You can do it … FAMOUS last words

I was told when I got my chair DO NOT take it on gravel. OK I understand. Did you know there are different types of gravel? I did not. To me gravel is anything that had some sort of small rock. In my mind I was rolling over a bunch of gravel (actually I now know that was stone). So now you know what I was told, I now know why.

We decided to do the farmer’s market in Homer on Wednesday because it was in the afternoon and shorter then Saturday’s market. The parking lot is full of gravel the sinky kind. You know the stuff that is thick and heavy. We thought what a great way to get around the market use the scooter and chair. The thing is you have to get to the market first. We unload and put together both the scooter and my chair. We start out. I immediately get stuck. Not a problem I get up and try and move it after I put it in neutral. I got it free, sit down try again go a few feet, stuck again. Well now we have a crowd. So the next time I get stuck it isn’t freeing up. So we came up with a solution have the crowd of men carry it back to the car.

We did not get to the market because Roy also got bogged down. So I guess our fresh produce will have to come from SafeWay now.

So I learned a few things here.

Listen when the people who know say something.
When your gut says this is a bad idea.
People still are helpful.
If you do something embrassing do it where people will never see you again.
Make sure there are no photos (THERE ARE NONE)

Boat Launch Alaska Style

It is interesting to watch how boats enter and exit the water without a boat ramp. Places like Anchor Point, and Deep Creek have it down to a science. How you ask? They use a tractor attached to your boat trailer. It is like a push me – pull me relationship. In the Cook Inlet the widely varying tides make it impossible to have a harbor or ramp, this is why the tractor is used. The launches occur based on the tide tables. For a You Tube video of a boat launch Alaska style.

In this video you can see the guy winching up the boat on the trailer. The audio comes with no extra charge.

my version of how it is done

dry land

The video was shot at Deep Creek, we did not stay long as there were very few boats coming in. Here are a few photos of the boat in the video.

While we were still at Deep Creek I was able to take a few pictures of the volcanoes across the bay. There was no letting off steam today which is a good thing. Here is some information about Mount Redoubt. As you can see this was a clear view of the volcano and the reason we came down to Deep Creek in the first place. Mountains in Alaska always seem to make their own weather, so a clear mountain is rare. It does seem like this trip is all about the eagles and I think you might be correct. We headed off in search of some more in Anchor Point.

I set up my chair and grabbed my long lens because there were eagles on the beach, along with horses, people, boats and tractors. I had an amazing amount of subject matter to choose from. It brings into the mix timing, lighting, and patience, (I’m developing all of those this summer.) Sitting in the chair, I want to stay longer because it is senseless to take it out and put it together for five minutes’ worth of shooting. I love the fact I can move around without being exhausted after one stop.

Getting back to the boat launch process here, it was definitely a well-timed dance as can be seen from some of my pictures. I enjoyed seeing one come in and go out at about the same time. The cool thing is the eagles were not fazed by the tractor or the movement of the humans.

In between the launches I got a treat because when the fisherman dumps the scraps the eagles and the other birds get easy food. The funny thing is just like kids, juvenile eagles fight over the thing someone else has even though there is plenty to go around. This argument was settled when the adult eagle came in and took it for their own. In the photo you do see a more major juvenile in possession of the fish. It did start in the talons of the little guy so I give him credit for trying. Although who knows let the younger one do the work then as the elder you reap the reward.

Roy and I had been talking in the morning about wouldn’t it be cool to see some horses being ridden on the beach. I guess all we have to do is talk about wanting to see something for it to happen. (It hasn’t worked for moose yet.) Reason being is just as I was thinking of packing up to go along the beach comes a few riders on horseback.

I do say I am not the only photographer who gets tunnel vision when taking pictures. I wanted to yell down the beach and say look to your left you are missing the horses. I do not think that would have gone over well. I do understand how Roy feels when I am totally absent to my surroundings. I had watched her creep down the beach ever closer to the eagles who were hanging around.

We then headed down to Homer again just to see if anything was happening down there, it wasn’t. But Roy does say you don’t know if you don’t go. That saying also applied to dinner. He wanted to see if the Thai restaurant Keen Kow (check out the facebook page). I will say it did not change his Pad Thai was still delicious, I even tried the Cashew Pork. So, this was a perfect ending to the longest day of the year, 19 hours and 44 minutes. Although it could be 24 hours of sun, because the sun may dip below the horizon, but it never gets truly dark.

