https://vimeo.com/104882168

NOTE: Mind on Fire has spent the summer in the doctor’s office getting transplanted to her own domain with her own domain name, which is mindonfire.us. Today begins a new year and a new incarnation as an independent video blog. I, for one, am celebrating!

Alaska

“To the lover of wilderness,

Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world.”

Having spent three weeks in Hawaii last Christmas, Peter and I decided to explore its sister state of Alaska. Good friends Elaine Rhode and Charlie Johnston had offered us the red carpet treatment in Anchorage many times. Boy, I bet they were surprised when we showed up for two weeks!

Actually, they were superb hosts. They made sure we optimized our two weeks as first-timers to their neck of the wood. We got the Grand Tour of art galleries and museums in Anchorage, as well as their guidance and company to Homer and Hatcher Pass. They pushed us gently toward what turned out to be unforgettable trips to both Seward and Denali National Park.

I captured so much media the first day, that I got this idea to make daily short “travel journal” videos, selecting three minutes worth every day and sound tracking it with either ambient sound,  Creative Commons music, or with the music of friends. I mean, I slapped it together, posted it online and moved on to the next day. They truly are as rough and impressionistic as a written travel journal.

So this video is Day One, Aug. 25, 2014, “Our Spirit Runs Deep,” and is our Charlie-guided tour of Anchorage.