My parents met and married in Alaska, and I grew up summers on Front Street, Eagle, Alaska. I learned so much living on the Yukon River. I learned about friendship, wildlife, and what being a homemaker is all about. I walked up to caribou in my innocence and tried to hide in the loft from the legendary lightning storms that lit up the sky like fireworks across Ogilvie Mountains. Moose swam past our deck like Olympic medalists, while bears twirled around in the river as if they were sitting in barrels and letting the current do all the work. I always enjoyed seeing the wildlife and being able to get close to them and watch the babies grow. It was the best part for me as a child, but even now, I have carried that love for animals in my heart. 
   I met my best friend, Elva, when we were toddlers. Our mothers were both teachers in Eagle, and our cabin was only a block away from the B&B, an easy bicycle ride. As I grew older, I loved helping Elva and her mom, Marlys, at their B&B, the Falcon Inn, and have been close to them for over 26 years. 
   I started sewing for our cabin and guest cabin when I was 12 years old and made pillowcases with all kinds of Alaska wildlife designs from mosquitos to moose. My grandmother, favorite uncle and many family friends  stayed there when they came to visit, and Mom always wanted the place to give people a full sense of the pioneer days of Alaska. The logs were hand hewn in the early 1900’s, and many of the furnishings are from the Goldrush era. My pillowcases were to be an added reminder of the wilderness outside the door. 
   I hope my pillowcases will remind you of your travels in Alaska and that your wilderness experience will live on in your dreams as you sleep. I hope they will always call to you, no matter how old you are, or how far away, and that Alaska will live on in your heart, as it does in mine. 


Sincerely, 
Maria Wasson-Ceehorne