tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4750644897550722392024-03-13T02:03:43.118-08:00Life in Alaska — A View From HomerAlaska is a big place and no blog could sum it up. This is my slice of life living in Homer, Alaska.Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.comBlogger540125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-32118732496886700342019-04-13T08:33:00.000-08:002019-04-13T08:33:22.704-08:00Homer Alaska PodcastA man who just moved to Homer about a year ago from Chicago has started a podcast interviewing people from the Homer community. He called up my husband a few months ago and asked him if he would be willing to be interviewed. My husband said sure, so the second episode of Alex's podcast features a 45 minute interview with my husband. This tells about my husband's journey into education, and our journey to Alaska, as well as thoughts about being principal at Homer High School.<br />
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From this link scroll down to Season 1 Episode 2 to listen to it. And if you want to get to know other Homerites, listen to some of the others as well! Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://www.homeralaskapodcast.com/listen-to-the-podcast">https://www.homeralaskapodcast.com/listen-to-the-podcast</a>Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-15344135520433533512018-11-26T17:41:00.000-09:002018-11-26T17:41:09.703-09:00Arctic Valley--Easiest Hike to a Peak in AnchorageI've had a few blog posts I've been planning on doing since the summer and am just getting caught up now. Sometimes, once I have time, I decide they're not blog-worthy, but Arctic Valley was a treasure that I look forward to going and visiting again.<br />
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I was in Anchorage for four days in August, just hanging out, when I realized that the berries were ripening. A friend of mine told me years ago about picking berries on the slopes of Arctic Valley, and I'd passed the exit off the Glenn Highway just north of Anchorage many times with the resolution to go there someday. This was going to be that "someday", and I am glad I had plenty of time because it took awhile to get there.<br />
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From the freeway exit, one passes a local golf course and then the pavement ends and the climb begins, up and up and up on a wide, rough, rutted gravel road. It seemed to go on forever, and I was sure I was in the wrong place going somewhere strange, when suddenly parking lots appeared and a valley opened up in front up me with a trail heading up the middle of it. There were only 2 cars in the parking lot, so I was uncertain this was a well-used place. I took a side trail first, that led to nowhere, before heading up the valley, just exploring and scoping for berries.<br />
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As the morning wore on, more and more folks showed up on the trail and there were plenty of cars in the parking lot by time I left. I only had enough time to get to the saddle at the head of the valley, overlooking Eagle River and Eagle River Valley on the other side before I had a commitment in town I needed to get back for. I realized that I'd hiked the area from the other side last year and the Arctic Valley trails connected with the Eagle River trails.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views of surrounding mountains are a feature of Arctic Valley, starting above treeline. <br />And this year, no sign of the abundant berries I expected</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The military presence of the Joint Elmdorf-Richardson Base is evident</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A plane cuts a swath through the sky as I near the top of the saddle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the saddle, looking down on the city of Eagle River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up to the right on the saddle, to meet the trails that come up from the Eagle River side</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back down the valley I'd come up at the Anchorage area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The history of Arctic Valley is long and interesting, and reading the interpretive signs was fascinating, with a deep connection with World War II</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0HG4vyZ0QHuE6jOmzqFTx83QPqjAHoFPb1t6omEJy8wRgsHbLf-LJhSl0ZSa1rqh6iiZmbopDoGDQOqx94O8cY-L-zspHD1Bek1wABV_fK0I-3X7aVbA3BsV16qU8yLVln-FrnyAyGjk/s1600/IMG_6473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0HG4vyZ0QHuE6jOmzqFTx83QPqjAHoFPb1t6omEJy8wRgsHbLf-LJhSl0ZSa1rqh6iiZmbopDoGDQOqx94O8cY-L-zspHD1Bek1wABV_fK0I-3X7aVbA3BsV16qU8yLVln-FrnyAyGjk/s400/IMG_6473.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gazing north to Denali</td></tr>
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There are a number of trails to explore here and many have moderate grades rather than the oxygen-depleting climbs of many mountains. Though there weren't any berries to speak of, it was still a gem of a discovery, being above treeline the whole time, a feature Alaskan's appreciate for being able to see bear from a ways off. I hadn't realized it was still an active downhill ski area, so I'll be mentioning this to my kids when they are home for the holidays as an alternative to the in town Hillside slopes.<br />
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What caught my fancy was the history of the place, detailed on the interpretive signs. Tours are still available to see the Nike Hercules missile site where live test fires were conducted (see http://www.alaska.org/detail/nike-site-summit). Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-86850841761178961392018-11-25T16:54:00.000-09:002018-11-25T16:54:00.338-09:00Life Filleting Fish for a SummerOur son was determined to have an "Alaskan" job this past summer, so he focused his job search on the Homer Spit. Through word of mouth, he heard North Country Charters was paying well for office jobs, but when he walked in and asked about it, they suggested perhaps he'd like to be a fish filleter. With the potential of making more money, he was enticed, but it took some persistence on his part to make it happen.<br />
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He'd never filleted a fish before in his life, so some folks went out and caught fish for him to practice on. He would go to school all day, run track practice and then get the call that they had some fish for him to work on. He'd don some grungy clothes and dash out to the Spit. A past filleter for North Country showed him the ropes and let him at it. He practiced on a few fish and they declared him good at it, so he was in business.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B8V86agzBWOXKXQa7oRCWYpbhUuJu0teJamlAyTl3G7FN_1l36j8BL-35H0P7V6qWgdwXN2I-KCUm-lkONd2xrhWZBRluzMWw1jN8PpXf7ZrLGYEE5fUhfsmWWM8e0rQRB9dM_FFuk78/s1600/IMG_6230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B8V86agzBWOXKXQa7oRCWYpbhUuJu0teJamlAyTl3G7FN_1l36j8BL-35H0P7V6qWgdwXN2I-KCUm-lkONd2xrhWZBRluzMWw1jN8PpXf7ZrLGYEE5fUhfsmWWM8e0rQRB9dM_FFuk78/s400/IMG_6230.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging, washing, weighing the fish. Then comes the pictures with them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSyEjSx_hdiTTkAjcWulsu-INoCXpDlYI-QsrJSey62URp2ZCeO0t3iWcdME1hQbbeEaMOCGlmw74-QNiennD1JmszuU05bsRt4X7i-U0VQ1ZoMGICo2TPKcGt1rWHPt_f0vEM3DGv8gE/s1600/IMG_6232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSyEjSx_hdiTTkAjcWulsu-INoCXpDlYI-QsrJSey62URp2ZCeO0t3iWcdME1hQbbeEaMOCGlmw74-QNiennD1JmszuU05bsRt4X7i-U0VQ1ZoMGICo2TPKcGt1rWHPt_f0vEM3DGv8gE/s400/IMG_6232.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small, white plastic container is for the halibut cheeks, a coveted delicacy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdc4GKXwEddjxrNUKJq3UzAI5CyZJhPmEWvVdaaDeqmBZRygsiHRjY927DwQ8OoQ7_YWU65HfuOSBbLDD1Ce2-AwbbmDxQumRoodT1U2QJMrv8PY7ldOq6_92jIwgtTIc-8FNWpSN-7jk/s1600/IMG_6231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdc4GKXwEddjxrNUKJq3UzAI5CyZJhPmEWvVdaaDeqmBZRygsiHRjY927DwQ8OoQ7_YWU65HfuOSBbLDD1Ce2-AwbbmDxQumRoodT1U2QJMrv8PY7ldOq6_92jIwgtTIc-8FNWpSN-7jk/s400/IMG_6231.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The large halibut, over 100 pounds or so, are filleted "on the ground"--saving the filleter's back in heaving them onto the table</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3oWf7QmiChyphenhypheneMXyqWXUkjzKjtFeTBmYT7FkT1IFe7JruQgoEUFvMJgXVCiw-QUIMsFp9QRXnxRkf0Htn75NzIZizGIzvGkJHf9nvd_fiYnlYLwIeSfQW6VE_yKTpMqG2kn5zziqmYmW_/s1600/IMG_6234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3oWf7QmiChyphenhypheneMXyqWXUkjzKjtFeTBmYT7FkT1IFe7JruQgoEUFvMJgXVCiw-QUIMsFp9QRXnxRkf0Htn75NzIZizGIzvGkJHf9nvd_fiYnlYLwIeSfQW6VE_yKTpMqG2kn5zziqmYmW_/s400/IMG_6234.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Other species caught include various types of rockfish, lingcod, and salmon</td></tr>
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Anywhere from one to five boats would go out each day for North Country, and our son would be called when the captains of the boats called in, giving him 20 minutes notice to get to work, so he was on call after noon each day. Sometimes all the boats would come in after each other, and he would get 4 boats' worth of fish filleted in 2 hours. Other times a boat would get its quota early and others would come in later, leaving a gap between boats to hang out with friends, grab a bite to eat or sit on the beach.<br />
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The hauler was an essential part of the team, getting the fish off the boat in the harbor and hauling them up to the charter building, hanging the fish, washing them off, weighing the larger halibut, and getting pictures. From there, our son would take over, getting the fish on the filet table and going to work, separating them among totes according to who on the boat caught them. From there, a fish processor would pick them up and process them according to the customer's preferences.<br />
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With its location right next to Finn's Pizza on the Spit, a popular eatery, folks could watch the filleting show as they dined and we had many locals tell us they'd seen our son at work. We watched his arms become sinewy and brown as the summer progressed. Luckily the weather was pretty nice this summer, but fish get caught rain or shine, so he would be out there no matter what the weather, usually in a short-sleeved t-shirt. He would wax eloquent about different knives and show off his knife sharpening skills, which were deeply embedded in muscle memory after doing it many times daily for 3 months.<br />
