Month: August 2019

Monday 5th August

We went back out to the cabin to meet up with Josh and to do some work out there.  Larry came out to put a new belt on the mower so Tayla could finish the lawns. We helped him clear some trees, cut and stack some wood which will help prevent fires next summer.  Josh also finished mowing the airstrip. We said goodbye to the cabin which was really sad as it is such a special place, and we don’t know that we will get back there again.

Good-Bye, Little Cabin by Robert W. Service

O dear little cabin, I’ve loved you so long,

And now I must bid you good-bye!

I’ve filled you with laughter, I’ve thrilled you with song,

And sometimes I’ve wished I could cry.

Your walls they have witnessed a weariful fight,

And rung to a won Waterloo:

But oh, in my triumph I’m dreary to-night —

Good-bye, little cabin, to you!

Your roof is bewhiskered, your floor is a-slant,

Your walls seem to sag and to swing;

I’m trying to find just your faults, but I can’t —

You poor, tired, heart-broken old thing!

I’ve seen when you’ve been the best friend that I had,

Your light like a gem on the snow;

You’re sort of a part of me — Gee! but I’m sad;

I hate, little cabin, to go.

Below your cracked window red raspberries climb;

A hornet’s nest hangs from a beam;

Your rafters are scribbled with adage and rhyme,

And dimmed with tobacco and dream.

“Each day has its laugh”, and “Don’t worry, just work”.

Such mottoes reproachfully shine.

Old calendars dangle — what memories lurk

About you, dear cabin of mine!

I hear the world-call and the clang of the fight;

I hear the hoarse cry of my kind;

Yet well do I know, as I quit you to-night,

It’s Youth that I’m leaving behind.

And often I’ll think of you, empty and black,

Moose antlers nailed over your door:

Oh, if I should perish my ghost will come back

To dwell in you, cabin, once more!

How cold, still and lonely, how weary you seem!

A last wistful look and I’ll go.

Oh, will you remember the lad with his dream!

The lad that you comforted so.

The shadows enfold you, it’s drawing to-night;

The evening star needles the sky:

And huh! but it’s stinging and stabbing my sight —

God bless you, old cabin, good-bye!

 

Larry cooked us up some shrimps, and we enjoyed dinner with him as Robin and Robbie were on their way back from Anchorage.  Tayla and Danika made a Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding and the Hicks came over to say Goodbye. We finished packing our bags.

Sunday 4th August

We went out to the cabin to hang out and do some work.  Tayla mowed the lawn until the belt snapped while Josh started mowing the airstrip which Larry likes to mow once every summer.  

Josh camped at Kelly Lake overnight so we went out to the cabin so we could have some chill-out time just enjoy being there. Had our staple, marmite and chippie sandwiches.  We played some more rounds of Double Solitaire, which will forever be remembered as Larry’s Log Cabin game. 

We came back into town to go to evening Church at “Church at the Rock”.  Larry was at an interview with someone doing a documentary about Flying. We really enjoyed the Church Service.  After Church, we had leftovers for dinner and then Josh went back out to his campsite to spend another night in the wilderness. 

Saturday 3rd August

Josh really wanted to go camping while in Alaska, so he and Larry made a plan for him to head out to the cabin, canoe across the lake and camp for the night … who knows where! Larry took Josh down to the hangar where all his outdoor gear was stored, and Josh was then to choose all of the gear he needed. In Larry’s words, “If he needs it and doesn’t take it, he will have to learn to do without it.” So much against Chris’s better judgment, Larry and Josh headed out to the cabin, where Josh then set off on his adventure to canoe across Kelly Lake, and find a spot to camp for the night.

The rest of us will head out to the cabin tomorrow where we will spend a final day hanging at a very special place, doing a bit of ‘TLC’ around the place in oiling furniture, and hopefully catching up with some camping stories from Josh.

Ross, Chris, Tayla and Danika wanderded around town to do some last minute souvenir shopping in Talkeetna.  We did work, photo editing, updating our blog and then watched Hunt for the Wilderpeople with Robin and Larry!  Robin, got most of the humour…. Larry well, he is still struggling to understand our accent

The rest of us will head out to the cabin tomorrow where we will spend a final day hanging at a very special place, doing a bit of ‘TLC’ around the place in oiling furniture, and hopefully catching up with some camping stories from Josh.

Friday 2nd August

Today was a day of organising. We packed our bags so we could weigh them and make Robbie’s access to her room easier.   We also cleaned the truck and camper as that is the end of our Alaskan Road Tripping which is pretty sad, but we have been incredibly blessed by the generosity of Larry and Robin, and Robbie for allowing Tayla and Danika to stay in her room and for Fern to allow Josh to stay in her room.   We prepared dinner and had chicken tacos. Ross and Chris worked on the business, while Danika edited photos and then we worked on some more planning for LA, Mexico and New York.  

Larry wanted the airstrip mowed out at the cabin, so he and Josh headed out on a couple of bikes with a trailer and motorised mower in tow. Larry left Josh out there mowing and came back. Josh arrived back a couple of hours later, apparently due to the fact he had run out of fuel for the mower, but we suspect he may have been hungry!

We then watched a DVD with Larry and Robin that was on Talkeetna, made in 2014. 

We had to make a decision as to what to do with the last few days in Alaska. 

Thursday 1 August

Today was the first day we have woken up to rain since we started on 18th June.   We went to the visitors centre and caught a park bus to the Denali Sled Dog Kennels where we wandered around and saw the dogs and one 7 week old puppy.  One of the rangers did a presentation about how the dogs are still the main mode of transportation as it is the only National Park where motorised vehicles off the main road are prohibited.  The reality is the dogs are more reliable than vehicles in the harsh winter conditions and they just love it!

We then walked around the gift shops in Denali and got some Blueberry and Caribou Crunch (Caramel and Chocolate) Popcorn.    We continued to drive home towards Denali. Chris saw what looked like a junk shop so we turned around and Chris and Ross went in, Danika was worried about the diseases she may get from it.  It was called Wall-Mikes (not quite Walmart) It was another level of clutter. The guy was a real character and it was probably really fitting that he stocked a Willie Nelson poster.  

We stopped at Cubby’s at the ‘Y’ to restock and met Larry there who had ridden to get some ice cream   arrived ‘home’ to Talkeetna and prepared dinner – chicken and salad and Larry invited Don, a local over for dinner.