Aloha David, thank you so much :)

Aloha Sean, mahalo nui, I am happy you enjoy it. And the poetry, I am happy you enjoy the beautiful poetry. It is one of my favourites.

Aloha Wendy, mahalo nui loa, thank you so much :))

Aloha Lianne, mahalo for your many visits and kind notes over the past few days. I very much appreciate your interest in my work and your kind notes and observations. I am delighted you enjoy the poetry as well.

This tributary of the Chena River is about midway between North Pole and Fairbanks Alaska. It is a peaceful area frequented by many people and enjoyed in many ways, such as boating, fishing, camping and picnics, etc. and in winter by mushers and dogsleds, snow mobiles, snow skiers…… and it is also teeming with wildlife and I always carried along with my camera equipment and bottles of fresh water, a fully loaded .44 revolver to protect myself. At any moment you might see a Moose or a Grizzly or a pack of Wolves and while I love wildlife and have tremendous respect for all living creatures, it is important to be prepared to protect myself as a woman out and about wandering around alone in the wilderness of Alaska.

So, interestingly enough, although it is relatively close to these communites and considering there are rural developments around as well as homes scattered along the banks of the river, it is wilderness. One of the things I love about the people of Alaska is that most everyone truly loves the resources, deeply cares for and protects the land and the rivers. This is a very beautiful area and it was fascinating to me how brief the display of brilliant Autumn gold colours are, only lasting a couple of weeks, as the daylight decreases day by day and the first snow arrives very soon. Most everyone thinks of Interior Alaska as The Land of the Midnight Sun. This is only true in Summer when it is daylight virtually around the clock and you must black out your bedroom windows to sleep.

In Winter, the Interior is the land of perpetual darkness and there are many days of sub-zero minus – 20 to – 50 F temps. It is a challenge to describe. You really must experience it to understand it. I lived in Alaska two years and endured two intensely cold dark astounding winters. Having lived in Munich Germany five years, and in several northern states on the mainland, I only thought I knew what intense cold was. No one can really describe how intimidating it is knowing that on some days in deep winter, when it is midday yet totally dark outside, and the temperature is minus -48F, one must take care to cover every square inch of your body before stepping outside as your skin can begin freezing within 10 seconds. The reality of winter in Alaska is an education in itself. I now live on the lovely tropical island of Maui where it is perpetual summer, with year round wonderful warm temperatures and plenty rain with beaches and forests surround by the vast and very beautiful Pacific Ocean. Yet, I can tell you, there are many days when I truly miss the wild beauty of Alaska.

Chena River Watershed Interior Alaska

Mahalo Detlef, I added some additional information on this beautiful river in the sidebar commentary. I wish you a lovely day :)

Aloha Steve, thank you so much. It is a beautiful wilderness. I love the contrasts of the Paperbark Birch too. The Autumn gold colour display may be brief but it is truly sensational.

Aloha Kent, ‘ae, it is a beautiful place, the river is always changing. Often if there was much rain, the water level rose so high I could not stand where I was standing when I took this photo. It created the most amazing erosion along the banks, and sometimes swept out the trees. In winter when the river is frozen it is used by dog mushers with their sleds and many local children on their snow mobiles. Always a fascinating place, it was most interesting to walk up on a Moose or discover the fresh scat from wandering Wolves. In the wilderness of Alaska I always had my eyes wide open :))

I am happy you enjoy it. :))

Aloha, thank you so much for the feature :)))