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It was a good job for a guy going off to college, with a really good company to work for, getting paid a flat rate per boat plus tips for a job well done. He looks forward to another summer of "Alaskan" work. For us it was further initiation into a slice of life in Homer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n8-9tfkcyt7RImXFaOgm2kWzkKwdK0v_csm3pG9gbOu83m_fPWecl-nNX1jTVMaOzlFlY7bwFz1-adnmVR73BwATm045M1V2s3sLbpK0BHlTFRuDLrZA3D8ct8L8FmcOtQ3H4FYYvEGw/s1600/IMG_6140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="925" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n8-9tfkcyt7RImXFaOgm2kWzkKwdK0v_csm3pG9gbOu83m_fPWecl-nNX1jTVMaOzlFlY7bwFz1-adnmVR73BwATm045M1V2s3sLbpK0BHlTFRuDLrZA3D8ct8L8FmcOtQ3H4FYYvEGw/s400/IMG_6140.JPG" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On nice days, this doesn't seem like a bad job</td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-39906627658589439622018-11-24T16:22:00.000-09:002018-11-24T16:22:12.929-09:00Out on the Water on Thanksgiving DayA last minute call from a friend Wednesday night asking if I wanted to head across the bay on Thanksgiving Day for a hike led me to ditch all my plans for the day in favor of an excursion on the water. I was particularly excited because I just finished the Coastal Navigation class days before and I wanted to see all those things I'd learned in action to really cement my learning. My friends were happy to educate me as well, sharing their experiences of 18 years of boating on Kachemak Bay.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seas were choppy on the way over, and supposed to calm as the day went on</td></tr>
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In all their years of boating here, they have never been out on the water this late in the season. The weather has been ridiculously nice--in the 40's for most of the month of November and not too stormy--extending the shoulder season for recreating across the bay.<br />
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The trips started at home, figuring out how cold it was going to be on the water. It was 30 degrees and calm at home, which meant on the water, with a windchill, was going to be quite a bit chillier. I dressed with 3 layers on my legs and 4 on top, including balaclava and hat. The sun was just barely peeping through the clouds at 11:00 when we set out, so there was a nip in the air.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze1uOe-SkRppuGCMoIQPV6Gh8laRXH71-bDA9ptFWXDy0d8caQGbrHnURHX6usR9Hko9xug3n74tAmhHhSQziTW399UjbgPdkWnet6f3iBQy-1SQX3AeMwuwchrwcqMA9pfGEOaJJ7tWF/s1600/IMG_6737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze1uOe-SkRppuGCMoIQPV6Gh8laRXH71-bDA9ptFWXDy0d8caQGbrHnURHX6usR9Hko9xug3n74tAmhHhSQziTW399UjbgPdkWnet6f3iBQy-1SQX3AeMwuwchrwcqMA9pfGEOaJJ7tWF/s400/IMG_6737.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lagoon we anchored in was full of water at a +22 foot tide. I've walked through this area when it was dry.</td></tr>
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Listening to my friends discuss where to throw the anchor was fascinating, with the details of the current tide level, expected tide level upon our return (+2 feet), how far out to be, which anchors to throw (stern, bow or both?) and then coordinate the drop on shore, which is easier with a sailboat that draws 9" than many boats. A delightful 2 hour hike with bird watching and relaxing in the sun on a bluff got us back to the boat at the expected time. The ground was soggy with the amazing amounts of rain we've been getting, with no hint of a freeze.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poot Peak in the afternoon light, heading back to Homer</td></tr>
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The chop had settled down as forecasted, but there were some nice, long swells. My friends let me drive the boat back, and that was interesting, up and down those swells. Driving a boat isn't difficult, and I can see how, like driving on roads, it can be hard to stay alert to possible dangers, such as kelp rafts, logs and sea otters, when there's this wide-open expanse of water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiuNiVjmX0a1ZP24ZL8-sDfJd1JzQrOjWnjkMtkcoXLGCOrFzjzmaIvOMKYmTWL_1doc7PJJvo4GH8fWSWuCpUH_Dclzlm_tE24ylCUiQ5b92aTEfnQWlwOOHJCbMnGkptGOT_5-S5Mea/s1600/IMG_6744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiuNiVjmX0a1ZP24ZL8-sDfJd1JzQrOjWnjkMtkcoXLGCOrFzjzmaIvOMKYmTWL_1doc7PJJvo4GH8fWSWuCpUH_Dclzlm_tE24ylCUiQ5b92aTEfnQWlwOOHJCbMnGkptGOT_5-S5Mea/s400/IMG_6744.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friends let me skipper the boat back into the harbor--teaching me tips and tricks</td></tr>
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Returning to harbor, I was happy to turn over the wheel to my friend to steer into the slip. I was happy to set foot on land again. And I was just in time to take a quick shower and get to Thanksgiving dinner with friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCp6lNAXGWpX5_rac2tX4PSDWqcTBp6aIEsuY9_zz-1bdxwxtClpCV5O8IFe0bmhHW9a1xHO9SCrJgNuQCjL3sri86uKwBjHlg5DGCJua-mlPgzE6r9NZ0I3ctgrrn7EOc0KMGxYPnrJgh/s1600/IMG_6746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCp6lNAXGWpX5_rac2tX4PSDWqcTBp6aIEsuY9_zz-1bdxwxtClpCV5O8IFe0bmhHW9a1xHO9SCrJgNuQCjL3sri86uKwBjHlg5DGCJua-mlPgzE6r9NZ0I3ctgrrn7EOc0KMGxYPnrJgh/s400/IMG_6746.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's always a sense of relief for me returning to the safety of the harbor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLPZjmmuHXGUmXmZBtS0n5pSeL87dOVGThcvEVNDoaXKyz4My9TTWlkrybjGYlUAIfsIiG_cyTRzNzWo2slMX4vDb10M83NRZmLELqBowl07HFDIw5eBXL8f04pDvVsR2CSOecpRMEBfk/s1600/IMG_6747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLPZjmmuHXGUmXmZBtS0n5pSeL87dOVGThcvEVNDoaXKyz4My9TTWlkrybjGYlUAIfsIiG_cyTRzNzWo2slMX4vDb10M83NRZmLELqBowl07HFDIw5eBXL8f04pDvVsR2CSOecpRMEBfk/s400/IMG_6747.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking over to the mountains we were just at the base of shortly before gives me a strange sense of perspective</td></tr>
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It made for possibly one of the more unique Thanksgivings I have had, and the timing was perfect. I learned and reviewed so much of what I'd just gone over in the Coastal Navigation class, and had fun with my friends as well.Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-90611534430158292652018-11-23T16:18:00.001-09:002018-11-23T16:18:23.897-09:00Coastal Navigation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the interests of being more educated about being on the water, I joined in on the local Kachemak Bay Campus Maritime class offering recently, Coastal Navigation, which focused on Kachemak Bay navigation. Twenty three hours of instruction over three weeks enlightened, engaged and entertained me, whetting my appetite for boating, something quite new despite my living here in Homer for 11 years.</div>
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A huge focus of the class was safety, which led us to the fun of setting marine flares, setting off smoke flares and shooting rocket flares, as well as practicing extinguishing fires with fire extinguishers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-04n5nJKHR4HR7Z9ldpzOt_xCHSazfjMwpdkPeu6VJ_Iy_yXXcUyBXLZShUFfOZZ97HbwmOWiZVjuIYtBYmxCpcMGXMAPGAtJ0-42A6nv5HFgbttI98QAPEpCJaCJ312zh-uEveUXtJW/s1600/IMG_6695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-04n5nJKHR4HR7Z9ldpzOt_xCHSazfjMwpdkPeu6VJ_Iy_yXXcUyBXLZShUFfOZZ97HbwmOWiZVjuIYtBYmxCpcMGXMAPGAtJ0-42A6nv5HFgbttI98QAPEpCJaCJ312zh-uEveUXtJW/s400/IMG_6695.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting off a flare, which floats and keeps its brilliant light even when immersed in water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw4z_iesXwO0E7Z-fPxP1MsDgqkQx2Lu13QxfZeBen56XYPKeVlArVg7bUzcwFkl3G8yl5TzxDnt_YVDgvQOBvwI849BcrIoe_3PFHDqugNgi04OWbN-_XvBTLqS4iK4KzqNH5HHeyF44/s1600/IMG_6705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw4z_iesXwO0E7Z-fPxP1MsDgqkQx2Lu13QxfZeBen56XYPKeVlArVg7bUzcwFkl3G8yl5TzxDnt_YVDgvQOBvwI849BcrIoe_3PFHDqugNgi04OWbN-_XvBTLqS4iK4KzqNH5HHeyF44/s400/IMG_6705.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Correct technique was emphasized for shooting off rocket flares, as they have a little kick</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhE1Ix_gqMHIX_aIzfZaQXO0JxBUHygbaFv_afiOcPC6VyocezyewTERv6hQptIJPyI3FM6jGyb2TZ7Dy-yzXtgN9PKH8g8Z06TtECVlVUYcYtHGsmqUGu68uIyTTamG9S02KuBn_Tz6Xd/s1600/IMG_6706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhE1Ix_gqMHIX_aIzfZaQXO0JxBUHygbaFv_afiOcPC6VyocezyewTERv6hQptIJPyI3FM6jGyb2TZ7Dy-yzXtgN9PKH8g8Z06TtECVlVUYcYtHGsmqUGu68uIyTTamG9S02KuBn_Tz6Xd/s400/IMG_6706.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoke flares in the water in foreground, and the rocket flare illuminating where it landed for a few seconds before extinguishing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9hyphenhyphen85JuzyZ3HvRbRGjM3StG05CDBZEWQJRxSjHwlEUMpc-Lv1c_Zir-MM6BYhLmElSlDpLS1voVNaF8ix5yeQrw7mPweAiIuifuRPjzEhQn80DAzXwzUHYk8wEei8jc0CQRtdPhpNXdQ/s1600/IMG_6709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9hyphenhyphen85JuzyZ3HvRbRGjM3StG05CDBZEWQJRxSjHwlEUMpc-Lv1c_Zir-MM6BYhLmElSlDpLS1voVNaF8ix5yeQrw7mPweAiIuifuRPjzEhQn80DAzXwzUHYk8wEei8jc0CQRtdPhpNXdQ/s400/IMG_6709.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The light of the flare left a trail of smoke and lit up the water</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A call to the Coast Guard before and after setting off flares managed any calls that might come in from this exercise<br /><br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QYJkmpXCCSM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QYJkmpXCCSM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfvs5UYInFnjDJwe-MfFL8VQC8G4KV2-F5SbFwJO2bHEM5ZyQLmXPXw1DRAktHc68ttb6b3MLdXRuR2SOk8Ue1e9zSbfiwB5j7BvLssVKq9Kc7H7VBdwknrbbyhQ_ln2BhwpL1ztBi1Bm/s1600/IMG_6693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfvs5UYInFnjDJwe-MfFL8VQC8G4KV2-F5SbFwJO2bHEM5ZyQLmXPXw1DRAktHc68ttb6b3MLdXRuR2SOk8Ue1e9zSbfiwB5j7BvLssVKq9Kc7H7VBdwknrbbyhQ_ln2BhwpL1ztBi1Bm/s200/IMG_6693.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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Fun stuff aside, we learned to navigate with maps, figure out exact tide depths between high and low tides, identify bouys and lights on maps, and much more, despite most people's ultimate dependence on their electronic devices for all this information.<br />
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Knot tying was valuable, though I think I'll need to keep practicing to stay fresh. Tying up a boat right was listed as a marriage-saving skill, as apparently many mishaps happen in the stressful process of docking.<br />
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We learned about boating essentials, listing 17 must-haves for every boat, starting with the float plan, all the way through PFD's, survival gear and a VHF radio.<br />
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Knowing the rules of the sea for colors and locations of lights on boats, bouys, throwing anchor, docking, mayday calls and more is useful for me, as a non-captain rider on boats. We practiced mayday calls, learned the best type of survival gear, and even how to drive the boat into certain types of waves.<br />
