Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Skagway, White Pass, and some Scrabble

Woke up in Skagway surrounded by cruise ships.  It's been so stormy here, there was actually one more ship that was supposed to come in, but it wouldn't risk it.  I'm glad we came.  Mom and I spent the morning lounging on the ship (hence the sketch), then we went in and boarded the White Pass Rail.  It's a rail line that was built during the Klondike Gold Rush, taking miners up a really treacherous pass.  You see bits of the original footpath that the rail replaced, and there are trestle bridges and some of the most beautiful terrain imaginable.  We cut back into Northern BC part way through the trip, into an area where you can see rain forest, boreal forest and subarctic land pretty much all at once.  There were some beautiful lakes up there.  Fish don't live in them naturally, since they sit on top of an impenetrable granite bed and freeze completely in winter, but they get stocked in the spring so the workers up here have somewhere to fish.  I'm sure the bears appreciate that as well.  We stopped at a suspensions bridge and had a big bowl of Bison Chili.  I should have asked the server "Is this wild bison?  I won't eat farmed bison" ;-).

We got back to the ship, had a little rest (I love cruise ship naps!), and let our ongoing battle of several decades continue.  Greg would tease me, anytime he saw me playing with the Scrabble ap on my iPhone, he'd say "Practicing up for your trip with your Mom?".  Which, of course, I was.  This wasn't our best game now that I look at it; a board full of 3-5 letter words.  We're usually pretty good.  We must be tired from all the excursions.  Or dulled by cruise ship gluttony.

9 comments:

David Fletcher said...

Carol..
Wonderful sketch journal.. still following your trip along. For me a kind of cheap cruise without leaving home. :-)

Rail trip also sounds interesting, with the different scenery. I assume the stocked fish that don't get caught end up getting naturally frozen. :-( What a concept frozen fish straight from the lake.. hmm not good for the poor fishies.

"Scrabble Wars" LOL
I had to look up the word "Um" as I was a bit hesitant to think it acceptable.. but apparently it is. LOL
Collins World English Dictionary
um 1 (ʌm, ə m)
— interj
a representation of a common sound made when hesitating in speech

Not sure if there is more journal to follow but I'll check back later.

Unknown said...

What a fabulous record of your cruise. Love the top sketch.

I am horrified that "um" has made it into the dictionaries, even the Oxford & Cambridge list it as an exclamation, I just looked.

Sketchalina said...

Yep, it's there, along with other luminaries such as 'er' (also expressing hesitation) and 'hm' (used to express thoughtful consideration). Oh, and my favourite; 'za', as in 'pizza'. It's not considered slang or an abbreviation anymore, but is it's own little word. Hm, I say.

Annie said...

Had to comment on your great sketch journal. I was on a cruise 1st week of Sept loved every minute of it I also went to White Pass and into the Yukon. Alaska is a wonderful country was sad to leave.

Diabratical said...

Oooh... how wonderful, I am now re-inspired! Your trip sketches captured the warm and wonderful momements. Perhaps we could do a mums and daughters trip to there again! Love it. Diana

hap said...

Ahhh, another month has slipped by with no updates..:-( I love your style of art Sketchie..your palette of colors and mixing is so interesting...you leave us hungry for more!!I'll keep checking daily and hoping for a new surprise each time!!

Capt Elaine Magliacane said...

More... you must share more with your adoring fans... I know you've been drawing and painting in your fabulous journals... please don't forget about us out here in cyberspace.

hap said...

Here we are again...fast approaching two months with no Sketchalina fix...no cool art to enjoy, no exotic locations to lust after...Winter in the Northwest can be dreary...

Maureen said...

Great sketchs, and a wonderful way to record the time with your Mom.