SHARING ALASKA (August 17-20, 2017)

Our stand by flight from Cincinnati through Minneapolis to Anchorage, Alaska, went without a hitch and we landed in "The Last Frontier" at about 1 a.m.!  We thought we'd be able to catch some sleep in the gate area while waiting on friends to arrive but a greatly delayed flight left us with about 200 suite mates and no peace and quiet.  Thus, it was a tired Sherry and Al who greeted Wes and Marcia Bittenbender when they landed at noon.

We picked up the rental car and headed to Homer with a stop at the Summit Lake Lodge for dinner.  After spending the night in the guest rooms at the Homer Church of the Nazarene, we visited the Spit in Homer, drove through the Kenai Peninsula (saw a Grizzly Bear),                

ate donuts at "The Moose Is Loose Bakery" in Soldotna, had lunch at "Red's" in Seward, and visited the Exit Glacier.  We arrived in Big Lake at the Nazarene Campgrounds where we would spend the next three nights together in the Langley Lodge.

From Big Lake we made the journey to the Hatcher Pass and the Independence Gold Mine, ate pizza at Humdinger's in Palmer, and just enjoyed the peace and quiet of the Lodge.  The cry of the loons welcomed the nights.  What a great time with good friends.



REFLECTIONS

Sherry and I have grown to love Alaska and her people.  We have now returned for the 4th time.  There is something about the times of absolute silence in the wilderness, about the roar of a waterfall, and about the cry of the loon.  There is something about the splashing in a creek filled with salmon, about the sight of a huge moose beside the road, and about the sight of a Grisly bear snaring salmon as they struggle to swim upstream.  There is just something special about Alaska.  That's why it was so special to share this "last frontier" with long time friends; to let them discover for themselves the sights and sounds of our 49th State.

Yet, as much as we love Alaska, there is a Kingdom not made by hands that we love even more.  So it begs the question; why aren't we as excited to share the good news about the Kingdom of God as we are about other temporal places?  Why would we not want our friends to experience first hand that which has brought us so much joy throughout the years?  Just sayin'.

AT THE POINT: RESTING AND RE-PACKING (August 7-16, 2017)

Arriving back Indiana from Australia we found ourselves exhausted and ready for a long sleep.  The problem was that we needed to hurry to the cabin, deal with some issues with Sherry's mom, and repack for Alaska.

The week at Pair-A-Dice Point at Camp Clifford was a reminder of how much we love this place in the woods.  Once again we were visited by all kinds of birds and wildlife.  The most enjoyable were the daily visits by twin fawns.  They loved our apples that fell from our apple tree and could be seen all throughout the day just kinda hanging around.  They were there when we got up in the morning and there when we went to bed.  

Packing for Alaska was a chore as we tried to figure out what clothes we might need for the last frontier.  Plans are to be up there for up to 11 weeks.  Finally the bags were packed and we were ready go (that might sound like a song to some).

REFLECTIONS

Retired life is full of ebbs and flows, full of stop and goes.  It consists of beats and rhythms.  It seems to me that there must be a balance of the rushed and the relaxed.  A blend of the going and the staying.  Too much of one or the other can ruin the whole mix.  The secret is finding the recipe that fits.  The problem is that everyone is different and that, when retired and married, this recipe becomes more difficult to find.  It takes some give and take to come up with a mix that works for both parties.  Sherry and I are discovering our blend and trusting that the Lord will help us to always remember that "the best is yet to come" and that "together is a wonderful place to be".

So far....so good.  We'll have to see what an extended stay in Alaska will bring to the table.

DOWN UNDER IS OVER THE TOP (July 17 - August 6, 2017)

After a good month in Indiana we found ourselves stepping off a Delta jet in Sydney, Australia.  This was the beginning of a long anticipated "bucket list" adventure.  The Wyndham Resort was right in the center of town and made for a great place to start our exploration of a lovely city.  Sydney has done a great job of blending the old with the new and of maintaining many manicured parks.  We walked through Hyde Park on our way to the Circular Quay and saw the famous Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  We learned the history of "old Sydney" and walked on Bondi Beach.  It was winter in Australia but the weather in Sydney was sunny and 60ish.

After four days we caught a flight north to the Gold Coast and Coolangotta.  Coolangotta is a friendly beach town on the Pacific Ocean.  Here we spent a full week enjoying the warm (75 degree), sunny weather, the sandy beach, and the walkways with outstanding ocean views around every corner.  We admired the surfers, petted kangaroos, watched whales, and hugged a Koala.  Like everywhere we went the people were friendly and helpful.  The week was a perfect mix of relaxing and touring.

After a twenty four hour train ride we, next, found ourselves even further north in the town of Cairns. Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and one of the world's most pristine rain forests.  The Wyndham Resort was tropical and well kept and the room was a huge two bedroom with a spacious deck.  Temperatures now ranged into the eighties as we explored both the reef and the forest.  We only had three days to enjoy this port city but enjoyed every minute.

Finally, it was back to Sydney for a couple of more days before stepping back on a plane for the 24 hour trip back to Indianapolis.

REFLECTIONS

Half way around the world is Australia.  It is a 16 hour flight from L.A. to Sydney.  I really wasn't excited about going.  As a matter of fact I had fought going for a long time.  What could be worth the agony of a plane ride that long?  What could be worth a fourteen hour time swing?  I won't say that I went kicking and screaming but I will say that I went primarily because someone I love very much wanted to go.

Surprise!  It was worth it all!  Sometimes it is when we fight through all the difficulties that we discover a beauty and adventure that we really weren't expecting.  Sometimes you have to go through painful places and change to get to the blessing out there on the other side.  Many times it takes a long, hard journey to get to a place where you are amazed by how beautiful it is where you have landed.  The problem is that too many times we refuse to accept the challenges to get to where the blessings are.  We refuse to endure the difficult circumstances and chose to just remain where we are ; where we are comfortable.

Sometimes your "Down Under" can become your "Over The Top"!