When do they sleep?

I began this blog talking about the challenge behind renting a car in Wrangell. In that first and second posting, I reflected on the “Practical Rental Car” company and how it was only open for an hour or so in the morning and an hour or so in the afternoon when the planes come in. What do the employees do with the rest of their time? I wondered. Hunt? Fish? Write?

The answer? They work other jobs—several of them. Betsy, the one who took our reservation, also worked the front desk of the Stikine Inn where we stayed. The other rental car employee, Kathleen, had two other jobs—one of which was being the weather reporter for the island. As I mentioned earlier, she only told you what the weather was doing in the moment, probably most useful for pilots coming into the airport—but no predictions.

That’s how it is in Wrangell…and in most of small town Alaska. What you see is what you get. Our waitress at the Inn, Lisa, not only waited tables, she made the lattes, bussed the tables and washed down the deck afterwards. She was also “the town painter,” she told us. Last summer, she painted the exterior of the Inn.

Alaskans do what they do to survive, and that usually means working their butts off. I mean, these are rugged, independent, hard-working people. The question is no longer, “What do they do with the rest of their time?” It’s, “When do they sleep?” I came away with a hearty respect for anyone trying to make a living there.

Well, that’s it. Thanks for joining me on the journey. Doing a blog in the wilderness was a little crazy-making, but I’m generally glad I did it!

Happy trails,
Mary … and Richard, too