Logbook entry: I sadly fly south out of the 24-hour night and then find myself caught in the bright, gleaming, beam of the grandson

Here I am, at about 11:40 AM this morning, headed toward the stairs to the Alaska Airlines Flight about to take me to Anchorage. I did not want to get up and catch it. I wanted to just stay put in Barrow for awhile, to enjoy the warm embrace of the long, dark, two-month night and go deeper into my work. But I have an important family commitment in Anchorage tomorrow and family commitments are important.

Sometimes, it can be a real conflict to be caught between two homes - the home of community I find on the Slope and the home of blood family, in Wasilla and Anchorage.

I shot pictures all the way of the whole process of flying from where night rules the day south toward the sun. I shot pictures out through the window in the plane, but, damnit, I can't spend all night on this blog, so I decided just to let this one image, taken on the northern side of the Alaska Range, represent the entire flght down.

And I had a few pretty good shots on the drive home from Anchorage under a very dim sun that was already setting when Caleb and Monica pulled into our driveway in Wasilla. In fact, I'm pretty sure at least one of those shots is worthy of a hang in New York's MOMA, where it would surely snatch at least $32,000,000 a print, but what the hell - that money would do nothing but ruin me, so it's better this way.

"It's gawpa!" Jobe exclaimed to Jim when I walked into the house. "It's gawpa!"

And somehow, his little smile and happy face beamed brighter to me even than the sun. 

Jim was happy, too.

Comments

[Nancy]

There is nothing so wonderful as being welcomed with the unconditional love of a grandchild!

[cuppajava]

What a beautiful child! "Gawpa" must be so very proud of him.

[Suji]

I literally shouted out "gawpa"... too see how it sounds... damn cutteee

[Little Sister]

Nice! Grandkids are most excellent!