Alaska Sunset

You don't alway get to see the sunset in Juneau... But boy when it happens, it's beautiful..

The Glacier.... Because there is only one....

I would like to start by saying.... That was a GREAT day!

I would then like to follow that up by saying.... PRAISE THE LORD!

On Saturday September 11th, James, Erin, Jennifer and Myself went Kayaking in Mendenhall Lake to get a closer view of the Mendenhall Glacier and the ice burgs currently in the lake. As I have been talking about this glacier with many tourists all summer, I felt I needed to get on a more personal level with it, really see what it's all about and believe me, it's a lot more then just some ice..

It's honestly a piece of art, the colors, shapes, textures and lines of the glacier are beautiful. I am in such awe of it's design and of it's designer. It's just so powerful, in so many ways..

I hope you enjoy this series of images of the Mendenhall Glacier.

Thank you!

Clouds

There is no shortage of clouds in Southeast Alaska. So It's about time I took some pictures of them and made a post.

The BIG two five

I am not quite sure if it's really the BIG two five... but turning 25 feels a little weird, I am not going to lie... Not that I am by any means an old fart, but maybe a little wiser? No, that can't be it either.. Ahh, I know what it is.. My insurance lowered, that is where that weird feeling must be coming from.

On a serious note though. I was able to take a flight seeing tour for my birthday in Juneau's backyard in which I got to view amazing snow covered mountains, glaciers galore and beautiful water ways.

I am blessed to be where I am, doing what I get to do on my 25th Birthday.. I am hoping for something even bigger for my 26th.

Here are some pictures from my flight.

One of the greatest days of my life...

bubble net feeding no more then 25 feet from the boat...

Chum Salmon

This is the first time in my life I have ever witnessed the process

of salmon coming into the stream to spawn.

I must say it is something unique to experience.

You watch as these salmon fight against all odds

to lay their eggs and fertilize them.

Upstream, dodging birds galore,

the fact that they are mutating and their body is eating itself,

and that is just the beginning...

That is even before they make it to spawning ground.

Orca Repeat

Mother and Child

Hey there little fella

Found this guy hanging out in the back yard..

A Tale of a Whale

Flowers

nootka lupine

Twisted Stock

Dwarf Dogwood

A Random Selection

Steller Sea Lions

Mendenhall Glacier

Mr. Anemone

Oh Mr. Anemone

If I could only live in the sea

I would be so very happy

Just me and my anemone

(I think this whole thing indicates how much I miss diving.

I swear I haven't lost my mind completely. )

The Past

One thing I have noticed here in Juneau is the collection of things you can find.

Some from recent, many from the past.

Left to survive nature and man.

This first picture looks like a furnace.

It was found in the old general store at what used to be the booming city of Treadwell

This General store that once contained the very best of everything,

from the finest of fabrics and clothes, to news papers from New York,

is now used as a place to graffiti

This car was found a little of the trail to Herbert Glacier

Orcas

There is something about seeing wildlife in the wild....

These orcas are one of the most extraordinary creatures I have ever witnessed.

Intelligent, curious, strikingly beautiful, overwhelming, prefect..

The Chilkat

This picture does not do justice to the beauty of these amazing mountains.

Bears, Oh my!

There are many things in life that make my heart race

Some exciting

Some intense

and some things that are just plain frightful

Recently, I experienced the frightful.

It was the night before last an hour after I had fallen asleep

Blaze started to bark, deep and loud

Followed by intimidating growls towards something

what it was wasn't clear at this point

My thought...

Something outside.

Little did I know

It was not something outside, it was something trying to come in.

It wasn't until myself and each of my roommates came out of our rooms

that we notice the front door was open, with wet tracks up the stairs.

That's right..

A black bear.

He figured out how to open the door.

He was scared off from the front door

and was found sitting at the back door.

I guess he thought maybe that was a better way to enter

Rainforest Trail

Rainforest Trail is hard to describe....

I suppose maybe because when you enter it, there are so many feelings involved.

It's dark, wet, with a strong smell of mosses and skunk cabbage

When you stand still and make no sound, not even a breath,

there is silence.

Silence like none I have ever experienced before.

It's broken,

not from that of human cause

but from the laugh of a near by eagle

That silence of the forest

I remember it.

There is no place like Rainforest trail.

The trees tell their stories,

maybe not with words

But surely with their size and with their destruction

Uprooted, split, and dead.

But the food for so much life to come.

Nothing goes to waste, nothing misused

All things working together.

There is no place like Rainforest trail.

For I will go there again

Skunk Cabbage

Skunk Cabbage

Dear Heart

Rockweed (Fucus distichus)

Mussels and Barnacles

Barnacles and kelp

Blaze

My new best friend.

These pictures don't do him justice, he is a 120 pound Alaskan Malamute, and he stole my heart..