7th August. THOSE LIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

And now I will pick up from the last email where we went to sleep, exhausted and puffy eyed......

 

For some reason, I woke up at just before midnight on Sunday night and looked out of the window to see if perhaps there were any aroura's around - and there WERE!!!  At first it did not look like it as having the wrap on the windows of the rv makes it difficult to see through in low light. but then with much squinting it looked like there were some white lights where they should not have been - or rather exactly where they should have been!  Thank goodness I had crawled into bed fully clothed, because I ran outside shouting to Frank to come and look!  I only had a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on and it must have been pretty near freezing outside......... but I did not feel it - at first.

 

Those lights were absolutely awesome....... they flickered, grew, receded, undulated like a magic ribbon all across the sky and made us swivel our heads as if watching a tennis game.  Every few minutes I ran inside and grabbed a sock, a shoe and finally a jacket - always keeping an eye peering outside.  There is no way to describe those lights, they reminded me a bit of the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas's music fountains turned upside down with colors added.  At times it would all fade and we breathed a bit - Frank even heated up some coffee.  We woke up the other cars of people in the pull-off but they all just went back to sleep.  Just when I thought it was over, the lights would start up again - it was like curtains of light playing around in the sky.  There was mostly white and green, but a little bit of red flickered in every now and again, especially at the ends of the 'spikes'.  At times it was as if the lights wer e made up of separate uprights of colors that would flicker in and out to a tune we could not hear - the green made really big curvy circles in the sky and then it looked like different colors all originating from one spot, reaching down in a huge wonderous display of nature at her best. 

 

The feeling of standing in the middle of nowhere in almost pitch darkness, listening to the gentle 'shuuuush' and seeing those lights, was absolutely indescribable.  Totally awesome.  I thought of you all - of all the things we are going through and wanted to send a shard of light to each and every one of you.  It was a very full moment, shared by so many in my heart.

 

And my camera would not work!  I pressed that poor button till the battery went dead.  I knew it was something simple, but forgot that just pressing the button would not solve the problem - I had to stop and think.  Finally when there was a break in the lights, it twigged.  The automatic focus was on and ...........well, I switched the button across to manual and took a good few photos while holding my breath for the 15 seconds each shot took.  Those photos came out surprisingly well, but by the time I was prepared to stop for a minute and find the tripod, the lights had almost all gone.  Three shots with the tripod later, with freezing hands, feet and nose, I climbed back into bed with my eyes wide open as Frank frantically tried to warm my feet before I stuck them up against his back!

 

It was kinda spooky standing outside by myself taking the photographs, yes - Frank was back inside and warming up by now.  The thoughts of bears and moose and other big things comes to mind and I wondered whether I would run and leave the camera out there if something spooked me.  Thats when I decided to stop and get me and the camera safely inside.  Of course there was no sign of anything other than a very overactive mind.

 

Those lights were totally "rad awesome".  I have so wanted to share this with everyone - but no cell signal and no internet puts that on the back burner.  Wendy, you would have got the 3am call "just to share" if we had had a signal!

 

This morning I had a crick in my neck from having my head turned to see out of the window - just in case.  Frank still had a case of the giggles at me rushing outside time and time again for "just another quick shot" in pitch dark and freezing temps with way too few warm clothes on.  I think he almost got more enjoyment out of watching me act like a mad person than he did out of the lights - besides the 'mad person' hung around a lot longer than the lights did.  I was woken up at 8.30am with the delicious smell of scrambled eggs and hot coffee.....  :-)  after which we again checked that everything was fine with the bakkie and headed out.  The views were again stupendous with a fresh feel and a glint to everything - made for some really good shots.  The bakkie tugs gently at her tow bar which reminds us that all is well with her.  She is covered in dust and desperately needing a shower too!  Skilpad has a not-so-fine coat of dust on her, but I keep taking my hand and rubbing all the names clean - my hand is coming away dirtier and dirtier each day!  Today Frank picked some pink flowers and stuck them to the side of the rv on some or other little catch right under some of the names, next to Marisa B - I guess it's her day for pretty pink flowers!

 

We spent all of today driving through the Great Northern Rockies, bear country - with not a bear in sight.  There were many more bison and young moose, but no bear.  We saw two humongous moose that had been killed by vehicles and one tow truck with a pickup and camper that had obviously hit something.  So sad on both counts.  Driving past Muncho Lake was beautiful.  The water is crisp and clear with logs pushed up against the shoreline, the road meandering gently around it - almost at the same level as the water at times.  The mountains rising up on each side gave all this a rather surreal feel to it and there was no other traffic for miles and miles - totally and wonderfully peaceful.  The road was so smooth and easy that nothing jumped around in the house either.  We turned the cd off, opened the windows and just enjoyed.  At one of the pull offs we walked down to the river with a water bottle to see wha t the water would taste like - and we wish we had gallon jugs to fill!  That water was sooooo cool and lovely.  Frank nearly slipped and fell right into the river.  The water is a milky ice blue color that fits in perfectly with the surrounding greens and colors of the flowers everywhere.  I now have a gazillion photos of rivers of this amazing color water. 

 

We stopped on top of Steamboat Mountain to look at the scenery - another stunning view.  There, many people had written their names and messages on a barrier - so I added PenniesforCancer.com and RoadrunnersUSA.com with greetings to all and a HI to Penny! 

 

We are again parked in a pull off somewhere on the Alcan Hwy, south of Watson Lake and north of Fireside and Coal River.  I know you will look us up mom! :-)  We use the generator to make the coffee and use the microwave, but have a gas stove.  I have been charging batteries as we drive during the day and the laptop is now powered with an adaptor into a cigarette lighter plug-in.  We have plenty propane gas for heat at night and the fridge works very well with that too.  So we are pretty much sorted out - apart from no cell signal or internet!  We have three signs to put up in the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake  tomorrow (go look that up online - its awesome!) and there is a place all about the northern lights there too, that we want to look at - last time it was closed. 

 

I am going to head off to bed for a few hours sleep and hopefully we will be fortunate enough to see the "magic lights" again tonight....  Frank is already sleeping in anticipation!  The camera is ready on the table and the tripod easy to grab as are the jackets and warm socks... now I bet we will both sleep through it all!

 

I know these emails will only reach you days after all this has happened, but this is the way it is here.  We will probably be out of contact for a few days again after Whitehorse (should be there by Wed/Thurs) until we get inside Alaska where the chance of a signal is much better.  I will answer all your emails as soon as I can, but expect a good few days before I can get to them.

 

This trip is wonderful in so many ways already on a personal level.  On the fundraiser side, its not done much at all - so far.  We have had a good few people asking us how much "these rental units" go for per day - and one even said that it looked like a moving truck...........most people just ignore it totally and actually turn their heads away so as not to have to even acknowledge us.  Be that as it will.  Time will tell, we will do what we can do and will enjoy the trip as much as possible every mile of the way.

 

Love and Light
Especially U3
Annie & Frank
XXXXXxxxxx