All Points West To Alaska

[Donna Moore]

Well, it's time to dust off the old blog in preparation for my upcoming trip to Bouchercon in Baltimore and then on to Alaska (well, it was a good excuse since Baltimore is on the way to Alaska, right?)

When I told my mum I was going to be going back she said "Will you be doing that BLUG thingy again?" So here, especially for my mother, is 'that blug thingy'. (I know I'm going to get into trouble for that when she reads this but, ah well, I shall soon be thousands of miles away and besides, mum - at least no-one knows about the time you put the phone in the fridge. Well, not many people anyway :o) )


Having had such a wonderful time in Alaska in 2007, and especially in the villages I visited last time, I decided to go back, and have been looking forward to it for months. And now it's finally nearly here.

So I shall be catching up with old friends and new at Bouchercon in Baltimore, and then heading off to Alaska. My first stop will be in Anchorage where there is a reception being put on by Alaska Sisters In Crime and at which I have to make a presentation (gulp). Then it's off in a small plane out to the Bush for 11 days. I have enough cookies and candy for 180 children, and enough pens, pencils and paper for the rest. I've also been buying a few childrens' books every month since the beginning of the year. I have packed one and a half suitcases and so far there are no clothes in either of them! They are full of goodies, warm socks and an enormous pair of walking boots that Frankenstein's monster would feel at home in.

I'm also very excited about a little treat I have for them. Last year, I held a competition and got some wonderful short stories, so I have had the stories made into a book, using a picture one of the girls drew for me of she and I going berry picking as the cover. I've had 80 copies shipped to Alaska and am looking forward to giving them out. I've also got loads of creative writing exercises planned, and I think it will be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see them all again.

I then have 2 more days in Anchorage. One will be a trip to Nordstroms for some retail therapy shoe shopping. The next, I'm doing this again. Oh yessssssssssss. I rang to ask if they were doing a trip that weekend and my wonderful guide Kevin from last year has said that even if there's no tour arranged, he will take me out on the ATV for the day anyway. How wonderful is that? I can't get over how nice people are. That will finish off my trip just perfectly.

So I am leaving on Wednesday. I will try and post daily, but Mum - if I can't please don't automatically assume I have been eaten by a bear. Only assume that if you get a letter written in an unknown and barely literate paw, saying "Dere Missis Moore, yore dorter was very tastee. She tasted just lik chiken (onlee with mor fat). However, I hav had indeegestyun ever since." Please feel free to post in the comments section (Dad, I would be grateful if you could try and be nice to me this time).

Love,
Donna
http://alaskanmisadventures.blogspot.com/

[Grant McKenzie]

Sounds fantastic, Donna. Have a ton of fun and wave to me from the plane when you fly over the west coast of Canada on your way North.