I hadn't planned on an official Scatter in Alaska but in packing for my trip, a bottle of Evan went into my bag. I know he would have loved being there, the casual way people up there live, the nature and expansive vistas. On a bright Monday morning, we took off from the harbor in Homer for a four hour boat excursion.  Beginning with understatement, I will say that it was a particularly windy day and even windier when out at sea. Sloan aptly described the boat ride as “being inside a washing machine.” It was incredible nonetheless and we were fortunately not among the many folk who spent hours with heads in buckets. The sky was clear and blue, the seas were chock full of whales, seal lions, sea otters and more. The cliffs and hillsides were home to Puffins (a few kinds) sea birds, eagles and the occasional goats, deer, and other critters.  We saw glaciers.  We saw a numbers of cabins and small dwellings that I think are accessible only by boat. Places where people not much like me reside out in the middle of nowhere. Evan would have lusted after those spaces and loved the rough hewn simplicity of it all.  I’m glad that I took him along. As the boat plowed through the choppy gulf, Sloan and I went outside at the stern. I opened the bottle, held it up and Evan flew out into the cold and clean.

  - Susan Scofield