Small World 4

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May Creek, AK
One year when he was in college my son, J, spent a summer working (theoretically) and living in May Creek, Alaska, in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The only way to get there was by plane or helicopter. May Creek had a population of 1 if the ranger J worked with wasn’t there at the time, population 2 if the ranger was there, and a larger population when other rangers and/or visiting glaciologists were in temporary residence. J loved the mountains and the solitude and the beauty and the fact that he got to carry a pistol (in case of a grizzly bear attack).

McCarthy, AK
Once a month he got time off, and the mail plane took him to McCarthy, AK, which had a population of something like 8 in the winter but more in the summer. Besides a plane, the only way to get to McCarthy was to take a four-wheel drive vehicle miles and miles down a dirt/gravel road, then ferry yourself across a river by pulling on a big rope.

McCarthy, AK and Tallahassee, FL
[Important facts to know in order to follow this next part: the Florida State University football team is known as the Seminoles and the University of Florida team is the Gators. Florida State is in Tallahassee.]

So John was enjoying some of his brief time off, playing pool by himself at the only public building in McCarthy. Here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote about what happened next: I’m in the bar, someone walks in with a Gators cap. “Gators!” says the blonde woman at the bar, “I’m a die-hard Seminoles fan.” “Where you from,” I ask her. “Tallahassee.” “You read the Democrat?” “Every day.” “My Granddaddy used to publish that paper.” “Who?” “Jack Tapers.” “Do you know Kit?” “Yes. I’m her son.”

Turned out the blonde woman was B, working in McCarthy to make some money to get her float plane certification. My friend of last two posts  and I had been a year ahead of her at good ol’ Leon High School in Tallahassee.

I don’t want to add this next part but I have to.

Tallahassee, FL and Houston
Shortly before her death, B was in MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston getting treatment. The church I serve is just across the street from the Texas Medical Center where MDA is located. It was my privilege to have a couple of long visits with her before she went back to Tallahassee to die.