My tribute to my Alaskan pioneer Dad on his Birthday
My Dad would have turned 76 today. We lost him in 2014. He was an amazing person. He was an airplane mechanic for a large airline, surveyor for BLM in Alaska in the early days of statehood, bush pilot and gold miner. He came to Alaska the day after he graduated high school in 1959. He was an organic gardener, built his own solar and wind power system and ran his own saw mill to build on our homestead where I grew up. He ran a historic lodge in a remote town in Alaska that later became a World Heritage Site. That is where I was born.
He was also well-read and always curious and wanting to learn. He had subscriptions to National Geographic, Smithsonian, Popular Mechanics, Science, The Economist, Newsweek, Mother Earth News, Home Power etc. etc. etc. He built countless labor saving devices for our homestead like a solar water system to pump water from the creek, and a solar powered refrigerator and freezer. We had a 500 gallon redwood hot tub that heated the attached greenhouse and allowed us to grow plants all winter even when it was well below freezing. He started hundreds of plants every spring in order for them to be ready to go into our huge gardens in summer. We grew enough vegetables to last all year, such as a harvest of over 300 pounds of potatoes. We braided big, gorgeous onions and hung them for the winter and stored carrots, beets, turnips and potatoes in wooden barrels with layers of moss gathered from the woods.
We collected sand and gravel from the river to mix cement, large stones from the mine for stepping stones, leaves from the trails in the fall for garden mulch. Every season had its chores and special smells and feeling in the air. Spring was the time for building trails over ice and snow and using a snow machine to haul in firewood and building logs while the days were warm and sunny but it still got cold enough at night to keep the trails frozen.
I was so lucky to grow up in such a place and with my wonderful parents who made it all possible! I miss him so much every day. He would be SO proud of my dreams to make a business here and would probably be a member of WA himself! He was the most supportive and encouraging person in my life.
Here is the last picture of them in the spring of 2014 on Mother's Day.
Recent Comments
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Forget his birthday, lol, by which he does not look a day over 60. But, what a tribute from a daughter to her father! That's something to be proud of! And I'm sure he would be proud too! Nice Swangirl.
I can smell the leaves, the richness of the soil, the cool air, the onions and hear the wind as it whistles through the trees.
Thanks for taking me with you!
Look out world! Here comes Jessica :)
Becky :)
Me too, I miss my cat Mockey, lol! I'd love to go back. So, I totally can relate, but I would have stayed there, and perhaps would have missed the chance to meet friends like you here at the Wealthy Affiliate. I would have been well taken care of, that's another story, but would have never been inspired to make a difference! I bet your poppa whispers in your ear; telling you and guiding you as to when your on the right track. As if your if your not, lol! That's a no brainer, dah!
I know my mom talks to me, especially when I do something wrong, I can hear her call me by my birth name, "Rebekah." By the way thats when I knew I was in real trouble, lol. And those days are the ones I don't miss. Haha!
Always a great pleasure netwoking and chatting it up with you!
"Go get em tiger"
Becky :)
Thanks Becky...now I know how to really get your attention, "Rebekah" :) I like that spelling.
Good morning Jessica,
What a lovely post on your father. My father was quite similar to yours in a lot of aspects and I was also blessed with the parents I had.
Yesterday my better half and I looked at the Circle of Poison, this free documentary. It was very good but also hair-raising. I think a must for all of us who are interested in our environment.
Have a nice weekend, Taetske
Thanks Taetske. I hope you have a good weekend as well.
Yes, I have studied toxins in my environment classes for both my minor in Environmental Studies and my graduate degree program in Ocean and Coastal Studies. I also follow these issues due to my health problems and interest in natural cures. I think pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, estrogen mimickers, plastics etc. etc are the biggest problem we face! I have some health problems that may be caused by some of those already!
It's great that you have good memories of your dad to cherish the time you spent together---in less than 3 months it'll be 47 years from when my father passed away what I remember most from my relationship with him was the abuse---when his hand went up I raised my hands over my head to protect myself---reason why I never married---I had to take it from my father but not from anyone else
I remember being 12 years old and crying and upset having to go to school---1963---a classmate asking me who hit me--they'd go beat him up for me---my answer my father---back then it was discipline---today a child goes to school and says that it's abuse.
Sa that I was 18 when my father passed away and that's all I can remember of him
I am sorry you went through that. My Dad was gruff and I thought very mean when I was young but he mellowed a lot with age. He really worked at being fair and would apologize when he knew he was wrong.
What a lovely tribute to your Dad. Thank you for sharing his story and yours. Alaska was magical in those days. Do you find people don't believe your stories? Sometimes they just look at me like I have to be crazy. LOL! Bless you and your family with all your memories.
Linda
I have lived here in Alaska all my life so it's a little more believable I guess! But outside of Alaska they think I am an alien from another planet! Even here in the city it seems like another world though. People here usually haven't experienced that kind of life.
Thanks Linda!!
Jessica
You are right. The people that haven't lived there don't relate. It is the people I meet on my travels that think I am telling stories.
Ah well. We know it is all true.
I do wish I knew more people who grew up like I did though...so I had more people who could relate! I am so glad my husband is one! It really helps that we understand what each other's childhoods were like.
It is very nice to have someone as a partner you can relate with.
You are a very lucky girl. So glad to see life is looking up for you.
Yes, thank you Linda! He found me on http://Match.com actually. He sent me a message with the title "Wow, you grew up like me!". I was the only girl he ever contacted there! His profile picture was of him in uniform in Iraq so I never would have known if he didn't find me.
What a sweet story! Thank you for sharing with me.
Don't you sleep?! You are up early! Now I know how you get so much done.
Have a great Saturday.
I just added a photo above. I am really bad about getting to bed! Up late, not early!! Thanks!
Jess, What a beautiful photo of you two.
I am not able to stay up like that anymore.
Much more likely to wake up early.
Nice chatting with you today.
Have a profitable day.
Nice! Thanks for sharing. The sand, the beach, the wind from the ocean and a great place to have a honeymoon.
I can't believe you met on a dating site, lol!
Destiny, it's all about destiny.
Becky :)
Meeting online is getting to be the norm now in just a few short years! It makes sense to me because you get to filter so much out and focus in on what you really want! You get to caste a much larger net too!
Jessica,
I'll have a medium rare steak, a baked potato, tossed salad and dressing on the side.
Have a good one my friend.
Becky :)
What a wonderful story. I know it was magical growing up where you did. Even though he is gone what I was taught is that he is still around taking care of you. He is definitely not forgotten. Sounds like a man that did not believe the words I can't
Yes Bo. He was amazingly hard working and persistant. Despite diabetes (he was the longest living person known with Type 1 Diabetes...he got it in 1959) and a rare form of leukemia since 1976 (when he was only given 6 months to live but Mom and Dad got married anyway) he never quit and never lost his good attitude.
Thanks Jessica for sharing with us the story of your father and therefore your story too.
Have a great weekend!
Thank you Eric. Yes, it is definitely my story. It is how I grew up. It is so different from most everyone else I know. I am very lucky to have my husband who also grew up in a lodge in the bush in Alaska as an only child so we can relate to each other!
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A very nice tribute to your Dad Jessica. It definitely sounds like he was a great pioneer dad.
Jerome
Yes he really was Jerome! Thank you.