Going through the shots

Day three on the Kenai I think we have developed a routine. It has been rainy during the day which gives me a good chance to go through the photos from the evening before. It also gives me a chance to continue kicking this cold. We seem to be going out around 6 to 6:30pm driving a few back roads to figure out if they are worth coming back to when the weather is nice. Last night we went down to the fish ladder near our campground to see if it was still there. It is and it looks like they are getting ready to begin once the salmon return. On our way back hiding perfectly in the woods not to be able to get a picture was a moose.

Speaking of moose; have you ever wondered what they do all day. I mean what a life to just walk, stand, eat and sleep. The other thought I had was how elusive bull moose are. I think that I’ve only encountered one in all the times we’ve been coming to Alaska. He was definitely an enormous one. Large enough to get the ranger’s attention.

Plans for the month are coming together. One day for Homer and views of the Spit, maybe a trip to Salty Dawg depending how handicapped accessible it is. (scooter and chair will get a workout.) Driving back up the Kenai to Skilak Lake Loop road, hopefully for some bear and moose. Driving back roads just to drive and hopefully see some wild life.

So today, I am trying to keep up with photos and even editing a few along the way. I came across this one. I almost wrote it off as something not worth saving, until I saw it on a larger screen. The back of the camera can be deceiving, this is why I never delete even when I see it on the computer screen it just gets a 1 for rating.

I am sitting watching this juvenile bald eagle standing on a small rock. It took all of 15 minutes before the rock disappeared and he had to take flight. It was funny watching his movements gingerly trying to avoid getting his bird legs completely covered. I have to wonder if he does this every night when the tide comes in.

Once he did find some dry land the look on his face was that of a grumpy old man who was disturbed and bothered. I just that it was cute he had to land on a populated part of the shore.

Tonight, I am hoping it will stop raining so we can go explore another state beach and at $5 a day for a parking pass this is definitely cheap entertainment

He Delivered

even though it was damp and deary Roy was able to deliver on animals or at least bald eagles. We have this place called Deep Creek State Recreation Area. So camera in hand we head there. We discover no more driving on the beach but it all worked out.

Being a kind of deary day I did not expect much. There also did not seem to be much eagle traffic and even less RV traffic in the campground. We did see a few eagles in the distance I took a few photos and then I was ready to leave. I am so glad Roy has a watchful eye, plus the fact that I wasn’t super hungry yet kept us there.

This one lone eagle was sitting on the Deep Creek sign, so I felt it was only right I get a Picture of it. I was hoping he would fly away or do something unique no such luck. He did however show me his various good side and I was able to get a background change along the way. After about fifteen minutes with no real action, I said let go, in a while he says.

We drive up on the berm where there are more eagles, waves, and high tide. For a second, I thought this is what I’ve been waiting for. I’ve been blessed to be in the right place at the right time for some amazing photos and my feeling was tonight would prove to be one of those. Just then I see a fish carrying something in his talons and in comes another eagle trying to take it. The artistic dance that occurred when the second bird entered the picture took skill and grace. I was able to capture this action and I have to say I was speechless. (that’s hard for me). Sad part for the eagle he did drop his dinner. I did get the shot so that was the good part.

There were only about twenty eagles on the beach and a ton of seagulls. I still enjoyed watching them fly, soar, and look dignified when wet.

The Eagle has Landed

We have put our wings down for a month here in Ninilchik, Alaska. We are 40 miles from Homer and 6 miles from Eagle beach (actually, it is Deep Creek). This is the beach we could drive on before, not the case. They have put up a berm and charge for parking. It is all good because I can make parking pay for itself. In the enjoyment I’ve already experienced, I will cover that enjoyment soon.

So, what are we to do for a month, you ask? Get started looking for animals. This is after the sticker shock of $7 a shower. (I am so glad that we are self-contained.) I am also wondering how we will get along with no TV and very limited radio for a month. I know look for animals.

On the journey down from Anchorage we stopped at a turn out Beluga Point to look for Beluga Whales. You guess it no whales but I did capture a resting Lance trailer and a beautiful seascape.

The last time we had been on the Kenai Peninsula was prior to the fire of 2019. It was sad and a little devastating to see the damage done. There is a glimmer of hope as we saw a lot of fireweed growing which is great after a forest fire. There is a plan for a whole day in the area of the fire. I will be sure post some pictures. There is a lake called Tern lake which is right by the turn-off to head to Cooper Landing (hear me out memory at work). I mentioned to Roy I want to stop on the way in. That can’t be done, there is no pull off area coming from the north. That is for the return trip.

