Our Story in the News

Most news stories are about extraordinary things happening to and around very ordinary people doing ordinary things ~ like flying home from vacation. We had spent a week in Alaska and were on our way home. Had a short layover in Seattle which soon became national news. I'm going to make this as factual as possible. You've seen the articles and heard the reports.

Our plane was due to pull back from the gate at 8:05 pm. At 8 pm, an airport worker took (stole?) an Alaska Airways/ Horizon aircraft and started flying around. At about 8:05 or so our Captain stepped out of the cockpit and to the front of the plane, taking the mic from the flight attendant.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have to tell you that something crazy is happening and I have been listening to it. A man has stolen a plane here at SeaTac and is flying it around." He proceeded to assure us that their job was to keep us safe and we were to gather our things and be prepared to deplane. In just a few minutes he was back, telling us again that we needed to deplane right then because it was necessary to get us all off the tarmac. All he could suggest was that we stay close to our gate for a little while anyway. We would be told more.

Bless him, we weren't told much more inside and we at least knew to go online and see what was happening. Kudos and Commendations to that Captain, he told us all he knew and was honest and transparent.

Inside we quickly found seats which were at a premium and begin to wait. During the two hours, people helped each other charge phones so we could reach loved ones; helped people find seats; I even played grandmother to Logan (2 1/2) who showed me every Lego in his pack. A woman offered me her charger, saying, "keep it and give it to the flight attendant when you board. I'll pick it up from her." Well, I wasn't going to do that, and I did get a bit more charge on my phone.

Pictures began to come up on line of the plane and finally the smoke from the crash on the island. About 30 minutes after word went around that he had crashed the plane, we were told we could board. Even with the internet, there was a lot of misinformation until things got sorted out. We did learn finally that he was an airline employee.

One sort of funny thing was the announcement that kept being made: Would the Alaska Airline desk attendants please read Page 1, Lines 1 to 6 immediately." Later it was changed to lines 6 - 13. Makes you wonder what they were supposed to learn that they didn't already know. On the other hand, our Captain said in all his years of flying, he had never encountered this particular episode so they all may have been learning in the moment.

When we were back on board, our Captain came out once again and said, "We lost one of our own sons tonight, and, we still have a job to do and that is get you to Reno safely which we will do." It was not until I told that to a friend this afternoon that I cried over that. This young man had spent the last three years keeping planes safe by guiding them in and out, deicing them in the winter, and doing some mechanical work. The crews knew him. He was one of theirs.

As for Dean and me, we were due to leave Seattle at 8:05, we pulled out at 10:08 and were in the air by 10:37. Arrived Reno at midnight, home by shortly before 2. I turned off my light at 2. Dean read about the event until 3. We both slept long and hard and made it to the fly fishers' barbecue with our story to tell.

I am so grateful that it all turned out as well as it did. As far as I could tell, all Alaska Airline employees were competent and efficient. F15 fighters from Portland Air National Guard were on the scene almost instantly and worked to get the rogue plane out of air space above heavily populated areas. Air Traffic Control folks were also counselors trying to help a very troubled young man be safe. If you want to read more, there is an excellent article in the Washington Post "Authorities identify Seattle plane thief" - posted August 11 at 6:19 pm.

Remember when you are flying from here to there to be grateful for your crew. They really are there to protect you and keep you safe. ~ blessings to them all and to you

The Beach

Cook's Inlet, Alaska. I have probably told you at some time how much the beach means to me. It is the Womb, Home, Peace and Ground. I return as often as possible but usually it is a serendipity rather than a planned trip. Yesterday evening after an early dinner (or very late lunch), we found the beach.

Can you see the smile? I had to have my picture and mine alone taken first.

Dean understands and after I took a long lonely walk, he wrapped his arms around me and said he was glad I found a beach and had some time there. 

I'm not alone in my love of the beach of course. Granddaughter Lettie immediately set about creating, all based on finding three seagull feathers on the sand.

It was fun to wander the sand with Rob, Chenlu, Levi, Carly and Lettie. 

I try to avoid being selfish and always share my beach when I can. 

I Saw A Puffin!

 Dean and I are in Cooper Landing, Alaska, staying in a rental house with Rob, Chenlu, Carly, Lettie and Levi. We are having a lovely time. Yesterday we cruised Resurrection Bay.

The Orca Song was our boat. We were on the top deck, covered from the wind, with perfect views of all we passed. Our captain, Kaylee, was not only wise in the ways of maneuvering boats, she also knew all about wild life and their habits. 

Although there were no whales, there were

Eagles, 

Otters, 

and Puffins, oh my!

I learned that sea otters can dive down 300 feet and hold their breath for 15 minutes.

Puffins have very dense bones and tend to overeat, meaning when they take off flying, they have to flap their wings three times faster than the soaring seagulls.

Some of us didn't make it past the first few minutes of the cruise and slept the rest of the way.

The little white dots are mountain goats. With independent operating toes on their hooves, the dams are able to climb these high cliffs to give birth far away from predators. Once the kids can climb and winter comes, the families move to lower pastures.

Rock full of cormorants 

Sealions resting on the rocks. They are night hunters so they sleep in the day.

~ and the Misty Mountains of Middle Earth. 

Family on the boat: Rob, Levi, Chenlu, Carly, Lettie, Susan, Dean.