Alaska Chat II (Bethel: warmest, bowling alley, live)

[karibear]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

Bill Hess is a really pleasant person.

The descriptions in the book are accurate, and it correctly portraits both the specifics of that particular time and place, but also the traditional aspects of Inupiat culture.

Incidentally, there are about half a dozen photographers on my list of "Inspirational". Folks like Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Albert Eiesenstadt. The one living photographer on that list is Bill Hess. His photography is so good that I tend to get lost studying each image, one by one...

I'd add Walker Evans and Margaret Bourke-White to that list.

[pso]

I took my girlfriend to Alaska in 1972 and stayed there for 25 years. In Ketchikan we lived in a garage where we could see the rats tails sticking out of the drain hole at night.
Ketchkan was the only place I've seen a ****ter without a trap.
When you flushed, you sent it into the bay.
I hope it's changed since.
We rented a house where a totem carver used to live.
Nathan Jackson, the carver, who moved just up the road, used to come down to watch our band practice.
The water system was a log tube with a plug in it. When you needed water, you pulled the wood plug and filled your jugs.
I'm sure it came from some lake or another. Didn't care back then.
Later we lived in a parking lot, a boat, a cabin with dirt on the roof and plastic windows.
After Jerry Garcia died, I wrote it all down. The band was casting about and a web page was needed and things had to be talked through.
I wrote this from Funny River, where I lived sometimes without power and water, like for 8 years, to an audience I'd never known because I was asked to provide a story one day when the internet was much different than it is now.

Northwest to Alaska

I hope this works, I tried it a couple weeks ago and nothing.
pso

[pso]

I don't think I know what I'm doing somethime.

[Barkingowl]

Pso your link works just fine. Now I have to make some time to read the story.

[Barkingowl]

A year ago today one of my best friends was found dead in the desert outside of Las Vegas. He's apparently driven 50 miles into the desert in his rented Lincoln Town Car. He was found dead of exposure & dehydration.

[Rance]

My condolances Mr. Owl.

[Rance]

Happy 4th O July! I'm headed to Homer and Seldovia for the day to fish Halibut and join the festivities in Seldovia. Might even get in on some canoe jousting.

[HighlandLady]

Happy Independence Day...

[Barkingowl]

Great picture Corinda!

[pso]

One Night my little boat got broached. The only way we saw ground was phosforecense.
The glow of waves on rocks, saved us that night.
We should be dead.
The boat was tossed and turned.
I had to strap on an emergency thing, like I'm going over the side to save myself.
I tied a rope over the top of the cabin
I hung on that rope and poured gas into the tank
Lack of gas wasn't the problem,
It was too rough that night.
it was so rotten, that night, we came up on the shore and saw
how much light was in the waves.
Spray was everywhere.
I thought we were gonna die.
All the guys on the boat were partying.
Save yourself.