A Full-time Life

RUSSIAN RIVER FALLS

 This small adventure in OUR WORLD happened last week when we were still staying in Soldanta.  We've moved on a couple of places since then.  I might still be blogging about Alaska next winter -- so much to see and do here.  (And such iffy Internet connections.)  

 

We hiked a 6 mile out-and-back trail up to the Russian River Falls (uphill both ways, it seemed like to me). It  was the beginning of the run for the red salmon (Coho).

 It was amazing to watch the fish try so hard to swim up these falls.  There were so many of them.  And people told us that this was just the beginning.  Soon there would be even more. 

 

 

We watched several parties netting the fish from the bottom of the Falls.     In assigned places, rural Alaska residents  are eligible to catch salmon using dip nets.    It used to be only Native Americans who could do this, but now most  residents of the State are eligible. 

 

 

It was interesting to see families hauling their nets, ice chests, and other paraphanalia along the trail.  I think if they are willing to go to that much work, they certainly deserve to put fish in their freezer for the long winter ahead.

 

 

The beautiful  day was perfect for a hike.   New spring growth and lots of wildflowers.   In spots of clearing we could see snow-covered mountain peaks, but we were in shirtsleeves the whole time.   

 

 

 For  OUR WORLD TUESDAY and  SCENIC WEEKENDS

 Thank you to the hosts!  

MIDNIGHT BLUE

 

After Midnight,  June 20 2014.  Soldanta Alaska

 

 

 

There was more color in the sky that night than we had seen since we'd been in the State.

 

Mostly the nights have  been -- well -- not night.   Just pale blue daylight all the time... until we go ahead and go to bed anyway.  And still the same color when we get up the next morning.   Takes a little getting used to.

 

The next day it rained almost all day.  So I guess the color was the storm clouds gathering.  That was June 21, the longest day of the year.   Not a good day for the city's Solstice Celebration.  We decided to skip it and we probably weren't the only ones.

 

 

FOR:  SKYWATCH FRIDAY.  Thank you to Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy

LILACS IN JUNE

 

 

We have learned that there is a way to see typical early Spring flowers even if during that season you are in Florida where it is too hot for them.  

And even if you don't arrive for a summer visit with your kids in Oregon until mid-May, when the earliest spring blooms have faded.

 

 

The way you do it is to arrive in Seward Alaska in mid-June.  Spring has barely begun here.  It has been years since we've seen lilacs.  I wanted to bottle their wonderful scent.

 

 

Flower gardens were certainly not our primary reason for traveling to Alaska but aren't these beauties a nice bonus?

 

 

FOR: NATURE'S PHOTOS BLO-MA,  TODAY'S FLOWERS and MOSAIC MONDAY.  Thank you Monica, Denise and Mary.

 

PUFFINS

 

We really wanted to see puffins -- and we did see some on our dinner cruise out of Resurrection Bay,  but not close enough to get decent pictures.   A couple of days after the cruise, we went to the Alaska Sea Life Center   (on the same Bay -- in Seward) and I took all of these pictures there.  

 

Horned Puffin

 

The horned puffin above is the kind we saw from the boat ... and the kind we were hoping to see.  Didn't even know there was such a thing as a Tufted Puffin  (like the one below) until we visited the Center.

 

Tufted Puffin

 

(Looks like a real bad hair day.) 

 

 

I still hope to be able someday to spot and photograph puffins in the wild, but the Sealife Center is the next best place.  And  we have at least seen the horned puffin in its natural state so I can add it to my list.

 (When I first became interested in birds, it was pre-digital camera, so back then whenever I saw a new bird it was a great day.  Nowadays, I don't quite feel like it counts unless I get a picture.)  

 

LINKING TO:  WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY brought to us by Stewart, who hosted his 100th edition of WBW while we were traveling.  Belated congratulations and, as always, thanks for hosting Stewart.   

