North to Alaska

Alaska is a beautiful state!!!!! I have never seen a land so rugged and yet so incredibly majestic. The drive was amazing, I was in no hurry as I ventured forth, in some ways I dreaded getting to the other side and having to meet people I don’t know, but also I wanted to see and appreciate all the beauty God had created. One sight I wish I had been able to take a photo of so you could see it was this long glacier that set like a belt in the middle of this mountain range. At first I thought it was a cloud, and then I supposed it might be a river at the foot of the mountain, but as I neared even closer I discover it was a vast band of snow, half way up the mountain. It was as I turned away from the peaks that in my rearview mirror I glimpsed the image I so wish to have captured. This glacier had what must have been enormous ice crevices carved into it where the sun had melted it. The snow was a blinding white those jagged fissures were a brilliant blue. I must admit thought the sight was beautiful beyond words It was also threatening. I don’t know how deep those cracks went but I think I would hesitate to walk across such a field.

I must share with you how God provided for this trip. It seems He likes to test my faith, my departure date (Tuesday)came and went and I only had a small portion of the travel money. I was grateful to God and those who had given, but in all honesty it felt like a drop in a need as vast as the sea. I did enjoy the extra days to say good bye, and I resolved that I would leave Thursday morning. It all came in Tuesday and Wednesday, some from a cousin in Texas, some from two teenage little brothers in the Lord and the rest as I stopped by people’s houses just to say good bye. So Thursday morning I set out a bit nervously on this great adventure. It is funny I bawled like a baby saying good bye to those I left on Wednesday but when I left the Nicholson’s Thursday morning it felt no more like goodbye had I been setting off to run errands in town for them. I gave them each a hug, and as I walked out the door I called back I have my phone on me and Sarah finished for me, we will call if we need anything. That was God’s grace I am sure for it did not really hit me that I had left until about half way to Canada. The trip was uneventful, that is a good thing!!!! I enjoyed the time just to talk with my heavenly Dad. I will confess one funny thought that occurred to me my second night of sleeping in the Canadian wilderness. I had not see another vehicle for hours and had not seen any wildlife for some miles, it was 10:30 at night and although it was broad daylight I was tired and ready to sleep. Wearily I pulled off the road in this turn out alongside the river. I stepped out to stretch my legs, take some pictures of the landscape. On one side a cliff seemed to loom over me, and the river roared past, but other than that not a human sound could be heard. Pestered by mosquito’s I quickly returned to my vehicle and prepared to stretch out on my front seat. I was nearly asleep when I recalled that I had not locked the doors. Muttering to myself I lazily stretched out both my hand and my foot to simultaneously push down both locks and fell fast asleep. The next morning after having driven a few hours I recalled my sleepy mutterings and had to laugh at myself. What had been that last semi-conscious thought you ask? “Better lock the door ‘case Big Foot comes down and wants a ride.” It sounds silly now, but on that night, in that remote wilderness it seemed perfectly logical.