San Fransisco Cubans, chainsaws, islands
Work has been good and constant clearing off and rebuilding the woodshed on the island. Boating out there early each morning. Waves slamming the hull of the Crestliner, tying up, sharpening up the chainsaw blades and going at it.
Thank God for Tom and his helping hands. The two of us make a good team, I do believe. His Navy and fishing background makes him a valuable resource especially when I have to do a last-minute radio show and need information on sea superstitions – he really came through for me there. Otherwise we’re brainstorming on how to saw up the roof without hitting the galvy nails or having it get caught up or generally killing ourselves. Where the best spot for our burn pile is. Which wood to re-use and which not. Where to wack up the rounds.
The island house here just magical. A network of boardwalks connecting a few houses together. After work we occasionally jig up some rockfish or tom cod for dinner.
Here’s one pic from fishing – the weather not so good on this day but still gives an idea of what goes on.
The whole thing a bit vertiginous as myself and 7 other Alaskans recently back from San Francisco where we attended the San Francisco Rueda Festival. Too much fun. Classes all day and parties until five in the morning. Staying smack in the middle of downtown. Coming out of the BART walking to the Hotel Whitcomb felt like stepping into a different world. A wonderful one. Full of beauty and energy. Alaskans must be the best travelers their openness and love of the new. We all felt like kids in a candy shop there in the city.
But also alienating. Everything so…hard. The light and branches. No give.
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Whatever the case we rolled in there hot the eight of us. We were asked to perform and considered a few Alaskan rueda moves like the False Bear Charge or the Spawning Salmon but thought we better wait and consider and do it the following year.
Yesterday ended with a big fire and we got the pad in shape for the build. Colorado of course finding his little spot in the snow. He likes the island. Cutting up the roof was squirrely without a doubt – figuring out where it was hanging up, making sure we didn’t kill one another as we sawed through. But we got it cut and stuff burned and designed the shed and now all that’s left is to build the darn thing. Hopefully money from the job will go toward a skiff. A skiff is needed this summer. Catching dinner on the way home from work tying up at the Adak — a good good life.
Thank be for events like this rueda festival and cities like San Francisco and good Thai food and Bahn Mis and also for Bandoroshmi Island and the opportunity to stay and work there and to all the wonderful people who went down to SF and to the fish that hopped on the line after work. Reminds me of being a kid looking out the window saying goodnight to everything before getting yanked away and told to go to sleep. So much to see and do and be thankful for and say goodnight to.
