Alaska Day Action

Last week was the annual Alaska Day festival in Sitka, THE place to be for Alaska Day. (Sitka is where the transaction between the U.S. and Russia to purchase Alaska actually occured.) It was a week-long schedule of events including a croquet tournament, kayak race, a formal ball, a parade and a demonstration of a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. However, this year's Coast Guard rescue swimmer demonstration was modified so the swimmer could swim to shore and propose to his girlfriend (she said yes). Unfortunately, I missed the fish pie sale (I have no idea what fish pie is ... maybe next year).

I took a slew of photos so if you're up for a long slide show, check it out. Make sure to read the explanatory captions. Plus, you can see some incredible shots of Sitka in fall, me and my friends and me and Robin. (It is absolutely gorgeous here.)

An Alaska Day tradition and must-do is the annual Alaska Day ball, formal wear or period costume required. Obviously, I didn't pack anything like that. I borrowed something from my friend Michelle and bought great shoes for $2 at the White Elephant. Michelle was a costume designer in college and actually made her own dress! Another friend, Allison, also borrowed formal wear from Michelle. It was hysterical!

I helped out with the first annual smoked salmon competition (put on by Jim, the bear spray guy) and made the Forest Service banner for the float. Smokey Bear made the annual appearance in the parade, as did the Volkswagon van drivers and the Harley contingent. Noticeably absent was the presence of any horse or other type of animal. The weather was typical for Alaska Day: rain, snow, more rain, hail, a little sleet, more rain and some sunshine.