We are reaching the last days of this adventure, but not the end  of our enthusiasm. We are tiring of group bus trips and crowds of people. I think hat it is the reason that this day was a joy to the spirit in so very many ways.

The only thing we did in Ketchikan was to find a local taxi driver to take us 10 miles outside of town to the Totem Bight State Historical Park. We were blessed on so many levels. First our driver Bill, was a true Alaskan native, a Haida born raised and lived all his life in Ketchikan… a taxi driver, a carpenter, and a carver of totem poles. As much as I have enjoyed all the young people, here in Alaska for the summer tourism,for their spirit of adventure, it was very special to speak to and share time with a native Alaskan.

The totem bight was a place of such peace and serenity that I could have spent much of the day there. There is much to be learned from honoring your  ancestors, their wisdom, the land, the animals … all that contribute to giving you life. There was so much peace and beauty walking down those wooded paths. Lessons to ponder from the trees that got their strength from trees that  though dead in one sense were providing nutrients and stability to the new. Or  those that gained strength from growing up together as one. This was a place rich in stories to listen to and hold.

from inside the totem bight, looking outward