Skagway

We had perfect weather in Skagway, but it is in the "banana belt" of panhandle Alaska. Skagway has less than 20 inches of rain a year!

Its a small town, most famous for the White Horse and Yukon Narrow Gauge Rail. The last time we were here, we took the train, this time we did something different. I went glass blowing! What a kick! I made a globe which will be sent to me after it cools. We worked with a master blower who led us 

Through the process step by step. He did the really hard parts, but we all had a chance to gather glass, shape it, blow it and finish it off. 

Then came a surprise. We had about 20 extra minutes and the master created a fluted bowl. We saw the process from the beginning. It started out looking the same, but he took a tweezer-type device that opened the neck of the globe, he shaped it using wet newspaper, then he put it in the glory hole and

Spun it upside down to create ripples. 

And before we could say another word, it was finished. 

The minute he said he would sell it, I said sold! It too will be sent to me after it cools. 

The day ended with a really fancy dinner at the Crown Steak House. It was a lovely day. 

Juneau

Today we visited the capital of the 50th state, Juneau is the only US capital that you cannot drive to. You have to get here by ship or plane. All cars have been transported here, as there are no roads to this part of panhandle Alaska. 

We were here about 5 years ago and we were surprised at the progress (i.e.: change) that has been made in that short time. The town is quite modern now with lots of "stuff" to keep the average tourist occupied. The gold might be gone, and the tourist has taken it's place. 

We tried to avoid the usual tourist traps and took the Mt, Roberts Tram to the top of the mountain. The view was wonderful. 

The Star Princess was one of 5 big ships in town today. The others were the Statendam, Amsterdam, Crown Princess and Grand Princess. Thus, there were about 10,000 extra folks in town today. There were only 3 big ships in Ketchikan yesterday. 

We saw a captive bald eagle, named Lady Baltimore, on Mt, Roberts. Someone shot the bird in the wing and eye. She was brought back to health, but sadly she cannot fly anymore. She's still a beautiful bird. 

And very proud. 

The forest supports over 1100 pairs of these magnificent birds. We also saw a few flying high amid the clouds. Bald eagles are always a treat to see. 

This is the Star Primcess in Juneau harbor. 

Ketchican

Yesterday we were in Ketchican, established in 1902. Ketchican is an island that gets about 12 feet of rain per year. Therefore it rains most every day, summer, winter spring or fall. Needless to say, it rained while we were there too. 

Ketchican is at the edge of the Tongass National Forest, a temperant rain forest. There are only two main streets on the island, for less than 40 miles of paved roads. There are no paved roads into the forest. The terrain is hilly and the tides are high, so everything is built in pilings. 

Some of the streets are stairs. Our guide said the longest stair street had over 250 steps. 

A "typical" street looks like the following. 

This is Alaska, so there are lots of small float planes and boats. 

The boats come from all over. I saw a boat from USVI, another from Arkansas. Those are long voyages from Alaska.

Guess What?

Yep...we are back on a cruise ship! This time we are taking a short 11 day cruise to Alaska on the Star Princess. We are joined by our niece and nephew and their families. They are "first time cruisers," so all is new to them. I have no idea what number this cruise is for us, but it's our third cruise this year! 

We sailed out of San Francisco, under the Golden Gate Bridge

when the captain announced on the PA that we were going back to SF due to a medical emergency. We headed back to SF,  and this time we went under the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges when we slowed down ever so briefly at Treasure Island before sailing out again. (I guess it does not take long to transfer someone from ship to shore as we did not stop!) We've never been on a cruise where there has been a medical emergency where we had to sail back to the home port. All of us have been curious as to what happened, but I don't think we will ever know. 

Part of the way we were escorted by the US Coast Guard and the usual regatta of small sailboats on the Bay. 

As expected, the seas are rough and the weather is cool and cloudy. That does not seem to stop the folks from soaking in a warm relaxing hot tub. Not too many folks are sunning themselves as it's just too cold. I wonder what the temps will be when we hit Alaska? We brought warm clothes. 

Watch this space for pictures which will come soon. 

Of Henbane and Fleabane

Two more flowers popped out today. I believe this is a henbane based on it's color, leaf

and petal shape. The flowers are a shade lighter than the leaves and have intricate purple veins. They are not showy. According to "The Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers" it is an introduced species from Europe. It grows in rocky locations where water runs off. I found it in some if the rockiest soil you can imagine. By the way, henbane is poisonous, as it contains atropine. 

I believe this is a fleabane, which is in the aster family. My book, "Plants of the Rocky Mointains" lists many fleabanes, asters and thistles. This could be an "Easter Daisy" or a "cut-leaved fleabane." 

