Necessity is in Juneau, the capital of Alaska - Eva is on the way to see Theo in Oslo
Necessity
Eva and Jan Fr. Mack
Sun 9 May 2010 23:42
Being the capital does not make it a big place. It is more like a series of villages. It has a small downtown somewhat reminiscent of a small west cost town in Norway. It is famous for rain, but for us it offers sunshine, of course. The sunshine gives credit to a stunning scenery with glaciers coming almost down to the city. Not only glaciers come down to the city. So too, do the bears.
When writing I am quite alone. Eva is on her way to Oslo - to see our first grandchild Theodore (Theo). Theo was a little early, so there has been a rush to find tickets. When the message came we were between Elfin and Hoonah. Not big places, and somewhat short of Internet. Fortunately people here are extremely helpful. At nine pm Lisa opened the community center in Hoonah so that we could order the tickets. Lisa is Swedish (with a Norwegian boyfriend) so Scandinavians may get special service. This part of Alaska is the home of the Tlingit, but they have to a large extent mixed with Scandinavians, most of them Norwegian. I doubt that people back home are aware to what extent Norwegian fishermen have populated the best fishing grounds in the world.
Not only fishermen either. Yesterday, while Eva was still here, a man knocked on the boat and told us that his mother came from this little Norwegian town called Kristiansund. Well, so does Eva. A reunion was set up immediately. If two people come from a small town they can discuss "who is who" indefinitely. Eva, of course, had to leave for Norway, but I got invited to a family bbq. The victim was a wonderful king salmon and the company was good. I may be on my own, but I cannot really complain. Even though I would have liked to go and see Theo as well. That, however, will have to wait a few weeks.
Jan Fr.