What an emotional day!
On my way into Anchorage, my mountains were clear against a blue sky and high clouds. I had to stop and ask myself how I could have ever left this place. And then I remembered the winters.
Having lunch with Janice, speech and language pathologist extraordinaire and Brenda and Kay, special ed dinamos. Remembering my time with them along with a fabulous principal. I had the best years of my teaching career with them. I asked myself how I could have left when things were so good and I was having so much fun doing something I loved. And then I remembered the frustration of absolutely useless paperwork and all of the problems with no solutions.
Later this afternoon we went up to see our home on Wolverine Mountain. We knew the new owner had no interest in the beautiful gardens we left behind but it was still a shock to see them completely gone and the water feature dried up and covered in wild vegetation. But the view. How could I have left it?
And the flowers I found that had been planted 20 plus years ago and were still thriving with absolutely no care . . . how could I have left them? But then I remembered all the plants that didn’t survive even the first winter.
And friends like Gary and Kay (who doesn’t much like cameras) . . . how did we leave them? I told myself I had to leave them to find new friends who have enriched my life in so many ways.
And the blue poppies? For them I had no answer.