Friends From Tennessee

Yesterday I had an all-day training downtown.  As I was driving down Egan Drive and getting closer to the city, I came around a bend in the highway and saw two cruise ships docked. 

What was even more surprising to me though was my arrival in downtown Juneau.  I parked just a few minutes away from the center of the city and walked the few blocks to the office building where my training was scheduled. 

And right across the road, at Marine Park where I have walked many many times, and taken probably hundreds of pictures over the pass few months, stood a huge cruise ship. 

I have always wondered where they put all of these visiting ships, but absolutely did not expect to see one directly across the road, and so up close and personal.

By the time I walked outside again mid-morning yet one more ship had arrived.  Juneau, on a very wet and chilly day was inundated with three visiting cruise ships and their onslaught of enthusiastic tourists.

In this photo you can barely see the multi-story parking garage on the left.  I am so used to seeing this boardwalk beside the channel barren of people.  I can't tell you how many times I have walked this place over the past few months.  No people, very few cars, empty streets and sidewalks.  All of that is history for the next few months.

Crowded streets.  I have seen the Downtown Parking Nazi working overtime recently.........

What made yesterday so special (aside from the three ships in port) was the fact that on one of those ships was someone I knew from when I lived in Tennessee.

She contacted me about six weeks ago to let me know what date she was going to be in Juneau with her husband, and then contacted me earlier this week just to confirm her schedule.  We made arrangements to catch up with each other after I was done work yesterday.

I can't tell you how great it was to see her.

We are not that close.  But I always had very nice interactions with her each time we met up with each other in Tennessee, and I was very excited to see a familiar face.

It was absolutely pouring with rain for most of the day yesterday, but this couple had made the most of their day in Juneau - squeezing in lots of shopping, as well as a float plane trip that took them over Juneau and Douglas Island, as well as many inlets in the area.  The lady was very excited to tell me that they had seen "Taco Glacier".  :-) 

She showed me some fantastic pictures of the flight, and although it was expensive I hope that I get a chance to go on a similar flight one day.  It looks like it would be a very exciting trip.

We only had a couple of hours and decided that we would drive out to Mendenhall Glacier.  This couple had a great time out there.  They felt the same excitement I felt the first time I visited the glacier and realized that I could get very close to it.  It was fun to see their excitement.

Pictures of the glacier, and the waterfall, discussions with park naturalists, and a long visit through the Visitors' Center and all too soon it was time to take them back to their ship.

They were headed to Skagway later last night, with train trips and visits to other towns big and small further north, before they fly back to Tennessee from Fairbanks.

Driving home after I dropped them off at their ship (them all smiles and giddy with excitement) I drove home feeling.........a bit lost. 

It made me realize just how lonely I have been feeling for a long time now.  New state, new town, new job, new faces, new home, new life..........no sons, no friends, no Jamie-dog, no Mountain Boy.........

I enjoy my own company and need a lot of alone-time to regroup and rejuvenate.  But I have also been lonely for much of my time in Juneau.

Seeing this woman put that in focus, when, to this point, I had been able to successfully ignore it.

A progress report on my small fragile skunk cabbage, which has now turned into a very large and bright green plant in the yard.  I have a few skunk cabbage plants.  Just down the road from me are patches of hundreds of plants, all growing in a boggy and low lying area.