Carole Gibb’s LETTERS FROM ALASKA 1 reached one hundred twenty readers in March! She continues the series with a second letter about the ending of a day’s fishing off the coast of Alaska. In these excerpts from her memoir, FISHING FOR COURAGE, Carole writes letters to her sister, Mary, describing new experiences fishing and living in Southeastern Alaska’s outer coast and her response to them. Her descriptions of being new to Alaska life are vivid, honest, and often quite funny!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carole Gibb (née Healy) has taken the buffet approach to work. A scoop of this, a dab of that, with seconds and even thirds on the favorites. Writing work is definitely a favorite. She’s been a staff writer for the Juneau Empire, an editor with Alaska’s state wildlife bureau, and has contributed essays to the public radio program AK. Her articles have also appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Today’s Chicago Woman, and the Washington Post.
At the end of LETTERS FROM ALASKA 2 is information about ordering Carole’s books from AMAZON.
Dear Mary,
We’re on our way to anchor up. I ducked inside the pilothouse to thaw out every 
few hours. Tom’s not much into conversation lately, so mostly we listened to the “VHF.” This is what he calls the marine radio, and I’m trying to remember to call it that, too, but I accidentally keep saying “VHS” instead.
“VHF, very high frequency,” he patiently says.
“Oh, right,” I nod as if that means something to me, while secretly thinking, very happy fruit fly, and virile hunky flirt, trying to lodge those letters V-H-F into my brain.
So the reason we’re listening to the radio is to pick up hints on whether nearby boats are catching.
Certain skippers, the 
successful ones, have coding partners—other successful people with whom they share catch data via the VHF. But since everyone monitors the radio, hungry to learn where the bite is, partners must be wily. Their secret codes can sound funny. One guy will say, “I have a few more than a . . .” There will be a rustle of paper while he refers to his key sheet
of codes, and he’ll finally say, “smoky brown cow.” Then his partner will say, “I’ve got a candied ham,” and the first guy replies, “Sounds good with eggs.”
Other fishermen hide their codes in casual conversation. Rather than saying, “I have a such-n-such fill-in-the-code-name,” they sneak code words in on the sly. Tom told me about a couple of guys who talked gardening all last season and nobody knew whether they were using it for a cover, or really liked gardening, or both.
We’re not coding with anyone, but some friends invited us to a barbecue tonight on their 
boat, so after we “set the hook” (that means anchor, matey!) we’ll row over in the dinghy. We’ll get dinner, but 
we’re also going to get the scuttlebutt. I’ll let you know what we learn.
Hey Mary,
The money sucks . . . but at least the hours are long.
xxoo
Carole
Photo credits -Hans Weinberg
KEEP YOUR HEAD, Carole’s recently published mystery joins Carole’s previous novel, BAD GUYS BEWARE and memoir FISHING FOR COURAGE.
Enjoy Alaskan Romantic Suspense featuring Kit Finnegan
Good guys thumping the bad guys – that’s the general idea, plus some spicy flirting, hot smooching, peril, and a tango scene! And humor. On Amazon ~ Ebook .99 cents, print $9.99. Large print $13.95. Below is the link to the Amazon Author page.
https://www.amazon.com/Carole-Gibb/e/B00AQZF874/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
To read Carole’s previously published LETTERS FROM ALASKA 1 – click here
