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[SJC <indexer AT localnet.com>]

bob ford wrote:
> Sounds like you have had high adventure.  If you lived in alaska, you probaly said when I was 
> away from list.  I thought you were Indiana?, Virginia, now Maine.  (I still think "Stephen 
> King" every time I write "Maine" ....bobford
>   
I didn't live in Alaska, but if you live in the far north, you get 
around.  As cargo, sometimes, on the way to wherever before it's  your 
turn to get out.  We lived for several years along the MacKenzie River, 
near Norman Wells,  in the Northwest Territories.

Bush planes were the scariest part of living up there, scarier than long 
dark winters, or wind, or cold, or isolation......those guys fly the 
shakiest craft believable and don't think too much of putting down 760 
miles from nowhere, tinkering around for a while in -30 temps, saying 
"That might do it", clambering back in and taking off.  I never did get 
used to it and preferred to just stay home until the ice was off the 
river and go on the barge or a boat to/from Yellowknife.  Chicken to the 
core.  And I don't even like boats or being on the water, but it was 
better than those planes rattling so bad sometimes you couldn't hear the 
pilot shouting at you.  You would just swear they were in imminent 
danger of coming apart in the next 3 minutes.  The scenery is 
spectacular, though, no doubt about that, and from the air.....inspires 
actual awe, not what the kids call awe.

Now there are better radios and cellphones in some places, plus 
snowmobiles, so that would take some of the scare out of flying up 
there, but the guys who fly those planes don't sound like they have 
changed, from what I hear from those who are still up there.  You want 
tough, those guys are tough.  Me, not that interested in that kind of 
tough. :-)

SJ