 

 

EXIT GLACIER, KENAI FJORDS N.P.

 

      

 

We hiked to the edge of Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park.  It was a pretty good little jaunt for a couple of great-grandparents ...  Had we been here only a few years earlier, it would have been easier.    The chart below, seen along the trail, shows the glacier's retreat.

 

 

Although it has been receding since the end of the little ice age, it has lost mass at a much faster pace in the last few years as shown.  

 

 

 

 

 

Small signs as you walk along the trail from the parking area show where the edge of the glacier would have been in earlier years.  The distance between them was an excellent visual of  how clmate change  has affected the glacier.

 

 

Kenai Fjords National Park

 

 

Linking this post to NATURE NOTES (Thank you to Michelle) and to OUR WORLD (Thank you to Lady Fi and the other wonderful bloggers of the OWT team).

SEA OTTERS - RESURRECTION BAY, SEWARD

 

 Everything about Northern Sea Otters is so darn cute.    I could watch them all day (and almost did). The bay was full of Otters.

 

Looks like he might be saying grace before dinner (or praying for a good catch).

 

And  it worked.  A few minutes later --  after a quick backflip underwater  -- he was up again and enjoying a yummy shellfish dinner! 

 

Time for an after-dinner nap!

 

Northern Sea Otters are a member of the weasel family.  They are the only marine mammal that does not have blubber to keep warm.  Instead they rely on their very dense fur [1200 hairs per square inch] which keeps their skin dry.  That rich fur contributed to their near-demise after hunters nearly wiped them out  by the early 20th century.   They are now protected and the species has rebounded.  But they are still considered an endangered animal because of habitat loss.

The next day we visited the sealife rehabilitaion center and learned more about them.  Sea otter diet consists of shellfish.  Due to their high metabolism and the cold they eat about thirty percent of their weight daily.  At the center, we were told that they eat more than a Sea Lion, and are much more expensive to feed [shell fish vs herring type fish] They are one of the few mammals to use tools -- they sometimes place a rock on their chest and pound the shellfish against it to crack it.    

 

LINKED TO SATURDAY CRITTERS.  Thank you to Eileen for hosting.

 

 

KENAI FJORDS N.P. by boat

 

 

 

We went on a dinner cruise to see Kenai Fjords National Park from Resurrection Bay.   (You know you're boat people when you are ready for another cruise after only getting off the ferry three days earlier. )  

 

 

We saw this colony of stellar sea lions, whales, dolphins, and birds.  All of which (except these lazy guys) moved too fast for me to get pictures from a moving boat.  

 

But the salmon/prime-rib buffet dinner (prepared on board) was delicious and the scenery amazing.    

 

 

This is one of the isolated places in the bay where men were stationed during WWII to man radar or anti-submarine equipment.  Gives new meaning to living 'out in the middle-of-nowhere'.

 

Several companies offer similar cruises.  The one we chose,  Major Marine,  has a National Park Ranger on board to provide narration and answer questions.

 

LINKED (I hope) TO: SCENIC WEEKENDS  and  OUR WORLD TUESDAY.  Thank you to the hosts.

VIEWS ( and reviews) OF OUR INSIDE PASSAGE

 

 

As usual when we are on a roadtrip, I am about a week behind on posts.  We are currently exploring the Kenai Peninsula in our camper-van, but this is about last week's journey to get from the "lower 48" to Alaska.  We traveled on  the Kennicott, part of the State's Ferry System.  

 

 

Boarding the Kennicott

  We loved this way to travel.  The spectacular views along the Inside Passage (from Bellingham Washington to Whittier Alaska) were the best part of the journey.  We had short  amounts of time to spend off the boat at each port of call (just while the crew unloaded and loaded cars and passengers).

 

Bellingham to Ketchikan 676 miles

We also quite enjoyed just being on the ship.  This kind of travel is  casual and laid back ... perfect for us.   Lots of sunny lounges with lovely windows for the view  (or to read ...  some people played cards or did puzzles).     There's a walk deck all around the ship as well, with a couple of quieter reading lounges on the upper decks too.    