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Best of all, however, was hearing all the stories from Anna Borland-Ivy, a woman who has been on the water in Alaska all her life fishing and recreating. Hearing all the local knowledge about places I am familiar with and how to navigate these waters with incredible tides shifts of 28 feet, glacial water and wind effects, rip tides, and currents humbled me to the power of the sea.<br />
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It was an incredibly valuable use of my time, and expanded my awareness of how little I actually knew about seamanship despite living on the edge of the sea and being out on the water regularly. I highly recommend this class, which is offered every semester by the Maritime Program classes at Kachemak Bay Campus.Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-956484653667454012018-11-20T20:40:00.000-09:002018-11-20T20:40:03.581-09:00Loving the Scenery in HomerWho ever said empty nesters have more time?! Our kids have flown off to other places, and we are busier than ever. Every two or three months I figure I should get my photos off my phone. In doing that recently, I came across some beautiful ones that I snapped in the course of my walks--just normal "out and about" days in Homer, Alaska with dramatic lighting, interesting perspectives or simple beauty. Enjoy!<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcZo_PGOL8DaZwtWbArW8AlnpemAnvyzQrs_Jc_drwqs8unD_fKPJn3yMP10OC8JlP_BxG9pZ7bUYzBXi5_2V8ajaIKpxoq2_a4zsuRFlvIVKV-S0_tQXjXRk3nom3A_gBznReQTKWNwA/s1600/IMG_6665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcZo_PGOL8DaZwtWbArW8AlnpemAnvyzQrs_Jc_drwqs8unD_fKPJn3yMP10OC8JlP_BxG9pZ7bUYzBXi5_2V8ajaIKpxoq2_a4zsuRFlvIVKV-S0_tQXjXRk3nom3A_gBznReQTKWNwA/s400/IMG_6665.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sunlight on these puffs of cloud caught my eye as I was out for a beachwalk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then the sun broke through more and a ship came by to vary the scene</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFunP5oVXkZvODuLf8VUoYadHp8dpqtXC8zpqDKB6YtSyiOxLFXPZ_pEF0iU4_VvkZrQgshm4TgZvuPqmqwftmHubq_wY6vR7s0I3JMY-CX1NkIiChii2gV9zLqIzqE-Owm7B2RV5rlKkF/s1600/IMG_6667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFunP5oVXkZvODuLf8VUoYadHp8dpqtXC8zpqDKB6YtSyiOxLFXPZ_pEF0iU4_VvkZrQgshm4TgZvuPqmqwftmHubq_wY6vR7s0I3JMY-CX1NkIiChii2gV9zLqIzqE-Owm7B2RV5rlKkF/s400/IMG_6667.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I rarely pick up shells, preferring to enjoy them as I walk the beach. On this day I picked one up, and of course it was broken by time I made it home. I'm glad I took a picture of it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMDZXMco3ePSVVQAExJ_yabT-CvCx-cz1ebTE3Qm9zb_kfgs36xl0ieJ5fXRUzof10YiERyiz8DAF0lJ8B3fD3aFKvsD_E_dNf645fThbohlxe4OUBOesW86vVfAFN1FbR2vbdRgs2j-7/s1600/IMG_6672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMDZXMco3ePSVVQAExJ_yabT-CvCx-cz1ebTE3Qm9zb_kfgs36xl0ieJ5fXRUzof10YiERyiz8DAF0lJ8B3fD3aFKvsD_E_dNf645fThbohlxe4OUBOesW86vVfAFN1FbR2vbdRgs2j-7/s400/IMG_6672.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fall sunset over a ship that's on the repair beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLP1aUNUZGacUM9hQOGgyXzu8rl5RshDOH41YIiRD7f48c_s1ghW4v48rGdasIBKwF6tLUGYg51tK-pdvfmKOA6XcGyor_WajCCBo3s4BOpP36ru6x-NO6BoNh3Q5XDfa1xGY016U46l_/s1600/IMG_6660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLP1aUNUZGacUM9hQOGgyXzu8rl5RshDOH41YIiRD7f48c_s1ghW4v48rGdasIBKwF6tLUGYg51tK-pdvfmKOA6XcGyor_WajCCBo3s4BOpP36ru6x-NO6BoNh3Q5XDfa1xGY016U46l_/s400/IMG_6660.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impressive rivers form as high tide waters rush back out to sea at Bishop's Beach</td></tr>
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Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-31709808707645327572018-09-22T21:38:00.000-08:002018-09-22T21:38:28.943-08:00A Kayak Trip Across the Bay<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-Z3D0vpNXhWtAM-yUl2uzXWB22Ex8fP7c4kW2vDs6Z3q2Z09fzdKEO65D9ntPa3Gktn1nEbpa4XkVpnmyJJ9ld2ijkRZL5WuS580R0RAvsq9LDAU7rZ4d9BL4hiXuG607v3UW-wTrM7Y/s1600/IMG_6445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-Z3D0vpNXhWtAM-yUl2uzXWB22Ex8fP7c4kW2vDs6Z3q2Z09fzdKEO65D9ntPa3Gktn1nEbpa4XkVpnmyJJ9ld2ijkRZL5WuS580R0RAvsq9LDAU7rZ4d9BL4hiXuG607v3UW-wTrM7Y/s400/IMG_6445.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Tutka Bay from Rick and Dorla's cozy spot</td></tr>
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I've been out kayaking before in Halibut Cove and on Hidden Lake, but never spent a ton of time on the water. Last spring I was attending a silent auction and won a bid for a full day kayak trip with A Seaside Adventure. It did indeed end up being an adventure!<div>
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As a single person, I was curious who the rest of the group would be. It ended up being a family from the East Coast with two adult daughters and one of those daughter's husband who were doing a family vacation to Alaska. Ma and Pa were in the 60's and 70's, and Pa was hard of hearing and not wearing his hearing aids. We discovered each other on the dock as our water taxi was late. They were panicking, pacing up and down the docks, worried they would miss their boat. Once we started talking, I realized it was likely they were more nervous about the kayak trip than missing their boat. Neither Ma nor Pa had ever kayaked before in their life, and I admired their willingness to try it--on the ocean in Alaska no less.</div>
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Turns out the water taxi was late because the waves on Kachemak Bay were impressive that day. The ride over turned into a prayer not to get sick all over the boat as we were up and down and up and down all the way over. Once we got behind the Herring Islands, the way was smoother.</div>
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I don't know if every trip is as epic to set up, but between getting to Rick and Dorla's spot in Little Tutka Bay late and then gearing up, getting lessons on kayaking and actually getting the kayaks in the water, it was almost noon. I was just along for the ride and not set on making incredible progress so I just enjoyed getting to know the family I was spending the day with.</div>
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Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'll let the pictures (with captions!) demonstrate the day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9PbBoqrVEjqC2x43_n6nzGx5DaAwqZUS7AFSOryKsYPtYWKN5qj3Qkf0dT9cqmYZajEaLWR8SKQa3VH4gN80bOPBDTDoRrwod8E6VBvN5bZYnARjPa1xLkaAd-rHUnlSzx1V-8qkEtpT/s1600/IMG_6447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9PbBoqrVEjqC2x43_n6nzGx5DaAwqZUS7AFSOryKsYPtYWKN5qj3Qkf0dT9cqmYZajEaLWR8SKQa3VH4gN80bOPBDTDoRrwod8E6VBvN5bZYnARjPa1xLkaAd-rHUnlSzx1V-8qkEtpT/s400/IMG_6447.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting geared up, seats adjusted, basic stroke lessons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0MSV9Lkiiqyc7fedJPD0hTkOhteEm0CJKwDZwJ4KsZ9YCRtBHLZ2c01HjBJ6yA3WQNTOXG_-Q58OWGYNWzE_yFi2UDrs7hirh-P2YbHt6WmT9granDDuSvcHN05cD9DAYdBG-VbAcDIl/s1600/IMG_6448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0MSV9Lkiiqyc7fedJPD0hTkOhteEm0CJKwDZwJ4KsZ9YCRtBHLZ2c01HjBJ6yA3WQNTOXG_-Q58OWGYNWzE_yFi2UDrs7hirh-P2YbHt6WmT9granDDuSvcHN05cD9DAYdBG-VbAcDIl/s400/IMG_6448.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slightly choppy waters even in the protected area behind the Herring Islands. <br />We were all in double kayaks; the person in back got to steer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZyOCsfm6qMY4PbTPMw9fsPtSogDjF_lEWNILKwHDYZRoSbF7syKdyR2arlLX4ZujfbZt1hJU8nZKLep0Sq6J25R-169HkLupvLWXcNwjIsekBlRFMwLWaLtTNfhdfybp6_QBZJxxboZ3/s1600/IMG_6449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZyOCsfm6qMY4PbTPMw9fsPtSogDjF_lEWNILKwHDYZRoSbF7syKdyR2arlLX4ZujfbZt1hJU8nZKLep0Sq6J25R-169HkLupvLWXcNwjIsekBlRFMwLWaLtTNfhdfybp6_QBZJxxboZ3/s400/IMG_6449.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little islands, mountains, water and the sky--enjoying Little Tutka Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlzofjjbM10th4_lkN9uJazQ9qbhgo7NcQqIMSkB5sTIznVbE1TAdgL-FJYQ-xZ13-AcLiTah4ES0TTyrGza6JKXNyTZqD7mgwg4-tj6JiAl5ct2ZWxpzBVEaTj9ZtqIdKStIW2MTvCI2/s1600/IMG_6450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlzofjjbM10th4_lkN9uJazQ9qbhgo7NcQqIMSkB5sTIznVbE1TAdgL-FJYQ-xZ13-AcLiTah4ES0TTyrGza6JKXNyTZqD7mgwg4-tj6JiAl5ct2ZWxpzBVEaTj9ZtqIdKStIW2MTvCI2/s400/IMG_6450.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildlife viewings on this day were eagles and sea otters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuPC0nEbx3NpU7OpBLyOlPd5curSVKy8ASpJ-T0bPWgg9ZkIQmyOa9wzsXMvOS0TRsWVJARz-Wf6mjtwcRguyG7gcR8P60w2mHvDtiFNfcxy0VjhchcS4qijjDS4kxyLW_LjJULRCqs3S/s1600/IMG_6451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuPC0nEbx3NpU7OpBLyOlPd5curSVKy8ASpJ-T0bPWgg9ZkIQmyOa9wzsXMvOS0TRsWVJARz-Wf6mjtwcRguyG7gcR8P60w2mHvDtiFNfcxy0VjhchcS4qijjDS4kxyLW_LjJULRCqs3S/s400/IMG_6451.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting in at a quiet cove for lunch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJDFmrpGGFeGjVe0yL-Y4trmO4a3DqK1zKBTmk4HqcbZTmmt8vmwN5BSoawZywdfyTfPkyhoHoH1-IKq-4iUhxY3VHru-eOH7a24kD3F0pAhzw4icLDV0DXBY2Kfm2kp9j17rhbXu4onc/s1600/IMG_6452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJDFmrpGGFeGjVe0yL-Y4trmO4a3DqK1zKBTmk4HqcbZTmmt8vmwN5BSoawZywdfyTfPkyhoHoH1-IKq-4iUhxY3VHru-eOH7a24kD3F0pAhzw4icLDV0DXBY2Kfm2kp9j17rhbXu4onc/s400/IMG_6452.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the scenery from our lunch spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBVXMl1GjVMAmmQhAOQJ8kDg3xhdW8TE4KGGwkuVKigRbeP618pr3PA44goQTZ5eT9INfIzzGniX9rwKIcCTTE-yYSdBfe2XwE4n5Fbmp-gWSYY_jwTRUS2KXzk0c4iSv3uNfbaE5Rnt1/s1600/IMG_6455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBVXMl1GjVMAmmQhAOQJ8kDg3xhdW8TE4KGGwkuVKigRbeP618pr3PA44goQTZ5eT9INfIzzGniX9rwKIcCTTE-yYSdBfe2XwE4n5Fbmp-gWSYY_jwTRUS2KXzk0c4iSv3uNfbaE5Rnt1/s400/IMG_6455.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With such large tide differentials in the area, it is important to know whether the tide is coming in or going out so the kayaks are left in a safe spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PN1W0ixA8WMhCG7KIRFynRG-eLzgNYrUS1oSdWdwuHzWqKnCmhTelnLRg7uBFILDGb1RGNnswhzWlXzxlzTMoSg45Jv996RK4hJ-oCQbqzQlsN_KThZPT0hrpBReTDn4i6l_fUuQNJXM/s1600/IMG_6456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PN1W0ixA8WMhCG7KIRFynRG-eLzgNYrUS1oSdWdwuHzWqKnCmhTelnLRg7uBFILDGb1RGNnswhzWlXzxlzTMoSg45Jv996RK4hJ-oCQbqzQlsN_KThZPT0hrpBReTDn4i6l_fUuQNJXM/s400/IMG_6456.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick and his assistant preparing a lunch of salmon and wild greens we picked minutes before tossing them in the soup (the salmon, however, we did not catch!)</td></tr>
