RETURN FROM THE “ENDLESS SESSION”

The seemingly “endless” special session actually ended Thursday night – finally. I put my gas guzzling Suburban and 22’ RV trailer on the ferry to Haynes Friday afternoon. From Haynes, it was a long – but astonishing beautiful – solo drive back home to Anchorage via Haines Junction, and Beaver Creek in the Yukon Territory, and thence on to Tok, Glennallen, and through Palmer to rejoin my family in Anchorage.

My favorite chow down restaurants along the way are always been Buckshot Betty’s in Beaver Creek and Fast Eddy’s in Tok. I stayed alert in between stops with too much Starbucks bottled or canned coffee. I took photos at every opportunity. The only delays came from road construction (there’s two seasons in Alaska: winter, construction).

Rather than listening to music as I did on the drive down to Juneau, I listened to an audio book on my CD: historian David McCullough’s “1776.” I’ve read the book, and I’ve listened to McCoullough comments on the Revolutionary War last year at the National Council of State Legislators in Boston. I’m also in the process of reading “Patriots” by A.J. Langguth which covers the same period of American history. The revolutionary era is one of my favorite periods of history (another interesting period of history for me has been 2003-2008 – my era in the legislature). Seemingly, the only differences between politicians in 1775 and 2008 are clothing and hair style. As I asked in a previous blog, which Alaska legislators in 2008 would be the patriots, and who would be the Tories? I’ve my opinions, but too much sense to share them on a blog!

It’s super to be home again. But I’m already back at work on several legislative and political projects. I’ve also been given a lengthy list of “Honey dos” from my favorite constituent and the “Speaker” of “my” house named Marlene.

The photos show a rainbow from the back of the ferry, Pickhandle Lake in the Yukon, and US Customs at the Yukon and Alaska border.