busman's holiday

This year we have not been driving as much because we have to check out a jeep, not having our own vehicle. But now that fall colors are getting prettier, we decided to take a drive north for a look. It was raining steadily in Skagway as we left. At Carcross we took a snack and bathroom break and the rain stopped. We decided to see Marsh Lake which meant driving across the Tagish road for the first time in a year. Then we went West on the Alaska Highway for the first time ever. We had driven East on that stretch twice, but never West. Marsh Lake is bigger than we remembered and there is a dam on the river we were unaware of. I looked it up and found that it is pretty useless now. Anyway, we wound up making a loop and returning via the more familiar Whitehorse road.
No animals, but lots of beauty.

labor day

September is off to a wet start. It has been rainy for some time now, as expected in the rainy season. Peggie is back from Tucson so she rode with me to see the fall colors. This month we will see all the trees change and drop their leaves. It rained every minute and every mile (and kilometer) from start to finish. When there was a break in the clouds, we could see the"termination dust" on the mountains. In town the snow level was about 6000 feet, but up north it was nearer 3000 feet.
As I am writing this, the sky has partly cleared, the temp is about 52 and we are hunkered down for the night.

It Is A New Record

The old record of seven bears in one day stood for six years. But records are made to be broken.
Today is a beautiful day in Skagway. The kind you just want to get out and see something. So, even though I had only two booked on a tour, I was eager to get out. It was beautiful in every way, but then a bear walked across the road. Perfect. I had plenty of time to stop. By the time I did, she was joined by two scampering cubs. Across the road, she stopped for a snack. The cubs were both curious and nervous about the bus.I decided to move forward, so checked my mirror, and a third cub crossed the road behind us. They didn't hang around long, but the passengers were able to get photos.
Later, on the return trip, we spotted a vehicle with active flashers on the road. Good sign. I put on my own flashers and slowed down. Voila! Bears on rocks. Three cubs. Mama in the ditch.
These bears were about 200 yards from the other bears.
According to the rule book, any wildlife sighting while traveling in the opposite direction from any earlier sighting, shall be deemed a new sighting. So by the book, we didn't see the same bear family twice, we had two separate, but similar sightings.
Eight is the new record.
Ref: Bill's Official Rules of Wildlife Sightings

happy birthday to me

Internet access was intermittent all day yesterday. We were finally able to Skype with GajT, got a call from Casey, went out for breakfast, did laundry, and Peggie prepared a wonderful dinner with salmon from friends in Sitka. A good birthday. Now I am caught up with my siblings, who all get older before I do.

happy birthday, Patty

Today is my cousin Patty's birthday. She is 6 days older than me. We were both born in the same hospital room. She and her mother, Aunt Jean, left the room as my mother came in. Hard to believe women used to stay in hospital for a week.
I hope she is well, where ever she is.

Check out the forecast this week. Rain, rain, rain, and then more rain. It has been drizzling all night. Not cold, though.

Peggie caught a sight last night. A seal was floating in the harbor and it pooped. When the seal noticed her, it seemed embarrassed to have been seen. Anthropormorphic, sure. But not many people have seen that, so who knows?

This year's salmon run in Skagway and Dyea is pathetic. I imagine the grizzly bears will suffer accordingly. The general consensus around here is that it will be a cold and long winter. If the bears don't fatten up, they'll die. That is nature's way. I can recognize at least nine bears in Dyea. More than usual. Maybe some have to die.

It is that time in the season

August.
Rainy season. No sun in the 10 day forecast. Flood advisory in effect. Must be time for some observations.
Disclaimer: being here, driving tours, meeting people, the scenery, are fantastic. But, there are some "unpleasant" aspects.
Not seeing wildlife for several days, crying or whining kids on a 6 hour tour, rude people, negative people, non-tippers. Someone vomits on the bus, mechanical breakdown, passengers who are turned back at customs. All that pales by comparison.
Last week we got a new winner in the category "Worst Experience for a Guide on a Tour."
Attempted suicide.
I know, this is bad for the attemptee. But my viewpoint is the driver. Things were already not good. A couple arguing loudly, disrupting the tour. In a foreign language. Somehow it is better when you can understand what the argument is about. But, anyway, the driver stops at the edge of a lake, and the woman announces her intention to die and begins swimming. The lake is big, deep, and very cold.
I heard this from the driver. I was shocked, and didn't think to ask questions. But now I wonder what I'd do. What is the best way to handle that?
In this instance, the husband dove in and brought her back.
Next time I'm cleaning up vomit, ....will I be thinking, "at least nobody tried to die?"

ARE WE HAVING FUN! !

Casey is here for 10 days. She has gone on two different tours with me, a tour with a coworker, a train ride, a canoe to a glacier on which she (and Peggie) hiked, a hike above town, and zip lining (with me). Last night and tonight all three of us went bear hunting in Dyea. We saw two last night and six tonight. On this trip she has ridden by plane, train, jeep, bus, ferry, canoe,  and dog sled. We have gone out listening to music twice. We teamed up for a cribbage tournament, and lost every game.
We are having fun!