Something Magical

June 9, 2012 ~ Saturday

I like to write the day because it helps me remember what day it is. They have all become a blur. Things began here in earnest on Thursday. Our first lodge guests arrived in the evening, but before that we had a bit of excitement. Besides lodge guests other people come out to go fishing for a day or to hike. Some folks arrived midday and one of the guys in the group had a stroke or heart attack or something of the sort. It took 40 minutes for a plane to come back for him. He died. Someone said he was in his 70s, but I don’t know exactly how old. Had it happened in town, perhaps he would have lived. Who knows?

Then I met a guy who was also here just to fish for the day; he was at the bar having a glass of wine and asked where I was from. When I told him Virginia, and that I live in Charlottesville, he said “Really! My son just bought a house in Charlottesville.” As it turns out his son dates someone I worked with for a while at Fleurie. It’s a small world. Yesterday I got an email from my friend Michael passing along an email from a long lost friend who was looking for me. It’s so funny how the World Wide Web works and enables things to happen that never could have happened a few years ago. My childhood friend googled me, and found me on the website of the Savvy Sleeper where I had done some work for my friend Michael. The web makes the world even smaller.

Also on Thursday a dog bit me. I had walked out with Nicky to grill some steaks and one of the dogs came up from behind and chomped down on my calf. The bite drew blood. Apparently I am not the first, and apparently they don’t think anything of having a biting dog around. Go figure! I’m not allowed to hike alone for fear of bears, yet it’s ok that the owner’s dog bites me. I don’t feel safe walking around outside the lodge now. I’m terrified of him. Cassandra, my roommate and I went for a hike to the lake this morning, and I freaked out screaming when the dog came out from the house where he lives. Dee came out and got him and we ventured on for a wonderful hike. When I got back I ordered some hot pepper spray. When it comes I’m going to spray him just for good measure and then carry it with me everywhere.

On our hike I got in the river. Oh my, is it cold! I only got in up to my thighs, but that was enough. I love how my skin feels after being in mountain water, all tingly and happy. Nicky’s birthday is on June 12^th and it’s a tradition for her to jump in the bay. She wants us all to join her, but I’m not sure I’ll be up for that. Besides being so cold, the water’s not as nice in the bay. I like mountains streams that run so clear you can see everything in them. We’ll see though, I might.

….. This is kind of a post script to the above entry~

Nicky agreed that the pepper spray was a good idea. The dog is a real problem. I’m not the only one he has bitten. Kevin though didn’t think it was a good idea. He forbade me to use it. “And furthermore” he added, “don’t scream like a banshee every time the dog gets near you. It just aggravates the problem.” How does one control screaming in a situation of be frightened? I told Kevin that I’m not comfortable around the lodge with that dog around and that the pepper spray would make me feel better. He said to stay inside then. He said that it’s a weapon and I cannot have it on his property. So, what it finally came to is me saying that I needed it in order to be there, and him telling me to get out of his lodge. In other words, he fired me. I packed my things, carried them down to the dock, and Captain Dan brought me back to Ketchikan in his boat.

Oh, and it’s a glorious day here! Absolutely beautiful. We didn’t see any wildlife on the hour and a half boat ride, but it was delightful anyway. We also got “pulled over” by the coast guard. It was quite exciting really. Just routine, they didn’t get on the boat or anything. They just asked if we were fishing. We were not. Where were we going? Life jackets? Etc. Pretty simple. I took pictures. Dan was nervous though. I’ll post pictures later. I’m waiting now at Knudson Cove Marina for a couch surfing host to call me back and hopefully give me a place to stay tonight. Beyond that I don’t know what I’m going to do next.

Last night after dinner while we were cleaning up I grabbed the turkey wishbone I had left out to dry a few days ago and asked Brian, the dishwasher to make a wish. I didn’t have a wish in mind, so just wished for something magical to happen. I didn’t tell my wish, but said that I wished something that would benefit all of us. I guess my getting fired was my “something magical.”

And so the adventure continues….. m~