At the Back Door I ran into Jim (the attorney who played guitar for "Dee and the Raindawgs") and he gave me a big hug and told me he knew I must be in town since he had just seen my photograph on the front page of the Sitka Daily Sentinel! I checked it out, and sure enough, an article about the library includes a photograph of some of us users and there I am, coming 'round the bend for my turn at an Internet computer.And I just had an "Alice sighting". As I walked down the street I saw Alice (the octogenarian accordianist who lives on an island, rows to the dock and rides her bike to town [and jams with the town musicians on her accordian - she also takes it over to the Pioneer Home and plays for the old folks every Saturday]). I ran after her, but she was too fast for me. I sure hope I get to say "hi" before I leave. Dear Alice McChesney - she is a Sitka institution. She has a Friday morning show on Raven Radio every week, and she must have just been departing from the station when I saw her.
After I left the library yesterday I got on one of the 12-passenger mini vans thats used for public transportation. I missed the closest turn-off point for Hank's and ended up riding all the way out Halibut Point Road to the ferry terminal. I didn't mind a bit. HPR parallels the ocean and I had magnificent views of the sea as it roiled and crashed against the shoreline. All along the coast were some of the hundreds of the spruce-covered tiny islands; in some cases these islands consist of tiny rocky outcroppings, big enough maybe to contain a (tiny) house.
When I got on the bus I pointed out the beautiful rainbow, but as people turned their attention to it it instantly vanished. It was quite a phenomenon - I saw it immediately vanish. It was there one minute and then it was instantaneously gone. It was as if the clouds immersed it within themselves. As soon as people diverted their attention the rainbow appeared again, but I kept it to myself for fear that it would pull the same trick and everybody would think I was seeing things.
I finally got to Hank's studio and waited while he finished up a guitar lesson. One of his cab drivers came in and Hank asked if I wanted to go for a ride - he had to take Henry home and drive the cab until his next employee's shift began. Henry and I looked at each other and I identified our acquaintence from SJ - he had been in charge of the kitchen at the college. We took Henry home and I just rode around in Hank's cab as he picked up and delivered folks.
We reminisced about our trip up Harbor Mountain. Hank said he has a picture of me taken that night and that every once in a while he comes across it. It really touched me when he said "that night was one of the highlights of my life".
I am so in love with Sitka. It is a place of such belonging for me. My very heart and soul leap for joy in this place. It is as if the place itself recognizes and welcomes me. It seems as if it is the spirit of the place that is a part of the words of welcome that people offer. "Welcome home!" I hear that phrase so much, from those I knew well and those I barely knew at all. Today I cried with yearning. The tears were tears of joy and of knowing that I will never leave this place in spirit and that it will always be a part of me.