I understand we are a little early for some of the salmon run that did not stop one group of socially distanced combat fishing. It was interesting to see. At this point no animals still. That does change here soon. We got set up in the drizzle but that was ok Roy promised a good dinner in Homer and some animals he delivered on both.

We got distracted by shiny things on our way down to Homer so food wasn’t actually what we had planned on doing. It did however work out because I had leftover seafood mac n cheese for lunch. We tried to eat at The Fat Olive they have good food and good wine, this is where Roy discovered his rhubarb chardonnay. After a drive down the spit and back they were getting ready to close. We ended up at the Harbor Grill and had the seafood mac n cheese.

Speaking of the Homer Spit was surprised to see how not busy the RV parks were.

On the way home we saw a mom and baby moose walking along the side of the road towards our campground.

ALERT …. ALERT …. ALERT ….

Wait false alert. I am hoping that the Kenai Peninsula will bring a few animals out of the wood work. The last few days have seen us in Anchorage and the Mat-Su valley before that.

I have been trying to get over a cold and we had to stock up on a few things before the month on the Kenai. We also made a stop at Stewart’s camera shop I thought I had lost one of my filters on a lens because I could not get them apart. Crisis was avoided and the clerk was able to get them apart. This camera shop was instrumental on our first trip to Alaska. I’m glad they are still in business. We were able to take a drive out to Eagle River Nature Preserve still no animals there. It seems the only thing I have been able to find is Cottonwood trees. (My allergies are not happy).

So you ask what is there to take pictures of? The day we were at Sheep Mountain Lodge I practiced composition and up close photography. It is amazing how when presented with a so-so landscape start looking at the small part and you can come up with pictures. Roy discovered these three dandelions and I walked around and clicked many different views of them here are two, plus one with a sweat bee on it. I don’t take flower pictures but this was an exercise I enjoyed. When I shot the purple blue bells had me move around until there was no shadow from a hose hanging on a wall.

The owner of Sheep Mountain Lodge is also a helicopter pilot I here is one of the pictures. I also was able to get a picture of Roy

The Lodge here is a nice place to spend the night. We also were able to have our first taste of Copper River Salmon. It was so good we made this a stop twice this year.

I was able to stop by the Matanuska Glacier where I was able to get a few pictures from two overlooks.

Headed for the Kenai tomorrow keep your fingers crossed for animals,

White All Around

These last couple of days we have been in Valdez Alaska and were surrounded by the color white from the swans, waterfalls, mountains and even a White Wedding. It was cool we are driving around looking for eagles which there were none and we pull in a park and get invited to a wedding. That came about because we were watching the ravens trying to figure out how to grab some food off of the pinic table we kindly said no but went off to hunt for more eagles or bears. We found out that they are not around yet.

What was around were powerful waterfalls. Keystone Canyon on your way into Valdez are where these can be found. I spent some time here playing with my Neutral Density (ND ) filters on my camera until one got stuck when I tried to remove it. I then had to resort to trying to freeze the water rather than make it look smooth. The filter issue is ok it gives me a reason to stop in a camera shop in Anchorage. I was also intrigued by the water that was dripping out of the rock face on the other side of the road by Bridal Falls. I am easily amused. You can see by this picture if you look really close you will see the drip.

it’s left of the green middle of the picture.

I set up my tripod to accomplish this and did not even realize mosquitoes were loving me.

You know how someone can step in front of your shot and you get irritated sometimes. I’m glad I didn’t. I had the opportunity to talk camera with a budding photographer and her aunt. She was on vacation from Montana and her aunt lives in Fairbanks. She talked about getting better lens and I mentioned the camera store in Fairbanks called Alaska Camera. It is always enjoyable being able to share with fellow photographers. Here is the picture from Bridal Falls.

We then headed back to town and stopped at the Horsetail Falls; the water was sure falling. We showed off the car in front of the falls which was fun. I think I made a car commercial. If that isn’t enough white, we added some swans. I had seen a swan sitting on what I thought was a nest on our way into town. I am so excited that I was right. So the next stop was to see if she had moved or not. She had not. It is amazing to watch the grace and care she took with her nest. Her is some information about the Trumpeter Swan

I really hope they raise another wonderful family.

