I'm back from my big Alaska adventure. We left Anchorage at 8:00 pm Aug 5 and landed in Atlanta at 6:45 a.m. Aug 6. Then a short jump up to Columbus, OH, landing at 9:30 a.m. Then after waiting for luggage, a cab to take us to my sister's house (who was in DC), and a 2 1/2 hour drive we made it home about 1:30. I slept most of the way home so I was feeling quite awake and tending to the dogs, cats, ducks, garden, and flower beds for a long while. Gar was feeling quite tired and slept the rest of the afternoon away. He didn't sleep much on the plane because we experienced non-stop turbulence pretty much all the way from Anchorage to Atlanta.
My dogs were happy to see us and I was happy to see them. Two of our cats were outside and one had shut herself in our bathroom. She must have been in there quite a while because there was little food left in the bowls and she had pooped in the bathroom sink. Our housesitter had left Wednesday morning to go on her own vacation and no one else came out to check on the animals. I was a little bothered by that, but everyone seemed healthy and happy and all were accounted for. Except one of our goose families left us - yeah!!!! That's half as much goose poop to avoid. Now if the other family would start flying lessons and head on down to the river.
We had such a good time in Alaska, I don't even know where to begin telling about it. The weather turned out to be great for most of the trip. I have to admit that the first two days of rain were very discouraging. But then it was clear skies and warm temps the rest of the time and I was a happy camper!
After leaving Rose and Dan, which was a wonderful visit, we sped up the highway back to Seward where my nephew was anxiously awaiting us. We hiked up the Exit Glacier trail to the Harding Icefield. 3 1/2 miles of steep climbing passing through trees, then shrubs and grasses, then finally to the low groundcover of the tundra like heights and into rocky and snowy paths. It was crystal clear up on the icefield and I took many, many pictures. The return hike was harder than the hike up. Back through the rocky and tundra growths I was still skipping along happily, snapping pictures left and right, enjoying the three marmots we saw up close, and listening to their whistles in the distance. Then as we passed back down through the taller flowers and grasses and shrubs I started slowing down a bit, steeper rocky steps to manuever back through, less picture taking, except for the ptarmigan family we saw (mama, papa, and four babies). Then by the time we reached the wooded area and the stepping down was getting more strenuos, I was dragging my bones down the trail. We made it up and back in 5 1/2 hours. That evening we went to listen to Hobo Jim, Alaska's Balladeer, but I was so sore and stiff I could hardly enjoy it. My nephew enjoyed dancing with his girlfriend, but I was content to sit on my barstool and let the Corona Extra relax my muscles. I still soaked in the tub when we got back to the apartment and had a hard time sleeping with sore muscles. Next day I was a little stiff, but not too terrible. I couldn't dwell on it because we were taking an 8 mile hike up to Lost Lake and camping for the night, then hiking back the next day. No time to be sore. I will write more about that adventure on another post.
We took a dinner cruise out to Fox Island and around Resurrection Bay. We were supposed to go on a longer cruise out into the inlet, but since our tickets were complimentary they bumped us. Can't complain too much since we didn't have to pay the $125/person fee. So I didn't get to see any whales, but we did see a family of otters, sea lions, seals, puffins, eagles, humongous jellyfish, starfish, cormorants, murre, and mountain goats. The tour guide pointed out a perigrin falcon eating a young kittywake, but I never could spy it. That would have been quite a sighting.
We went sea kayaking from Miller's Point. The water was a little too choppy for my liking and we were fighting the wind out. It was easier coming back with the tide. We picnicked on a sandy beach and hiked to a big waterfall. I didn't enjoy the kayaking as much as my husband did, but at least I've had the experience.
I took 405 pictures in 10 days. I've looked at them all and would love to share them all with you, but will spare you that. Maybe I'll take the best ones and put them on a disc and mail them to you. It will take several days to title them all and organize them the way I want them.
Now it's back to real life again. I have a lawn that needs mowed desperately, a patio to finish, and starting monday I'm taking a week long class 9 to 5. So back to work for me.
