Clouds like these wouldn't look terribly out of place in the [American] Mid-West during "tornado season"; for the Interior, they're pretty much unique. . . .

      5/17/05 I admit it: I went to see "Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith" on opening night.  There was this near-midnight showing; it was quite the affair:

      It really was something.  There was a "Darth Vader" and an "Obi-Wan" DUELING at the front of the theatre I was in (There were three, total, for the first showing.).  I expected shouts of, "Down in front!" or, "It's all fun and games until somebody has an eye put out." (The dueling was rather furious.)  Instead, when "Darth Vader" was finally vanquished, the theatre rocked to thunderous applause.  That is something about a Star Wars movie--and I have noticed this from all the way back in 1977: It causes a group of American strangers--brainwashed into hating and distrusting each other by a selfish, pathologically irresponsible "parent," ([I am speaking of] "Michael Moore's 'culture of fear'")--and unites them into one, joyous body---like little I have seen else do.  That may sound like a positively riduclous thing to say, but say it I do, yes.  Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha.  (Done with Yoda voice :) :) )

      5/17/05 After the movie: I thought that people might want to see what the sky looked like at ~2:45 AM, in early June. . . .  :P Arctic daylight has to be seen to be believed---and once you've seen it, you'll NEVER take sweet darkness for granted ever again. . . .  :P :P :P :P

      5/17/05 Cottonwoods. The following two pictures were taken later that same day.  There are these tress in the arctic/taiga called "cottonwoods"---lots of them.  (That is the way that the arctic responds to conditions---they have rather a few number of species, just with an incredible proliferation of each of them.  And that is one of the reasons why, the arctic ecosystem is so sensitive to the least "interaction" by man. . . .) They are called cottonwoods, because, in spring, they put out all this "cotton."

      I had actually taken several of these.  I wanted to capture the effect of it falling, against the green, green trees---and the blue, blue arctic sky. . . .  Unfortunately, my camera just isn't good enough.  Instead, we had to settle for the "cotton" settling heavily on the edges of sidewalks, 'n stuff.  I have *got* to get a better camera!!!!

      5/19/05 We were taking someone out for a "last meal before the voyage"--the flight down to "the lower 48."  Alaskans refer to the 48 contiguous states as "the lower 48"---as I sign of the "respect" ( :) ) we accord them--and because the upper boundary of the western ones is actually the 48th parallel north.  (You would be AMAZED at how many Alaskans don't know that, 'n stuff.  -Well, maybe you wouldn't. . . .  ;) :) )

      ANYWAY, we saw a sunset soo nice, that it warranted two pictures on this page:

       . . . one from Fred Meyers (the local supermarket) . . .

       . . . and one from "The Northermost Dennys in the World." (I'm serious.  :) )

On to more Alaska pics.