Rev. 08/10/01
Alaska & beyond - continued 8/08 - 8/10
trip to Anchorage
I
needed to go to Anchorage to take care of some things. As I was getting
ready to leave, one of the big tug boats, the yellow one, was going over
to move a huge tanker getting ready to be filled with oil. The tugs
that do this job are colorful and its quite a sight to watch them work.
Going north from Valdez you have to go through Keystone Pass. That is where all the waterfalls are. The pass is very narrow and always impressive, with the waterfalls right and left, all in such a narrow, confined space.
Just beyond it is the Sheep Creek canyon, running at a right
angle on the left side of the road. This also is a narrow canyon, but
the interesting thing about it is that it is straight. Straight as
a arrow for ten miles or so. Straight lines normally don't occur in
nature, but I noticed this "straight line" on my computer map and had
to check it out -- see what it looked like. And yes, it is straight.
Traveling toward Anchorage, I kept the CB on "scan" so it would
repeatedly scan the 40 channels, just to hear what was going on -- I'm nosy.
A red motorcycle, with a couple on it and an Ohio plate, passed me.
Then zzzip, right behind him came a van, also with an Ohio plate.
Obviously they were traveling together. CB chatter -- "See
that van with the Hawaii plate, wow!" "Yeh, wonder how he got
it over here from Hawaii?" I just couldn't resist -- I keyed my
mike, "Lonnnng snorkel." The motorcycle wobbled so hard it
almost went off the rode, the guy was laughing so hard.
Today, August 9th, is a very special day for all men and women, boys and girls -- who fish. Today is Izaak Walton's birthday. He is the author of "The Complete Angler," he is the one who started the sport of fishing. He was born August 9, 1593. Let's have a big cheer for Izaak, he's our hero!
After two months, I figured I could do with a haircut, looking a bit scraggly.
One nice thing about the computer mapping programs I have on my laptop, is the data base of things that come with the CDs and are stored on them. One of them will list and locate things like restaurants by type, RV camps, and yes, barbers.
So, using
it, I located the nearest barber in Anchorage, Alaska -- a new barber is
always an experience, its hit or miss when you go to a new city, sometimes
good, sometimes not.
Sat down, told him I'd like "the sides short and some off the top, almost a military cut" -- my usual instructions to a barber. One thing about getting a hair cut, you really don't know what it will look like until its done.
Well, he did follow my instructions, somewhat. It is short on the sides. But he must have missed the "some off the top" and interpreted it as "short," and that's what I got -- short and shorter. You've never seen my hair this short.
Now, if only I can get the computer listing to rate each entry -- good, OK, or don't go.
Oh well, it'll grow out in a month or so. In the mean time, I don't have to comb my hair, only give it a swipe with a towel -- and comb my beard.
This evening I had a craving for Japanese food. Decided I'd give my mapping program one more chance. So told it to find and locate "all Japanese restaurants in Anchorage, Alaska." It did -- both of them. Give it some thought, how do you choose between two? With a coin, I selected Kaze in downtown Anchorage over the other one out by the University.
Ordered miso soup and sushi. This time my computer did a very good job, the food was excellent.