This photo was taken on a perfect sunny day in Juneau, and right now we’re in Sitka, sitting in the adorable kitchen of our friends Scott and Cleo, watching the gentle SE Alaska rain and listening to the backyard chickens fuss about their breakfast. It’s been fantastic to be back “home” for awhile. But more about that in a minute …
I guess it’s been awhile since you’ve heard anything from us besides camper building stories. There’s other stuff going on, too! First of all, let me say that I *love* my new job. (The one at the search firm, not the bartending job. Although that was fun, too, but between summer travels and camper-building, we needed to leave the bartending gig behind.) I’m working a few hours a day, keeping track of lots of details and having conversations with lots of smart, interesting people. I’m really grateful to have connected with this place and been given the opportunity to join their team. It’s definitely a big part of my week, and it’s so great that I’m able to bring the work with me and stay on top of it, even while we’re in Alaska!
Back in July, I went to Michigan for a couple of weeks to be with my sister Iris for her second round of chemo. She’s doing OK – her body seems to be tolerating the treatments as well as possible. There’s a lot of fatigue and frustration about how this changes her normal routine, but I really admire her courage, strength, and hopefulness. And I’m so glad to have the flexibility and availability to be able to spend time with her through this journey. While there, I overlapped for a couple of days with niece Sophia and her fella Brett – always excellent to spend time with them, too!
OH! And two rather AMAZING coincidences happened: 1) my flight to Michigan got cancelled, but a gate agent worked some magic and re-routed me through Philadelphia. Within 10 minutes I was sitting on a plane, texting my brother who lives 1/2 hr from PHL, and – hooray! – the timing was perfect for him to come pick me up to join them for dinner and crash at their house for the night before I continued on to Michigan the next day. 2) My college roommate and dear-friend-to-this-day, Emily, who now lives in NORWAY, just *happened* to come to a family memorial service in Grand Rapids while I was there! Fortunately she’d been tracking me enough to remember that I was in Michigan and we were able to have lunch together!
Here’s a few photos from my time in Michigan:
Spontaneous dinner in Paoli PA with my brother and sis-in-law: Kevin & Kristi. 
Gathering of Iris’ friends on the bluff of Lake Michigan, including beautiful music and Holden Evening Prayer to launch her into Round 2. 
Iris and me with our niece, Sophia, enjoying a beautiful walk in the woods that opens up to the beach. 
Sophia with Brett and the ever-adorable Olive. 
Refreshments at Guardian Brewery after our hike. 
Olive! 
Trimming the flora to make room for the USPS. 
Oh, how I love my Emily! We met 25 (!!) years ago as freshman roommates and we still manage to find each other at random points on the planet. 
Beautiful day for a walk near the Grand River. 
Iris has gotten so many cute hats! 
Sunset at the lake are always a peaceful way to end the day.
On August 14, we put down the camper project for a bit and set off on a 3-week trip to Juneau & Sitka. We spent 6 days in Juneau visiting several good friends; fortunately the weather was gorgeous, so we also got out on the trails a bit. Now we’re halfway through 2 weeks in Sitka, where we’re also enjoying lots of time with friends, but also doing a little plumbing project under our houses here. I haven’t been as good about taking photos, but here’s a few:
We took the train to DC and spent a day there before flying out. 
I love walking through all the monuments; the MLK Jr one is especially powerful. 
Lincoln’s Waffle Shop – a total dive diner with excellent waffles, located across the street from Ford’s Theater. Highly recommended! 
Juneau! Lots of people have been fooled into thinking photos of this sculpture downtown are a real whale. 🙂 
Nice little walk back Perseverance Trail. 
Live music at the recently-remodeled Viking Lounge (now called Crystal Saloon). 
Dinner on the porch with Steve & Jamie. 
Juneau is amazing on a sunny day, with its big mountains rising high above downtown. 
Awesome friend Jamie, getting a gentle love squeeze around his fractured shoulder. 
Cleo’s backyard chickens … as they roam around the yard … 
… and getting called back to the coop for the night.
Excellent report and images, thank you. I am back in Sitka after a sojurn on the Seabourn, not to bad a gig. Are you all still in town? Aloha, jeff B