hyhygwd (Michael typed that)

The hike on Tuesday was breath-taking in two ways: 1) it was so beautiful to see those huge, green, snow-topped mountains and gushing streams from melted snow, and 2) it was so steep that I had to stop for a breath about every 1/8th mile. I actually drank from a fresh mountain stream and knew that it was untouched by human pollution because the only people who go up that mountain are park workers who maintain the trail or serious hikers who work so hard to get up there away from civilization and pollution that there's no way they would mess it up. I was on all fours at times, just to make sure I didn't slip and plummet to my death, and for one part I had to hold on to a rope someone had previously secured and scale across the narrow, rocky path. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The air was so fresh. The water so pure. The plants so wild and green.

Some bird that resembled a pheasant and a duck (but wasn't either of those) blocked the path and made warning noises at me and walked around threateningly. I'm sure she felt I was entirely too close to her nest and she didn't want me to come a step further. I think I finally convinced her that I wasn't after her babies when I got past her and further down the path.

Last night, Michael drove the boat out just after sunset. It was a crisp, cool night and the soft breeze felt so refreshing on my face. The mountains at dusk resemble huge dark beasts gaurding the channel from trespassers and protecting those inside the big bowl--such as my own small self. Again--one of the best experiences in my life.

Love to you all,
Melissa

Tuesday

I haven't showered since Saturday night now. This is Tuesday afternoon. The wierd part is that I don't really feel all that dirty. That's probably a bad sign that I'm getting way too accustomed to being unclean. I'll shower tonight at the Alaskan where I can just rent a shower for $4.20. The guy that works there says there's no time limit on the showers, so I can even shave my legs! Haven't done that in quite a while.

I'm hiking up Mt. Juneau this afternoon. Hopefully I'll see a bear or a mountain goat. I'm quite excited. Yesterday at the docks I was, like, four feet away from a juvenile bald eagle. He was mottled brown, but I could tell that he was developing the white head and tail. He sat on a fence with his back facing me and his beak pointed straight at me. It looked like he had a broken neck. He was huge, and not scared at all, but just checking me out. It was so cool.

Work is getting better on some days and pretty bad on others. I hate closing on Saturday nights because we stay open 2 hours longer than usual and I don't get out until, like, 11pm. But today and yesterday I got to do catering, which is great because I don't have to listen to customers and have them repeat what they're saying 5 times, I can just read a list of stuff to make and make it without interruption. Today I made this beautiful 20 pound salad, lovingly decorated with rings of tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, and croutons.

Times up on the library computer.

Love to all.

-Melissa

Life on the boat

I've been sleeping on Michael's boat for three nights now. I've come to like the swaying at night when the tides rise and fall and waking up to the crisp morning fog and a fish's view of the mountains. Michael has no clock, so sometimes he wakes me up thinking it's really late and sometimes I wake him up thinking it's really late. Yesterday he woke me up at 15 till 10 when I had to be at work at noon and said, "aren't you going to be late?".

This morning I woke him up at 15 till 6 thinking it was actually 6pm and I had lost the entire day and missed work. I hollered, "Michael, Michael!" and he threw open the doors of his cabin like his room was on fire and looked at me like, "Are you being attacked by a bear?!"

"Is it 6pm? The clock says 6! Did I miss a whole day? I missed work!
Oh, sorry." I saw the mixture of sleep and panic in his eyes.

"It's 6am!" He grumpily yelled back at me.

"Oh, sorry. I lost track of time." And I retreated back into my hole and left him to recover from so rude an awakening.

The problem was that I had woken up and gone back to sleep in the daylight about 5 times that morning. Daytime starts at around 4am now and the rain had made me damp and cold so I kept waking up and trying to sleep again. I thought I had been in there all day. Public apology: Sorry bro!

On the subject of being cold at night in this boat: Grandma Bev bought us a propane heater, but we have to buy propane tanks to fuel it. Mini propane tanks last about a night and a half. We just don't have the money or a car to run to the store every night to buy a tank. So, I went to the Salvation Army today and spent $5 on some thermal clothing and a rain jacket. Also, my friend Jason from work is going to loan me a blanket to use as long as I'm here, so I should be all set. I will need to do something about the rain leaking in on my pillow. I'll tell Michael about it tonight.

Entertainment: I went to a Misfits concert thursday night. The Misfits, for those who don't know, were a founding band in the catagory of music that doesn't sound like music at first -- you know: major guiter distortion that makes the melody almost unrecognizable. So for the first third of the concert I was wondering if I should think of leaving early. The middle of the concert, I was able to hear and follow the lead vocals and the drums, and then by the end of the concert I was rockin' out with everybody else. I figured out what everybody else there knew--it's not anger that makes the musicians create sounds that pound in your ears and thump through your chest, it's a kind of energy that can only be felt when you fall into the huge pit of sound and let your mind zone out of sharp conciousness. I was not on drugs; I can zone out just fine without them, but I can see why many people who take drugs choose to listen to this music.

P.S.: Don't do drugs, kids. You don't need them.

So anyway, add that to my list of experiences in Juneau Alaska.

One more thing: I love living on the boat with my brother because we actually get a chance to just talk and learn about each other. Last night I bought him a beer at the local pub and
1. learned we both like "King of the Hill"
2. saw his blueprints for the changes he's making to the boat
3. found out that I can save as much here with my 40 hour/week job as I could in Arkansas with my 28 hour/week job.

On that last fact, I actually asked Michael to stop counting expenses and hours for me about 5 minutes into the conversation, but he was persistant in following through to the end my theoretical financial arrangements, accounting for food, transportation, lodging, and entertainment in each town. That's the math person in him, I guess. He wants so much for my life to work out alright. I have a great brother.

I'm going to try to find a bank now so I can actually start saving.

Love to you all.
-Melissa