Updates on Alaska

Yesterday was a bit of a blur since Mama and I were still worn out from our night in the airport. I was able to get about a three hour nap while Mama and Maggie went to the doctor for her weekly appointment. When they got back home they all laid down for a nap also so we all got some rest. Mama slept a bit more than I did at the airport but not that much more. Bright lights, cycling announcements, cleaning crews at work and multitudes of milling people as the arrivals began around 4 a.m. did not make for a pleasant setting for sleep. We did sleep well last night; in a bed, in a quiet home.

Mama, Maggie, Cathryn and I went to Fred Myers after we got a bite to eat a McDonald’s yesterday morning when Maggie picked us up at the airport. It is an upscale super store with more of a focus on higher end products – both in the grocery and sundry areas of sales. Mama really likes the store because it has a mall feel to it more than a Walmart feel and the prices are just as good if not better considering the quality.

We did not go out after they got back home because we had church last night but we are in no particular rush to take in the scenery. For Mama and I the view from Maggie’s townhouse is pretty spectacular. There is a mountain into which their street dead ends. At the base the angle of rise is almost too steep to climb and less than a tenth of the way up the climb becomes nearer vertical. It is covered in green – trees, low bushes, flowering plants and almost tropical looking broadleaf plants. Blue sky above the height only adds to the picture.

Their home here is only a few miles from Mendenhall Glacier and we are able to see a portion of the glacier every time we drive toward their home. On sunny days the upper portions of the glacier are a beautiful aqua color framed in by the snow on the higher peaks and the verdant green of the lower slopes. When you get to the park the whole view is reflected in the lake blow the glacier. It is a stunning sight.

Cathryn warmed up to Mama very quickly. A few books read out load and they were best buds almost instantly. It took a few more hours for her to warm to me because I typically wear a hat and she is not a fan of headgear on men. But we overcame that pretty quickly and she was comfortable with me by the evening. I got her when she woke from her nap and she was happy to see me – until Mama came into view. Then I lost her attention pretty quickly.

This morning we will run errands and get things set up for meals for the next few days. The focus of our attention is getting things lined out for the moment when Maggie will be heading to the hospital to introduce Walter to the world. It should not be long. Her belly is hard as a rock. She is very uncomfortable, ready to get the delivery over with.

At that point Mama will really be in her element.