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Monday, January 11, 2010

Denali National Park


My parents are stealth outdoorsmen. They have none of the traits usually associated with a love of nature. They don't camp. They do not spend a requisite vacation in the outdoors on a regular basis. They do not belong to the Sierra Club. They aren't even Democrats. But they do love the National Park system, and when my brother and I were young, they took us regularly to parks all over the West. Maybe the phenotype skips a generation, because their offspring fit the more traditional profile. My brother more than I.

He is the poster child for a sibling in many respects, but his choice to live in the state that is first most memorable for it's natural beauty and then second most memorable for the abundance of large mammals (both on land and at sea) is icing on the cake. While I am by far the eldest of the siblings, he is a role model for me related to outdoor enjoyment. He has chosen to live in a more hospitable environment for it, but the love of the outdoors goes with him when he ventures outside Alaska as well. Happy Birthday, Jonathan. Many wonderful returns of the day.

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