The most interesting and different pen pal I have ever had was a lady who lived at Delta Junction, Alaska. She lived beside a junk yard, in a small house, and in her earlier years had been a fur trapper. She wrote about putting on her snowshoes and "mushing' along, with her sled dogs, 15 or 20 miles of trap line. She would go out regardless whether it was 50 below zero, a blowing blizzard or just a cold crisp Alaskan winter day. She trapped fox, wolverine and other fur bearing animals. She wrote about skinning the animals and preparing the hides.

She wrote about going grocery shopping once or twice a year. Her letters were filled with stories of the brilliant stars at night, the glowing ribbons of northern lights sweeping across the northern skies, and the 20+ hour days in midsummer. She gave descriptions of the wonderful wild flowers -- roses. iris and others which colored the bare landscape in the brief Alaskan spring. She told about how she tried to keep a few flowers alive in the winter. The love of her life were her dogs. Her letters were filled with their antics and adventures.

Alas, she became ill with diabetes and slowly the letters began to wane and finally ended. In her last letters, her mind seemed to wander into some strange New-Age thoughts. Her interesting informative letters were always sent in Colorful envelopes made from seed catalogues. Since we lived in Alaska for a time, I was able to relate somewhat to her world but Must say I have never before or since written to a trapper in the heart of Alaska.