July 25th - Whales and sea lions

Humpback whales feeding close to shore




Sounding

Stella Sea Lions on their favorite buoy

July 26th - Tenakee Springs

Nancy takes over the helm from John - for a minute!


Approaching Tenakee Springs

Just missed the open garden day


No - the rocks are not glued together but are balanced on each other

Veg Alaska style!

Alaska Malmutes - Bella and Oz

A "Des Res" - ripe for conversion

My New Favorite Place
A most special place - and maybe my new place to dream about living in in Alaska. Tenakee Springs - rhymes with “finicky”. Of course the day we spent there was warm and sunny and all the houses strung along the beach looked especially cheerful. And the gardens were glorious! We had just missed their open garden day so every garden was at it’s best. No cars except for a fire truck - lots of bicycles left here and there that we were welcomed to use - and very friendly people. But then again I think the sun brings out the best in people - especially when you haven’t seen it for a while. I thought we would never get rid of the postman who came down to see us on the dock and stayed to chat for an hour.

July 18 - 24th - Juneau

Mendenhall Galcier overlooking Juneau - view on the way into the marina




View from our boat in Juneau



The defunct oil cooler

The new part - an inch longer but John made it fit! No more oil slicks behind our boat!

July 17, 2010 - Salmon Opening

Jockeying for position

The Fleet

12:00 Noon Salmon Opening

We just happened to be cruising up Stevens Pass just before a 24 hour salmon window opened for the purse seiners. Purse seiners have a big net they string out in a line, orange floats on either end and little white floats holding up the net in the middle. The goal is to catch salmon as they swim to their spawing grounds. They get caught as the swim upstream by swiming into the net head first. The small fish get through but the big ones are caught in the net hole and their gills get caught so they can't swim back. It obviously makes a difference where you put your net etc and each fisherman has his favorite spot. Once the floats start bobbing up and down, the assumption is that fish are caught and the fishermen start hauling in the nets.

Well on July 17th the window was opening at 12:00 noon and we were there - along with at least 40 fishing boats. Seemed like the salmon didn't have a chance - especially when we saw a humpback whale making it's way gracefully around and under the nets. (Actually I don't think humpbacks eat salmon so I am not sure what he was doing there - maybe just enjoying the commotion.) There was a lot of staking out the best position at the entrance to one small inlet, a few harsh words over the radio and then it was 12 noon and we were right in the middle of the fleet as they fired up their engines and dropped their nets. So now it was a case of making sure we didn't get caught in one of the nets just like the salmon. We made it through with only a couple of fishing boats racing towards us to warn us off and watched the nets start being hauled in. We didn't see many fish in the nets - maybe that explains the lack of free fish on the dock this year.

July 18, 2010 - Taku Cannery

Cannery machinery - John loves this kind of stuff!

new caretaker



Steam turbine engine - obviously in need of major help



Workers quarters

Floating "garden"

"Sculpture" Garden

Relaxing and waiting for bears to appear

July 11-13, 2010 - Meyers Chuck

Happy in Meyers Chuck

Purple Sea Star at low tide



Journey at the dock



Looking out to Clarence Strait at high tide

and again

installation art in the rain forest

fox gloves (not lupins!)

typical path from house to house

a bugle made from kelp

"

"Fisherboys"

Meyers Chuck

When I think about moving to Alaska and living a self sufficient life in a remote location, Meyers Chuck, 31 miles NW of Ketchikan and accessible only by boat, float plane or helicopter, is my dream location. My third visit here has only served to enhance this fantasy. Six permanent residents in the winter that grows to 30 in the summer, maybe 20 houses, a gallery with some really good art, a post office, a pay phone and that’s about it. But boy is it beautiful. Located right off one of the roughest straits of water in SE Alaska, this little harbour is a haven of quiet. When the tide is high, the harbour actually is open to Clarence Strait - just. But then the tide drops behind the reef and all is quiet again.

Now I know the chances of me moving here are next to nothing - but John started to get the vision when we met a couple from New Mexico who spend their summers in Meyers Chuck, have their own dock for their boat, a huge work shop and views to die for. We spent two sunny days in this idle - chatting with folks and kayaking around the harbour. Bliss!

July 14-15, 2010 Wrangle to Petersburg

Off loading fish in Petersburg

Vacumming the fish out of the boat and up to the processor


Our favorite boat in Petersburg - understand it has been there 15 years. Since we last saw it in 2006, someone has cleaned off some of the moss. Probably to keep it from sinking.

And John thinks he has problems with his window wipers.

King of the bouy!