I am stuck up in Juneau for two weeks working. So after work I go kayaking for about 4 to 5 hours due to the long days. This first picture kind of sums up all of Juneau. Whales, Glaciers, Snowfields, Ocean water and beautiful shores. Humpback in foreground.
This message was edited Jun 1, 2008 11:28 PM
I fortunatly got quite close to this big one while feeding around my kayak. The cruise ships whale watching boats were buzzing all around this guy and drove him over to me and he stayed right under me for about a half hour. Nothing like the crack of the exhale 20 ft from your kayak to know that you are alive. It was fun. I got some movies of him but they were recorded in FF. I guess my camera was kind of excited too.
OK this is a garden site so here is some beach gardens placed here by our creator. Oh yes some nice rock work too.
This piece of rock work was especially well done. I like the simple overlay of green in an environment of no soil. I would have had a hard time choosing such a large beautiful plant at the nursery. Especially one that thrives on rock.
What a nice reward for having to be away from home.
Yes and everyone needs to see forests filled with orchids. Tiny ones though they may be made my evening while sitting by a warming fire.
Soferdig-you've had some nice weather up there,too.Nice pics.
Yes and there is always the show off that has to flex his muscles while passing a rock. Not bad for a 10hr work day in Juneau? Huh?
Actually Juneau has lots of nice weather. It has been sunny up here since before Memorial day. Temps in the low 70's for a high and quite pleasant at night. Probably a lot like Thunder Bay. I have seen about half of my time up here over the last year and a half sunny. But I count sunny when the sun comes out for over an hour when I am off work.
This shot is from another kayak I ran into and he photoed my head blowing off like a whale spout. LOL
This message was edited Jun 1, 2008 11:30 PM
Yeah, nice try. It's the Earth chi shooting out from your third eye. I had no idea you were so enlighted.
Beautiful pictures. I love those orchids. That Creator guy sure does a nice job.
Be careful playing with those whales. They don't know their own strength.
Great pictures Sofer. You look happy even blowing steam out of your head. Must fit in well with the whales.
It is easy to be happy when you get to paddle in the waters of SE AK. This is our beach where we sat by the fire.
Glad to see you're enjoying being "stuck". I traveled on my job too, and got to watch big turtles lay eggs once. I'll never forget that. Thanks for sharing. Orchids in the wild, I'm jealous.
They had Sweet Pea also blooming on the beach.
And Lupines. Which I love.
Ooooh. And it looks like a lonicera vine in the first picture. I don't remember much in the way of flowering perennials from my youth in Fairbanks except for the epilobium angustifolium (fireweed).
What is a lonicera vine? I thought it was sweet pea.
Love to be stuck somewhere and have that much fun, you go Steve LOL
Great pics, Love them all, and nice to hear from you, been awhile.
I thought the smoke of your head, was just letting off steam. ^_^
I think perhaps you were paddling tooooo fast!
MMMM maybe that to, LOL
Well maybe it is. I don't know about the blossom, but the vine looked much like a native I have growing through my fence. The blossom sure looks like a sweet pea. Maybe you have two plants there.
Here's the wilde sweet pea (Hedysarum mackenzii): http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Hedysarum%20mackenzii&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
Here's the twinberry (Lonicera involucrata):
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=lonicera+involucrata&spell=1
Hey, Sofer, Happy birthday! Hope you have a great day (maybe you can get that humpback to help you blow out your birthday candles....)
It's your birthday? Happy, happy.
Great pictures and what an adventure, Soferdig. when I saw the thread show up on Just Posted...I thought maybe you were like me, almost paddling thru the muddy, wet garden while everyone else was gardening, LOL. rain, rain, go away =)
Could be vetch. Looks like there are several different "greens" in there.
Happy birthday to you, Steve. And gee whiz, what a horrible way to have to spend it! I can see why you blew your top! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous pix! Love the whales...give 'em a kiss for me!
Just got back from a whole day off paddling. Will add birthday pictures tomorrow. Thank you all for the birthday wishes.
An almost Happy Belated Birthday Wish for you, Steve. By the way, you won't be needing the Whales to assist you in extinguishing your candles: just aim with the top of your head!
So blessed you are to spend the passing of another year in the beauty of the Creation. Looks chilly, though.
Collecting seed from the fairy Orchids? Bet they'd be right at home in your Montana Gardens...
Have fun & breathe deeply!!!
Soferdig wow, what a place to go and work for a while!!!! I always loved working in Alaska....many, many things to do. Enjoy those days out on the water and have a great day!!
sofer, how nice of you to give us a birthday present of your great photos - many returns of the day!! Wonderful, just wonderful -
My Happy Birthday wishes as well Sofer! I love the surroundings of SE Alaska but would be a tad skittish if I had a huge whale kayaking next to me! Enjoy your stay and another fine year.
Sorry guys my daughter had a Csec and delivered a baby girl yesterday. Right now the cell phone is too garbled to know the details. Pictures later.
Oooooh. Hope she and the baby are doing okay.
Let those of us Seattle know if there's anything we can do.
congratulations Grandpa
A girl! Congratulations on the new arrival. Hope all is well with parents and baby. Photos will be welcome!
Congrats Steve, on the new little one. can't wait for pics.
^_^
All is well except Leia is exhausted. Lots of company so she is trying to stay awake. I have no pictures so I will see her saturday and get some then. She had a C-sec after 3 days of labor and baby Charise Capatch is doing great. I can't wait to see them. They are working my butt off so I am having the time fly by as I wait.
I got to kayak on Monday and had beautiful weather and paddled over 20 miles of coastline here at Juneau. This is a place along the rocky shore I hauled out and went into a cave carved out by the surf. Lots of sealion bugging me all along their fishing area.
Eagles were lined up all along the coast diving on the fish along the herring filled water. Kind of not worried about people here and pose pretty well for photos.
