poor sons dreaded hearing their mother's pronouncement that THIS would be a sale weekend. " Oh, noooo! Nail everything down, she's on the loose again! ", was the thought I'm sure went racing through their minds. I was raised by parents who had taught me not to be sentimental about possessions, having been deprived of theirs through their upbringings in World War II Germany...everything is temporary and not to be clung to, was the message that I absorbed. I told my sons, as they learned the art of yard saling, that everything was for sale and whatever remained was meant to be with us for the time being and what was gone created room for something else to fill the void. Needless to say, during their growing up years, our decor changed often. It's not ALWAYS just about the money but the energy exchange that takes place. So many times, I have been told that I should try EBay with some of my more unique items, but it just isn't me. I need the direct contact with folks just like I need the audience when I'm onstage or in front of any group. ( tour OR school bus! ) It's a symbiotic relationship. I also love the look on people's faces when they can't find a price on something...drives Americans crazy! I also have my sliding scale prices...I remember one woman who became quite nonplussed with me when I quoted a little girl a price of $5 for the same item that I had told her was $20. Without responding, I turned to the little girl and asked her if she had a job. Her little chest swelled with pride as she told me that she certainly did and made $7...I stepped back in surprise, thinking that she meant $7/hour but she quickly informed me that it was per day! Needless to say, my point was made and the woman swiftly anted up her $20 AND purchased one at $5 for the little girl. I am also a sucker for little boys buying presents for their moms and DON'T get me started on children that have the guts to talk me down on a price! Future gypsy traders in training!! Way cool! My sons also learned about trading and bartering. I still remember when my youngest was 5 and he admired a friend's yard sale find of a rhinestone broach and earrings, a true score for $12. He went off to play for awhile and approached her an hour later with an offer of $10! Aah, one of this mother's proud moments. I do admit that I have a certain notoriety for my ability in that arena...still most proud of a trade for a tankfull of gas in Tonapah, Nevada. Jewelry sure comes in handy and have managed to trade it for the majority of my tattoos, here and in Scotland! Boy, I really wish that I could convince Jeep to settle up with me for some of my great turquoise necklaces but I'm not sure what department would handle that? But have no fear, as I told a new friend yesterday, I do hang onto my children, my good friends, my dogs and a good man, when one can be found.

Back to Bartering Barb

Re: Canceled due to Weather 4/24/07

I'm afraid, dear cautious Cancerian, that it is probably too late for this grasshopper to follow the ways of the ant...oh, and I know that I had to be nuts ( not having saved any ) to venture towards the desert this past March and thank god(dess) for my ability to throw caution to the wind! Would we have had that beautiful, shared, Harley viewed sunset, if I had been other than who I am? I think not. I am a bit weary now and still on the mend from my bout of bronchitis but I continue to trust god(dess)'s plan for me ( a boost in the financial end would be welcome) as I see it unfold around me...lots of love, your Gypsy Friend P.S. Final Blowout Sale this week...keep your fingers and toes crossed!

On 4/23/07, raySyar <raysyar@shoresoflight.com> wrote:

Squirreling away some nuts for a rainy day has it's advantages. One
never intends to use the nuts. But knowing that they are there and you
can use them to get you to the warm dry desert any time you like. Helps
keep a peaceful heart when there are lean times. Squirreling away nuts
is habit, a mind set.

Frederick

Puppy Love 4/24/07

The gentle teasing of Spring is here in the Pacific Northwest with its fluctuating temperatures, sometimes warm sunny days and, of course, often rainy ones. Southeast Alaska did not lure me when I took the Marine Highway northbound a year and a half ago...it felt all too much like my former island home of San Juan. The start of my love affair with Alaska was a bittersweet moment, as the ship wended its way through the Inside Passage. For the first time in many years, I found myself traveling solo without my companion, Buddy. It was at the beginning of that summer, on the 27th of June, to be more precise, that he decided that he'd had enough of this earthly plane. Surreptitiously, I laid him to rest on his favorite beach, for this island is where our romance began. Now, I am not speaking of a human love but that special relationship that develops between two very different species, humans and dogs. It does seem that men understand that bond especially. The night that I laid Buddy to rest, I found myself sitting at the bar at the Legion and when questioned why I seemed sad every man within earshot of my tale nodded his head in comprehension. My glass was never empty for long, as I regaled one and all with tales of my faithful companion.