 

Ketchikan to Juneau 338 miles

 

 

The food on board was good, with way more fresh fruit and vegetables than we expected.  Lots of fish, salad bar, soups.  The cost of meals is not included in the fare (it's a ferry boat, not a cruise ship) and this actually suited us fine because we could choose what we wanted without the niggling feeling of not getting one's money's worth because everybody else is eating more.   A small bar/cocktail lounge was next to the dining room -- no liquor was allowed anywhere else on the ship, including in the dining area.  

 

 

Juneau to Yakutat 269 miles

 Sleeping arrangements on the ferry were adequate, not luxurious.  You are not allowed to sleep in or use your RV or vehicle, but there are two or three time each day when you can go below for fifteen minutes if you need to get something out of it.   We had a stateroom with our own (small) bathroom.  I appreciated having our own   temperature control.   Some people just camp out on the upper deck, in tents or they sleep on lounge chairs or the floor (as if they were on a Greyhound bus or a train).     

 

Yakutat to Whittier 346 miles

 

We had less than an hour in the remote fishing village of Yakutat, but were able to climb up a small hill to buy a latte from a shop that pretty much relies on twice weekly ferry visits for income.  We also found a (rare) sandy beach.   We wished we'd had more time here.  

Shortly after we left port, our  Captain took a bit of a detour in order to move close to a glacier and ice field near Mt St Elias.   A scenic highlight in a trip filled with wonderful scenery!

Linking to OUR WORLD  and MOSAIC MONDAY with thanks to the hosting team.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEADING NORTH

North to Alaska! 

 

(Alaska State Ferry System photo)

 

On Saturday afternoon we boarded the Alaska Ferry in Bellingham Washington.  (We've  been planning this adventure since last winter --  unusual for us  to make RV reservations that far ahead of time -- but these ferries fill up fast!)

We'll be on the boat for five days; then camping and exploring throughout Alaska for as long as we can.    (As long as we can stand camping in the Roadtrek and/or as long as we don't get too cold.  Whichever comes first.)

 

 

 I would say we plan to stay until we've seen everything, but I know there is no chance of that.  We have spent months in  states much smaller than this one and still wish we could visit again because we missed so much.  But we will do our best.

We are SO excited to have  this chance to visit this new (to us) State.   And can't wait to experience for ourselves the wonderful animals and scenery that we've read and heard so much about.   And can't wait to share our pictures.

 

computer station in the RoadTrek

BUT there is no WiFI on board the ferry.  So I will  not be able to link or post (or visit any blogs)  until we disembark and reach our first campspot.  

 

   

 REVISED MONDAY morning.  I may be able to link this post to OUR WORLD TUESDAY.  We are in Ketchikan for a couple of hours  and have cell service and can use our personal hotspot. I will try to link  up as Alaska  is four hours earlier than Eastern time, so this week's OW might be up before we hit open water and lose our phone connection.  We've already seen some beautiful scenery and the boat has everything we need!

At any rate, we have now set foot  on Alaska soil -- walked an hour after we docked -- but  had to be back on the boat an hour before we're scheduled to take off again.  

FIRST MOUNTAINS OF THE SUMMER

 

While we're in Florida , I never think about how much I miss seeing mountains, but I remember as soon as we  catch our first glimpse of them.   Here are the first ones we saw this year.    Taken from the plane window just as we began the descent into Portland   --  on the middle leg of our flight from Fort Myers (and before we hopped on the puddle-jumper that gave us  the spectacular sunset from above .)  

 

 

 

And below is a picture of one of the Three Sisters Mountains.  On a very good day,  all three of these peaks are visible from Fern Ridge Shores.  But we were happy to settle for just this one shortly after we got there.    (The Three Sisters peaks are near the town of Sisters (on the way to Bend, the largest City in central Oregon).  That's about 60 miles east, as the crow flies, so conditions have to be just right to see them from the Lake.   

