Latitude 27 You Betcha

Leaving Fairbanks on the 28th of September was bittersweet, we had 1.5" of beautiful new snow on the ground at my house on Chena Ridge, it was 25 degrees, and ski season promised to be right around the corner.

But my month-long vacation to see the Andes and cultures of Bolivia and Peru beckoned. First though, I headed down to the balmy latitude of 27 N, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida, to the sun bleached town of Jupiter. My Dad and Stepmom live here, and it is a pretty area, with green lush swamps, rivers, and lakes inland, and long sandy beaches fronting the aqua-blue gulf-stream warmed Atlantic. I spent the first few days catching up with them and my sister, who was visiting.

Those of you who know me well, know what a soft spot I have for large dogs. This is Max, whom my Dad adopted last year. Only 20 months or so old, and already 85 lbs. He would be easily six feet tall or better if he stood fully up on hind legs. Like most large dogs, he has a kind and gentle disposition, and I couldn't spend enough time around him. No one really knows what mix he is, my guess is doberman and german shepherd, with some hound or lab thrown in, because of his floppy ears. Got my dog fix in for the month!

One thing I really love to do while I'm down here visiting is scuba diving. I got my advanced certification last winter specifically so I could dive to the limit for recreational diving, up to 130 feet. The regular open-water certification only is good for 60 foot dives. I also got Nitrox certified, which is enriched-oxygen diving, this allows you to stay down longer. With these relatively easy and fun certifications, I can go on any dive charters and drop down as deep as I like.

My dives last thu. and yesterday were with the Jupiter Dive Center, http://www.jupiterdivecenter.com/. Shore diving here is not usually undertaken, the best diving is in reefs, 2-4 miles offshore, so we headed out on the boat both days at 0900. The three dives thursday were in nice 82 F water with about 50' visibility, and all ten of us diving saw rays, barracuda, loggerhead turtles, and all the beautiful multi-colored tropical fish. It was a perfect, calm sunny day, as you can see. The reefs we dove in were 75-85' down, and I really enjoyed them. Yesterday the charter I was on went to some different reefs, and there on our two dives we saw all the same critters as the day before, with the exciting addition of five to seven foot long reef sharks. I have to say, this is my first shark encounter, and it was a little un-nerving, down there at 92 feet, seeing them following me around. But, I was with several others, and they were curious, but not aggressive. I was told beforehand anyway, that they are harmless, but when you see them up close for the first time, all the old stereotypes come in to play.

Today we had a nice weather system of some kind drop in, and it proved to be a nice rainy day with temperatures only around 75-79. Felt great after the previous five days of 85-90F with the tropical sun and humidity. So much so that my six mile run in the park in the rain and 35 mph wind was much faster than usual here. Good thing I did my dives the previous two days though! This is looking offshore today. When I dove here in June of last year, we had clear skies, but 20 mph NE winds and 5-7 foot choppy seas. The dive boat pitched and heaved in every direction, and so nearly did I. Fortunately I was not green at all on these trips.

OK, I have to comment on this, but I know you're expecting it, so here goes. For the first time ever, I actually have tried to hide the fact that I am from Alaska. I'm proud to be an Alaskan, and love my state and the people and critters therein. However, I wished not to have to provide commentary on our governor, Ms. Palin. Not just because I disagree with for the most part, everything she stands for, but also, to my dismay and this is a bad reflection on my knowledge of state-level politics, I just don't know all that much about her. I didn't vote for her, and to be honest, I view most Alaska politicians as being corrupt, bought and paid for by big oil. And our state-level politics to be on a level with that seen in the deep south in the 1930s. That said, everywhere I went, when I was outed as an Alaskan, the first thing I was asked was "what do you think of your governor?" Ugh... because if I told what I really felt, it might be polarizing, and I just didn't want to go there.

So, came the night of the great debate. With some trepidation, I watched. I wanted her to come across better than in her interviews of the previous few days. After all, I'm tarred with her brush, so to speak, since I live there. But, of course, I wanted Joe Biden to demonstrate just how noxious Republican rule has been for the past eight years and that four more years of republican rule would be even more disastrous for this country and the rest of this World, if that would be possible. Is it just me, or did her "you betcha's" and wink, seem a little over-the-top? Fargo-esque, almost. Though I'd darn-site vote for Marge any day over Ms. Palin. http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/10/04-0

Because folks, I hope you haven't heard it here first, but if you have, you'll hear more about it soon, I'm sure. This country is already halfway toward fascism, as defined by Benito Mussolini, the marriage of corporate interests and the state. And those tendencies have been with us for a long time http://counterpunch.org/nasser10032008.html. Four more republican years spell the end of democracy in this country, I guarantee you. I often tell people the reason I ski and run so much, is that when the "s..t comes down", I'll be able to ski up the frozen Yukon river from Eagle, to Dawson, YT, Canada, or make a mad-dash through the swamps/taiga in summer, to freedom. I'm half-kidding, but somewhat serious too.