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Things got interesting after lunch. We were paddling back towards our starting place and there were waves coming in and Rick noticed some rip tides in the area we would need to paddle. As he said, if all the folks were young and experienced paddlers, he likely would have had us push on, but Ma and Pa were struggling as it was so Rick decided to head back to our lunch spot. He called a friend who lived next door to him in Tutka to come and get us, and he left the kayaks there to come back and retrieve them later.<br />
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The water taxi was 30 minutes late picking us up, but the ride back was uneventful and smoother than the ride out that morning. We'd kayaked maybe 2 hours out of the whole day. I heard that other kayak tour places cancelled completely that day, so we were lucky to get that much in.<br />
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Even for that little bit being out there, it is an experience that gave me confidence on the water. And it was fun getting to know some new people for a day too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69eVYUogdT_-0ofkgZseECkj_SrQoj8BRklH4nBCLVyQL-0YnJgLbIuyW-xMxxlG3iUpT3StYF2FppHqvhutKiVqYO9pyKDiNKGp17j3oFBpy73jtwjSWZn2sin8DDoXXSsycX2Ucpgk7/s1600/IMG_6459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69eVYUogdT_-0ofkgZseECkj_SrQoj8BRklH4nBCLVyQL-0YnJgLbIuyW-xMxxlG3iUpT3StYF2FppHqvhutKiVqYO9pyKDiNKGp17j3oFBpy73jtwjSWZn2sin8DDoXXSsycX2Ucpgk7/s400/IMG_6459.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And back to Homer...a cruise ship was in the harbor</td></tr>
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Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-42401582910710496662018-09-16T20:12:00.000-08:002018-09-16T20:12:15.443-08:00Johnson Lake CampgroundOne of our favorite campgrounds in our early years in Alaska was Johnson Lake in Kasilof. It is relatively close to Homer--only a bit over an hour away--and has a beautiful lake, nice big campsites and some years, berries to pick. We'd given up fall camping for 8 years while the kids were in middle school and high school cross-country running, and have rediscovered the joy of fall camping once again with our empty nest. We didn't even have a full day, leaving Sat. evening after the Homer High football game and coming back early Sunday afternoon, but it was a delightful break nonetheless, even with rain nearly the whole time. The campground was pretty full but peaceful, with little traffic. I managed to find a few lowbush cranberries in the process, which will be wonderful come Thanksgiving!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwqg6C0idTSvNWJCgklzsnwFPpRZZMuVsejJyouSwchQiWYm7iXjkcv4uKUrzHaTzemH8EnNjr4-_r_9AYmfgg8S5fF5Oa4WuOW0T6xqrYjFceuUuka5iRvpmWIeDv3BfcOzozUNA4vot/s1600/IMG_6605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwqg6C0idTSvNWJCgklzsnwFPpRZZMuVsejJyouSwchQiWYm7iXjkcv4uKUrzHaTzemH8EnNjr4-_r_9AYmfgg8S5fF5Oa4WuOW0T6xqrYjFceuUuka5iRvpmWIeDv3BfcOzozUNA4vot/s400/IMG_6605.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lowbush cranberries--filling my bucket!</td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-5714397342808490662018-09-15T15:05:00.000-08:002018-09-15T15:05:02.059-08:00Beautiful Alaska on a Fall Morning: Vagt Lake<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Vagt Lake on a calm fall morning</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Labor Day weekend we did a mish-mash camping trip that included a visit to a relative in the hospital in Anchorage, shopping in the big city, a night in the Bird Point Campground just south of Anchorage, then a jog on down the road to Trail River Campground just south of Moose Pass on the way to Seward. We got some biking in, some hiking, and explored places we'd never been before. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The trails we didn't find!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of those places we discovered was Vagt Lake. We weren't intending to go there; the plan was to find the Falls Creek Mine or Falls Creek trails, neither which I'd ever heard of before, but which we'd stumbled across the day before while hiking from the Ptarmigan Campground. But we didn't find the parking area for either of those, and having passed them I suggested we pull off where the Trail River outlets from Trail Lake and check it out. It led us to one of the most gorgeous, scenic views we've seen--courtesy of the soft fall morning light and an incredibly calm morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trail was only a mile, graveled and mostly flat so very accessible. There's a nice picnic or tent area when you reach the lake. We started going around the lake but it got grown over quickly and we were just out for a pleasant morning hike so we left that for another time. Here are some photos from the hike.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The bridge and walkway near the Vagt Lake turnoff<br /></span></td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-68806926718072431742018-09-13T22:11:00.001-08:002018-09-13T22:11:24.210-08:00Lazy Day In Search of Berries<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friends invited me to hang out with them in search of berries across Kachemak Bay last weekend. It turned into the most deliciously lazy day I have had in a long time. A late morning leisurely start out of the Homer Harbor included lots of details of affection about their sailboat. Smooth waters made the ride to Halibut Cove Lagoon relaxing, and I appreciated the new dock in the lagoon, having the rigged float dock for a year or two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a couple hours of random and unfocused berry picking (blueberries, crowberries, low bush cranberries, bunchberries, & watermelon berries) we made our way back to the dock where we had it all to ourselves and we sunned ourselves and ate lunch for a couple hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A ride back out of the Lagoon with the outgoing tide was exciting. We turned off the motor and rode the current, which was 5 to 12 knots in places. We joined the masses of sea otters that were floating about just off Hawaii Beach, which is the start of the Saddle Trail, floating along with them for another few hours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we took the boat to shore and each took some quiet time, hiking, berry picking, and napping. By time we were ready to go, the boat had gone dry so we had to wait for it to come back in. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got some dinner on the boat while waiting for the tide to rise.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We also got treated to an incredible sunset from the beach. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ride back to Homer was magical, with glassy, sunset-laden colors on the water and the fullness of a day of great conversation, good food, lots of sunshine and a beautiful area. It was a day like no other I've experienced before.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Halibut Cove Lagoon dock</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our sailboat, with not enough water to get back out</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pilings from the herring warehouse that was built on Hawaii Beach in the 1920's</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pilings in the other direction--it was a huge warehouse!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ways to go before we'll get back out!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLHkRy3NgC9YHRlELUApvo5gpnyBUCiTUwyfyC_gV9aF5sleRi82XiGhGqwCOCSZYlF0gJJNviAnLuR_vfC0yiENcrascEL_LYPcxn2sFzRu7Wqn5r8hOlOp7_j4vt1Wd5f-_kkLCFLJ6/s1600/IMG_6598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLHkRy3NgC9YHRlELUApvo5gpnyBUCiTUwyfyC_gV9aF5sleRi82XiGhGqwCOCSZYlF0gJJNviAnLuR_vfC0yiENcrascEL_LYPcxn2sFzRu7Wqn5r8hOlOp7_j4vt1Wd5f-_kkLCFLJ6/s400/IMG_6598.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">No wonder this is called Hawaii Beach!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn3z_xASgv7U3a0qp2-isOLuIN84SaesG4Fm0SzUsqZXyOn8JPsR5G89HLu33tFpcdJn2UnbuaLD538Z7JYxzs7SQXOwx2Enbcla3lSpOnGp5MPDWsRb9A_fhKnucrCJ7mNto-HolPxfe/s1600/IMG_6599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn3z_xASgv7U3a0qp2-isOLuIN84SaesG4Fm0SzUsqZXyOn8JPsR5G89HLu33tFpcdJn2UnbuaLD538Z7JYxzs7SQXOwx2Enbcla3lSpOnGp5MPDWsRb9A_fhKnucrCJ7mNto-HolPxfe/s400/IMG_6599.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Glassy waters and sunset on Kachemak Bay at 10 p.m. in September</span></td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-82332895235933385142018-09-12T21:06:00.002-08:002018-09-13T21:25:39.835-08:00Summer Day on the SpitAfter a busy summer that is seguing into a busy fall, I'm finally in a space to think about transferring all my pictures from the summer to my computer, and that leads me to think about all my potential blog posts. Came across a classic "Homer Spit" picture that I thought I would share: the Alaska Marine Ferry in the background with families playing on the beach.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIW6dfoWdIiKgodzzohuCCmE9Vd2e-XmhaGC09JJ5zk1ME1HHMv_U4AjTRex7O4yuNUI3-dWm0NtDwjZ5I5Iin4J4I_XXJY7uJEWqx_4SEqQifmLE5uE5g3s9cVienbI8O9kfDGN0hhLU/s1600/IMG_6431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIW6dfoWdIiKgodzzohuCCmE9Vd2e-XmhaGC09JJ5zk1ME1HHMv_U4AjTRex7O4yuNUI3-dWm0NtDwjZ5I5Iin4J4I_XXJY7uJEWqx_4SEqQifmLE5uE5g3s9cVienbI8O9kfDGN0hhLU/s400/IMG_6431.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cool, rainy typical day on the Spit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsKEdC4617wqzUOwCLqmO0Ppz3Jo5M8taZizGl4Le4oSirnIi2WqxgWIgzSG3MIOh6juGRcN_4BNKs1e-trm1hkUAT89pVv3hen78j0y1pAOch4Dp5BZPsb3BgYymOKHloPp6sZbbOkUb/s1600/IMG_6584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsKEdC4617wqzUOwCLqmO0Ppz3Jo5M8taZizGl4Le4oSirnIi2WqxgWIgzSG3MIOh6juGRcN_4BNKs1e-trm1hkUAT89pVv3hen78j0y1pAOch4Dp5BZPsb3BgYymOKHloPp6sZbbOkUb/s400/IMG_6584.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seagulls hang out where people filet their fish; here on the Spit, near a fish-cleaning station</td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-64507147240775114522018-06-25T22:08:00.000-08:002018-06-25T22:12:38.898-08:00Mudslides, Moose & Bear!It seems I don't have to travel far to get Alaskan-style excitement these days!<br />
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Last week, after a day of solid, drenching rain, we went for a walk up our road and walked into a mudslide that had just happened within an hour. A creek that normally goes under the road got plugged with mud and went over the road instead.<br />
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Further on, the neighbor's yard demonstrated what havoc a little mud can create! We had quite the neighborhood reunion as word got out and folks came by to view the carnage and offer help.<br />
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In chatting with one neighbor, they mentioned seeing 5 black bear at one time from their yard the previous week--a sow with 3 babies and another mid-size blackie. This evening we came home, greeted by what I thought at first was moose droppings but on closer inspection was bear scat in our front yard.<br />
