Alaska

(notice how deep blue the glaciers are underneath the snow)

is BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL. and freezing. We have been here six days now, and it is a gorgeous place, but a very cold one. The sun doesn't come out for more than a few hours a day, and the rest of the time there is like a deep twilight during the day. The first two days were bearably cold, but then the front came in, and I froze walking the 100 yards or so from the hotel to the theatre. I didn't really go anywhere else because it was so cold, and if I did, I wore Uggs, a sweater, jeans, a polar fleece, a puffy jacket, a scarf or two, a hat, and earmuffs over the hat. I was quite a site. We had a five show weekend this weekend, which flew by really quickly and now tomorrow we leave for LA.

I did end up getting to go up in a plane to see the glaciers. My two friends were kind enough to invite me to come along to fill their empty spot, and it was BREATHTAKING. Besides seeing like 20 moose, mountain goats, and sheep, we came right up close to mountains and glaciers. We caught a glimpse of Mt. McKinley, flew over Lake George, and the Mat-su valley. It is hard to describe this experience for me. It took my breathe away and made me cry. It is rare living in New York City that we realize how small we are, the nature that lives all around us, encompassing us. Breathtaking mountains and glaciers surrounded me so that I had no idea where to look. Deep, turquiose blue glaciers and endless mountains, moose grazing around, sheep trudging through the snow. We didn't see any bears because they were all hibernating-which is what I would do if I lived here in the winter-that and eat all day long!!! I am SO glad I did the plane tour-it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It felt like a movie in parts, like I was in some IMAX film movie of some place I would never get to really go, but could imagine- and I was THERE.

And in one week, home I go for Christmas with the family, so here's a Christmas poem

And is it true?

And is it true,

This most tremendous tale of all,

Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,

A Baby in an in ox's stall?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Became a Child on earth for me?

By Sir John Betjeman, 1954

To Hollywood, my darlings!

XO

Haley