In Tucson...

I flew from Skagway to Juneau in a six passenger plane. I was assigned the front seat (co-pilot) so I asked the pilot if we would fly over the Juneau Icefield instead of staying over the water. He said, "Sure."
The cloud cover was higher than the peaks, so we weaved our way over more glaciers than I could count. Well, I could have counted them if I had thought to do so at the beginning. It was a most pleasant flight that was over before I was ready for it to be.
I had to overnight in Juneau for a six a.m. flight to Tucson via Seatle. I arrived in Tucson at about 2 p.m.
It was (is) HOT! Or, as Andy Grifftith would have said, "Haaaw...aaw..AWT!
So, naturally, the A/C is on the fritz. Again. It is probably past time to get lawyers involved, but there is new management at the company we bought from, so maybe they will straighten things out. We'll see.
I have a "honey-do" list to complete this week before Peggie and I both fly back to Skagway next weekend.
As soon as the A/C works, I can work, too. We will spend one night in Eagar when we go up to retrieve the trailer.
We will fly north on Sunday, arrive late in Juneau, stay over night and catch an early flight to Skagway. The beauty of that schedule is that if weather grounds the planes, the ferry is available as a backup.

happy birthday Greg

Time to revive the tradition of noting important days.

Today may have been the worst weather day of the season so far. Nasty wind with cold rain. Fog on the entire tour route. Ten thousand people in port, but they didn't come to town.

I had bus trouble yesterday. Had to have another bus pick us up. I finished the tour standing and facing the guests while someone else drove. I have decided to hire a driver and do all my tours that way. It was both fun and effective. I wish I really could.
I still enjoy telling the story of my "hairbrained idea" from 2009. People love it, and like touching the wool. The goat tooth is also a hit.

happy fathers day

Casey just called and guilted me about posting more.
Last night I was energetic enough to go bear hunting in Dyea. Most evenings I am tired and I have an early morning to look forward to so I don't go out. But I was off yesterday and today so I could afford to stay up. My reward was two bears. First, a small, thin young looking one, then the giant one I call Bruiser. Bruiser has hung out at the mouth of the same creek since our first season here. He is really big. Last night he looked like a bison grazing.
Sadly, today we will mark the early passing of a fellow tour operator. He was only 34, but had untreatable cancer. The night he died was the same night we had the earthquake.
Oh yeah, we had a 5.7 on June 4th. Woke up the whole town at 4 a.m. My first thought was a bear scratching its back under the trailer. But by the time it was over I had figured it out.

Wow how time flies!

It is June 12th already.
Tomorrow will be Friday the 13th.
Saturday is Flag Day.
Sunday is Fathers Day.
I can't believe I have been here two months. But, here is what happens with time: today I had a conversation with a woman I met my first year here. The last time we had a conversation she was pregnant. Since then we wave and exchange greetings, but today we conversed. Her child is two and a half. I thought it was last year that she was pregnant. What? ?
I just got WiFi at my trailer so I hope I can be more consistent putting up posts.

another update

Thanks to all who continue to check even though I am not very regular in posting.
The ferry dock was successfully raised and back in service after only two weeks and two missed ferries. The water line that supplies the ferry sprang a leak that filled the hollow concrete floats.
I am afraid to reread any posts from past years because I might discover that my impression that the melt is earlier and faster than any other year might be wrong. Maybe I think that every year. I really wish we could catch all this water and send it to the drought stricken states.
This year I am hiking more and working out at the rec center. I hope to be in good shape by the end of the season.

quick update

We had ten days of warm-ups , with one ship days.
Yesterday was more like it will be, with three ships. This week will bring the new drivers up to speed.
I saw one bear during warm-ups. Then yesterday we saw a moose and the same bear. He is a mature black with a distinct way of walking, plus he was near the same place. He makes me think of Balloo, the bear in the old movie played by Phil Whatshisname. If you know the movie, bear, or Phil's last name, please comment.
Everyone here misses Peggie. Especially me.

Skagway crime wave

Yesterday the town was abuzz with the story. A seasonal worker upset about a recent DUI, went on a tire slashing spree. He got four of the five police vehicles plus the officers'private vehicles. He was caught while setting fire to the dispatcher's car at the station. At least thirty tires were ruined. Some of them were just unlucky to be parked near a police car.
It was not confirmed that a prisoner enroute to Juneau fell overboard into the frigid water of the Lynn Canal. But one can dream.