Skagway, a cabin, and Dell

Left:  A cabin in Skagway.  Right:  My friend Dell and his dog Klaus.

It was a poignant moment.  I was in Skagway, Alaska, the start of the Chilkoot Trail.  The very same one that Dell, Charles, and a group of friends did some 20 years ago.  I wasn't there, but I have seen the photos and heard the stories.  I was reflecting on them and felt a loneliness in my heart at the thought that Dell has been gone from us now for about 15 years.  And then I saw the cabin.

It was during the summer of 1982, now 43 years ago, that Dell, Charles, and I built a not-so-different cabin at our camp out in the bush near Nordegg.  That place remains dear in my heart as it was the source of many stories, games, and silliness. I have written blogs on this before, and on Dell too, which you can see at my group site here.  

The place and view before me brought it all back.  The strong associations caused a constriction in my throat, and I felt, once again, the loss of Dell.  I think of him often, although the memories don't appear as often as they used to.  But this was different.  It was almost as though his spirit had come out of the forest, a place he loved, and reminded me of who he was and how deeply he is missed.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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