Goddess on a Mountain Top

Sara wasn't upset that I put her senior portrait here; she just suggested an update that includes her partner. She wrote me the following:

"Did I really look like that? I know it was the 80s, but good lord!

"This is Mary Jo (right) and myself in Denali state park, Alaska (summer 2005). We took a bush plane to base camp (directly opposite of Moon Blossom mountain pictured behind us) where all climbers begin their ascent. After a two hour tour of the park by air, our pilot picked up some climbers from Turkey who had been on the mountain for 21 days. They were stinky as hell, but incredible companions. It was part of an amazing trip."

(Click on the photo for a larger view: I do believe that plane is wearing skis.)

Sara told me even more good news when she wrote: she's received an offer for a permanent job to begin when her visiting professorship ends this semester. I think it means that she and Mary Jo will get to reunite after two years of living in two separate cities and driving 4 hours to see each other on weekends. And I swear I wasn't making it up when I said that Sara is sad she won't be joining us in June because she'll be in Europe instead. She ended by writing, "I wish I could go to the reunion instead of my conference."