Back to Reality

 

View from my window on my last morning

The Maine Vacation is over and I am on my home to Kodiak. This is always the saddest part of any vacation. I woke up this morning and watched the light from the rising sun light up the houses on the other side of the thoroughfare. And now I am in a hotel room in Boston waiting to get on a plane back to Kodiak. Ughhhh back to work and reality. It has been a good vacation, but it will also be good to get back to my dogs and normal routine.

On North Haven I have always loved the view over the harbor and thoroughfare from my window. This year I noticed a painting on the wall in the dining room that my sister put there. I recognised it instantly - it is the view from my bed. So I tried to catch the same view as the painting with my camera (see below). I did not quite do it and I noticed that the artist changed a few things. That said, it really is the view from my bed. I'll miss it.

Patrick

Night view from the porch

Artist rendition of the view from my bed

Actual view from my bed

Mom and Polly waving from porch

Favorite vacation activity - reading!

Time to board the ferry

Another Picnic

 

Stuey and I went on 2 picnics with Stewart. On the second picnic Anne joined us and we went to Sloop Island. I had never been to this island before. The tide was high and the whole beach was practically under water. We nosed up to the steep beach and then pulled the boat back off shore with the anchor line.

We had our lunch and then I went around exploring.  Even on vacation I can't help but look for archaeological sites, and, just like on the first picnic, I found another eroding shell midden. This one had more bones in it and I wondered what people were doing on that island in the distant past - Hunting seals and birds? The bones did mostly look like bird bones - and so that would be my guess. Maybe they went out there in the spring to collect eggs and harvest the nesting birds?

Near the end of the picnic we saw thunderheads and approaching rain in the far distance. We left a bit early to try and beat the storm. And it looked like we were going to make before it caught us about 500 meters shy of the entrance to Pulpit Harbor. It was an insane squall and the wind was whipping water like smoke along the surface of the sea. Stewart had to turn the boat into the wind and we tried to shelter behind the steering tower.  We all got soaked with salt spray and rain.

In Pulpit Harbor we saw a collapsed shack that got blown over by the wind and even a flipped over row boat on a mooring. It was quite the little squall.

Patrick

another eroding shell midden

 

Birds and quiet moments

 

Stuey and I continue to do the 'bird nerd' thing here in Maine. Some of the birds actually overlap with what we see in Alaska. For instance the song sparrow seen above.  We've also seen a bald eagle. But others are completely new such as the goldfinch and mourning dove seen below. We've also seen countless ospreys and even a great blue heron. There are also guillemots that look just like the ones we have on Kodiak except these are 'black' guillemots whereas in Alaska they are 'Pigeon' guillemots.

Patrick

Barred Island Picnic

 

On our first full day in Maine we went on a picnic to the Barred Islands. Stuey and I were a little sleep deprived but our friend Stewart was in town and has the boat that is capable of such picnics. Without Stewart  our picnics tend to be closer to home and much less exotic.

Over the last few years a Barred Island picnic with Stewart has become a Maine vacation tradition. And, every year,  we tend to go to the same little island. Stewart even remarked that he rarely goes to that particular island unless he is with us.

Same little beach - same glorious view. We also have a tradition of taking a picture of Stuey and Stewy together. This tradition goes back to when Stuey was a baby on Stewy's knee (click here for photo of Stuey on Stewy knee). 

This year when we walked around the island I could not help but look for archaeological sites. And I found one - a small eroding shell midden. Last year I found a utilized flake on the nearby beach but not the site. This year I found the site where the artifact had come from.

Patrick

I found an eroding shell midden!

Cool, Cool Beach

 

Stuey and I are on way to Maine. We are leaving the cool weather of Kodiak for the inferno of the lower 48 in summer. Yesterday I took the doggies to the kennel for doggie vacation care. On the way, I took them to Buskin Beach for one last romp, and it was so nice and cool. It felt hot by Kodiak standards, but I fear the low 60's will be considered cold in Maine. It really seemed perfect and I have to admit I did some second guessing about heading to Maine. But Maine is family and it will have it's own charm. It's good to shake things up. And tomorrow it is supposed to rain.

The dogs really love the beach. I was wearing crocs and waded out into the surf, and the dogs raced back and forth chasing each other and the birds. And often raced off to great other dogs. The water was cool on the feet and the air was perfect too. A perfect day makes it hard to leave Kodiak!

Patrick

Wilsons Warbler

 

Wilsons Warbler

Here are some more birds from recent walks. Stuey and I had been seeing and hearing a lot of 'Northern Yellow Warblers'. So I was pretty happy to catch this Wilsons Warbler when I took the dogs to the Seismic  pond for a swim. 

At the lake I tried taking some doggies swimming after me photos, but by accident I had the camera on panoramic and stitch mode. So they did not come out very well - but do look somehow 'artsy'. The dogs would catch up and scratch me when they get close. And despite their dog paddling they are very FAST.  So it is hard to keep ahead of them, and I had to swim underwater to get away. They can't see my direction when I swim under water, but once I surfaced they'd change direction and b e right on me again.

Patrick

Kamchatka Rhododendron

another Savannah sparrow

Fox? sparrow

Doggies chasing me in the pond