Returning to Homer

My stomach does flip flops and my mouth falls open in wonder when I drive over the ridge heading into Homer after being out of town for a few days. Kachemak Bay, the Kenai Mountains and the Homer Spit spread out in an amazing vista. I'm never expecting it, and I'm actually a little embarrassed about it, but I think it is part of the reason Homer is such a popular destination. It is incredibly beautiful. While the Alaska Range across Cook Inlet, with its soaring, snow-capped volcanoes, takes my breath away too, the mountains across Kachemak Bay are stunning for their immediacy. They are so near. I'm afraid these pictures don't do justice to the beauty. You'll just have to come see for yourself.

Other reflections:
The snow: it's mostly gone (At our house anyways. As you can see from the pictures, there is a snow line. On the Homer side of the bay there is just maybe a few hundred feet above the current snow line)
The traffic: My husband says it's weird driving down the road and seeing so many people and cars he doesn't recognize. I agree. The increase in the population is amazing, and the traffic, which hasn't been an issue since last October, now has to be factored into driving times. Yuck. (But all you dear blog readers are still welcome to come visit. Just introduce yourself so you're not strangers!)
The colors: Wow! Green! I can't get used to it! I know it happens everywhere, but it seems so late. Actually, it has been green in Homer for awhile, but it is only just beginning up here at 1300 feet.
The light: I'm still not used to it. I think I need to get dark shades for my windows. I was up at 4:30 this morning.....
The funkiness: This is one of my favorite things about Alaska. Anything goes. Image just isn't as much of an issue as, say, practicality. Driving into town yesterday, it was funny seeing a guy biking down the road with a fully loaded backpacking backpack on. And the beards. I really want to do a blog entry on beards; the variety is amazing. And we're not talking these little goatee things; we're talking great, flowing beards on young men, old men, and lots in between. Homer attracts an interesting crowd!
Home: I know Homer's home because store clerks know me. I enjoy the familiarity of going into a store and being treated as "me" rather than as a "customer". There is something to be said for small towns.