60 days and counting...

We have been on the boat for 60 days so far. Everyone is doing well here. Some mechanical issues and lots of long drives have made this an interesting season so far. We crossed the Gulf again and we are up in Valdez. It's a beautiful place and one of our favorite p[laces to tender. The folks up here are nice and the views breathtaking. The pictures I have taken do not capture the feeling but perhaps your imagination can help:

We are enjoying nice weather. The rain let up to blue skies. I have been cooking. Tonight was cheeseburger pie, a favorite with the guys. Made chicken soup, French toast, another quiche and some pretty good sandwiches over the past week. When we are driving long distances, we sleep in shifts and subsequently eat in shifts. So it's a challenge to cook items that we can all snack on as our shifts change. With only 3 on board this year, there is not as much need for lots of large meals. I have adapted my cooking for what we have going on in those next few days.

About to start another all-nighter, taking fish and then driving to a cannery. 

Entering the port of Valdez today. The seiners are setting their nets or lining up for a good spot.

Sending my best wishes to family and friends. A special shout out to Maren, hang in there. I'm behind you 100%. Whatever you need, just let me know. I'll be there.

Joanna

Rain

RAIN. RAIN. RAIN. And then more rain. 

There isn’t much else to report. We have had a few partly cloudy days. The afternoon, we pumped 10,000 gallons of fuel it wasn’t raining. Which was nice because the greenhorns (me and Matt) have to stay at each hose and monitor them for the duration. We have literally spent as few as 4-6 hours in Petersburg before heading back out. Enough time to off load our fish, while I race through the grocery store and back to the boat. Once on board, we  toss our lines and off we go.

Since my last post, we have put some serious miles in. We were lucky enough to go to Sitka and have a day to walk around town. Jeff and I made it to the Sitka Raptor Center. Where they rehabilitate injured eagles, owls and all types of birds of prey. Of course, we had to check out Jeff’s wingspan (see photo).

The harbor in Sitka is a maze, as I discovered while exploring. I found this ocean tug called the Thunderbird with a cat on board. When I approached, I expected the cat to duck inside, but she came right up to me and wanted some attention. I scratched her neck and she followed me from one scupper to another. Old cat on an old boat.

Cooking? Yes, still 2 hot meals a day. I found a nice potato and egg recipe that is easy to bake in the oven. Now we have access to some of the best fish in the world, so I have been experimenting with ways to cook salmon, rockfish and halibut. I think I accidentally made something that seemed like a buerre blanc. Not sure exactly, but everyone enjoyed it.

Wildlife? The guys saw a couple of bears feeding on salmon in waterfall cove. We watched a family of sea otters playing in the same area as well as bald eagles and other seabirds. Humpback whales have been everywhere.

The fishing is slow, and we don't know how much longer the season will last. The rain is flat out depressing. Other than that, there is not much more I can say.

Joanna

We are off!

Its been slow... Not much fishing going on. We have been tied to the dock for 4 days and finally heading out. We had time to make some repairs, visit with friends and get some sleep.

 Looks like our destination is Noyes island. I have never been there before. Here's Jeff, ready to go:

Met some people up here from Kailua! That was a surprise. Suns out. Beautiful day. We are off! 

Amazing colors

One of my favorite wheel watches came to a close during that short moment between sunset and sunrise in Prince William Sound. This photograph is without filters, and shows the back deck of the Silver Dolphin. Words cannot capture that night, but this photo comes close...

There are times when I miss being on the boat, the movement and sounds of it, traveling through breathtaking places. There is a  feeling of freedom even though we have schedules to keep and responsibilities. It must be the huge open spaces, the enormous mountains and glaciers, the vast water - all  creating a sense of peace and freedom.

Thank you Petersburg!

We are off on our next adventure. I found these photos on Jeff's phone. We walked along the water in Petersburg on a beautiful day this summer and he snapped a few photos. Great people to work with there and we look forward to seeing y'all again next year. 

A little Hawaii style up in Alaska. Worked most of the summer in my slippahs and a skort. Think I got a few strange looks, especially when climbing on and off the boat! I felt like I had to explain - it's not a skirt, there are shorts underneath. But who cares, let them wonder if they are that curious. Throw on some knee socks and extra tufts and I was ready for anything!

Chatting on the phone with Keysa that afternoon. We are out of cell range so often, when I actually get to talk to friends and family, it is a wonderful treat. Keysa is looking after the infamous Bootsie and we are grateful for her help and friendship!

