We just caught this post and are very sorry it took us so long to move it to the right place! Diana, we certainly remember you and loved hearing from you.
Diana Hall Says:
August 20, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Dear Niilo and Joan, Heather and Chena,
Greetings from Vancouver, BC. to you and all your family. The other day, out of the blue, I was thinking of Niilo and Joan and felt compelled to check the web only to find your blog with its concerning news. My thoughts and best wishes are with you all.
Browsing the blog brings many memories crowding back to me – of Niilo and Joan, the kids and lots of other folks, the homestead, the horses, the sauna, the view, the conversation, the politics, the Friends meeting, and the Ridge, and on and on. It was an intense and significant time!
You may remember me along with Dan Leen who built the octagonal cabin during 1970-72. I’ve let him know about the blog. Dan lives in Seattle and one of his website includes a couple of photos of the cabin which you may enjoy:
http://danielleen.org/gallery/v/alaska/web2-ak010.jpg.html and
http://danielleen.org/gallery/v/alaska/web2-ak009.jpg.html . He also has a few photos from when we spent a few winter months at the Meaders’ cabin at Wild Lake.
The blog post about the visit to Creamer’s Field reminds me when I worked at the Tanana Valley Fair (Niilo linked me up with Janet Baird who was the manager) and Old Mr. Creamer came into the office to hand over a certificate about his dairy farm behind the fairground. I remember him rather formally calling me “Mrs.”!
Another time I thought of Niilo was a few years ago when I visited Sointula, a place on the BC coast I had heard him mention because of its Finnish roots. I think I’d bought a postcard but never got it sent. Here’s a link instead: http://www.island.net/~soinmuse/history.html .
Although I visited Fairbanks briefly way back in 1981 and enjoyed catching up with Niilo, missed Joan who was back east. Alas, I haven’t been back since, and I cannot believe how much time has rushed by! Making another connection, I noticed a message from John Dunker who I believe I met in an anthropology class at UBC in Vancouver.
My fondest regards,
Diana Hall