The annual pilgrimage

Greetings from Starkville, Mississippi! As a first cultural comment, I'd like to note that the headlines in the Starkville Dispatch--about a local pawn shop's success, the Exciting Booming business of the local airport, and how neighbors have taken care of a tree--look awfully similar to those in the Minor News. :)

Anyway, here are some photos from Barrow. I'll have you know that we joined the Polar Bear Club--dove into the Arctic Sea--when there were chunks of ice floating in the water. Mudder will not approve when she reads this, but it's something I'll never forget. I'll post a photo of my certificate when it arrives via snail-mail.

So first, here we have a Really Great Alaskan Car. Apparently, they occur in Barrow as well as Fairbanks:


Here is Barrow's stand of "palm trees". they are made of driftwood and baleen. That's Mike, my childhood best friend and prom date. Of course, he's since dumped me for Tim.


Beluga whale! A whole pod of them was close to shore.


Blowhole!


A chunk of ice in the sea. We jumped into that water. Hell, yeah! We rock!


And just for contrast, here is Columbus, MS, as the plane was landing:


And here are some photos that my friend Henry got on his visit with the group of high school friends.

Autumn anxiously wondering if she'll get a handout:


Here is a photo that sort of took me aback:


That's the stack of firewood on my porch, with my work gloves, kindling, and the girls' curry comb. I have to admit it does look sort of National Geographic-ish, but it wasn't posed, and it wasn't originally intended to be rustic. It's just my life. :)

Anyway, today I flew into Mississippi, finally showered off the salt from the arctic ocean, and am now eating boiled peanuts from the Piggly Wiggly. Isn't our world just astonishing? It's fantastic!