  

 

 

 

LINKING WITH SKYWATCH FRIDAY and SCENIC WEEKENDS.   

 

We will be on the road on Thursday the 5th and I have pre-scheduled this post to publish on that date.  I hope to be able to link it appropriately.

If all goes as planned and we are lucky, we should get many more pictures of mountains and skies and spectacular scenery this summer.  

 

Thank you to Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy for SWF and to Gemma for SW.  

 

PADDLE FENCE

 

We're a few time-zones (and quite a few degrees of temperature) away from Florida now, but  these pictures from our April trip to Tarpon Springs really need to be linked to GOOD FENCES before I lose them!  

 

 

 

 

We had lunch/dinner (linner?) at this cute Tiki Bar and loved the creative Kayak Paddle-themed fencing on the outdoor bar.    The restaurant was located just outside of Honeymoon Beach State Park, where kayaking would be great.  

 

 

 

 There are no tiki bars in the parts of the country where we will be spending this summer.  We do most of our al-fresco "dining" during the winter months.   Now, in the Pacific Northwest,  we are wearing sweatshirts and jeans.  Sometimes it is hard to remember what season it is!

 

Thank you to Theresa at the RunAround Ranch for hosting GOOD FENCES.  

CHICKADEE'S LUNCH

 

Although this is my best picture of the Black-Capped Chickadee, it doesn't look exactly like the "textbook" image .... there was a stiff breeze at Cyndi and Jeff's (daughter and s-i-l) giving him the appearance of having a topknot.  Which they really don't.

 

 

The little guy  didn't seem quite sure what to do with the grub he had snagged.    I think that was why he sat still long enough for me to take a bunch of pictures.  

 

 

Usually, they  flit around so quickly that it is impossible for me to get a picture.  

 Chickadees were a common feeder bird way back when we had our house in Oregon.  I always thought they spent more energy grabbing one sunflower seed at a time and flying off with it than they could possibly get from what they ate.  

 

 

 

 

A blurry picture, but I included it because it shows the whole bird (almost) without the topknot effect.  

 

LINKING with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Thank you Stuart.

Sometimes you get HONEYSUCKLE, sometimes you get SCOTCH BROOM

 

 Sometimes in life you get Honeysuckle ....

 

 

 ...  like the plants above that plant dress up the fence row at Cyndi and Jeff's.   The sweet aroma makes you happy even before you see the flowers.

 

But sometimes you get Scotch Broom, another cheerful yellow blossom.

 

This  weed has an unpleasant dry scent that permeates the surroundings and causes even the most hayfever-resistant individuals to cough, sneeze and wheeze.  (And one of us is not hayfever-resistant at all).   It's an invasive species and now it is considered a noxious plant by the State of Oregon.

Although none of the State's websites say so, when we first moved to Oregon (in 1971),  Scotch Broom was planted on freeway dividers.   The State also planted it along the coastal dunes as a stabilizer.    It has now migrated to farmlands, timberlands and backyards everywhere.

The State realized its mistake some years ago and has been trying to eradicate it for years,  but it's  almost an impossible task.  

Because of Scotch Broom,  as well as  pollen from cottonwood trees and grasses, and in spite of the honeysuckle and other spring plants we miss, we usually don't come to  visit our Oregon kids and friends until July (by then scotch broom has quit blooming and the grass for the most part has stopped shedding pollen).    

 

One more pretty honesuckle picture (with a stray wild yellow rose) --  just to end this post on a cheerful note.  

Linking  to OUR WORLD TUESDAY and NATURE NOTES.

 Thank you to Lady Fi and the OWT team and to Michelle for Nature Notes.

 Below are a couple links to further information about noxious scotch broom:

 

     Oregon State University

State Dept. of Ag.