A pack of Camels peaked out of the pocket of his plaid flannel shirt. His teeth were yellowed from a lifestyle far different from mine, and the only thing longer than his hair was his beard. Perley M was our taxi driver who picked us up at Jakalof Bay, near Seldovia, Alaska. Like many great trips, the journey was far more interesting than the destination. We’d taken a high-speed water taxi ride from Homer, Alaska across Katchemak Bay. The thirty minute ride rearranged my internal organs Continue Reading
My life as a cat
Like a million other homes in the United States, COVID recently barged through our front door. It was a souvenir from our recent trip. I don’t blame the cruise – they were impeccable in their cleaning, the staff was always masked, and they had high standards for testing and vaccinations for the passengers. No, I blame the flying experience. I will never look at an airport as anything other than a petri dish of micro-organisms, and an airplane as a test tube of smoldering gases and solids, all Continue Reading
The charm of a charm bracelet
Raise your hand if you had a charm bracelet. Can’t you just hear the jingle jangle of family vacations, school activities, hobbies, and religious celebrations? Chances are, if you were a woman raised in the 50-70’s, you may have had a charm bracelet. According to my research, they surged post-World War II, and peaked in the early 1960’s, yet I recall their popularity in the late 60’s-early 70’s. “The charm bracelet has evolved over the decades, but still retains its basic concept…a bracelet Continue Reading
Escaping the heat, Part 1
I just recently returned from a seven-day cruise with my friend, Kathy. It took us from Boston to Montreal via the St Lawrence Seaway. As a result, I have produced Pam’s Cruise Rules. 1. Unless you are a high-stakes gambler, fly into your departure port the day ahead of time. Sure, the hotel is expensive, but not as costly as potentially missing the cruise. No one wants to hear “your upcoming flight has been delayed” knowing you'd miss a connecting flight. We had gambled, booked a red-eye, Continue Reading