On a similar note, my pansies are blooming. The deer ate most of the petunias last year, so I thought I'd try another variety,,,,and pansies won. I wonder how long it will take for the deer to find them. 

Lilacs

It's still spring in the Rockies. The lilacs are in bloom. A few trees still have blossoms on them. The wildflowers are still hiding in the understory. I see lupine plants, but not a bud in sight. Same with flax and wild rose. They should come soon. 

Modern Dad

About a month ago we were in Kagoshima, Japan. This young father caught my eye. 

Is he the modern Japanese dad? He's walking in the rain (in sandals no less), with his baby resting on his tummy, protected by an umbrella, while texting. 

Godzilla

I saw Godzilla this weekend. Guess what? The huge critter destroyed San Francisco! There were holes in the plot, the timeline was weird, the monsters weren't scary, and yet I had my eyes glued to the screen waiting for the scary to happen.

When I came home, I checked  Netflix to see if it had any Godzilla movies. I picked Return of Godzilla from 1955. It was just plain bad! So bad that it was funny. The monsters looked like plastic figures fighting on diorama of a city. 

I vaguely remember seeing Godzilla when I was very young and it scared me a lot. Today, it was funny. Generally speaking, I don't like monster movies, but if you want a fun monster movie, see the new Godzilla. Despite the holes in the story, it showcases some good CG and don't forget...the monster will return. 

Dandy Lions

For about a week every summer the fields are covered with bright yellow blooms. The blooms are related to the aster family only these are considered weeds and not flowers. They are dandelions. Next week the fields will be covered in white puffballs. The cycle will continue.

Of Note

Some parting images of Yellowstone. 

Artist Point at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. 

Frozen Lake Yellowstone 

Travertine Terrace and Falls at Mammoth.

Following a herd of bison...they always have the right of way. 

Excelsior Geyser in the Midway Geyser Basin. When the water is this blue it's very hot (ca. 200°F)

Lake Yellowstone. 

Reflections

Reflections are so elusive. The slightest breeze, and the reflection disappears. 

As we were driving out of the Tetons the other day, the northern end of Jackson Lake was still as glass and the mountains were mirrored in the lake. 

A few minutes before, we were at The Oxbows and the scene was different. What a difference a zephyr makes. 

Moving toward Yellowstone, the parts of the lakes that were not ice covered were quiet.  This is Yellowstone Lake, partly frozen on a sunny May afternoon. 

Some of the mountain ponds were glass-like calm. 

Freedom is like these reflections: elusive. On this Memorial Day I'd like to thank the US soldiers who have protected our freedom. 

Outdoor Zoo

Yellowstone has geysers, mud pots, forests, rivers, lakes, mountains, vistas and a zoo. During our recent stay at the Park, we saw bears! Both black and brown. They are a rare treat and we saw four of these magnificent beasts in one day. 

This black bear was wandering near Tower Junction. And, less than a tenth of a mile away, was a young grizzly bear. 

We saw herds of bison and lots of youngsters. The bison herd is healthy.

But the most exciting find was a very young elk running behind his mother on spindly legs barely able to support him. Sadly, that event happened so quickly, I did not have a camera ready. 

Yellowstone

Old Faithful is the symbol of Yellowstone. Today we saw the 3:07 eruption of the icon of the park. It always takes my breath away. 

 

We are enjoying 2 days in the Park where we are seeing frozen lakes and clear blue skies. 

Tomorrow we plan to get up early to see bison, elk, and bear as they wake up. Wish us luck. 

Scrappy

Here's my latest Project Linus creation. It's a scrap blanket as it's made from odds and ends of 30 or so blankets I've made in the past. I hate to throw away useable yarn, so I save it and when I have enough I make a "scrappy blanket" from all the leftovers. The scappy blankets are always so colorful. They make me smile. I hope it makes a little one smile too. 

On the Road Again

Yes, we are on the road again. Remember last year we were baby sitting an RV? Well it's now time
to bring it to it's owner. We are hooked up and rolling. It is fun to camp but it seems strange not to be in our RV. 

The drought in California is real. Here's a shot of Lake Oroville showing lots of brown. Can you imagine what it will look like at the end of the summer if there's not any more rain? 

Feather Fiesta Days

This weekend Oroville has it's annual celebration. There is a parade, crafts, art, and about 800 old cars are expected to show up. A few drove into town today. As you know, I love the old cars. 

They all look different. No plain white "refrigerator" cars that look alike. Will a 2014 Chevy or Lexus have that much "pizzazz" in 2064? 

I liked the 1955 Buick the best. 

Matilija Poppies

The Matilija poppies are blooming. I love these great white flowers with pleated petals. 

           

The bright egg yolk yellow stamens hide in the flower until they are full bloomed,

           

almost over-ripe. 

Spring has come.