A train ride in Skagway

The second stop on our cruise of Alaska was a little town called Skagway. It is one of the towns that grew up during the gold mining days of Alaska. Today the town is still small and most residents live in tents and RVs while in Skagway and then winter in the lower 48 states. We had a great time riding a train along the mountain passes and seeing the trails and hearing some of the history of the gold miners. The train follows the White Pass. We saw some lovely waterfalls and snow covered mountains. We were lucky enough to see not just one but two black bears. A small cub or juvenile (who was more Cinnamon colored then black) was right next to the train tracks. I have never seen a bear that close in the wild. We weren't fast enough to get a picture of him but did get a picture of an older black bear that was a little farther up the hill from the train. The train went all the way into Canada. We didn't get off the train so didn't need any passports to reenter the states. It was the first time I have been out of the United States and the first time Brian has been in Canada. This port was our longest stay so we spent a few hours wandering the 8 city blocks and exploring the local stores for souvenirs. We had a lot of fun in Skagway.

The White Pass Railroad








The Canadian border in Alaska











The highest wooden tressel bridge








There are bears in the mountains







Snowcapped mountains in June








Waterfalls everywhere

On Our Cruise

After a two hour delay we left Salt Lake City and flew to Seattle. We had to hurry once there to catch our cruise but did get to see a few of the more important sights of Seattle as we made our way from the airport to the pier. The Space Needle, naturally,was the most prominent feature of the Seattle skyline. It wasn't long after we boarded the lovely Norwegian Pearl that we were on our way to Alaska. We had fun watching the scenery float by and exploring the ship for all the different entertainment options as we spent a whole day just sailing.
We arrived at the port of Juno Alaska in the early afternoon of our second day. It was foggy, raining and cold. Apparently that's the way Juno is most of the year. We spent a couple of hours while we were in Juno admiring the blue ice of the Medenhall Glacier. I have never seen such large ice floats except in movies before. They really are big enough to do some damage to a ship. Near the glacier was a large waterfall called Nugget falls. The glacier and waterfall together made a lovely picture.
After the glacier, we rode a tram up Mt Roberts. Unfortunately it was so foggy we couldn't see much even from that height. We did get to see our first live Bald Eagle named Lady Baltimore while there so it was still a neat visit. We weren't staying in port very long so we had to hurry and make a few purchases and get back to the ship. All in all, our first experience with Alaska was cold, rainy, and thrilling.

Our fist glimpse of Juno, Alaska









The Mendenhall Glacier (a distance view)










Look at that ice









Nugget Falls








Lady Baltimore

Alaska!

Alaska is quite a place to visit. We have seen all sorts of things while touring. One of the most impressive sights was in Glacier Bay of the John Hopkins glacier. It is massive (5 miles across) and still growing. The ice of the glaciers really is blue and the temperature is very very cold. I am glad we took our warmest jackets. Stay tuned for more pictures and information.

My own container garden

I decided that I wanted to grow my own bell peppers and strawberries this summer. The plants we bought are doing quite well. I have already gotten 10 strawberries and a pepper is growing as we speak from my little garden. Container gardening is nice because it is weed free.

Busy visitor

Nathan has been visiting with us for the past month. He came to help us remove some very large spiny Agave plants and look for a job. Not only has he accomplished helping us with our difficult plants but has also helped Brian's parents with getting their front yard looking better. Brian and Nathan managed to trim a hedge, worked on the sprinkler system, reseeded the lawn, trimmed some fruit trees, and weeded a small garden. He has also been helping the local landscaper for our complex with some yard work. While doing all this yard work Nathan has also sent out dozens of job applications. I think Nathan has been busier then either Brian or I for the past month.

A new breed of bird watcher

We have been watching and identifying the different birds that visit our bird feeder this year. Mostly we see sparrows but occasionally a mourning dove visits. We have also seen a red-wing blackbird who sang us a pretty song. One day we saw a visitor at the feeder that just didn't match any bird in the bird book.




Our feline friend was watching the birds at the feeder too but for a very different reason then Brian and I. We still see the cat wandering around the area and have caught her watching the birds from lower vantage points since that day.

The month of March

Brian and I started making a dessert for his family once a month last year. The idea, and desserts, were received so well that we decided to continue. This year however is a little different. We make not only a dessert but an entree as well. For March this year we chose to make Scallop potatoes and Key lime pie. We ended up making two different recipes for each one, one simple and one more difficult and time consuming. Not surprisingly the more difficult time consuming recipes were the favorites and disappeared first. Apparently Lion House Key Lime pie and Cheesy scallop potatoes with a dash of garlic are delicious. There were a lot of family around to enjoy the meal and dessert, more then we expected, and we enjoyed sharing.








In other news, Brian and I have just about reached the two year mark in the adoption route. Recently we learned that Hoping to Adopt is allowing profiles to be placed for free. This is a site we had be thinking about utilizing since we attended the conference last July. The news about the recent change was just the push we needed. We are excited to see what happens now.