I have always loved dogs since the very first one shared my life many years ago...Taffy, a golden Cocker Spaniel. My dad shared my love of dogs and was a magnet ( just like his daughter ) for any that crossed his path. The same could not be said about my mom...I think that she had a fear of dogs or anything outside of a cage. I remember begging every year for a dog, for my birthday ( poor Taffy ended up under a car ) and one year received a Guinea Pig, which I named Sam. Just not the same somehow...remember taking Sam outside and letting him run loose in the fallen leaves of Autumn. I'm afraid that it was Sam who suffered the brunt of my disappointment and was told by by my mom that since I had failed in my caretaking duties, no dog was in my future. It was only years later that I was able to get my mother to admit that no dog would have ever been forthcoming under her roof. Mom did finally experience kinship with an uncaged animal when I found myself dragging home a calico cat, named Sammy, one Thanksgiving during a college break. A friend could no longer hide her in her apartment...the landlord was getting wise to her game of hide and seek. I hid the cat in my parent's den knowing full well that all hell would break loose if the cat was discovered. Decided it was too risky and 'fessed up when my mom returned home. I laid on the sob story about Sammy being rejected by Mickey in Boston, after a home had been promised there..."too ugly", she declared upon first sight. I had dragged that damned cat from Upstate New York to Boston and then to my folk's place in Connecticut! I assured my mother that Sammy was headed for the animal shelter first thing on Monday morning.( of course, I would not have done that...was trying for a Thanksgiving reprieve ) My mother cracked the den door open, peeked inside and with the words, " She's kind of cute,poor thing.", the rest became a part of family history with me cast in the role of villian! Hey, I knew when to leave home...Sammy stuck around for 22 years! OK, I hate to admit this but I was jealous of that cat, as I had been jealous of Buddy while he was still my ex's dog. We, three, used to sit on the couch with Buddy's head resting gently in Sandy's lap and his ass in my face...not a pretty picture! When Sandy left, the dog would not leave my side and lost in the midst of my own sorrow, I snapped and snarled at the poor dog. One day, the light went on and I realized that the wretched beast was suffering as deeply as I was. My heart of stone melted and our love affair began. My longest successful male relationship, I joke with my friends. He was ever faithful, unconditionally loving ( even when I was not at my best...mea culpa, Buddy ) and I had the good sense to let him wander now and then, knowing that he would always know where home was...in my heart and eventually riding shotgun in my Jeep. My sons comforted me in my loss by pointing out that he had been happiest when he was a gypsy dog on the road with new smells around every bend. I was offended when told by people that I could just get ANOTHER dog. What??!! No suitable mourning period??!! I think not...broken hearts need time to mend before being able to love again. This past Fall, I started sensing my readiness to open up to love once more, at least in the dog arena, and knew that my new to me dog was waiting somewhere. I kept my eyes open for signs of recognition but little did I realize that we would meet in a Nogales, Arizona animal shelter notorious for its mistreatment and untimely termination of their lives. I made the fateful choice of lifting the little prisoner in my arms and when he pressed his head to mine, our paths merged. With every passing day, Vato wriggles his way deeper into my heart and, once again, I have the love of a dog. Aaah, the promises of Spring and new beginnings.....

Love Bug ( or was that, puppy? ) Bitten Barb

The Fool - a leap of faith 4/24/07

I think that I must be a Fool from the following description...B.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Barbara Ludwig < whfeather@hotmail.com>
Date: Apr 24, 2007 12:23 PM
Subject: FW: The Fool - a leap of faith
To: "whfeather@gmail.com" < whfeather@gmail.com>

> Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 07:36:07 +0000
> To: whfeather@hotmail.com
> Subject: The Fool - a leap of faith
> From: do_not_reply@lotustarot.com
>
>
> Lotus Tarot [ http://lotustarot.com ]
>
> Hi Barbara
>
> The Fool represents a free spirit with a lust for life,
> knowledge, and adventure, who has little fear of taking
> risks. Does this sound like your card?