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I'm bummed that I didn't get to see the bear! But I am worried for the little moose that was cavorting about our yard yesterday, with momma guarding.<br />
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I know--you may be thoroughly sick of pictures of moose! But they're a staple in our lives and most Alaskan's appreciate the opportunity to catch glimpses of them regularly, even when they have heart-stopping moments of nearly running into them on the road.<br />
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-66815475797795917872018-05-28T13:38:00.000-08:002018-05-28T13:39:40.819-08:00Signs of Spring Part II<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spring has been cool, wet and windy this year. Normally I have my greens planted in my greenhouse sometime between April 1 and May 1, but this year it didn't happen till a warm, sunny day in mid-May woke me out of spring doldrums (and my mother-in-law, who was determined to help me get the garden going for the season!). In a mere week it seemed we went from nearly bare trees to a lush, green lawn that I had to mow twice in 8 days! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know it's spring when the robin builds a nest on the eaves of our cabin. This year mommy and daddy robin built the nest in one day flat while we were away. I took it down that evening when I discovered it, impressed that the mud was still wet, placing it carefully in the tall grasses nearby, which was a useless move since the robins won't be using it there but it made me feel better for respecting their hard work. The next morning more grass and debris were hanging from the eaves. I pulled that down and my chicken wire went up. We left for a long weekend and came back to a nest tucked in behind the chicken wire. I gave up. I don't care if the robins have a nest, but last year they divebombed us every time we went into and out of the cabin, and it got so bad they were divebombing us if we walked up our driveway. This year, no divebombing, so we have reached a truce and I won't continue to hate robins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A walk in Anchorage gave us the sweetest surprise: a momma moose with a newborn baby so newborn it was still wet and attempting to get up. We watched it awhile; the poor little one kept toppling over face first. Momma moose was calm and kept licking the little'un, knowing it would eventually make it up on its teetering legs. I've seen baby moose before, but never that newly born. Quite the treat for all the folks on the Coastal Trail in Anchorage that day.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last year during a high tide storm, this eagle's nest was swept off the pier. <br />This rebuilt one isn't as large as last year's but is still plenty large!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Homer, the eagles are sitting on their eggs, so the sight of eagles peering out of their gigantic nests is not uncommon. Off the top of my head, I can think of six eagles nests I drive by regularly. The most popular ones in Homer are at the light by McDonald's, where there are two, and where crowds will gather will cameras waiting for a view of the fledgling eagles to peep out of the nest and eventually make their first rough flights.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">A flock of sandhill cranes in a local pond</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we walked in Anchorage we saw a single sandhill crane and a man was all excited about it. Here in Homer the cranes fly over regularly, swooping in for a landing at various people's yards. The folks across the street from us have a little pond and I noticed the cranes hanging out there the other day and snapped this photo.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">May cruise ship arrival on a calm, beautiful Homer morning <br />(that white dot in the water, which is the end of the spit, about 5 or 6 miles away)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cruise ships also mark a new season in Homer. The first one came in mid-May this year, which is unusual. Twelve cruise ships will make their way to Homer this summer--always on Tuesdays, arriving first thing in the morning and by 6 pm their bulk pulls away from the deep water dock and heads out of Kachemak Bay on to their next port of call. Those are busy days in Homer with school buses shuttling folks to and from town from the spit, the trolley in full swing and lots of people on the sidewalks wandering about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Graduation is a rite of passage marking each spring. As the principal, Doug is the emcee of the Homer High graduation each year, but this year was special as our son graduated and he and his friends planned well-developed collaborative valedictory address. The senior class even flew up the commencement speakers from the Lower 48, a couple that comes to Homer High each year to conduct Poetry Slam events and who had bonded with the kids over the past four years. Graduation is a community event in a small town like Homer, and this year about 1500 people showed up to send off the 80 or so graduates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In our family, track and field is part of our lives. Every year the Homer boys and girls track teams qualify for state so we head up north to cheer them on, this year to Palmer. It was exciting for Homer girls to get second at state with 6 girls on the team, all amazing athletes. Doug is always pleased when Homer teams get the academic award, which the girls did. The girls and boys teams both set school records in the 4 x 800 relay (and winning as well) and one of the guys set a school record in the 800 as well. After taking a couple years off track to play soccer, it was neat for our son to be a key player in the success of the team. The tradition in Alaska is for state champions to carry the state flag up the straightaway immediately after winning an event, which is what the video above is of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, on Memorial Day, it is sunny and gorgeous and I'm ready to think summer!</span><br />
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Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-54492645726604446502018-05-06T13:08:00.000-08:002018-05-06T13:08:12.402-08:00Thank You, Homer!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Each month my husband writes the Homer High School newsletter. Usually it is mundane school news, but this month, as our youngest child prepares to graduate, he got a bit more personal. Judging by the outpouring response to it, many other Homer parents feel the same way about raising their kids here. Thought I would share it here.</i><br /><br /><br /><br />Normally I would write about all the great things Homer High students are doing and the cool events that are coming up. Instead, I want to let you know how grateful I am to the Homer community. We moved to the Homer area eleven years ago and it was the best decision we ever made. I say this because not only am I a principal of Homer High School, I am a parent and my youngest child is a member of the class of 2018 and will graduate in less than a month.<br /><br />My children are a product of the Homer community. We have had so many great experiences raising them here. Events ranged from Bruins Basketball and taking art classes at Homer Council on the Arts to taking kayaking classes, HOWL and Boy Scouts. Our kids were inspired by participating in Math Counts and even performed for Pier One Theatre.<br /><br />We have great memories with Homer Community Recreation, especially with Fuzzy and rock climbing. All through Middle School our kids lived at the rock wall. We even spent time across the bay climbing Kachemak Crack. We have missed Fuzzy since he passed away.<br /><br />In High School our kids were able to play varsity sports and be a part of National Honor Society and Ocean Bowl. Most importantly, they were inspired by a great staff. They were awoken to the world of science by Mr. Rife and were challenged to think critically by Mr. Campbell. Mrs. Borland pushed their limits studying history and Ms. Tetor helped them fall in love with ceramics. There are too many influential adults, teachers, coaches and community members who positively affected our children's lives to list here.<br /><br />They were able to give back by helping teach kids to ski in remote villages as part of Skiku, encourage children to get excited about sea life through providing tide pool walks for elementary children at Peterson Bay and help present Native summer camps in the Aleutian Islands. I am totally envious that my daughter got to deckhand on the Tiglax for a couple weeks one summer with Youth Conservation Corp (YCC). It is crazy to me the number of opportunities there are in Homer for our youth. It is like we woke up one day and hit the parenting jackpot.<br /><br />Both of my kids worked hard and are going to college to become engineers and I couldn't be prouder of them. They have both earned awards, excelled at school and enjoyed sports, but it wouldn't have played out the way it did anywhere else in the world but Homer. In fact, our kids are mad at us that we didn't move to Homer sooner. In their hearts they are Alaskans.<br /><br />It truly does take a village to raise a child and my children are an example of that. I am truly grateful for what the Homer area has provided for my family and I hope I can give a piece of that back to future graduates as Principal of Homer High School.<br /><br />Thank you, Homer!</span>Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-69942280028703843042018-05-03T20:40:00.001-08:002018-05-03T20:40:41.617-08:00Signs of Spring"Did you hear the cranes?"<br />
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"Yes! I saw two of them in my yard last night!"<br />
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"A flock of them flew over earlier today."<br />
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"There's a momma moose and little one outside."<br />
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"I think that momma is pregnant and has been trying to run her young 'un away."<br />
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"Yeah, I've had one hanging out in my back yard this week."<br />
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"I've seen at least a couple moose every day this week!"<br />
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These are conversations of spring in Homer. There's some anticipation of the first cranes arriving and a buzz when they come in, advertising their presence with their echoing squanks overhead. Only in Homer is there a video of sandhill cranes in the pre-movie show. <br />
