September 08, 2004

LETTER FROM ALASKA

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My Uncle Pete, (yes, the one who was in the paper posing with a potato he grew that was shaped like a moose), sent some end-of-summer photos from Alaska yesterday.

Pete and his beautiful wife Cecile are now driving back from Alaska, trying to beat the winter weather so they can make it back home to Florida.

Pete typically fishes his brains out up at their home on the Kenai Peninsula while Cecile grows any flower she can find. Their homestead is a brilliant tapestry of color amid an already spectacular landscape.

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Every so often, I can tell he's been absolutely overcome by his surroundings. His only way to express that is by e-mailing dozens of photos to folks back home. Sunsets are his forte - "You have the delete button. Use it,'' he advises to anyone who might tire of his photos. (I never do.) But everything and anything is game for a picture. Why?

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Because you never know when two moose are going to hang out in your front yard.

Anyway, Pete and Cecile's place becomes somewhat of a weigh station for anyone who's passing through from the Lower 48. Seems that he had a couple friends come up from Florida who wanted to get married. Who was Pete to deny them. For five minutes, he put down his camera and fishing pole and acted as a makeshift Russian Orthodox justice of the peace.

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Pete writes: ""Being a resident of Alaska, I can perform a marriage ceremony. This is Barbara Crockett and her new husband, Bo. I am starting the service talking and praying in Russian and here doing the sign of the cross.''

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Barbara, do you take Bo for your----------

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"Finished,'' he writes. "If you know anyone that wants to get married, I only charge 2 Dollars and 36 cents. I give Cecile a dollar of it!!!!!!!!!!"

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Father Boris making it official.

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"He put his fishing clothes on soon as we finished,'' Pete writes. "I don't think she liked it. Maybe she had other plans. Some women just don't understand!!!!!!"

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How best to celebrate a wedding? By killing fish, of course. The bigger the better.

"This working for a living is tough,'' Pete says. "Me, Bo--that got married--The Lawyer and my Fishing Buddy Ben. All beautiful Sockeyes. Two hours fishing!!!!!!"

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Pete's a real joker. He liked to bring the uninitiated into town by stopping at some ramshackle trailers and announcing that they are home.

The photo above is another of his pranks.

"JOKINGLY, I SENT THIS TO SOME OF MY FRIENDS AND TOLD THEM I HAD TO CHANGE CLOTHES AFTER THE SERVICE, SINCE I COULD NOT MARRY BARBARA AND BO INSIDE THE CHURCH BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ORTHODOX. I HAD TO MARRY THEM OUT ON THE FRONT STEPS."


Ah, that Uncle Pete. Always the kidder.

Posted by Jeff at September 8, 2004 07:39 AM
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