Of course There's a Story........

Once upon a time.............
The four of us headed north from California to Fairbanks, Alaska, with hopes and prayers to experience the Aurora Borealis.  The forecast from the Geophysical Institute was good, showing a wide band of activity as far south as Anchorage.      http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast
Sue, Leslie and Renee drove from the lodge on Saturday evening, gassed up the Expedition, and drove north, as recommended to us. (Jeanne stayed back at the lodge, to watch the lights from her deck there.) We were prepared for the 25 mile drive. We were confident that at Wickersham Dome, at 3000 feet, we'd have our 'holy moments' of Northern Lights, a spiritual experience about which we would tell our grandchildren.
Seven miles north of Fairbanks, suddenly there were a state trooper's lights blazing at us, pulling us over.
You had not dimmed your high beams, Officer Roberts explained.
Oh, sorry, we realized why you were pulling us over the moment you put your lights on.
Where are you ladies headed?
We're headed north to Wickersham Dome to see the Aurora.
Are you?  Why are you driving all the way there?  They're right here.  Look up.
Unbelievable.  There were waves of green shimmering lights all over the sky. Everywhere.

Right there, and there, and there, pointed out  Ranger Roberts. We got some photos.
Amazed and laughing and exclaiming two piled out of the car, while he checked our IDs. Then he recommended we drive up a couple of  miles, pull over in any driveway off the road, and watch the lights right here.
Off we went.  Pulled over at Mile 10.  Jumped out.
In all the commotion and excitement, in trying to get clothes out and get dressed properly, and get the camera, the car doors and hatchback became locked.
With the car running. With us outside the car.

24 degrees below zero.
Leslie had no coat on. I had only liner gloves, not thick ones.  Sue had all appropriate clothing on, except they 'sucked' to quote her, and her fingers and toes had been numb in the car, before we were locked out..
Dark cold night, bright, shimmering aurora all over the sky.
Quick assessment:  This would be a 911 moment, Sue said.
One of us had a cell phone. (That would be Renee)
Ten minutes of explanation to the 911 operator that this was a real emergency, and her sorting out what we really needed, which was for the officer to come back so we could sit in his car, till she could send a tow company to open the car door.
OK, The officer's on his way, she said. Which tow truck company would you like?
Just send one, any one, I said.
No, no, you have to choose.  I'll start reading them to you.
Seriously?  Do you know I can hardly make my lips move to talk to you?
No, I have to read them.
She read the first name.  That one, I said. That one!
She patches me over to George.  What do you need, ma'am?
For you to save our lives by opening our locked car.....now......
Ok, we can be there in 30 minutes.  Great, I say.
I don't tell Leslie or Sue it will be 30 minutes.  Why worry them?

The next ten minutes out there were seriously the longest ten minutes of my life.  Breath-taking lights and breath-taking cold and acute awareness of our vulnerability.
We laughed and cursed, ran around, stamped feet, took photos, cursed more, Sue gave her lap blanket so Leslie could wrap up.
Ranger Rick arrived.  Opened his police car's back door and said get in.  He had an Air Force fellow riding along, who wants to be a trooper.
We were giddy with relief, probably seemed like we were drunk, actually, we were so goofy.  We assured him we hadn't been drinking.
Have you ever sat in the back seat of a police car?  They are really, really uncomfortable, hard metal, wheel well in the center to straddle.  I realize they're not made for a passenger's comfort, after all.

He talked on the radio about bad guys, let us photograph his car from the bad guy seat.

Then George and Randy arrived!  And we attempted to get out of the trooper's car.  Where's the door handle?  Sue exclaimed.   Duh...............Sue, with no previous experience in rear seats in police cars, learned quickly, of course,  'no handles' keep the bad guys in!
George and Randy had the car open in a minute.
Did you try using the key pad, they asked?  No, George, first of all, never had a car with a keypad. Second, the rental company didn't give us the number.  How much for your work?
65 dollars, Ma'am.  Done, I said, peeling off an unknown number of bills  in the dark with icy fingers!
He looked at the bills and seemed quite happy.  I don't actually know what we paid them.
 It doesn't matter.

The cast of characters!

Into the warm car, and finally taking the first deep breath in 30 minutes.
Should we head home now?
Hell, No!  After all this drama?  Keep driving north, please!  After all this, we are now official "Aurora Chasers".  Drive on!
We viewed lights at two others turn-outs, and finally drove home about 12:30 am.

The Big Dipper and the Aurora Borealis

The lights were still overhead, and it was hard to settle down, but finally by 2am, we were done in and tucked in.
Thank you, God and Goddess, Universe, Fate, Ranger Rick , George and Randy, for our safety and the story and our very own Christmas season light show!

RJ and LC