The Island Air offices are located in a two-story building, pale blue siding with white trim on the windows. There’s a ramp on the front of the building, and an Island Air sign over the entrance. The mountains behind the building, in late November, are brown, jagged, with a light dusting of snow. To the right of the building is fenced off area with a plane inside. It’s one of two Caravans, the larger of the fleet. The other plane, which must have been in the hanger, is called Cherokee.

The Alaska Airline and Island Air parking lots abut one another.

Pam and I spent mid-morning with Rachel, the KANA/Friends of the Kodiak Public Library worker/board member.

The flight here was, as Pete would say, uneventful. I stood on the runway and watched as a half-dozen men in camo, grunting, loaded yellow bins with black lids into the belly of Caravan. The words Bad Karma came to mind when I learned that the bins contained bear meat.

This time, I got on the plane first and got a single seat. Pam, who got on the plane right behind me, got the single seat ahead of me. I was relieved. I did not want a seat partner. If this was going to be a rough trip, I’d of course prefer to be alone rather than have someone next to me.

I asked the pilot, and I was told that, yes, the flight would be smooth. Of course, I wondered if this fellow was telling me the truth. It turned out that he was. The landscape was mountainous, snow covered, with water passageways between them.

I’d been told that the brown landscape is green in November. The area is called The Emerald Aisle.

Though the flight was smooth, the next time I’ll take the ferry. Actually, there are two, one to Kodiak Island and the other to Old Harbor.

Wet met Rachel in the Island Air Office. My ears were blocked, so I had to pretend to hear her, which she may or may not have noticed. This time I was better able to make note of her features – large glasses framed a long face, and her hair was parted in the middle. She explained further that she’s a physical therapist and travels to the five villages, gulp, by plane.

Rachel showed us the exterior of the library because the library was closed. Outside was actually more interesting than inside – there was a story walk, with words and illustrations, paintings of bees on the sidewalk, and an actual beehive behind the building. She said that she didn’t know what became of the bees in the winter. Later, when I mentioned this to Pete, he said that someone probably sucked them out of the hive with a vacuum cleaner.

The books – the library has an excellent categorization system, but as I said, the books would be more accessible if the lids were removed.

Pam is now standing in the Alaska Airlines TSA line and beckoning for me to join her. Smart me, I will continue to wait, no sense in standing for any more time than I have to, with a heavy pack on my back.

Next: 321. 11/25/24: Darkness Descends