Totem Poles and Eagles

Many thanks on this Memorial Day to those who have served or are serving now in the Armed Forces, and a very special thanks to those who have paid the ultimate price and gave their lives so that I may live in freedom.

Sitka National Historic Park, Alaska's oldest federally designated park ,was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. I took a walk there this morning and saw many eagles and totem poles throughout the park. Here are a few pictures (it's Memorial Day, and as a veteran I am taking it easy :) ).

I like this one because it looks like the carver had some Irish ancestry. The next three pictures are closeups of the totem pole.

See the green hat? Leprechaun right??

Middle.

Bottom.

The next pictures are of eagles having a spat.

This eagle is minding his own business, sitting on a branch.

This eagle decides to land a bit too close.

The first eagle starts giving him what for.

 The interloper is not getting his feathers ruffled.

First eagle decide to leave. The squawking went on for about 2 minutes. Very loud!

Peace.

Signs

Every now and then I see signs that crack me up. Here are two on a washer I found the other day at the laundromat here.

Uh, no red button to be found.

Who puts a person in a washer???

I saw this sign when hiking at Mosquito cove. No bears were seen.

Peace.

Siginaka Island Kayak Trip

I took a cruise over to Siginkaka Islands today (about 7 miles round trip) in 1-2 foot swells. I wanted to see how the kayak handled in rougher seas so I left about noon when the wind was picking up. The yak handled exceptionally well. No doubt I would have flipped it about 100 times without the outriggers on. Paddling into the swells (and against the incoming tide) was a bit tiring. I paddled over to the north side of the island group and pulled in to a little bay and had lunch. After hanging about for a bit, I headed back to camp. Although on the way back my arms seemed not as eager to get with it as when I first started.

A view of Mt. Edgecumbe in the backgtound.

Couple of views from lunch spot.

Very dense wooded area immediately at the beach.

View towards water.

This fallen tree reminded me of whale bones. Top of tree was about 12 feet high.

This tree branch stump reminded me of a walrus.

Lunch!

Peanut butter and rye krisps. Also, I had forgotten how delicious peanut butter and bananas were together!

Shell on the beach.

Eagle feather??

Found these on the way back. Shot taken underwater.

Closer view.

Another day in paradise my friends. Still no rain, but a little colder today.

Peace.

Sawmill Creek Road

I headed down Sawmill Creek Road to the other end of the drivable part of the island (where I'm camped is on the other end). Maybe 20 miles total from end to end, and that is being generous. What a gorgeous side of the island. It looks like it is being built up with houses, but there is almost nothing out towards the end of the road where these pictures were taken.

Peace.

Hanging Out on the Bay

I'll take this soul that's inside me now
Like a brand new friend
I'll forever know

I got back to my tent about 7 pm and decided to kayak out in the bay. It was a gorgeous day, uncharacteristically warm for Sitka. I donned my wetsuit, and headed out. Once in the middle of the bay, I stopped paddling and just floated, watching and listening to the eagles as they flew about. A couple of seals were swimming about 100 feet away, the waters almost completely calm. The snow-capped mountains were crystal clear all around me. I sat in wonder at the glory of what I was seeing and feeling. Years of tension and stress seemed to fade away, washed away with the tears spilling down my cheeks.

No pictures this time my friends, just me enjoying the peace and serenity of this journey I am blessed to be on.

Kayaking Starrigavan Bay

Kicked the dust off the kayak and headed out into Starrigavan Bay for a bit of a paddle. Suited up in the dry suit, but it was so nice that I think I can put it away until it gets colder or rains hard (or I get to Ketchikan). Was a dripping rag by the time I got back. The bay is so full of sea life, from the fish popping up all over the place, the myriad of jellyfish, and the three seals that decided to come up about 20 feet behind me, snorting and carrying on. I about spoiled my dry suit! Thought Shamu had come for a snack. Got one sorry pic before they decided I wasn't worth eating and submerged again.

Barb, the manager where I am storing some of my gear, is a kayaker and is going to give me the local scoop on best places to kayak. Sitka is one of the finest kayaking locations in the world and I get to paddle about!!

Heading out.

Jellyfish are all over these waters.

Heading out to this little island.

View from the island.

A bit overdressed.

Seals on the way back saying boo!

Heading back.

Very rocky coastlines here.

Orange starfish on rocks.

Back at camp. I will try not to go out at low tide again. A bit of a hike over barnacle encrusted rocks. Very excited to kayak over to some of the other islands and camp out overnight as I prepare for my Misty Fjord trip down around Ketchikan!!

Peace my friends.

Walking on the O'Connell Bridge

A new place, with much unkown, makes for anxiety in Patrick's world. However, I found that I wasn't as anxious as I thought I was going to be. I kept telling myself that I wasn't in a hurry, and that I could go by a certain place 50 times if I wanted to. Found where to get gas, where my storage place was, and where the campground was located. Life was good.
Except when I got to the campground. Vault toilets, with no running water or electricity is ok for a day, but not for a month. Using the bathroom and then not being able to wash my hands was not going to work. Not to mention touching the door handles where all of the other folks who couldn't wash their hands had touched (props to Nurse Jennifer for saying, um, disgusting, ecoli (or something to that effect)!!!). So, a quick call to the manager of the other place I was going to stay (about 3/4 of a mile away) got me into her campground for my time in Sitka. A bonus is that I can put my kayak in right from the camp, about 100 feet away. Oh yeah!!

I was intrigued by the O'Connell bridge when looking at pictures of Sitka, so I headed there first while driving about. The 1,255-foot John O'Connell Bridge was the United State's first vehicular cable-stayed girder spanned bridge. It has four 100-foot-high steel pylons from which stretch a set of tight cables, each holding a section of the bridge deck in place. The O'Connell Bridge was built in 1971 and links the town of Sitka on Baranof Island to the airport and Coast Guard Station on Japonski Island.
I parked at one end and walked to the center and took the following pictures:

This eagle was about 20 feet away from me as I walked on the bridge.

This looks like a young bald eagle. It was on the rocks at the side of the bridge. He hasn't got a job, couple of kids to support and a mortgage up the wazoo. So he hasn't gone bald yet.

Coming out from under the bridge.

This building is the Pioneer Home. It used to be an Army barracks (Russian, then US Marines), and now is home for old folks.

Sign down on a boat dock.

The one on the rocks landing.

Liked the way the four boats precede the ferry.

Lots of little (and not so little), islands around Sitka.

I could live in one of these homes! Not too many neighbors.

Next up, my first kayaking jaunt.

Peace.