First Aaska Story. Early 50's

My parents sent me to Alaska from Ogden, Utah when I was 11 or 12 years old. I flew from Salt lake City to Seattle-Tacoma Airport with 2 or 3 stops between. They called it a milk run. I had a layover in Seattle, then on to Anchorage, Alaska. My uncle was living in Anchorage, working for the bureau of Land management, he met me at the airport and I stayed with his family for a few days. My cousin Mike and I played out side until 11:30 pm, the sun was still up. It was a blast !



My brother in law Clair drove in and picked me up and I spent the summer on The Homestead with my sister and her family.

My sister is 18 years older than I am, so her children are around my age. She went to Alaska with her family when I was 3 or 4. I was raised alone, I am like an only child in a lot of ways, that is another story. So, being on the homestead I was not with strangers, they were family, but they were only known to me through letters and one personal visit when they "came out" to the lower "48" to buy a Goat and some Geese, and see the family's. This was when I was 7-8. That's a good story too.

 Alaska is a beautiful state and my brother in law made sure I saw Sheep Mountain, glaciers, rivers and any other wonder he could point out.

The homestead was on Kenny Lake. The cabin was large with bedrooms for the girls, boys, and adults. A Bathroom, kitchen, dinning room and a large living area with lots of books. We had running water in the house because Clair dug a well and put a pump on the kitchen counter, over the sink. A enclosed porch on the front of the cabin gave us room for a large cook stove, washing machine and a bench to milk the Nanny Goats. There were lots of big windows and a stove made out of a 50 gallon drum in the living room and a wood burning cook stove in the kitchen. Plenty of heat. My sister, Gwynne, was a good cook. I learned to make Scones and to whip my own butter in a bowl.
We had a big  red cow named Rowdy. She was artificially inseminated by the state cow guys. Clair and Gwynne knew the dairy farmer who owned her. She was mean and could not get along with the other cows in the barn. The state was trying to breed cows that did not need to live in heated barns. So she came to the homestead.
She gave our family lots of wonderful milk, with heavy cream. I learned to wash the separator, haul water from a well, heat it and wash clothes in a washing machine with wringers. My niece Corrie and I milked the goats.
As an "only child" and born when my parents were older I am spoiled rotten ! When I came to the homestead my sister took her time with me and in a loving way convinced me to become a member of the family. I was not excited about milking and hauling, but she let me see this was family life. I was glad to have people around me and someone to play with, and the kids thought I was wonderful ... this can't be all bad.

I have stories about Rowdy and the wolves. the surveyors,  the Geese that chased us off the lake with their nests, gnats (no see ums), peaches and the fleas, the Fairy Forest, and the Twin Kids. These are all that summer. Then there are the wild boys up the road with their swamp buggy and measles and killing chickens, a calf born and ...... I arrived with a trunk and suitcases full of clothes. I went home with wonderful memories, rocks, sticks and a squirrel's tail, oh that's another story. My suitcases might have been empty but my heart was full of love for my nieces and nephews.

More stories to come. I think I will tell you about Rowdy and the wolves first. You see she was going to have a calf, and everyone knows wolves love to eat calves!