I enjoyed being able to spend 20 minutes just watching her take care of the nest and settle in to keep her eggs warm that I did just stop and watch. No bears and not many eagles but Valdez did not disappoint. In fact, I got a bonus with the setting full moon tonight from our campground. I would have not gone outside to even look but it is 2 am and we still have the same gull driving us insane. It did however get me outside to capture this.

One Last Ship Post

Pictures say 1000 words. Other then the cold I caught this was an awesome ride with mountains, snow, and water. Enjoy the photos.

Things that stood out to me on the ferry ride

The scenery be it foggy mornings or bright mountains
Considering the last two years we’ve had, the amount of cruise ships that are floating, Just unreal. In Ketchikan Alaska alone there were 4. We also ran into 2 more going the opposite direction.
Whittier Tunnel this still freaks me out. One lane road, driving over active railroad tracks in a tunnel. I think it is because my mom always said ‘Don’t play on the railroad tracks.’
Being on the water for 1,629 miles and not getting sick

Now that I’ve gotten my land legs back and I will catch you up on this leg of the adventure.

On Ship Antics … or

Let’s see if she floats. Not really, but, let’s just say that’s my story. I promise I will come back to this. I did not think I would enjoy my trip on the ferry because of my likelyhood of getting sea sick. That is what dramamine is for. I am having a blast.

This has been a great cruise for pictures lots of landscapes, snow, orcas, and sea otter logs. (you’ve seen these, the ones that masquerade as animals but are really floating logs.) I have missed capturing on my camera a few eagles and some whales. When we were in dock today at Yakatut, Alaska, here I am just yaking away (yes, I said that) right overhead a Bald Eagle and a crow was there. At least people did call my attention to it. No picture though, camera operater was too busy. I did however, get my first clear shot of a golden eagle. Earlier in the day I was able to get a blurry golden eagle. Both of these occured in Juneau. Now that I finally have a photo one, it’s time to work on getting them closer. I’ve also learned things about the lens I brought on board, 28mm – 300mm Tamron. I just might want to take my 150mm – 600mm Tamron on the return trip.

This cruise has been great. It is truly refreshing to get to know people who are willing to help you navigate when you are in a motorized chair. They are also fun and easy to laugh with when you do something silly like navigating the narrows of the cafe tables. The tables are non-movable and the chairs are attached and rotate. So one evening I come into the cafe from outside, (this is the only door that has a ramp on both sides of the door that I’ve found). Two couples I’ve met and have helped me get a lot done were at a table, so I invited myself to join them. We got talking about my pictures because the camera is always around my neck. The challenge was getting to them in the chair. There is more then one way to skin a cat.

The back story begins the night before with a stretch of water called the narrows. This area is before Juneau and after Ketchican, we also travelled it in the dark or dusk as we are in Alaska. It is called the Narrows because you have land on either side and a small channel to navigate through. I did not stay up to see it. The captin has to move in a zig-zag pattern to get through. Just like me and the chairs. So after talking for awile it was time to go, I tried to get out another way. Not happening, back through the narrows I went. Unfortunately, no one decided to film it for Tik-Tok or You Tube so you have to trust me … I looked cute.

Those were the antics. Now onto why someone would want to see if I floated or not. ‘I’m sweet and innocent’. Just ask anyone who doesn’t know me. I had a question, so I rode around and did not have far to go until I found someone to ask. We were getting close to Ketchikan (which is a crew change port). I asked this crew lady a question about Whittier and she said she would not be there, that she was getting off duty. I looked at her with my normal smirk and said ‘Didn’t they tell you your replacement isn’t coming?’ I cursed her. Two hours later she found me and playfully said that I jinxed her. That started an awesome banter with a few comments back and forth that might include me floating. In all truthfulness, it was all in fun and she is cool. But, sometimes I can call them. I was just joking though.

On a side note here, I’ve met some amazing people. One couple is travelling for the summer, but staying at hotels and Air BnBs. Another couple have come up here to build their off the grid home. I joked with them that they were bringing everything up but the kitchen sink. Turns out they do have a small bucket labelled kitchen sink, in the trailer they are bringing up. A cool guy who basically kept showing up every place with a warm happy attitude and two dogs in the car who did not like the deck calls to do it’s duty. I think his dogs were not happy. He is coming up to fish and enjoy his property. The offer of a home cooked meal will be acted upon because he lives where we will be camping for a month.

I have to say, I hope our return trip in September is just as fun.