Chapter 8 06 John Hayes and the Aurora

Step into the Canadian border and come to a place called White Horse (White Horse).Although this is the capital of the Yukon Special Region, its population is only a little over 20,000. It looks like a small but well-equipped rural town. I went to the camping area to inquire, and the price of camping for one night is ten dollars, which is not considered a lion, and it is definitely not cheap.I was still hesitating what to do, a man who looked like Japanese met my eyes, I quickly bowed my head to greet him, and he nodded back. The young man was working for a local canoe operator, and it seemed that he came to this camping area by accident.

"Are you going to live here?" he said. "Hmm?????? Still hesitating, ten dollars is a bit expensive for me." He thought for a while and said to me, "I know a guy named John Haysey, just ask him to let you camp in his backyard." He smiled and added: "John is also very independent, with a straightforward personality, so you don't have to worry about anything!" That's a little cheeky, right?Normally I would have declined, but once I heard that John was a canoe photographer, I couldn't help but want to meet him.Since he was rated as a maverick, he should also be quite attractive!

John Haysey lives in a somewhat old house on the banks of the Yukon River and has a cat for company.Just like the rumors, he has a very cheerful personality and greeted me as an unexpected guest with a smile on his face.He was in his early sixties and looked a little like Kim Hackman.His slow demeanor is as smooth as Tai Chi, and his eyes are full of tenderness, making everyone open their hearts to him.The smile is particularly beautiful, and a unique "hehe" laugh comes from the depths of the white beard.In short, he is a person who is impressive in every gesture. I followed his instructions and set up a tent in the courtyard.The blue Yukon River ahead is as wide as the sea, making a heavy rumbling sound as it flows forward continuously.

"awesome??????" I fell in love with this place at first sight.John also seems to have fallen in love with the Yukon River after wandering the world, and then settled here. That night, John invited me in for coffee.The house is so full of books, broken furniture, and other clutter that has no known purpose that there is almost no room to walk.There is no electricity in the house, only kerosene lamps are lit.Although there is no running water, if you want to use water, there is a big river flowing by the house. At night, in the dim light of a kerosene lamp, he spoke of the beauty of the Yukon River.

"If, you really want to know about the Yukon??????" John spoke slowly, taking another sip of his coffee.The light from the kerosene lamp cast deep shadows on the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. "You have to paddle a canoe and travel for a week." "??????" Boom Boom?????? After nightfall, the sound of the water flow became louder and clearer. "One or two days is not enough. From the fourth day onwards, you can slowly begin to experience the silence of the forest." John took a sip of his coffee and I waited for him to continue. Boom boom boom??????

"On the fifth day, you can feel the breath of animals; on the sixth day, you can become one with the big river; on the seventh day, you can understand the true face of the Yukon River." Then he laughed, like a movie star. I was completely mesmerized by his words.This is really awesome! But that day was already August 9th, and the breath of autumn was getting stronger and stronger.It starts snowing as soon as summer is over in this area, and I have to go south as soon as I can across the Canadian Rockies.I'm too late now from Alaska to do a canoe trip?????? The conclusion has come.However, even when I travel, I will still be chased by time, and I will inevitably feel a little sad.

John also showed me a few photo books he took, almost all of which are portraits of Indians.In the black-and-white photo with a sad atmosphere, the eyes of each face are shining brightly. It was about one o'clock in the morning before I returned to my tent.After writing the diary, I was about to shrink into my sleeping bag, when I heard someone call: "Yufu, come out and have a look!" Climbing out of the tent, John was standing next to me. "What's wrong?" Without looking at me, he looked up, pointing at a point in the night sky. "aurora." "Huh? Really?"

I screamed, can you see the aurora in summer? Looking in the direction he pointed, something like a ribbon cloud floated in the night sky, emitting a faint green light, flowing quietly. I couldn't move, and John next to me laughed and walked back into the house. The band of light became wider and wider, gradually turning into a curtain shape, moving faster than imagined, as if being continuously blown by a strong wind.The number of light curtains gradually increased, overlapping into several layers, and the range increased until it filled the entire night sky.I didn't have time to go back to the tent to get my camera, I really didn't want to miss a second!The flickering of the light became more and more intense, and I was obsessed with watching it, and finally exploded like fireworks at the brightest moment.

"Wow??????" The emotion at that time was unparalleled.That should be the so-called disintegration of the aurora. I didn't know that the aurora would explode like this. The particles of light formed a long and thin strip again, shaking slowly, gradually turning into a curtain, and finally exploding?????? This aurora show was repeated three times in total, and lasted for about an hour and a half.I've been in a trance and haven't been this focused in years?????? The aurora show finally ended, and the night sky returned to silence. I heard the crickets around me, and the breeze blew the smell of dew on the grass, which aroused deep nostalgia.When the mood calmed down, I whispered in my heart:

"Go canoeing??????"