OK, I know I'm a little late but regular life gets put on hold for the 4th of July here in Seward. I left work on the evening of the 3rd to find that I was host not just to a couple of friends but a whole ski team! A tent village was promptly erected in the backyard of the fourplex and Kendra's sister and company cooked dinner in my apartment while I was at a barbecue, to the surprise of my housemates. The "spectacular" fireworks in the foggy, dusky Seward sky were made into much more of an event by the rather tipsy and boisterous impromptu choir that formed at our street corner while we watched them.
Upon returning home, I met up with Kendra and Nick and Joel and Nicole, who stayed over and hung out with me for the 4th of July and the Mount Marathon race. The race was amazing! It started when two hardy Alaskans made a bet that the other couldn't summit this 3000-footer and return to town within an hour. The challenge was on, and has continued annually for the last 80 years or so. We only got there in time for the mens' part, but I enjoyed watching it. It was a real Alaskan race- anything goes, as long as you check in at the top and then again at the bottom. People were plotting ridiculous routes up the mountain to shave off a few seconds or avoid the crowd, and fans lined the streets or paths in the woods. Many a ragged, injured hiker was offered a beer on his way down... just a little different than other 4th of July races I've witnessed. I got to meet Joel's whole family, finally- we actually went hiking yesterday with my roommate Andrea.
Hope you all enjoyed your Independence Days, too! My mom's coming out here next weekend, as I just discovered, so that's what I'm looking forward to that very much at the moment. I'm about to get kicked out of the library, so farewell for now!
No comments:
Post a Comment