Saturday, January 3, 2009

Happy Birthday Alaska!!


Alaska's Flag
Written by Marie Drake
Composed by Elinor Dusenbury

Eight stars of gold on a field of blue -
Alaska's flag. May it mean to you
The blue of the sea, the evening sky,
The mountain lakes, and the flow'rs nearby;
The gold of the early sourdough's dreams,
The precious gold of the hills and streams;
The brilliant stars in the northern sky,
The "Bear" - the "Dipper" - and, shining high,
The great North Star with its steady light,
Over land and sea a beacon bright.
Alaska's flag - to Alaskans dear,
The simple flag of a last frontier

I LOVE being from Alaska. I have a deep love and appreciation for this State and what it stands for. It was just 16 years before I was born, that Alaska became the 49th State of the United States - and it's amazing to think of the American history that Alaska has, but then to realize the history of the native people here in Alaska. My mother's ancestors go back tens of thousands of years, living and surviving in this harsh land. I shudder to think how my ancestors handled it when they had a full week of -20 degrees like we're experiencing now.

I think back to the time when my dad was a bush pilot, which was still pretty much wild-time bush Alaska. My mind is overwhelmed with stories, that I'm finding it difficult to pick one to share. Suffice it to say, that my Dad was able to avoid death, see life, and survive being hijacked.

So - Happy Birthday Alaska, the Last Frontier.

2 comments:

darsden said...

Read! Happy late Birthday Alaska.. I am impressed it was only 16 years older than you ;-) your sooo young!

First Again!

Eskimo Bob said...

Yup - Alaska is gonna be hitting that mid-life crisis soon though. Probably in the next 7-10 years. . . I hope we have enough medication.