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.

Which means goodbye in Australian, since I am off to Margaret River to see my son and meet my granddaughter, and so you won’t hear from me for three weeks. I am not bringing anything to write on except a paper journal. The dogs are a tad wiggy and did not like my packing lists at all.

It does not include any boots or mittens and only one light fleece. I will be wearing less outerwear there than I have been underwear here.

I’m very glad we can fly today– it’s finally clear (or at least I hope… we are on weather hold due to fog in Juneau, but it should blow off.) The ferry we planned take tomorrow is delayed for a MONTH. That’s no ferries at all for Haines until March. Seriously. It is an epic fail on the part of the state of Alaska’s leadership that not one ship in the fleet is working right now. That’s why I may be gone for a little longer than just the Australia trip, what with another grandbaby due in Juneau about a week after we return. I can’t risk not being able to get back down there from Haines.

As if it hasn’t been challenging enough around here this winter…

But when the sun shines, like it is now, and it did Sunday at church- it makes a woman want to fall on her knees.

And honestly,there’s no place like home.

I’ll miss you, and thank you  for reading what I write, and you know, this may sound strange to some of you, but if you know me well you know that everytime I say goodbye I think it could be forever, and so I always say I love you, and as my friend Becky, who is my son’s godmother (and is sending me with a baby quilt she sewed) says: Be kind, be brave, be thankful.