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The moose that have been hiding all winter have come out, munching on the fresh green grass that has been sprouting and sticking to the highly populated areas of town and protection from bear. Now the waiting game becomes watching to see when last year's babies are run off as the momma's anticipate their newborns and the breathless hope of seeing the little moose freshly born tottering around on their little stilted legs.<br />
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The sound of cranes and the sight of moose around town are unique signs of spring in Homer.Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-17615292799751082592018-04-05T20:12:00.000-08:002018-04-05T20:12:22.125-08:00February SunsetEvery spring feels like waking up from hibernation--despite best attempts at warding off seasonal affective disorder. I recall asking my cousins and aunt how they survived the winters when we visited Alaska three years before moving here, as that was my biggest reason for not wanting to live in Alaska. They said you need to exercise and take care of yourself and get outside every day. Now I know that's not enough as even getting out in the middle of a sunny day in the winter doesn't provide much benefit besides the mood lift, as there is rarely enough skin showing to provide vitamin D. Taking a vitamin D supplement helps, but for me doesn't completely take away that slight dulling of the senses. Our local joke is "everyone goes nuts in February and March" when we start getting our daylight back. If some local issue is going to blow up, likely it will be during those months.<br />
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With that context, this Valentine's Day sunset behind the Seafarer's Memorial on the Homer Spit was a sweet treat--a gem that we really appreciated after enjoying a special dinner at Land's End Resort.<br />
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-51210944807215105772018-04-03T19:56:00.002-08:002018-04-03T19:56:25.564-08:00Easter Day Ski<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 4 years of amazingly warm winter weather, this winter has been a "real winter" and I have skied more this winter than the past 4 years combined. To top it off, we have the special treat of spring skiing. With nights below freezing and days above freezing, the temperatures are perfect for "crust skiing"--the glorious activity of just heading out cross-country, off-trail, with perfect snow conditions everywhere! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easter Sunday I got out late--about 1:00--so the crust was just starting to get too soft to ski (breaking through the crust) so I had to stick to the trails. But with all the new trails at the McNeil Trail System this year, this is amazing! The Homer Ski Marathon (25k & 42k) and the Homer Epic (50k, 100k and 150k) races both utilized this trail system this year so grooming has been extensive, winding up, down and around the hills and muskegs. I have always appreciated this little town having 70k plus of impeccably groomed XC ski trails, but with the additional trails offering wide, sweeping panoramas of the Kenai Mountain Range, and a feeling of being on top of the world, the trails at McNeil are now irresistible. Oh, the portapotty at the school parking lot trail head helps too--also a new feature this year--since in the past it was a "find some bushes" situation.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Homer Spit is a thin line in Kachemak Bay from the McNeil ski trails</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Glorious views from the trails that serpentine higher and higher up the hills</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Easter Day ski was doubly delightful: no hat, no gloves and no jacket! With temperatures in the mid-40's, it felt balmy, and the stiff breeze was welcomed. Just a day later, on Monday, serious snow melt had happened and shrubs were started to poke through the snow on the trail. The groomers are likely done for the season, which is always a sad time to admit another ski season is nearly over.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgEDS_gcA3ClHAjFUhTrk5UMFXctor7Ky3nWyoHe56hFtZlNggnsIBt1OPZMsnpTL0cxugrjmSfd6pg9-7vQ47PH04OjRKruEbJUA9_I0xG5J9zVuHAkuArZPcjstRSMRkM75To-3J1eH/s1600/IMG_5845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgEDS_gcA3ClHAjFUhTrk5UMFXctor7Ky3nWyoHe56hFtZlNggnsIBt1OPZMsnpTL0cxugrjmSfd6pg9-7vQ47PH04OjRKruEbJUA9_I0xG5J9zVuHAkuArZPcjstRSMRkM75To-3J1eH/s400/IMG_5845.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">On the same day of the glorious ski at McNeil, the 'bench' looks nearly bare of snow. <br />The harbor sits in anticipation of another busy season.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We know spring has arrived because the eagles are busily building nests, here, there and everywhere! This one is near the deep water dock off the spit. A high tide swept last year's nest off the metal platform.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-50725675886645171412018-01-28T12:23:00.002-09:002018-01-28T12:23:48.222-09:00Weird Weather the New NormIt has been four years of above-average winter temperatures in Homer, with winters feeling like spring or fall, with the grays of those seasons more common than the white of winter. This year is the all-time record high temperatures since recording began in the early 1900's. We now know that the poles are warming faster than the equator, and the uncertainty around skiing has become the new norm: the Kachemak Nordic Ski Club now puts TBA for many events--date and place dependent on snow, and rather than committing themselves to saying when and where it is going to happen, saying it will happen, snow dependent.<br />
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I've seen ice flows before--just random places where water seeps out of the ground and creates an icy patch on the trail, but this year, it seems like at the McNeil trails, which are dominated by boggy areas, there were many more ice flows than usual. The groomers adjusted by just going way out of their way around it, where they could, creating a new groomed trail.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water flows on the ski trails</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More flows</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luckily it is not all like that!</td></tr>
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Warming and thawing, which is the new norm in Homer it appears, is wreaking havoc on roads, which are just breaking apart, with giant potholes appearing seemingly overnight. On our road, the ditch has overflowed because of frozen culverts so instead of running under the road the flow is now all over the road, an icy, slushy mess that will continue to get worse till the borough gets out and thaws the culvert.</div>
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Temperatures in the 40's is now common, and while some folks like it, it also means that many times the precipitation is coming down when the temperatures are at freezing, creating insanely icy conditions. A few nights ago it was 24 degrees, but drizzling, turning the roads into random slick spots. Oh what fun! </div>
Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-53641567571300305882018-01-25T20:16:00.002-09:002018-01-25T20:16:25.149-09:00The Big Shake!The earthquake that shook Alaska early Tuesday morning was a very large shared event for folks in Homer, who got the double whammy of the quake, along with a tsunami warning. I had the good fortune of sleeping through the whole thing. I awoke Tuesday, turned on my light and wondered why all my dresser drawers were open. I was able to shrug it off, until my husband said, "The pool is closed--we had a big quake last night and school is delayed." That got me awake quite quickly, and the rest of the day was a series of folks sharing "their experience". Here's a few slices of experiences.<br />
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My husband was barely awake through the quake itself, and he rated it a 6.5 or 7.0 maybe, rather than the 7.9 it was rated at. What woke him up was the slew of texts and phone calls he started getting once the tsunami warning was put out. The high school is one of the "safe places" in Homer, along with the hospital, because it is 300 feet above sea level and just over a mile inland. Somewhere around 50-70 folks in the tsunami evacuation area came into the school (along with a variety of pets such as gerbils, hamsters, etc.), while others just parked in the parking lot. The assistant principal lives in the evacuation area so luckily she was in and unlocked the doors.<br />
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A co-worker of mine also lives in town. She said that when the tsunami tower went off it sounded like it was right in her living room. Then emergency vehicles drove up and down the streets sounding alerts to evacuate. Finally, the City of Homer Public Works evacuated their heavy equipment across town to the high school parking lot, since they are located by Beluga Slough and at virtually sea level and would get the brunt of a tsunami. All that was quite noisy, so even if one would want to fall back asleep there was plenty of action to keep one awake!<br />
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Another co-worker of mine lives 4 or 5 blocks below the hospital. She said lots of folks were walking up the hill to the hospital, the moose on one side of the street and the people on the other. The birds were going nuts like it was morning, and of course the dogs were adding to the chaos. Some folks just drove to the top of the ridge that Homer rests on, which is about 1000 feet high.<br />
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The tsunami was called off sometime around 3:30 or 4:00, so folks could go home. At that point the school district decided to have a 2-hour delay for Homer schools so folks could get some sleep. Many people had a hard time getting back to sleep after that. We did end up getting a 1.5 to 2 foot tsunami, which would be slightly noticeable from other waves coming in, primarily by it's longer wavelength.<br />
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That day, folks were just very tired, and also a bit wound up. As I was getting dinner ready that evening, a series of 4 quakes within a minute shook the house a bit and light fixtures were swaying. Apparently there were dozens of aftershocks. Damage has been minimal. I did find a cracked wall at work, and some folks had things fall off their shelves and break, but for the most part it was not destructive. My husband said it was less scary than the last one last year, which had hard jolts that shook things violently, and which created much more damage even though it was a smaller magnitude.<br />
