Pat Ryan Comes to Town in Still Listening to Spirit

July 29, 2014. What a day! Pat Ryan is a travel agent friend who is one of the very first travel agent free ride and friendship Greg developed the year he opened his tour business. She still tells the story that she walked in to get some information. She told him she arranges tours to Alaska from Texas and wanted to now about his tours. "Greg said, 'come on and take a free tour' and he drove me up the White Pass and gave me a great tour." The rest as she says is history.

Pat and her sister, Janet, and her brother (I didn't get to meet him) along with 24 others came for this cruise to celebrate Pat's 66th birthday week. She no longer works for the travel agency she worked for at least 20 years and probably longer. She works from her home and she was allowed to take her clients with her when she 'retired'.

She and I hit it off on the phone the first time I called her about some tours she wanted to book and became fast friends. The first year she cruised up here, was the year Dolly started her tour with Klondike. We had a wonderful time together, but she and her sister, Janet? Once they are off tours all they do is browse the jewelry stores.

I met them at the dock at the Dam ship at 8am with Joe the driver. It was so good to hug her. I couldn't go along on the tour because I do not have a passport and Customs has become fanatic over them. I wouldn't have been denied re-entry into my own country with drivers license and birth certificate, but I didn't want to cause any hint of problem for the rest of the passengers.

I agreed to meet Pat and her group for Dolly's tour at 1:30pm. I had Joe pick me up on the way to the docks in the morning. I walked over to Dolly's at exactly 1:10pm to ride with her. Steve was driving and we had a great conversation not only before Dolly got on the bus, but while waiting for Pat and her passengers to show up on 3rd avenue.

Pat and I had much to talk abaout. I gave her a big fluffy feather boa for her birthday. It was brown, the only big feather boa we had left in the storage at Madame's. Brown turned out to be perfect because she toned down her Texas hair from an unfortunate red to what I think is a big Texas hairdo wig more brown with glints of red. She has changed her makeup and her clothing color choices to match her new hair and the light tan/brown was perfect.

I told her, loudly so her whole group could hear "Honey, I wanted to get you one of those big picture hats with feathers and jewels and stuff on it, but I KNEW you wouldn't put it on that TEXAS HAIRDO!" That got a laugh out of everyone and lots of nodding from those who know and love her well and traveled with her.

Pat had a brain tumor about 3.5 years ago, as big as a small grapefruit. The biggest thing she as concerned about was that they would shave her head. She was ready and eager to get the surgery done once the surgeon said he could lift her scalp, perform the procedure, and put her scalp back in place!!!!

Pat says "I'm 66 and I don't look bad for someone who was supposed to die in 6 months three and a half years ago!" And she's right, full of Texas slang and piss and vinegar, she is a firecracker!

Billi and Greg gave her a 'Whale Song' totem pole hand carved in Ward Cove Alaska by the Natives there. Pat was thrilled because she collects pieces of original art and loved it!

So, We waited in what the Texans called "rain"--it was really just a light drizzle/mist not requiring a raincoat or umbrella--while the people slowly trickled to the bus. Three needed to be picked up on the ship, so I sent Steve after them while we waited at the meeting place for the 2 stragglers.

Dolly's tour, well it was Dolly. She is definitely an entertainer, projects as though she is on a stage in a huge auditorium, full of energy and so on. I have been on her tours before, Steve and I exchanged opinions on how much fun (or not) it is to be her driver...

It was cloudy, drizzly, the windows fogged up some. Some of the group walked up the Chilkoot Trail with Dolly but quickly returned to the bus when it did begin to rain big drops of rain. The rest of us were around the bus, getting acquainted and having good conversations.

We saw absolutely no wildlife to speak of, although Dolly and Steve spent time outside with binoculars spotting 1 cinnamon bear way out on the Flats which they then gave the binocs to those who wanted to see. Mostly, I think it was SO far away it could barely be seen even with the help.

Now I know what Dolly writes on Facebook every day---she always sees bears, or so she says. I am thinking that HER seeing the bear whether anyone else on the tour does is what counts in what she reports.

All in all, she kept everyone entertained. Steve and I discussed what a pure light and energy and innocence Dolly is and chuckled at what sometimes comes out of her mouth.

Back downtown, Janet and Pat headed like guided missiles to the first jewelry store they saw. We were there at least 20 minutes. Thank goodness they had chairs around the place to sit in! After about the 5th store, I had had it.

I told Pat she had plum worn me out. She hugged me and said, I understand. She said she didn't want to stop shopping Skagway as she gets here so seldom and hoped I understood she didn't have a lot of time to just sit and visit!

Oh my, I got on a SMART bus to return home and got a very nice young man who I thought I recognized, but not quite. I was the only one on the bus and sat behind him. I told him where I wanted to go and when Dispatch called him on the radio, I said "Tell them you are taking Cindy Simon home".

He grinned and turned around. He said "I'm So-and-So, Jean W is my grandmother." Oh my, I remember him when he was just a wee tike. Now 21, he spends summer this year with Jean to save up for tuition for college in Anchorage. He said he knew he recognized me but couldn't quite remember my name.

I was beyond tired when I got home but very glad to have a visit from Pat and her sister.

Today I have been reading, napping a wee biit--not my normal long nap, and getting some straightening of the house done. I made a grocery list and Bill went to the store for that. I called Rod the butcher to slice us up a whole ham so Bill wouldn't have to wait around for it. Four pounds of hamburger, 10 pounds of taters in a bag and we should be set for the next 2 weeks til Bill gets is Social Security check.

At midnight I turned on the deck and stairway lights to take the dogs to bed in the garage. For the first time this summer, I had a whole flock of moths come flying toward the porch light The cats were immediately in the windows watching them flit around. Good thing their necks don't unscrew---all that neck wagging would have unseated both their heads.

When I come back up, they are always wailing to get their wee bowl of canned food. They only get it in the early morning and then when the dogs go to bed.

No cat came away from the windows to beg for their food.

I gave what neighbors were still up quite a show, Im sure. I went back outside and began to catch moths, open the door, toss them in and say "CATCH!" to the kitties. I turned on the overhead kitchen lights and turned the lamps off. I didn't want anything broken while they played.

And BOY did they play, I captured at least 10 moths, I suspect there are still at least 5 perched somewhere out of the cats' way. But boy did they have fun. After an hour, I went to fix their evening treat and they were both startled by the sound of the can opening and it was like "OH, we almost forgot our treat!"

Tummies full, they returned to the kitchen floor to nudge the 2 or 3 moths there back and forth between themselves. They are two tired kitties now.

I am hopeful for sunshine and blue skies for the weekend. That is the prediction, more of a hopeful wish than a true prediction. Temps are supposed to be 70 under sunny skies. The Southeast Alaska State Fair is on in Haines this weekend and that usually brings sunshine so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Okay, Bandit kitty just caused something in the kitchen to fall, or maybe it was just his clumsiness and I need to go find out what spilled, fell and did not break.

Blessed be!