Ice bergs, waterfalls, seabirds, but no fish

Some of the best pictures of the last few weeks - All taken by Captain Jeff Rhodes

Salmon berries everywhere and a few blue berries

Valdez on a rainy day

Columbia Glacier icebergs in Columbia Bay

Iceberg with seabirds at the bottom.

The Wall in Valdez Narrows

The Wall, Valdez Narrows

Silver Dolphin at Gold Creek, Port Valdez, July 2016
Photo by Jeff Rhodes

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! Our 4th of July has been busy and we arrived in Port Valdez late afternoon.

Here is a selection from some of our latest adventures. My favorite is the USCG the Healy.

USCG the Healy in Seward

We are finished transporting salmon and equipment to and from Larsen Bay and Homer. This is another photo of the 100+ year old cannery. 

Now the fishing has begun. And we are hauling fish from Prince William Sound to Seward for the time being.

There are sea otters in Resurrection Bay of course, but one was in the harbor, very busy.

This time of year is always difficult because we lost Nick 14 years ago on July 3, 2002. Some of my readers may not know about this tragedy, or may not think of it every Independence Day. Losing my big brother hurts all the time. 14 years seems like a long time, but it isn't - the pain doesn't go away. I miss the sound of his voice, especially his laugh. I miss knowing I could count on him if I needed help with anything, especially anything having to do with math or engineering. I know that just like my other 2 brothers, he would be there for me and support me. Most of the story can still be found on the internet:

http://abqjournal.com/news/metro/461753metro05-20-06.htm
http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/484335metro08-16-06.htm

Another sunset. There is something infinite about sunrises and sunsets over the open ocean. I find it comforting.

May Nick's memory be eternal.

Happy Independence Day

Joanna

Another great week

At this time of year, the sun sets usually when I am driving Shelikof Straight. Every night is different. It is one of my favorite drives. This last trip we had Dahl Porpoises playing along the bow for 20 minutes or so.

The skiff is a great way to get around. There is only one other place to go. Makes it easy, not a lot of options.

Below we are tied up to the Homer Public Harbor.

I hope everyone can see the panoramic photo I took of Shelikof Straight. This is the route we have been taking and will continue for a while now. It is a great gig.  And occasionally. I can share some photos.

A panoramic of the wheelhouse

All is well so far

We arrived in Homer and had to wait out a -6 foot tide. For those of you in Hawaii, our tides change by a few feet, here it is extreme. We unloaded our cargo, brought more on board and headed back to Larsen Bay. Expecting 8 foot seas tonight.

Jeff in the wheelhouse

The black and white image of the deck is a new favorite

Summer 2016 is here.... and soon we will be living here....

Silver Dolphin in Petersburg, AK 2015

The summer tendering season is starting again. Before we head to Alaska, a quick aloha to all our family, friends and connections. More to come as the adventure begins again.

Joanna

On deck

Mahalo!

We are finished for the season! I have lots of photos and fun facts to weave into my writing, but first there is a ton to do before we cross the Gulf of Alaska again. For now, I had a chance last week to spend some time on solid ground - hiking with Cindy on this a beautiful day.

Surrounded by Muskeg, we relax and laugh about the season.

Good times in Petersburg!

Aloha,

Joanna

Rain, a trip to the hot springs and Dad's 6 week check up

It has been a fairly uneventful few days. Of course, we have had lots of rain and the forecast is for more rain. I have been using this as an excuse to read constantly, cook yummy, hearty meals, and write. This is my view from the little desk in our stateroom:

Rain, rain, rain. Southeast Alaska, July 2015

We were able to return to Baranof Warm Springs. Jeff and I enjoyed the tubs last night and I made a Pasta Bolognese. Prior to that, we had beef short ribs, double baked potatoes, fried rice, and a few frozen pizzas. Surprisingly, the guys like frozen pizza night. They would eat pizza once a day without complaint. It is the easiest meal for me, so I am happy to oblige and get back to my latest project. I certainly don't take it personally, everyone loves pizza! Unfortunately, the oven reached out and bit me the other night. I ended up with a triangular burn on my right forearm, complete with huge blisters that merged into one giant blister. Jeff doctored it for me and I am hoping it doesn't leave a scar. It doesn't hurt anymore as long as I keep it bandaged.

The most exciting event since my last post was the huge halibut Jeff caught. It measured 57" and weighed about 95 pounds!!! Impressively, he brought that fish up on 20 lb line. Check it out:

Jeff's halibut! 57 inches and 90 lbs!!!

This was an excellent catch. We were able to get about 50 lbs of nice fillets off of it for our home packs. At the end of the season we will be able to fill our freezer with some beautiful fish again.

It has been 68 days since we left home. We have been living on the boat the entire time, as you know. About this time in the season, I start to get a bit homesick and crave visits with family and friends. While we are getting along very well on the boat with just three of us, only the occasional issue, it is still an isolated existence. And of course, we miss our cat, Bootsie. 

Most importantly - good job DAD for recovering so well after open heart surgery! His 6 week check up was full of good news.  He has a clean bill of health.

Mom and Dad, July 28, 2015

Thanks to those who helped my parents during these difficult months. While many sent best wishes and checked in from out of town, I would like to thank those who did the heavy lifting, so to speak. Special thanks to John, Alaura, Chris, Scott, Tino, Michelle, Juanita and Ernie, Ky, the REG, Kathleen, Helen, Michael, Carlos, Janet and Al, Ron and Claudia, Anthony, Mike, and the folks at the Quarters who made sure he stuck to the doctors orders. It has been difficult to be far away and I am greatly appreciative to those who stayed with him at the hospital, came by the house to keep him company, dropped off food, drove him around, ran errands, and helped my MOM in big and little ways. Much gratitude and many thanks!

We enjoy emails and communications from family and friends... so thanks to those of you who stay in touch. It means a great deal to me and Jeff. 

Aloha,

Joanna