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I'm always a little relieved when we get quakes. I'd rather have the pressure relieved than have it build up. I'm not sure if my logic is solid or that's just wishful thinking, but I'll take that hopefulness!Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-41278926919425301322017-11-04T17:30:00.000-08:002017-11-04T17:30:16.486-08:00Hiking Carter Lake<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLscvsUvoLo32TVK3KCJ5TSD_Nmcor3FoamQoyKquJoRHRLxDTxPs4HQwSvLsC3GHnsSpNeQ-XHFc7nQ2iHT4jcsUkalpQadlo6A_sZUTRze1Hnk9uMx30mSVyiGvFkBXmeuD2_bTC8M-d/s1600/IMG_5504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLscvsUvoLo32TVK3KCJ5TSD_Nmcor3FoamQoyKquJoRHRLxDTxPs4HQwSvLsC3GHnsSpNeQ-XHFc7nQ2iHT4jcsUkalpQadlo6A_sZUTRze1Hnk9uMx30mSVyiGvFkBXmeuD2_bTC8M-d/s400/IMG_5504.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Carter Lake, with a skim of ice on part of it</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband's first weekend off in three months led us to a Cooper Landing getaway last weekend. The weather was outstanding for hiking: in the 30's and 40's so things were mostly frozen and not mucky from our months of rain, and comfortable for hiking. We hadn't hiked the Carter Lake Trail a few miles south of the Seward Y on the Seward Highway, about 10 miles from Cooper Landing, for many years so we decided to check it out. It was a good choice; the hour-long uphill trek got us warmed up, but it wasn't so steep we were sweating. A light crust of snow at higher elevations made traction good. We made it to Carter Lake in an hour, though did not press on to Crescent Lake and the Crescent Creek Trail, which may have been possible at this time of year. Many times the trail through is overgrown with grass. Here's a photo journal of our hike.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif9hFm_M23b-QeFVTTzqRgD6XfuvU82qtA_UqB1ie6i-5NDxaGoPWm6oDZUjFAoOD_1ipvynvmrvBNSv9VMhhg4f8j2YlbNf7ASWWQoO8laMeE5N3noRGHgsttt1e79vBKzPwwIt-YlkX/s1600/IMG_5503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif9hFm_M23b-QeFVTTzqRgD6XfuvU82qtA_UqB1ie6i-5NDxaGoPWm6oDZUjFAoOD_1ipvynvmrvBNSv9VMhhg4f8j2YlbNf7ASWWQoO8laMeE5N3noRGHgsttt1e79vBKzPwwIt-YlkX/s400/IMG_5503.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cat tracks in the snow....likely lynx. We saw 3 ptarmigan on the hike up to the lake,<br /> and saw them again on the way back down</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FwQiuW7fsb4GtFfM6JfTtAsU6XGqwwQLtDmMUvm2gQL2ijz8w8arxrBCZGRR_D6ptbmpJl9oMGq-FYRqn6sfbk5vCX4iCfeQsSCvOi-5BTAzgpoIqS55rD34ZnmQvZxu7sRJ51M5lZpT/s1600/IMG_5505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FwQiuW7fsb4GtFfM6JfTtAsU6XGqwwQLtDmMUvm2gQL2ijz8w8arxrBCZGRR_D6ptbmpJl9oMGq-FYRqn6sfbk5vCX4iCfeQsSCvOi-5BTAzgpoIqS55rD34ZnmQvZxu7sRJ51M5lZpT/s400/IMG_5505.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm a sucker for pictures of bridges. Maybe because I love what they do for me (dry feet!)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c511KC9qWB6CTMW5xuT6uze5e_MNQSh4yHReYj2cTM4SUiqGNpIe7hQTjWAW5yt7eM4oaRyZ6TfN9PPT0jvGJ8HeX4mNiVdKMGcs-L7xFWBM37tu0YZkBNEYSm_vT1HAsXEOv9iQBw1v/s1600/IMG_5509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c511KC9qWB6CTMW5xuT6uze5e_MNQSh4yHReYj2cTM4SUiqGNpIe7hQTjWAW5yt7eM4oaRyZ6TfN9PPT0jvGJ8HeX4mNiVdKMGcs-L7xFWBM37tu0YZkBNEYSm_vT1HAsXEOv9iQBw1v/s400/IMG_5509.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mid-range trail, right at snow line (the snow quite literally starts at one spot)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZaTH-RQLX__50eeQJDtWz-T0PYNW-Gow47qadKd66LRanI15d8jNNTM9FM4B0Vk-e_Z8ODiOF3Cuv7NqHrkxLcsasEpD6EULHkPbeh0-rXXsmf7nMe1s_oN0Y5YoKx_U7pzQUUaxFju1/s1600/IMG_5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZaTH-RQLX__50eeQJDtWz-T0PYNW-Gow47qadKd66LRanI15d8jNNTM9FM4B0Vk-e_Z8ODiOF3Cuv7NqHrkxLcsasEpD6EULHkPbeh0-rXXsmf7nMe1s_oN0Y5YoKx_U7pzQUUaxFju1/s400/IMG_5511.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The lower trail--below snow-line and looking like fall</span></td></tr>
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-89415649505244606062017-10-30T20:44:00.000-08:002017-10-30T20:44:05.359-08:00Beautiful HarborThe other evening I was out walking on the spit around the Homer Harbor and was struck by the distinctive lighting and still water. Normally my pictures don't turn out as beautiful as the reality, but these pictures turned out well enough to share. The outdoor lamps almost look like moons at first glance, which adds to the interest of these photos. Somewhere in the picture (second row of boats) is likely the Time Bandit, famous for being seen on the TV show Deadliest Catch.<br />
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-83928338482414877522017-10-29T20:33:00.000-08:002017-10-29T20:33:00.622-08:00Alaskan Wildlife<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not all wildlife in Alaska is "wild". Here's some photos and videos I've gotten in the past couple months of 'wildlife'.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqV6MlflKx6w0Re5NNn3-cRarUtnJO9NMfIgCZIg6cJ22e2Y4oVolJXP1wNrM-5rnRJld9-SX6dMzKbAtQt9BAiLnE9-ak6gaMC4ytnHEaB74qRauWzCH6qxqddjUouUne6bJHidzmKMOE/s1600/IMG_5437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqV6MlflKx6w0Re5NNn3-cRarUtnJO9NMfIgCZIg6cJ22e2Y4oVolJXP1wNrM-5rnRJld9-SX6dMzKbAtQt9BAiLnE9-ak6gaMC4ytnHEaB74qRauWzCH6qxqddjUouUne6bJHidzmKMOE/s400/IMG_5437.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Cute little squirrel hanging out on the railing of the Ship Creek trail in Anchorage</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came out of church in late September and was impressed by the squanking of sandhill cranes going overhead. What impressed me more is that they kept coming...hundreds of them, all heading north. The lady standing next to me was saying that sandhill cranes cannot fly over the water so have to migrate over the shore, so they head north, following the shoreline. It was a treat to witness this, and I was expecting more but that is the only time this fall I have seen sandhill cranes fly over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OMDPEIEg1LQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OMDPEIEg1LQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We don't normally get bull moose with large racks in our yard, and we definitely do not get bull moose with a cow in the yard, but so it happened last week. The cow took the rosebush out front, and the bull took the raspberry patch. Each was quite systematic about their work of eating them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another view of the munching moose:</span><br />
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<br />Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-90173809228030629472017-09-21T19:01:00.004-08:002017-09-21T19:01:48.313-08:00Harvest Time<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a strange year for growing, seems to be the consensus among people that notice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The summer was cool and things seemed not to come at their usual time--like the berries! But then we have been spoiled for two years of exceptionally warm summers and July harvests of berries, so we're not sure if this is normal or late. So to pick blueberries mid-August seemed late; I used to always plan my girls' weekend of berrypicking Labor Day weekend. So mid-August is still early!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 26th when I returned from Michigan, my apple trees were still blooming. As of yesterday, look at them now! One hundred apples on my single tree. I thought I needed at least 2 trees to pollinate and when the rabbits took my two other trees and left me a single one I was going to cut it down too. But I left it and now it is producing a delightful crop!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIX-HYR0zYGE15ASJZeSEo6IAHRAtvcj06t9CJLeSAaVuX5HFDEQxNI40AjganuF0h51ymPF05ZcmxywYz_yltw3mbORLe1JXzTtkujkwPV6_xzHOKkq4woxq0UcPk6aDonoDsRH6W8fJ/s1600/apples.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIX-HYR0zYGE15ASJZeSEo6IAHRAtvcj06t9CJLeSAaVuX5HFDEQxNI40AjganuF0h51ymPF05ZcmxywYz_yltw3mbORLe1JXzTtkujkwPV6_xzHOKkq4woxq0UcPk6aDonoDsRH6W8fJ/s400/apples.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Not sure what type of apples these are, but they are tasty and tart!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pushki was blooming in July in places. Lupine was blooming as late as last week--a crop flower that should be done in July. Elderberries were later too, with the cloyingly sweet scent of the blossoms not happening till the end of June, when at times it has happened in late May.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lawn was going nuts and had to be mowed every five days, if we could squeeze it in between rains. In the garden the broccoli didn't form heads but the cauliflower was huge and early. In the greenhouse the tomatoes just finally started ripening the last week of August. The parsley is quite happy and growing prolifically. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The root crops have done nicely. Carrots, potatoes and onions all were average crops, but are still growing. The slugs never arrived in my garden this year, despite the rain, which was a puzzler. No slugs and no wasps meant better raspberry and serviceberry crops since both of them feed on my berries. I'll admit I got tired of picking berries this year--a first in my life I think!--and so invited friends over for a berries, wine 'n' dessert event: pick berries, then drink wine and eat dessert. It was a hit!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Red and white potatoes contrast nicely with carrots</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Summer temperatures were in the 60's almost every day and 50's almost every night. Since mid-August, the temps are now 50's during the day and 40's at night, here on the bench in Homer. Up top they've gotten a nip of frost already. We might have been nipped too--my cucumber plants were a bit droopy in the greenhouse, but I admit to being derelict in my duty and forgot to water for 5 days in September so that could be it also.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With such moderate temperatures I'm not too worried about getting the last of the potatoes and carrots in. I've been harvesting enough to store in the fridge for a week or so. My favorite recipe at the moment is carrots, onions and potatoes cut into chunks, drizzled in olive oil and grated garlic and roasted in the oven for 25 minutes. Yum! I admit to having frozen kale left over from last summer still, so I've been making kale meatballs regularly to use that up. Zucchini keeps producing and I keep giving it away, eating it and freezing it. The kale keeps growing and I keep giving that away as well with my file of favorite kale recipes (kale chips, massaged kale). I thought my lettuce was done but it took off again so I can stop buying it and start eating it out of the garden again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our dinner table is a reflection of the garden, and it is a favorite time of year for me to have such a bounty to choose from. The days are getting shorter and the trees are yellow and mountainsides red. I used to miss Midwestern autumn's, but now this is what autumn is to me: subtle but delightful color plays and the change of lighting. It feels good to be here.