Icewind's Ramblings

In my travels to Mexico recently you have the opportunity to see how the airlines are doing during this economy and how hard they are working to keep things positive for the passengers. Our group was broken up between several airlines and flights with the Alaska group flying on Alaska Airlines with a layover in Seattle each way. Some of the flights I have made into Seattle have been entertaining as there is usually a pretty decent wind blowing across the runway giving a chance for the pilot to either show off his great skill in bringing several tons of pressurized metal tube full of people down smoothly or allowing the elements to win that landing with a bounce, hard drop, or a controlled crash. One of our flights with Alaska Airlines was both entertaining and slightly different. It was our return leg from Cancun to Seattle where we had a male/female flight crew along with a mixed steward staff taking care of us after a fun week in the sun and warmth of Mexico ....

Animal Planet is now playing a six part series called “Stranger Among Bears” about Bear Haven and a friend of mine, Charlie Vandergaw who is a retired Anchorage school teacher who spends his summers at his compound observing and interacting with Grizzly and Black Bears. I used to work with Lee who also spends his free summer time at Bear Haven helping Charlie keep up his place. It is a truly unique and almost magical place being with these wild animals spending time in what is surreal to most people but to those who have had the experience there a sobering sometimes life changing perspective of Bears, Life, and how you deal with certain situations. The last two years there have been film crews on site for the BBC and ABC’s Primetime staying for several months getting these stories. The Animal Planet story is from BBC who had cameraman Richard Terry alone to cover this story. He was observer, writer, cameraman, participant in what can only be described as an Alaska...

or Feet Wet Again As we gather ourselves on this final day of the trip it seems most everyone in our group has awaken early for the last quick shopping across the street picking up the Cancun Harley t-shirt, Hooter’s wings, or that last piece of jewelry. The rest of us enjoyed breakfast or that last time on the beach or in dip in the pool. My schedule found me having an enjoyable breakfast with our hosts John & Jan one last time with a dip in the pool for that last bit of sun. I wandered around the property and found several people I had met this week and said my goodbyes. A few to mention of note were Ryan & Danielle from Ireland, Kathryn, Blake, Sherri, & Harris (my new found friends from Toronto, Canada), Susan and her son Lance who my roommate Wayne had befriended and joined us for dinner. Everyone gathered in the lobby at noon for checkout and the arrival of our bus to take everyone back to the airport. The mood seemed a mixture of gladne...

* I’m back in Anchorage now but this continues my Cancun series. I landed around 2:30 am this morning and sleep a couple of hours before going to work so this post is the last thing I do before crashing for much needed sleep. Me and my friends sit on the porches here in Cancun and let the time pass just as people will. Telling tales or stories about themselves to help each other understand what ever is on their minds. Some are old friends while others we have just met from places unknown but willing to share a time or two. Because a story’s just a story and morals come and go but from where I sit . . . I sure have enjoyed the show. The time spent interacting on the veranda are important times on these type trips to just relax, slow down and laugh releasing that pent up energy everyone has carried around the last several months. We have spent the nights here sitting around telling jokes and stories with people from other countries. Laughter is a universa...

The last couple of days in Cancun have been a much needed break so everyone has been hanging out around the hotel soaking up sun, tropical breezes, and resting. The hotel is packed full of people from all over the world and it still does not seem overly crowded. There are several swimming pools, the beach front lounges and palm tree covered paths filled with chairs or lounges to relax in. Our group seems to have splintered into about three groups each finding a different portion of the property to relax and enjoy the sun. It’s funny with Anchorage being a relative small town so with this group everyone knows each other or has worked at one time or another for the different companies represented here. With a few of us there has been ‘history’ with each other providing some of the divisions it seems. It has also been a time for some of us to reflect on past ill feelings and talk to repair friendships once again which has been great while with others you can see there is...

After many days leading up to our departure date filled with excess activities it was finally time to make that trip to the airport. It was another dead of night departure leaving at 2:30am so I was off to the airport around midnight so I did not have to keep everyone up at my house. This trip was bigger than years past with about 30 people going to Cancun as a customer appreciation for Pacific Plumbing Supply. It is a group of plumbing and mechanical contractors, wives or girlfriends, and a couple of children who were also brought along. It has become somewhat a tradition as this is the fifth trip over the last six years. It has been a cruise in years past but this year it was decided on something a little different so a land based get away was planned this time around at the all inclusive Riu Cancun Resort. The Alaska contingent part of the group started gathering at the Airport Chili’s for the couple of hours wait before we boarded the airplane to head into the n...