I live and write on Lingít Aaní, and gratefully acknowledge the past, present and future caretakers of this beautiful place, the Jilkaat Kwaan and Jilkoot Kwaan.

First Frost. Thank Goodness.

That’s how it always works, isn’t it? The minute you comment on the fine weather, it changes. We had the first frost last night, which meant I had to scrape the windshield this morning before Morning Muscles, but the stars and moon were still out and there...

Good News & Bears

 We  finally put  the garden mostly to bed and installed the snow-breaks and stacked the firewood on the porch. I mean it’s the end of October and time to be done with it, whether the window boxes  are ready or not, right? Sort of. I kept the front box filled...

Sunday’s Thought

Vincent van Gogh wrote, in a letter to his brother, “I have a terrible need of– shall I say the word?– Religion. Then I go out and paint the stars.” (And in my humble case, walk the dog.)

Changing Season

  The weather is changing, for the better it seems, as the days are still golden and mild, with no frost so far. It’s been a true autumn, so different from the snow-rain-sleet and wind-blowing- all-of-it- sideways Octobers in my memory. I wrote an obituary this week...

Happy Birthday JJ We Wish You Many More

On birthdays when they were young I’d tell my children the story of their arrival. Eliza’s will always be that she is the first and thus the most miraculous, plus the TV repairman arrived in the Anchorage hospital room right at the height of that first...

There’s a Pattern Here

Have you noticed that I seem to show up here every Tuesday lately? Honestly, I promise that I’m getting it together and from now on will send you pithy, brilliant, and informative daily news of life in Haines, or if not all that, at least something interesting...