</span>Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-24450633788270790602017-08-13T12:11:00.000-08:002017-08-13T12:11:09.381-08:00Climbing Poot Peak<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ4Vnep7QoT1B7OGYCP74HPvj8qq_nyz7jtoH1nxZJzkDi_9kcTzKCd1OncIkV9XgAu6ZGd0VCnjDQGLNnY-OZaKf2uV3KblKYAU0is14LU_-oBf067I9KfLQLBH1XAgAcTiIJF6RHcel/s1600/IMG_5381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJ4Vnep7QoT1B7OGYCP74HPvj8qq_nyz7jtoH1nxZJzkDi_9kcTzKCd1OncIkV9XgAu6ZGd0VCnjDQGLNnY-OZaKf2uV3KblKYAU0is14LU_-oBf067I9KfLQLBH1XAgAcTiIJF6RHcel/s400/IMG_5381.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Conical Poot Peak, rising above the foothills across Kachemak Bay on a misty day</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climbing Poot Peak, the 2880 foot peak across Kachemak Bay from us, has been a goal for our kids for a couple of years. With Aurora's imminent return to college, and Doug's return to work for the new school year, the opportunities to head over there have been dwindling. With that narrow window in mind, I called Mako's Water Taxi to find out when we could get in and out on high tides during this past weekend. Halibut Cove Lagoon is the entrance to that area, with a dock and maintained trails. However, it is only accessible a few hours before and after high tides so it limits getting in and out. With the current tides we were able to get in mid-afternoon on Saturday and out early Sunday evening. That gave us 26 hours to backpack in the 2.8 miles to China Poot Lake, hike up Poot Peak, and backpack back out. It was a full weekend of hiking, but wasn't unreasonably so.</span><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> A cabin is tucked onto an island on China Poot Lake, accessible only by float plane or boat</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Poot Peak rises above the trail as one hikes out to the lake</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">China Poot Lake as seen from the north route up Poot Peak</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hike to China Poot Lake is fairly well maintained--not overgrown with brush and with relatively few roots to get over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The campsite on China Poot Lake aleady had two tents set up, so it looked like it was going to be crowded by Alaska standards. After setting up camp, we went out for a walk, which on my map the trail was flat, but that must have been within the lines, give or take 100 feet, because it did go up and down plenty. And while it was a "walk" because we didn't have our backpacking backpacks on, it was still most definitely a "hike" on the rough trail with occasional splotches of berry-filled bear scat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fire ring offered a less rustic feel to this backpacking experience, and we enjoyed a few hours around the flames. A bear container was convenient for our foodstuff, but we also hung one backpack on the cable strung between two trees for that purpose.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning the kids headed out of camp by 9:30 with their daypacks on, heading for the summit, while Doug and I cleaned up camp and pumped water for our waterbottles. Our goal was up the mountain, hopefully to the nob (that sticks out of Poot Peak near the top), but not the summit. Everyone we'd talked to had done the North Route, which was unmaintained, even though the South Route was supposedly maintained, so we headed up the North Route. And UP is an accurate description. Up and up and up, sometimes very steep, slippery slopes and then near the top, a more gradual up through a mountain meadow.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Glaciered mountains in the view from the nob on Poot Peak<br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rugged peaks in the Kenai Mountain Range<br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The final trek to the summit rises behind this sign<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We made it as far as the sign above, which marks the final climb to the summit, which includes a scree slope and a bit of rock climbing. A little lunch and lots of water later, we headed down, packed up camp, and headed back to Halibut Cove Lagoon for our water taxi ride back to Homer. As the kids said (in my words, paraphrased!), it was the most unremarkable peak they have ever climbed. Although it is 2880 feet, and it rises above the surrounding area, it doesn't have this awesome grandeur feeling that one gets on Grace Ridge or even Alpine Ridge. It rises by itself and is just a hunk of rock, with passable views, but only near the top. Camping at China Poot Lake will definitely get put on my list of regular hikes, to explore the area, but making climbing Poot Peak will unlikely be the goal. But one has to do it to know it, and now we can say we've done it. Check! </span></div>
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Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-475064489755072239.post-5801846758918104052017-08-12T11:39:00.000-08:002017-08-12T11:39:03.126-08:00The Saltry and Danny J--A Halibut Cove Experience<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I did the most touristy thing I've done since coming to Alaska: take the Danny J to Halibut Cove and eat at The Saltry Restaurant. It was an enjoyable thing to do for a low-key evening: beautiful ride, good food, nice company and even view some wildlife.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Heading out the Homer harbor</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Halibut Cove with Poot Peak rising above it</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lighthouse guarding the entrance to Halibut Cove, now a vacation rental</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The local arch to the left of the lighthouse</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cute sea otter entertaining us tourists</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-c1uj75rmUB_pFnsDFaFuLwHSpZ_inzk9RVqrjrtn5vah4lhLF2BXAtuFlORBwSGKxInut2CeydVRHECjGz6ZfMHGWQ43VWwJvjMevKU7nXfPvNz2kNwXtsFcwh1cP4HXelh1ckfk4Ru/s1600/IMG_5322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-c1uj75rmUB_pFnsDFaFuLwHSpZ_inzk9RVqrjrtn5vah4lhLF2BXAtuFlORBwSGKxInut2CeydVRHECjGz6ZfMHGWQ43VWwJvjMevKU7nXfPvNz2kNwXtsFcwh1cP4HXelh1ckfk4Ru/s400/IMG_5322.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The still waters of Halibut Cove</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ripples across the cove</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUa2kLrLT4_fEIuxSmL20Vc81DH8Nmd8aS_bzSyEDCNm-uc4M5tDO4H9Ce_4szxBLgHPhUZy7fyKEKbB9dmX8Ox440cOYDG0DaUhgtnm-tbqBzAUnFzebxYz2_WaPonRY4ppaOr4BxUnI/s1600/IMG_5325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUa2kLrLT4_fEIuxSmL20Vc81DH8Nmd8aS_bzSyEDCNm-uc4M5tDO4H9Ce_4szxBLgHPhUZy7fyKEKbB9dmX8Ox440cOYDG0DaUhgtnm-tbqBzAUnFzebxYz2_WaPonRY4ppaOr4BxUnI/s400/IMG_5325.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">An art gallery featuring local artists is one of the few businesses in the cove</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbU4XOZAghu-1-qJnJ-ExGISdUln3N2rU57NUEmpw2KtWArnTaLJkCD5GmtlxkSkPYAv-ijNDZ-zWCA-T9DIdExEhl0LbeaPpHzwmgrTrukA_t6quk4FHONd1GHrnUzdA1G_cizqmiUnX/s1600/IMG_5326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbU4XOZAghu-1-qJnJ-ExGISdUln3N2rU57NUEmpw2KtWArnTaLJkCD5GmtlxkSkPYAv-ijNDZ-zWCA-T9DIdExEhl0LbeaPpHzwmgrTrukA_t6quk4FHONd1GHrnUzdA1G_cizqmiUnX/s400/IMG_5326.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">An idyllic view</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdbAZsI0c9JzSghdIv5kmHx7-Vd6B1QdfpWYEfp98INV6h9RrGd365VPOv8vcFqdpVIGlRcVDigIBT1CM45a3WHerZrIBPbIhzZvw1hWeCp0zlCI32ri02ZdzwOwICpVS8lMC_keGvS7v/s1600/IMG_5327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdbAZsI0c9JzSghdIv5kmHx7-Vd6B1QdfpWYEfp98INV6h9RrGd365VPOv8vcFqdpVIGlRcVDigIBT1CM45a3WHerZrIBPbIhzZvw1hWeCp0zlCI32ri02ZdzwOwICpVS8lMC_keGvS7v/s400/IMG_5327.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fireweed and fields</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjhDgoQgMBmFU6DOwA-s58MlTRFv5gQDyTQ4bJTzwDqqPZAtZysmb8VFs1rOfNBIERD1IK3X1-pUZpHuuWT4X7GUWr8xF0ncg-rr1b2Yovez-nFsWRkQCg4zKxAuTIT9WPd77mLJwBu-O/s1600/IMG_5328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjhDgoQgMBmFU6DOwA-s58MlTRFv5gQDyTQ4bJTzwDqqPZAtZysmb8VFs1rOfNBIERD1IK3X1-pUZpHuuWT4X7GUWr8xF0ncg-rr1b2Yovez-nFsWRkQCg4zKxAuTIT9WPd77mLJwBu-O/s400/IMG_5328.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Quaint local directional signage</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZsG-FI91ypKXhOKXjHa40Pu85nIUTNvb7ya-k5LaSnu_9E2Lt9l2qcY4azdf4rKNblv_vS-uWdeCyc81p6MofNCKqeC6QJn4mMRc8xf5zxeYmhH1JSB9Skqt2zJgT7UGlAETkiq9H-XJ/s1600/IMG_5334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZsG-FI91ypKXhOKXjHa40Pu85nIUTNvb7ya-k5LaSnu_9E2Lt9l2qcY4azdf4rKNblv_vS-uWdeCyc81p6MofNCKqeC6QJn4mMRc8xf5zxeYmhH1JSB9Skqt2zJgT7UGlAETkiq9H-XJ/s400/IMG_5334.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Boardwalks are the local streets in Halibut Cove</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM9_Y2NFz-qU_t5j3YlJzh8jWSILRDil-5IswiaVDQKcD1X8Pz37Rmv4pWWRSfp83Gto_aVmrXS6Ae2r9-Jg_-Yp7lWCgvWNYEAQDY8mYopi1UyG79lFdZgEiKpKyc3VHkFRy4TAJfbJE/s1600/IMG_5335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggM9_Y2NFz-qU_t5j3YlJzh8jWSILRDil-5IswiaVDQKcD1X8Pz37Rmv4pWWRSfp83Gto_aVmrXS6Ae2r9-Jg_-Yp7lWCgvWNYEAQDY8mYopi1UyG79lFdZgEiKpKyc3VHkFRy4TAJfbJE/s400/IMG_5335.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Enjoying a tree-shaded boardwalk</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_onyjhAYPSZterwS-9odWgcK2JcdxhWS7_yuUD5pZPsmxVqAGdbEC2JLIbLZju0a9P-ZPzwctfQVJv3amLqcAR9JE1labClSniEma3L-nTV3SUpuo2GMW9mzvbt1dssfN5FICPqDXA3c/s1600/IMG_5342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_onyjhAYPSZterwS-9odWgcK2JcdxhWS7_yuUD5pZPsmxVqAGdbEC2JLIbLZju0a9P-ZPzwctfQVJv3amLqcAR9JE1labClSniEma3L-nTV3SUpuo2GMW9mzvbt1dssfN5FICPqDXA3c/s400/IMG_5342.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some houses are quaint; others are old; all add to the atmosphere of Halibut Cove</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UHkjyAs306Ttp3vZpg_1s8RTaxp8HJVME9pV2qNdt0Wx-9DEi6XE2Tc7sCepuzh4MdF8CNo7MlvYjKeIH9KgVgGsBXZ9dz0AFxqYi_GY3IFTiMpoDU_S-N6Amm1917wUVDXgSq00pbV1/s1600/IMG_5343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UHkjyAs306Ttp3vZpg_1s8RTaxp8HJVME9pV2qNdt0Wx-9DEi6XE2Tc7sCepuzh4MdF8CNo7MlvYjKeIH9KgVgGsBXZ9dz0AFxqYi_GY3IFTiMpoDU_S-N6Amm1917wUVDXgSq00pbV1/s400/IMG_5343.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Boarding the Danny J, a restored wooden boat</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the weather were rainy, windy or cold, this wouldn't have been as enjoyable. As it was, the overcast day was warm and calm, so five hours outside on the boat ride, wandering about on the trails and boardwalk and eating in the outdoor venue at The Saltry were pleasant. As a bonus we saw a black bear on shore as we were leaving the cove, topping a delightful evening outing.</span>Michelle Waclawskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17014072867568135532noreply@blogger.com2