Alaska with attitude : Visits with old friends

Here's something I never thought about until one cold morning in January 2026. Every day it's part of my wake-up routine to scroll down the list of memories facebook puts up. Today there were several replies posted by two friends who have died in recent years. As the realization dawned on me there were sudden moments of sadness. But soon enough I realized in a way they are still with me and for a few moments I am again connecting with them and sharing brief interludes and fond memories with each one. After this was posted, another friend (living) wrote about similar experiences. She likened them to social visits.

And there was this follow-up: Here's an example: A few days after I posted about the warmth in reading memory conversations with friends who have died, this came across talking about writing with a friend:

"Joe May

What about the blood on the floor, Tim???

Tim Jones

Beads of it dripping like perspiration from your brow.

Joe May

This evokes an image of someone hunched over an old Underwood typewriter pecking away by the light of a Coleman lantern. The raw plywood floor around his chair is spattered with new and old stains of blood, sweat, and tears. The rusty oil drum stove is surrounded by empty ravioli cans and ice cream cartons. How close is this?

Tim Jones

You just described the 10 x 14 cabin on the Susitna River where I wrote The Last Great Race. My typewriter was an office upright that dated back to the 1930s that I bought from the Chicago Tribune when I worked there. The only thing missing from your picture is the ermine who used to venture out onto the open floor, stand up on his hind legs and look at me like I was crazy."

Since that time I have paid more attention to the comments on posts in my memories lists. Even if I find only one it shines a warm light into the approaching day. Joe and I had several conversations like this one, thinking I might post a few more as I come across them.

A serious shortage

Here's another one of those "Memories" social visits:

April 14, 2021 Tim Jones ·

Can somebody tell me why there's a Dinty Moore Beef Stew shortage. Is it a pandemic thing? Hoarding canned stew. I haven't seen any in my stores since maybe early February. Other brands yes, but not Dinty Moore. This is serious.

Joe May I bought 2 cans around Christmas. Hope I'm not responsible.

Report when you find more.

Tim Jones

Author

I could blame you if I hadn’t bought more than that in December for my winter supply; no more than usual though. I always leave at least one on the shelf.

Johnny Augustus Vespillo Newman

I love Dinty Moore

Tim Jones

Author

Do you know where the name came from?

Johnny Augustus Vespillo Newman

i do not

Tim Jones

He was a character in the Popeye comics

Joe May

He was cook on a tugboat I worked on in 1957. He baked his cakes on both sides. He also drank a lot, both on and off the job.

RECIPE CHAT

April 19, 2015 ·

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Enough of this. No more Facebook recipes. Garlic and brown sugar glazed chicken is not nearly as good as it sounds.

Emma Silver —Lol I'm with you

Carla Helfferich —Too bad--it does sound good.

Kitty Delorey Fleischman — I used to think you couldn't use too much garlic until I put six bulbs in a hummus recipe. When it was finally edible, I had about a gallon of it.

Joe May — I have a recipe for smoked salmon dip that I don't even share with Sandra. Women just don't seem to understand the alchemy of dead fish. I had considered putting it in my will for eldest son but If you're interested, let me know....

Kate KT McKee — I could say something really crass here in response to Joe, but will let him off the hook this time.

Joe May — Old Scandinavian humor, Kate. No offense intended.

Tim Jones — Joe, as long as there's no brown sugar in that dip recipe I'd love to have it.

Another throwback Thursday: This is late 40s/early 50s at a farm we owned in Java, N.Y. As I recall i seldom took off that coonskin cap. A bit of the history can be found here http://alaskaatitude.blogspot.com/.../there-goes...

Joe May

Same design: Used mine to haul logs. Other end of the log was strapped to the back of a Honda three wheeler ATV. Wheel barrow driver needed only lift the handles and run like hell to keep up. Very tricky....

Tim Jones I doubt that mine ever held a log, but I did pack some stuff on it one day and try to run away from home there. After pushing it up a hill, once I reached the other side and was out of sight, I got scared and went back. I don't think anybody even knew I had gone. They didn't make ATVs at this time.

Joe May

We hauled 16 ft roofing tin through our swamp with this rig...Sandra on the wheelbarrow handles, me on the three wheeler....I still remember the words she used.

Tim Jones

I can imagine. I didn't know those words yet when I pushed that thing up the hil

Philip Munger

Timmy, Timmy Crockett, King of the wild back yard.....

Tim Jones

It was a hundred acre wood

Marian Nattrass

Never knew your family had a farm in Java. Interesting!

Tim Jones

Not a working farm, really just land but it did have a sugar bush.

Del Allison

Tim, your expression of isolation including your snow machine, & fat tire bikes, resembles my personal thoughts, having never owned either. My mode of remote travel for over thirty years in Alaska, was dog team. Blazing trails and enjoying Mother Nature. Mechanical transportation is a total distraction to peace & tranquility. I still wondered what the result would be if gas pumps went dry and the power grid shut down. The wild berries providing the wine spirits, with an evening toast to the "Aurora" dancing on the horizon. Happy New Year...

Here's another one of those "memories" conversations.

Tim Jones

I had almost forgotten how therapeutic splitting firewood can be.

Sharon Wright

I used to love our wood stove, campfires, bonfires. Then I developed an allergy to woodsmoke. Replaced the wood stove with a Toyo stove and all those symptoms went away. These fires have been hard on me. Glad someone is still enjoying wood fires and splitting firewood--although it's sure easier in the winter, Tim.

Tim Jones

I am not burning anything except energy. This wood is spruce that has fallen down in storms over the years and I never got around to splitting. About three huge trees worth.

Sharon Wright

Bonus! We're heading back to Delta this weekend to deal with our blow downs--white spruce and useless poplar. I used to love doing that, too. Still glad Dave does it all now.Top of FormBottom of Form

Carrie Ann Nash

I need to do something therapeutic like that. Even scream therapy or something. The endless outrage is exhausting. And despite all the fighting and writing and calling I feel totally powerless to overcome the evil that is Dunleavy/Babcock/Arduin and their minions. Chop away!

Tim Jones

When I was quitting smoking a few years ago, I always left some unsplit wood in a pile by the door, so when it got to be too much, I could go out there and blast away at it.

Oh, the joys of writing

Here's another one of those "memories" conversations

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Ah the joys of the writer's life. I just received a royalty check for $1.44. One dollar and forty-four cents. Partaaaayyyy!

Gail Somerville

How will you ever decide what to spend it on? Hahaha

Shelley Gill

I have six books with one publisher. Have yet to get a check. Twenty five books and I work as a naturalist and do school visits. Shoulda been anything else.

Tim Jones

We don't do it for the money, that's for sure.

Shelley Gill

I used to write a book a year. Now I'm trying for three a year.

Tim Jones

I have been working on the current one for more than five years. If it ever gets finished and sells the hourly wage might be in the negatives

Michele Vincent

That'll buy a can of beer from the local 7-11

Sharon Wright

Buy stamps for your next submissions!

Tim Jones

It's all done on line these days.