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.

goingson

I have been here over a week. I've been to Whitehorse twice. We are getting vehicles ready. We have a new driver who is learning tour info. We have been up the pass twice for practice.
Three times in the last week the water lines froze overnight. After the first time we learned to fill a pitcher with water for early toilet flushing.
Today we got word of a local disaster. The dock used by the ferry sank. It floats so it can accommodate changing tides. But it floats no more. By the time we got down there the crowd was about a hundred. There was a large crane on a barge lifting a forklift out of the water. I have no idea what will happen next. Or when repairs will be made. What is obvious, is that a lot of people are going to have to find a different way to get here.

The blue ramp ends at the now underwater dock.

You can see bubbles to the left of a small crane and light poles sticking up above the water. The pier supports are at the far left. Broadway dock is in the distance. 

Here I Am

The trip was interesting.  Crowded to Seattle.  A dozen flights Portland to Seattle but 15 or 20 standbys trying for seats. Bigger plane out of Seattle, but plenty of open seats.
In Juneau, I had to wait 4 hours for the ferry. Lightly overcast, but we saw some of the eclipse.  Just two fellow travelers and bored TSA crew. Two brothers building a house in Haines. We shared a cab to the ferry. I got an invitation for coffee or wine when I am in Haines.
I found it interesting that in the two rainy cities of Portland and Seattle, we had to walk on the open tarmac between the plane and the terminal. In Ketchikan it was raining hard, but I stayed aboard.
I ate breakfast on the ferry while at the dock in Haines. Taked to a woman returning to the world following 13 weeks as a visiting nurse Soldotna. She goes to different places all the time. Had been to several Alaskan towns in the last few years. So many jobs I have never heard of.
Tried to take two buses to Whitehorse yesterday, but it is a three day weekend, so businesses were closed. I drove up alone to pick up Bryan from the airport.
We are trying to get ready for the season, but some down time so I have looked up friends. All disappointed Peggie is not here.

OMG

The day is here.
I am actually leaving for Skagway.
Alone.
I decided to look on this as an adventure. I am counting on it being the good kind.
When I arrive, tomorrow, I will try to find time to recount whatever adventures the journey provides.
One thing I am hoping for is clear skies in Juneau, as I will be there, and awake, at the time of the lunar eclipse. Watching the "Blood Moon" will give me something to do while I wait for the ferry.
And, I hope the airport doesn't kick me out too early, as I know the ferry terminal won't be open, and I really don't want to spend three hours outside at 30 degrees.

moved in

Yesterday we moved upstairs.
Showered in our new shower.
Slept in our new bedroom.
Moving is a lot of work. We were sore and tired.
Our new curtains keep it dark in the morning when the sun hits the windows. The bathroom is a lot darker in the middle of the night, which allowed me to notice that the new doorknobs are a different shape. The new window A/C cools the room nicely. The new cabinets give us a lot more storage space so the bedroom can be more wide open. The closet is not as full because we purged when we moved out last year.
It has been a year!
Of course we were gone for six months. But still.
Now, this is us, so we still have four drawers with the wrong fronts. The grab bar in the shower isn't up yet. And the hardware on the pocket door still has to be swapped. But we still love it, and all that will be done soon. What a good word, soon.
Today, WM will pick up the last of the boxes everything came in, so even the clean-up will be complete.
New adventures can't wait. I leave (alone) for Skagway on Monday. When I get back, Peggie will have taken over the entire bathroom. I probably won't have anyplace to put my toothbrush.