Sep 8, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, North Tide, Showing Off |
Childrens’ “Bogs” at the beach
I cannot remember the first time I saw those colorful, clunky, rubber boots called “Bogs” but for sure it was up in Juneau, the rain country. The brand name of Bogs most likely comes from the fact that these boots are worn where there’s an unlimited supply of water; that would be Southeast Alaska! There are even Bogs for children, even itty bitty children who are just able to walk, and of course, once little ones learn how to walk, they are vulnerable to wet weather just like we are, but even more so because they are closer to the puddles since they are shorter; see?
Little kid’s bogs next to the latest in Bog style; I call it “Spider Woman’s Bogs!”
I have never desired to wear Bogs – they are too colorful, too bulky and too heavy and I don’t want to be wearing something that suggests that there must be a lot of wet weather. Let’s say I am in denial of all the rain in Southeast Alaska! I won’t wear a raincoat; have never owned one. I won’t use an umbrella; though I’ll use one in Colorado, and I’ve never worn those brown rubber boots that everyone else has worn in Southeast Alaska for at least 50 years! Nope, not me.
Wore my bogs while blue berry picking up a mountainside in Haines, Alaska
But then one day, I walked into Shoefly shoe store in Juneau and there were these weird-looking, up-to-the-knee boots with a herring-bone pattern; they came in red and black. I was actually in the market for a pair of “normal” shoes since all I have are either boots or sandals, nothing in between. Oh well, I tried on these boots and they are like waterproof, thinly-insulated, high-top moccasins! So dang comfortable that there’s no such thing as “breaking them in.” I bought them specifically for the wet weather on beaches, in the woods, up the trails, rocky pathways and of course, in the bogs! That’s right. These are the truly remarkable, light-weight, stylish “Bogs in Alaska Bogs!”
“Spider Woman Bogs” fishing in Hoonah, Alaska
Go get yourself a pair at $110. They have inspired me to get my muscles back into shape because I just love walking in them. They’ve got good grip for boat decks, keep you feet dry no matter what, and golly, I’ve been mistaken for Spider Woman on occasion, and I kinda like being incognito for awhile!
“Spider Woman’s bogs” amongst the skunk cabbage while on the way to nagoon berry patch
In the back of the truck riding through the Hoonah mountain side looking for more berries – notice the bag of blueberries at the left foot of “Spider Woman’s bogs”…
Jul 27, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, North Tide, To See or Not to See |
Mendenhall Glacier and Lake
First I gotta say that I apologize for not having posted photographs here that are not perfect scenery shots – they are not bright and totally in focus, they have parts of the airplane wing, and they are not breath-takingly astounding National Geographic material. I am far from being a professional photographer like my son or first boyfriend or the guy who takes shots of my ceremonial robes! I am just me taking snapshots for my blog, okay? okay. Glad I got that clarified.
the tidal flats and runway of the Juneau airport – you can see downtown Juneau in the background sandwiched between Mt. Roberts and Mt. Juneau range and an arm of Douglas Island
The photos on this blog entry is about my flight from Skagway to Juneau to Hoonah and back to Skagway again all in one day, all for a 5-minute presentation of a button robe that I designed and created for the Huna Totem Corporation’s 40th anniversary – they were hosting a celebration for their shareholders at Cannery Point in Hoonah. (Click here for blog entry on the only part of their celebration that I was able to attend.) During the same weekend that Huna Totem was having their celebration of their 40th year, I was in Teslin, Yukon demonstrating Chilkat weaving for three days with apprentices during their “Kus Te Yea Celebration 2013.” (click here for the blog entry on the “Weavers’ Cabin” in Teslin). Huna insisted that I come down and present the robe and explain the design, so I agreed to come down for the hour of the presentation because between 16 total hours of travel time, that was all the time I had in Hoonah. I drove from Teslin to Skagway, took a flight from Skagway to Hoonah via Juneau and then back again, like I said, all in one day.
Mendenhall Glacier, Lake and River – and the main road you see down there is Mendenhall Loop Road
Mendenhall Lake and Glacier
Herbert Glacier
Echo Cove to the right, and Berner’s Bay to the left
Davidson Glacier
The flight from Juneau to Haines was phenomenal; the pilot took us on a scenic flight of the local glaciers in the Juneau area: the Mendenhall, Herbert and Eagle; he flew over Berner’s Bay, then across Lynn Canal up towards the mouth of the Chilkat River just south of Haines – then we flew UP the Davidson Glacier, flew around the back side of the front range of the Chilkats and then DOWN Rainbow Glacier, passed Paradise Cove (where I once had land to build my dream home), over Pyramid Island and then landed at the Haines airport – Holy what a flight!!!
When we flew up Davidson I cried I was so happy I unbuckled my seat belt and looked out both sides of the plane’s window; I just love this land, I love the Chilkat range, I love the Chilkat river; I so be-long here! I swear that when I die, I want my ashes spread up and down these Chilkat glaciers and at the mouth of the Chilkat River and at Paradise Cove!
Ice fields behind Davidson Glacier
Rainbow Glacier is a “hanging” glacier – this is the front view with a waterfall — it was hard taking a shot of the Glacier when we were actually flying over it! And besides that, I couldn’t stand still long enough to take a shot because I was enjoying the view in any given moment as it was changing so quickly as you can imagine!
Peaks of the Chilkat Range — I have not educated myself to know their names so I gave them names of my own: Rissy’s Peak, Shanks’ Point, Rizal, etc.
Such an awesome flight I took a photo of the plane!
Flying into Skagway
Flight Dog – He never made a sound; it was as if he was a flyer all his life, though I placed my hand on him several times because he was shaking, so maybe this was his first flight and he was just silent about his fears…some of us are like that, you know….
By the time I arrived in Skagway, it was 7pm (that’s 8pm Yukon time). I realized I had been to heaven and was still flying high! Thank you to the pilot for giving us that extra few minutes of flight time; thank you soooo much!
