What do I mean re-living the 2011 trip? In 2011 we went to Alaska with Michel and Stephen. Stephen had just been diagnosed with ALS. He could still walk and talk. I took lots of pictures as usual, thankfully. I had a ruptured brain aneurysm 11 months after the trip. The only thing I remember from the 2011 trip were things I took pictures of. So here we are in 2026 creating new memories and re-living old ones. Things were different this time than the pictures I took in 2011 for sure. More rain, more clouds but I didn't care. It's really impossible to describe what it felt like to know that I had been in Alaska before but have only memories because of pictures. Here I was again and I was more than excited!
We landed in Anchorage and drove to the White Moose Lodge in Healy, Alaska. Healy is about 11 miles beyond Denali. On our drive we saw a beautiful rainbow. God's promise! What a glorious representation of God's promise not to flood the whole earth again.
Our first wildlife sighting was on the road to our destination.
Not ol
We made it to Denali. This is one of the shopping areas. We did do some serious shopping here. Onward to the White Moose.
Here it is, simply beautiful. A small room with two beds, a bathroom, microwave and a small refrigerator. It was perfect.
Might Mike!
Mike made a quick trip to the store which was about a half a mile from where we were staying. More wildlife right by the White Moose!
On Tuesday we headed to Talkeetna for our plane ride around the mountain range and a glacier landing. Neither happened. The weather got in the way of our ride in the plane and the landing. I wore the exact same clothes I wore in 2011 hoping to recreate a picture I took on the glacier in 2011. That didn't happen. We booked the plane ride on the first full day we were in Alaska so we had room to reschedule. We decided to get some breakfast in Talkeetna at the Homestead.
Here he is again. Mike!
We did some shopping in Talkeetna!
If this isn't precious I don't know what is. Mike had a real fondness for this hat. He really did!
I think he came close to buying it and he really thought long and hard about it. He is adorable. He never bought the hat.
There is a story here. I was on the other side of the street and Mike was outside this store. There were two women walking behind me. I looked at the store and I remembered it! I shouted to Mike, "I remember this store!" Pretty sure I shouted that twice. I had to explain to the two ladies behind me why I was so excited. I gave them the short version of my aneurysm. They were amazed. I didn't remember it because of a picture, I just remembered it! I was so excited and I actually teared up. God is good! I wish I could describe how that felt.
We headed back to our home base. We rescheduled our plane ride for Thursday. One memory came back and several more created. I am so thankful!! Words on a page can't describe what being back in Alaska was like!
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