Mahalo Keysa!!! 

A new month - August begins

I haven't written in a while and I am short on words. There is no sufficient way to describe events since my last post. Just part of the job. I will try and show you because words fail me recently. 

Hiking to wade in a glacial lake. 

Isn't she beautiful? Great credit to her owners for keeping her in top condition. Not easily accomplished! We take care of her for the summer with pleasure. 

It's been a time of changes and adventure. Our family said good bye to the Quarters on the west side. Yale is open, so you can still get your fix of BBQ and pick up a bottle of wine. 

Much love to our families. As always. 

Chilling at Baranof Warm Springs the water is actually more blue:

 We are working and playing hard. 

Several folks have mentioned to us how lucky we are, living in Hawaii and working in Alaska. I agree with the sentiment and get what they are saying about how sweet it is. Absolutely.  

At the same time, the word lucky gives me pause. I actively sought out and created the life I live today. There were plenty of hard times and sacrifices, but it was worth it to me to make it work.  When my husband and I married, we became a team that continues to define our relationship, goals and values while living this life of adventure and logging lots of airport hours. 

We have had wonderful support from family that help make it work and we miss them terribly. Because along with this life, there are sacrifices. Hawaii isn't all sunsets and rainbows anymore than Alaska is.  We are far away and miss family and friends. There are big events like closing a store or a missing dog and we are so far away and not able to be there to support or help. Someone took my grandfathers little dog Sandy out of his car while he was shopping at the grocery store. 

Who takes a 90 year old man's dear companion?!?!? These are the times when it is hard to be so far away. I get homesick for my family and friends no matter where they live.

We miss out on the little things too like the everyday tennis game or dip in the pool. 

So I don't feel lucky to live this life. I feel blessed and proud. As my niece Isa has in her byline  - in a world where you can be anything, be yourself. 

Will do, Isa. No problem. 

Aloha. 

Melt down in Baranof

French toast and the breakfast from hell 

    Breakfast is my least favorite meal to cook. It usually involves getting up earlier than I would like in the morning. I am not a morning person and never have been. The guys usually have to wait a little too long before I actually feed them. In my own defense on the topic of timing, most of us need time to wake up and aren’t ready for a full breakfast until after our coffee or tea. The boys know, if they are hungry, there are plenty of breakfast snacks and I will deliver a hot meal … eventually. This morning I wanted to use fresh herbs from my little herb garden I bought in Petersburg. So I cut fresh rosemary and chives for the fried red potatoes. If only it had been that easy. I decide to complete the meal with sausage and French toast. Jeff had thawed out a nice, thick Texas toast and it is one of his favorites – freedom toast. I hope he enjoyed it, because I’m not making that mess again for a long time. For some reason, submerging bread in a thick, egg-custard concoction is incredibly tedious and not very appetizing to me. Sweet breakfasts make my stomach turn. I realize I may be reporting things that cooks are not supposed to openly admit, but I could care less today. I am not a real cook anyway, I am just pretending to be one for a very small, forgiving audience. 

     When things start going awry, it happens fast, there isn’t a lot of counter space or room to maneuver. Organization, timing, and having ingredients close at hand, but not too close because of the tight quarters is a delicate balance. While cooking, Ty came down for coffee and I handed him the box of 5 dozen eggs and asked him to please get them away from me before I threw them out of the galley. Not long after, Jeff came down to “get something” and I promptly shooed him out because there was not enough room in the galley for both of us. He retells it differently, of course, and it all sounds so dramatic. 

     After what seemed like an eternity of cursing, rushing, flipping, stirring, splattering grease everywhere, and using more dishes than I could count, I announced breakfast was ready and they could come down at their own risk. Then, I hastily went out on deck to my favorite hiding place, striping off my apron, earphones, fleece and burst into tears.

Crossed the gulf again

All went well. Working out of Petersburg now. Enjoyed Baranof Warm Springs yesterday - amazing!

Waiting in Valdez

Waiting for fish in Valdez. Not much to report on this foggy, rainy morning. Thinking of all the firefighters, those lost and those still on the line. 

I want to thank Gin Getz for her blog, GinGetz.com, for providing perspective and prose during this fire season as it threatens so much of the San Juan Mountains. The cold, wet weather here seems like a gift compared to the hot, dry weather they are dealing with... 

That's all for now... Got to get back to work.