1989 to now
North Nikiski, Alaska
Bob has seen to it that we have a large United State of America flag and the Alaskan flag, flying in our yard for the 26 years we have lived here on the lake. They get tattered and he replaces them. He keeps an extra in his shop.
A month ago we had some severe wind storms that came up from the south – switch directions and blew from the east- then down the hill from the north. We live in a big “bowl” about 100 yards up from the lake. It seems to make trees and flags or anything sticking up more than 20 feet go in tiny swirling circles at the top.
Two years ago Bob built, with the help of his friends, his cave/shop. and one of the first things after they finished painting the outside, was dig a large hole, fill with cement and put up a tall flag pole, fixing the American Flag to the top of it. He, for a while put the Alaskan flag underneath it. It was our wind sock and the first thing we looked at when we came out of our little house.
During one of our several windstorm this winter, after noticing the day before the swirling flag pole top, with the flag happily blowing in the wind, that the pole was a little loose at the base. The next morning we found the pole between the “new-to us” -1994 Ford pickup and the Current bush, (that protects the wall of the cave/shop) laying on the ground, not more than and inch or two of space next to the new-to-us pickup. It had twisted off at the base. We will have to wait for thawed ground to reinstate our flag on a pole. We miss it! The Alaskan flag is positioned on the side of cave, flying in these warm-cold-blustery winds of the winter as a reminder of how proud we are to be living in Alaska.
A few years ago we had a very tall “lonesome” pine swirl in tiny circles at the top in wind storms, for years. One day during a windy day – it twisted off at the base and fell down the hill. It was hollow inside.
Our first flag flew on the pump house at the lake in 1989. Bob and J.T. built an A-frame and the flag has always flown at the peek of the roof. The pump house, as we call it, has been the place for all visiting grandkids, fathers, friends and neighbors ,to change into swim suits, then run off the deck to the dock and jump as far as they can into the lake. Dogs did the same.
Bob built it with that in mind and it has been a source of great pleasure all these year. Kids have grown up, gone away, some multiplied and will, maybe, return and teach their little ones to do the same run, jump, splash, under the forever waving flag. Doggies go to heaven and new ones learn the jump-splash trick. Hopefully our year-old black lab, Jake will learn to do that this year. Our lake has not seen spalshing kids or doggies for a few years, but the flag is still waving just in case someone comes running down the hill to have some summer fun.
I cannot forget the fishing off the dock that mostly kids have done, with great results and a plea for me “to please fry it for me??” Or the canoe trips and the remote control boats that gave so much pleasure to old and young, under the watchful American flag.
Bob is proud of his military years and he is even prouder of the flags that fly over his piece of peace in Alaska.
Long wave our American and Alaskan Flag!
Please God, Bless our America.
