2001 An Alaskan Odyssey

The sign says Prudhoe Bay or Bust.. This of course is my dad... 

Tomorrow will be my dads 83rd birthday and I had planned a very different picture. I was going to do a collage of him on his 81st, 82nd and 83rd birthday but he seemed way to frail to post a picture of him today. When I went to see him he was mostly awake.. I tried to carry on a conversation with him but he was in and out. I did bring the gumdrops he requested despite great reservations giving one to him as he must be full upright anymore to swallow. So what I did is cut them up into little bites. He like the licorice one the best. As he drifted off to sleep, I noticed his breathing was even more shallow than last week.. He looked so peaceful when I left. 

From home to Prudhoe Bay is 2852 miles one way.. On this trip we drove well over a thousand miles of dirt roads. We slept in the back of my pickup truck as I made a bed back there with gear on the bottom, plywood and sleeping bags on top. A treasured trip I will always remember. 

Happy 83rd Birthday Dad...