Little flickers of snow danced on my rosy nose and fingers froze in the new fuzzy gloves that stuck like glue. Mountains of snow covered all three vehicles and kept us inside the driveway until we could clear enough of a path to get through. Once back inside where my wet jeans started to thaw, little A and I curled up on the rocker and zoned out for a few moments watching Casper. Once packed like a tuna in a sardine can we hit the road.
The roads were merely stripes of black amongst a canvas of white. Tapping the snow off my borrowed boots I walked back into the airport and claimed my once lost luggage. (I later discovered a TSA ticket inside my suitcase and blame the lag on this occurrence.) Blueberry scones and warm Fireside tea burnt my tongue and filled my belly.
The city of Anchorage minus the snow, the constant reminders about falling ice, everyone clad in boots and Northface gear and towering mountains, appeared on most fronts to be just like every other major town I'd seen on my few travels.
Overcast skies could do little to dampen the scenery that lay around us. Towering mountains were never far from sight and water that was the color of turquoise babbled alongside the road. Bald eagles nested in trees and a moose grazed on the side of the road.
D pointed out the attractions and told me local stories about avalanches, major rescue operations, wandering moose and the best place to get pottery at any time of night. The long four hour drive seemed to whiz pass and it was not much time at all until the car pulled into the neighboring town of Soldotna.
Walking into the home the sheer magnitude of the renovation project became rather evident. The cooking conditions reminded me much of my college days. The family had taken much refuge in the lower part of the home.
The girls were not shy in the least to start playing and hanging out. I was decked out with a series of barrettes across the tippy top of my head. My nose even received a powder treatment from a renegade block that had lost its mate. It was heart warming watching them play make believe.
Dinner was veggie burgers, salmon, chips and hummus, sauteed veggies and tortellini. Everyone chose a spot with their paper plates and communed on the couches.
Tears of laughter have never so easily spilled from my face than after watching M's show that she put on. We were treated with songs and dances, karate moves, ballet plies and we all did rounds of show and tell that left me in stitches.
The girls gave us good night kisses with orange slices in their mouth and we were all off to separate corners.
The first day of on duty shadowing and learning the lay of the land begins tomorrow..so...
Adieu. Adieu.
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