It really started yesterday.  There was a knock on the door and when I opened it a man introduced himself as Richard.  I invited Richard in.  Richard asked if Cathy had mentioned him and I said, “she had but along with a bunch of other things so, remind me”.   

Richard owns a ship.  I don’t know how long it is but it is powered by two 1,200 Horse Power CAT engines that burn 40 gallons of gas per hour each at 30 knots.  “I pick up and deliver pilots to Cruise Ships”, Richard said, “and Cathy thought you’d like to take a ride”  —  time: tomorrow morning, be at the Harbor at 10, I’ll have one or two pilots to pick up”.  

I agreed to go. “Yes, of course”, I said.  Frankly, I didn’t understand what he was talking about.  Do Cruise Ships have ‘Pilots’?  Is that the term they use for the Captain?  Well, It turns out, Cruise Ships do have Pilots but they are not the same as the Captain.  Captains drive the ship but Pilots navigate the ship in dangerous waters.  When Cruise Ships are way out to sea they don’t always have to have a Pilot.  But when Ships enter the inland waterways, the Fiords, the bays and coves, the sea between the Islands, Pilots are required by law.  It’s sort of like the trucks that need to be escorted across Pennsylvania.  These guys know the ropes, the terrain, and the in’s and out’s.  But here is the really interesting part: The Cruise Ship does not stop to pick up or let off a Pilot - they do it ‘in flight’.  That’s where Richard and his ship comes in: First we saw the Cruise ship coming on the horizon; then we drove right past it; then we did a strange ‘turn on a dime’ maneuver; then we caught up to the Cruise Ship; then we made our speed match theirs (which, being so close seemed pretty fast); then we got closer and closer and closer until we finally touched.  There were just a few old tires as bumpers between us and they rested right up against the Cruise ship.  As we moved along a door opened on the side of the ship - a door I didn’t even know was there until it opened; then a small ladder was lowered from the door to our ship, and finally the Pilot came down and boarded our ship.  The door was closed, we separated, and away we went.  The Pilot’s name was Doug.  He , was going to spend two days in Yakutat.  The Cruise Ship would go on to Steward and he’d catch it again on the way back to Ketchikan.  The next day Carla and I went to the towns only Surf Shop to check on T-shirts.  One other customer came in while we shopped  —  it was Doug.  He had ridden a bike. 

After our morning adventure we went to Ron’s to let him know that Cathy was going away for a week and she had lent us her car.  Ron had planned on getting his truck back to us and now that would not be necessary.  We asked Ron what we’d need for tomorrows fishing trip - just a license, ‘you can get on at the Hardware Store.  As we talked, Ron he was filleting six Sockeye Salmon he had caught earlier that day.  When he was done Ron walked to a small clearing with the fish remains and dumped them on the ground.  You do not realize how loud the swoosh of an Eagle’s wings are until they fly in right above your head.  In moments all the fish parts were gone, gathered up and carried away by majestic Eagles.  Before we left Ron asked, ‘what are you guys having for dinner?’  I said, ‘probably the other half of the salmon you gave us.  He handed me a bag and said, ‘here, this is to go with it.’  Then he added, ‘you don’t have to detain these shrimp, they come from the glacier waters and its so cold they use all their food for every - there is no waste.  I found that hard to believe but it turned out Ron was right.  Not a vein in them, just mild tasty shrimp.

I was all ready for my second youth group Wednesday night but no one showed up.   Turns out the kids grandfather missed his flight in from Seattle and was delayed.  They were waiting at the airport.  I learned this when I walked over their house the next day and ran into their dad (and granddad) getting ready to go fishing.  I left him a few things for each of the boys to study.  Well, theres always next week.  

Since there was no Youth Group I went for walk and witnessed one of the town’s oddities: As I was walking down a dirt road I could see coming toward me a women.  She was walking the Llama I had sung to the day before.  Both she and the Llama were dressed in all the garb you’d expect to see on the streets of Peru.  The only thing out of character was the paper plate pinned to the blanket on the Llama that said, “I’m not here so you can take pictures”.  I said ‘good evening’ but got no response - it was all quite surreal.