The Wait . . .

Buck And His Doe

Commuting to and from my job, more often than not, presents a host of challenges. And flying back to the Cape this time for my next six week work assignment was no different.
​
My journey started off promising. At 5:00 am, I took a taxi to the airport from where I stayed at my friend’s home in the Lake Hood area. I checked in my luggage and waited until it was time to board a commercial flight heading over to Alaska’s West Coast. Upon arrival, I gathered my gear and loaded it into a shuttle that dropped me off at another terminal where I was scheduled to take a charter flight south along the coastline to where I work.

Instead, I sat for hours on weather hold waiting for dispatch to either give a thumbs up or to cancel my travels for the day. Inclement weather cut my trip short, so again, I waited as our travel agent worked to book accommodations for me for the night. However, due to the summer season, there were no rooms available; which left no other option but to fly back to Anchorage. As all seats were booked on the commercial flight, I loaded up my gear, boarded the shuttle that took me to yet another terminal and I waited for a charter plane to fly over from Anchorage to take me back to my original launch destination.

Due to a storm along the coast, I waited another day in Anchorage at a kind friend’s home who offered me hospitality. And then on the following day, I started the commute back to work all over again.

Today is my first day off since arriving here at work. The morning shone bright and a blue dome crowned the day. This afternoon a fog’s rolled in off the water shrouding the surrounding mountains. From my bedroom window, I watch caribou mill the misty hills. A coastal breeze gently moves through tall grasses and wafts up into my room through an open window.

Last night I drove down to the beach and up along the base of the mountains to look out over the vista and to photograph its pristine beauty and wildlife. Waiting truly. has its rewards.