Being here in Port Alsworth, Alaska had made me realize a few things. For starters, it's made me realize how much I value and cherish my dear friends and yes, family too. It's made me realize what "silly" things I take for granted, like cars and roads and nighttime and Taco Bell and a dishwasher.

However, it's also made me realize what I would be missing out on if I'd never come here. It's made me realize how lucky and blessed I am that I, a 19-year-old in college, am able to come out here into this tucked away beautiful corner of the world and experience the things I have been able to experience.

Working For Lake Clark Air has let me meet people and learn things that most people won't get to during their whole life time.

This place is treacherously beautiful. Treacherous because one false move, or one wrong step, or one poor judgment could potentially cost you your life. Beautiful because that's what it is, for no place can be so distant, yet so valiant as here.

Here are some of these things, however limitted, that I have gotten to experience and have enjoyed:

Fishing:



I am by no means an avid fisher. I never have been. In fact, in my whole life, I think I've picked up a fishing pole no more than twice and I certainly have never caught anything, before I came to Alaska that is. I never understood it to be honest. But when I'm standing out there, poorly casting my line, there is just something about it. Even with my legs being bit up by thousands of tiny bugs and cold water numbing my ankles and toes . . . I wouldn't trade it for anything. All I can see ahead of me as I fish is mountains coasting the horizon, widespread waters stretching as far as the eye can see, and the most beautiful sunset entwined with a web of purples, oranges, pinks, and blues setting just beyond the mountains . . . it's transfixing gaze resting on the water.


Lake Trout and Grayling jump to the top, sometimes out of the water, making it near impossible to catch the bastards. Fly fishing is what they'll grab onto and unfortunately that's not what I know. Nevertheless, it is something I understand now.
While fishing in solitude can be a real treat, the company is sometimes an even greater thing. Whether it's me fishing or simply watching others, I take great joy in that simple camaraderie of knowing we are all trying to do the same thing, but are in no rush. I also take great joy in watching others as that widening grin plays on their face, showing the triumph of a catch, however big of small that fish may be, they caught it and that is a wonderful feeling.











Hiking / Scenery:

I have hiked a lot in my lifetime. I have hiked the moors and shires of England. I have hiked the paths of Silver Creek Falls in Oregon. I have trekked through much more of Oregon, Washington, California, and about 32 other states. I have seen great wonders and beautiful monuments and cascading oceans, but never have I seen something so intimidating as Tanalian Mountain as I stood at the base, staring up at it grandness - all 4 miles of it, from base to summit. Needless to say, I didn't reach summit. While hundreds before and after me have made the summit with ease, I only made it a little pass the trees. Still a feat uncomplished by many. It was all worth it though when I caught my breath and stood up straight and stared at the granduer that was the Alaskan bush.



Another great hike, much easier to accomplish, is the 2.3 miles to Tanalian Falls. Thunderous white wash water pours over into the river . . . and the sun hits it just right.







Bears love it. Moose love it. Carabou love it. And I adore it.

Lake Clark has often been called the "essence" of Alaska because it concentrates on a fairly small area of the Alaskan Peninsula. There are 3 mountain ranges, two active volcanoes, a coastline with rainforests on the east, a plateau with tundra on the West, and turqoise lakes.

How can one person handle so much beauty? Well, I haven't been able to see it all in my time here, but what I have been able to see is truly the painting of God.





To be continued . . .

She was Who Are You? dumb hippie caterpillar
with her long cigarettes and reeking perfume, she was
waggling those blue fingertips while I did the A E I O U.

She was once, twice,
three times a whore
It wasn't exciting much anymore but
She says “I gotta pay for this
beast I created, this monster in hiding
This dormant, greedy demon.”

Manipulated hair kissed by the venom
of peroxide;
ivory skin blanketed with
brown fingers of forced
Melanin

Surely, she is a sight to behold
So, so cold
She breaks the bread mold
With earrings, I envied, hoops of white gold
I think she stole them

She was once, twice,
three times a whore
I wondered where they money came from
She says “I’m a God fearing woman but
I gotta pay for this beast I created, this monster in hiding
This dormant, greedy demon.”

I realized then
She was paying for her sin
For her plastic skin
Her body so thin
She said she was a God fearing woman
But I didn’t believe her
Amen.

Once a whore,
You’re nothing more
I’m sorry honey, but that’ll never change


And her obvious talent is smothered

As flesh is exposed, and somehow

Expected to promote power

To the female generation


She did good at that, giving in to temptation
She said the first time she noticed me, I looked like Tom Sawyer
Fishing rods and bullets in the sack on my shoulder

And so I told her the reason
why I was leaving her forever, getting away from her gin

She was a completely different genre
And I was Huckleberry Finn.

Anno Birkin Poem...september 2001
-----

We lean across our palace walls, to

clear our throats and bark out calls of

"Save the earth" and "Love thee all", when

we ourselves love nought but things that,

piled on top of other things, do

climb the air on metal arms, to

sit with clouds where we, like kings,

may sit and contemplate the calm.



And if in some religion creeps some

sense of hope for those - the meek,

whom life has dealt a filthy blow - do

not be shocked that they would go

most gladly arm in arm with death by

methods wretched and uncouth; that

they might give with mortal breath some

voice to the mortal mouth.