My position here supporting what I'm calling the Great State of Alaska has given me a wonderful opportunity to fly to cities across the State and I had the pleasure to head back to Fairbanks a week ago. It was obvious that the Winter season is coming and the decrease in daylight compared to three weeks ago was quite noticeable. Based on what they said on the local news, we are now loosing about 8 minutes per day of daylight.
Denali was just barely in view as a slight hint of light reflected off of the snow covered mountain as we flew past shortly after seven AM but none the less, it was just as breathtaking.
We touched down and taxied to our gate and as we pulled up, there was another Alaska Airlines plane pulling out next to us.
Kudos to Alaska Airlines for the money and thought they put into choosing skins/paint jobs for some of their planes! The plane was decorated from nose to tail with a wonderful scene of a musher driving a dog sled with a bear on it and one husky pulling the load. The caption read "We're all pulling together!"
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Its so true! What I've found since I've been coming to Alaska on vacation and especially since I moved to Anchorage the statement on the plane epitomizes the fact that Alaska is a place where people pull together and work to support the community and their neighbors. People smile and are kind. They offer help and extend a hand and the majority are very thoughtful. Lets face it. You can get in a jam here real quick if you are not careful and are not prepared for certain situations. If you don't have a buddy or can't call on a stranger you can die...alone.
Weather, animals and accidents on the trail or in the bush can take one out quickly if you're not experienced or properly prepared. Everyone who has sense carries a survival bag in their trunk. Guns are a means of protection in the bush and in Alaska you don't have to have a permit to carry a handgun. Maybe that's why I don't hear sirens screaming in the night and have only seen two police cars in about two months total time of being here in AK.
People here are used to hard work, taking what they have or can get and making whatever it is work doing whatever they need for it to do. This mindset is bred from necessity.
Let's think about it. My personal vehicle (GMC Denali Pickup) was picked up in South Carolina on the 8th of October by a local towing company, a vehicle hauler picks it up from the tower's location and it was trucked to Seattle, loaded in a container and is being shipped by boat to Anchorage. It's due to arrive the first week in November. It's not easy to get stuff here.
Transit is long and expensive for things that people in the lower 48 take for granted. There are people living above the Arctic Circle who are paying through the nose for heating oil, gasoline and food. Bare necessities.
Everything except what can be fished for, hunted or foraged has to be trucked or flown in to the state at a premium price. What most don't know is that most of the fish and seafood caught commercially here in Alaska are shipped to Asia, packaged, and shipped back to the states for resale. There's a lot of shipping, repackaging, freighting, trucking and flying stuff in and out.
If you paid for something, and you can use it for something else it's worth stashing and if you need it, you save money by reusing it. It's important to hold on to things that you may one need or could convert into another use. It's an accepted way of life here.
People in Alaska are strong and hardy. They are the epitome of resourceful and they are willing to help someone who needs assistance when the time arises. You have to pull your weight here but when you do people support each other and are ready to pull together...and that's
Alaska!
