My Favorite Place

Gary and Iris in front of Mt Redoubt - S. Wertz

I worked in Alaska for two summers at a salmon cannery, bringing with me four of my sons.  During the first summer, I spent most of my time at a fish camp receiving, preparing, and transporting salmon back to the cannery.  Each day I would look across Cook Inlet at Mt. Redoubt and wish that my wife, Iris, could see what I was viewing.

Even though my youngest son, Scott, and I made the move to Alaska in August, Iris had to remain in Idaho to tend to business there, such as attempting to sell our house.  She was able to come for a visit during Thanksgiving and that is when we took this picture with Mt. Redoubt in the background.  It was around zero degrees at the time and I thought she might freeze but she is a real trooper and loves adventure as much as I do.  In short, my sense of place is more about being with my best friend and the love of my life than it is about a place on the map.