>
>
> THIS WEEK'S CARD: THE FOOL
>
> Innocence and naivety are associated with The Fool,
> for the young have no fear of new experiences or change.
>
> As you grow older you can lose that childish innocence and
> enthusiasm, and can become fearful and cynical of change
> and new experiences.
>
> The mind of The Fool is always open, an empty vessel
> eagerly waiting to be filled with new knowledge. Any
> experience, pleasant or challenging, is life knowledge that
> he accepts as part of his learning.
>
> The Fool does not sit on the fence waiting for life to come
> to him; he always takes the first step himself. The Fool
> does not analyze all the possible risks of a new adventure;
> he learns as he goes along.
>
> The fearlessness and sheer enthusiasm associated with The
> Fool makes for quite a maverick character, and often this
> card can signify such a person, male or female, may step
> into your life.
>
> It is your attitude that influences the choices and
> decisions you make, and often your mind is so full of doubt
> and fear that you become closed-minded to the possibilities
> of change.
>
> When The Fool appears, ask yourself how open-minded you are
> being at that moment in time, how enthusiastic are you
> about life, and do you desire new experiences and
> excitement but fear taking that first step?
>
> Any journey starts with the first step, and motivating
> yourself to take it is the hardest part. The Fool
> encourages you to discover your inner child and harness
> that youthful enthusiasm to help you on your way to a new
> life and future.
>
> A time to exercise caution is when The Fool comes up as the
> first card in a reading for you. You may want to question
> your motives or judgment, since as this is the first card,
> it can indicate folly. Perhaps you are motivated for the
> wrong reasons, so look before you leap.
>
> You will have to deal with many twists and turns, paths and
> crossroads on your life journey and The Fool can help as a
> sign post when you need to take a new path.
>
> Love and Joy,
> Alison

True Wealth 4/30/07

This morning I woke to slightly overcast skies and a definite lack of enthusiasm for yet another sale day. Yesterday was one of those glorious sunny days that reminds us that summer could be just around the bend and it was a great day, not only in the sales department but also catching up with folks that have attended many of my sales over the years. That people factor is a big motivator for me. It's been an interesting week on many levels. Guess it was a question that Eric posed last week that started the ball rolling. Many people have asked me where my favorite place to live has been but none have phrased it in quite the way he did. He asked me where have I felt the deepest people connections....hmmmm....made me pause. On Wednesday, at Blues Night at Bella Luna, I surveyed the room...the musicians and the people that I have known for years, the folks that had not heard that I was back, the staff. ( some of them the children that had shared my children's lives ) Later at Karaoke at Herb's, I sang one of my favorites, Bonnie Raitt's, " Let's give Them something to Talk About" to the usual, appreciative crowd and then a duet with Annie, who filled out the slip , Eckl's Mom and Annie. I started realizing that it is time for me to take root somewhere and fully invest myself...never really did that in Patagonia, just used it as a stopover. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem plunging in the deep end and bonding with people but it's time for me to become a part of the fabric of a community again and that takes committment. Would love to reconnect with a theater group ( failed to mention that I was asked to audition in Anchorage prior to leaving Alaska, this trip ), continue to do volunteer work on some level with kids and get to know the history of a place. I had started to do this in the Fairbanks area last year and just begun in Kodiak. So many paths opening before me and just not sure which fork in the road to take.

I started Sunday dashing out Janet's door, where I had landed after Cam's open door swung shut after his return from Hawaii, and drove towards Eric and Laura's to open shop. Isn't it great that it seems that every time that I land on San Juan, someone that I know seems to be in transition and needs a hand clearing out the closets, the garage or a storage unit. Gee, maybe I have found a new calling...hmmmm..."Clean Sweep, Enterprises"? Anyway, on the way over I spotted yet another loose end from my past and swiftly made the choice to heal that particular wound rather than squeeze out a few more shekls. Beautiful, peace is possible in our time and with that resolution, I made the decision to spend more time with good friends that day. Remember my old don't work on Sunday in spite of being a Born Again Pagan superstition? It was a wise decision because I realized that that is where my true wealth lies...in my bank of humanity that I draw on every day...not on that often overdrawn bank account here on the island. Even there I get a friendly, helping hand from a still hometown bank ( OK, I know it's been gobbled up by Banner! ) and pal Judy, who I jokingly refer to as my banker. Sounds cool, doesn't it? Once when asked whether she was on my blog mailing list, Judy replied that she would rather NOT know what I was actually doing!

Anyway, enough for now...Feeling Wealthy Beyond Words Barb