Reflections on Day Two of our Alaska Adventure

On day two I found an abundance of reflections.

The plan was to kayak across the lagoon and hike to the toe of the glacier.  In spite of the weather, that is what we did, the guide, a fellow traveler and I.

Along the way we passed several kettle ponds.  These were formed when large pieces of ice calved off retreating glaciers, were surrounded by sediment and later melted.

Rushes grew in many of the ponds, it's hard to see where the rush ends and the reflection begins.

The weather hadn't improved when we reached the toe of the glacier.

I enjoyed seeing the reflection of the ice in the water.

Nearby was a stream and wetland with a lovely area of flowers.

We enjoyed a quick view of the flowers and headed back.  It was starting to rain.  We were dressed for the weather and not uncomfortable.

You can find more images to reflect on at Weekend Reflections, hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo 

Gray Alaskan Sky

Our first day in Alaska the sky was overcast, just as it was for most of our trip.  We had one and one half days of sun, but that was enough.

You can find more skies from around the world at Skywatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Alaska--Day One

Our guide had left a message at the hotel, meet in the lobby at 5 am to drive from Anchorage to Seward and meet our boat.

Our boat for this four hour trip was this small landing craft.  Fortunately the seas were calm.

We cruised down Resurrection bay, pausing now and then for a little sight seeing.

In addition to those of us going to the lodge we had some kayakers on board.  These hearty souls were dropped off along the way.

Then we went to view Aialik glacier.  It creaked and groaned, occasionally letting go of some small chunks of ice.

These small icebergs floated all around us.

Then we noticed we were being watched.  This little sea otter seemed intrigued by these strange creatures.

He summoned a friend to come watch with him.

We landed on a rocky beach for a short walk across a spit to the lodge.

This would be our home for the next two days.  This eco-lodge was built on land owned by a native corporation and the land around it is a preserve.  It is an in holding within Kenai Fjords National Park.  The builders went to great lengths to leave as little impact on the land as possible during the building. 

So, just where is this lodge?  The yellow line shows the route we took.  We were in the wilderness but we were warm, we didn't have to sleep on the ground and someone else did the cooking!

Whale Sighting--Watery Wednesday

We're back from Alaska.  It was a short trip to see Kenai Fjords and Denali.  Now I have hundreds of photos to sift through to find you the best and some of the not so great that will tell the story. 

For "Watery Wednesday" I pulled out this, my best whale shot but not my most interesting.  The really neat ones will come later.

See more watery sights at Watery Wednesday, hosted for us by 2sweetnsaxy.

In Search of Images and Adventure

We are off for a week in Alaska.  Maybe some great shots, maybe just a wet lens.  Lots of rain in the forcast for our destinations of Kenai Fjords and Denali.  We'll see. Today we should be deep in Denali a couple of miles from Wonder Lake.  What do we see?  You can check it out on the Park Service Webcam.

This is what it looked like on July 15, what does it look like today.

Shadows in a Parking Garage

We try to bundle errands, Hubby and I.  Sometime this leaves one of us killing time.

In anticipation of this I brought my camera to hunt photos while Hubby was being measured for new lenses prior to cataract surgery.

The parking structure proved to be a good source for shadows.

I got my photos, Hubby got his measurements and we went on to do my errands saving the half gallon of gas that would have been required to each go separately.

There are more shadows to be found at Shadow Shot Sunday,  hosted by Tracy in Brisbane.

Shadows in the Sky

This could almost be a shadow shot with the cloud shadows in the sky.  It may look like a scene from a movie about the end of the world but it is just the sun setting behind the coast range with a little air pollution adding to the color.  My hill may be only 300' but that is enough to give me a view across the Sacramento Valley.

See more skies from around the world at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Bridal Veil Rainbow

Late in the day, as the wind blows Bridal Veil Falls the sun's rays are captured by the mist and produce a lovely rainbow.

(some HDR processing in this)

See more water sights at Watery Wednesday, hosted by 2sweetnsaxy.

A Small Town Fourth

Bridgeport, California is a very small town, blink and you'll miss it.  It lies to the north of the mountain we call home much of the summer and is the county seat.  In the summer it draws hikers and fishermen as well as cattle and sheep to graze in the nearby meadows.  Its tourist season is short, beginning with July 4th and ending Labor Day.  Then all but the few locals leave. 

When it comes to Fourth of July Bridgeport goes all out to show the tourists what they are about with the annual parade. 

Fishing.

Enjoying our public lands.

Nearby fishing/hiking resorts.

Packing into the high country.

A different kind of packer from the nearby U S Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center.

Youngsters get into the act.

Ranchers from the cattle ranches that graze their stock in the lush pastures around Bridgeport.

Folks come from Nevada for the opportunity to display their old cars.

Some folks just enjoy an opportunity to express their individuality.

There are a lot of other things going on over Fourth of July; rodeo, races, greased pole contests, bar-b-que, fireworks and more.  These shots are from two years ago.  I had hoped to get new shots this year but was un-well.  Maybe next year.
Bridgeport is part of my world in the summer.  You can see the worlds of other bloggers at
My World Tuesday
Hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Who's in the Bird Box?

Waiting for someone to come feed him.

A baby tree swallow

He looks a bit impatient.

He looks cross.

He looks a bit like a clown.

Find other critters that have been captured by our cameras at Camera Critters.

Evening Sky

When thunderstorms brew over the Sierra we can often see them peeking over the ridge.  A few days ago they rose higher than usual, creeping farther west over the foothills and catching the glow of the setting sun.

I try to be alert for sunset, to see how the clouds will position themselves and play in the evening light.

Check out more skies at Sky Watch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Windy Falls

John Muir wrote of hiking behind Yosemite Falls when the wind had blown it away from the cliff.  The wind stopped and he was afraid that he would be stuck there as no one could survive the pounding water.  The wind again blew a clear path for him and he was safe.  I thought of that story as we watched the wind playing with the falls last week.
Our son Eric and his family had come to the cabin for the holiday and we went down into the valley so they could see the falls running almost full.  Then grandson Michael and I both came down with colds and we all left the mountains earlier than anticipated. 

You can find more watery sights at Watery Wednesday, hosted for us by 2sweetnsaxy.