September 16, 2002

• We had a lovely weekend getaway.  On a clear day, you could see Mount McKinley in the distance here.  You can see the Susitna River there in the mid distance right of center.  It was so overcast all weekend that only the bases of the mountains and a few glaciers were visible beneath the clouds.  For my purposes this was ideal weather, for the threat of rain assured Greyfox that he wasn’t missing out on business, and he could relax into the outing.

  
  

  We drove up there Saturday afternoon and had a great dinner before retiring to our room.  Next morning, I wandered around taking pictures after Sunday breakfast, while Greyfox slept in.  He was tired, the dear, sweet man.

  
  

  With my coffee cup refilled, I roamed around the hotel, enjoying the ambience and the sparsity of the crowd at that early hour. 

  
  

  The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge has the feel of a place built to last.  It is a smoke-free facility, which was incredibly enjoyable for me.  We always reserve non-smoking rooms when we stay in hotels, but this was the first time I’ve stayed at a non-smoking hotel.  It was nice being able to breathe.  A few encounters with perfumed tourists were the only noticeable allergic reactions all weekend.

  
  

  The art hanging on these walls blew me away.  Tapestries, paintings and native carvings are everywhere.  Many of the works are traditional Alaskan Native motifs like this Loon Girl painting.  One section of a corridor was lined with a series of photos of traditional and not-so-traditional masks.  One of the masks wore a cool pair of shades.  The beige wall hanging visible beyond the stone fireplace in the shot of the lobby (above this one) is a tapestry of two stylized walruses “wearing” representations in tapestry of the masks worn by walrus dancers.

  
  

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  Other works, such as this Alaskan impressionist painting of a dogteam eager for a run, celebrate not the traditions but the life of this land.  Many wildlife photos graced the dining rooms, and in the bistro was a Mount McKinley climbing hall of fame, on which I saw some familiar faces.

  
  

  I have more pics for you, from the hotel and from a trip to the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum in town.  For now, Xanga doesn’t seem to want to accept any more photo uploads.

  
  

  Both of us had a wonderful time over the weekend and are glad to be home again.  That the getaway coincided with my boxcar’s rolling out of the roundhouse on the whitelitexpress was a most excellent synchronicity.  I couldn’t be happier about the convergence of recent events.  I have more energy now, less of the painful, debilitating after-effects of activity, than I’ve had in a very long time.  Greyfox has experienced a deep and pleasant shift in his attitude, and our relationship has taken a sweet turn along with it.

  
  

  I shall be back later with more photos and details of the getaway.

  • 9:12 pm
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