Redoubt

Today, I went to the fabric store to get the material for my Easter dress I'm planning. While there, Redoubt's activity was naturally brought up. Mostly because we were all complaining about the hype that the news has made about it - after all, the presidental race is over and the reporters must have nothing else to talk about anymore. Otherwise, I bet most people would have never heard of Redoubt. It's called scare tactics.

Anyways, there was young woman, Rebekah, there whom I spent a while talking to. She was about six months pregnant with twins, and has only lived in Alaska since this last April - so she wasn't as sure as the rest of us about Redoubt and the reporters. 

"But they say that it's going to spew ash and contaminate the air for four months! And babies born during the time will have a eight percent chance of asthma!"

I told her calmly that I highly doubted that there would be ash in the air for four months. Maybe trace bits, but not enough to do us any serious damage. And if the ratio for those asthmatic babies was true, there would be a lot more of my friends with asthma right now from the last time that Redoubt blew. 

Somewhat more calm, she sighed "but... they say that it's heating up..."

At this point, an elderly woman in a wheel-chair cut into our conversation: "Honey, even if it blows, your children won't be affected most likely. And Redoubt's always a little active - they are just looking to make news."

"But, a friend of mine that I met who's lived here for four years says that it's been really active recently!"

The old woman smiled "It's not nearly as active as it could be, or has been. I've seen it smoke worse."

"Well, have you been watching it for four years?"

"Not four, dear, I've been living in the same house with a wonderful view of Redoubt when the sun shines since 1948. You have nothing to fear. Go make those quilts for your babies and don't worry. Last time I worried about a volcano, I ended up in labour when it went off. Very upleasant because the doctor didn't want to come. So, as you see, there's no point in worrying."

Yes, I love living in Alaska. Women like that, with their rugged husbands of course, were the ones who built our state. And if the mountain really does blow, I so want it to be daytime on a clear day, can you imagine the pictures?