June 25, Day 40, Homer to Wasila, Rain

 I decided to take a day off, not much to report other than Lana got to mark off another Costco, which makes it her 4th for the trip.   She also thought this was a real handsome picture of me and requested that I print it.  I just happened to be eyeing a squirrel on one of my hikes a week or so ago.
Oh, and I wished I could have made it to the Bakken BBQ, I've heard what fun it is.

And, no, we are not going to stop by Sarah Palin's house.

Hold your tail high and keep it a waggin'

Jack

June 24, Day 39 Homer 50's

For all you non-believers, my subtle way of proving I can read, and am the true author of this blog.
                                                      Sorry if I offend anyone.

And as you can see I'm busy doing today's blog.  Betcha didn't know I type it with my nose.  My paws are a little too big for Chuck's computer.  Notice our gorgeous scenery out our back window.  

This morning we captured this picture of a very distant volcano, Mt. Augustine, erupted in 2006, but that's really a fortuitiously-placed cloud above it.

Homer spit in the background---the 2nd longest spit in the world, 8 miles.

A triple glacier seen from the top of a bluff in Homer

Roasting marshmallows.   I'm in the camper because I didn't like the crackling and popping noise of the fire.

Dorothy eating her 10th marshmallow! (Just kidding.)  And, yes, it's night time.  Sunset is around 11:30 PM.  It doesn't get dark here at this time of the year.

Lupine at our campground.  This picture was taken after 10:PM tonight.

Hold your tail high and keep it a waggin'

Jack

June 23 , Day 38, Homer Nice.

Lana, Chuck, and Mike took a Halibut fishing excursion,  and of course it was on a boat, so I stayed home with Dorothy.  I like my Aunt Dorothy, she gives me lots of treats!
The first thing they did was catch their bait which practically jumped in their boat.  It took about 5 minutes to catch a cooler full of bait fish (foot long bait fish).  On the 3 hour trip to the "spot" chuck took a picture of a mama otter and her baby.  Cute!

Chuck bringing in a big one!

He had a very strong girl hold up his halibut for him.

All 80 pounds of it!  (BTW, they shoot the halibut with a 38 before they land it in the boat, because they are dangerous thrashing around and can actually kill you.)

They were all each allowed a big one and one small one (had to be less than 28 inches).  And, yes, Lana caught her 2 but didn't understand the rules so kept a small big one and her little one.  Those are cod below, which they probably caught 50 of them but threw them back or cut them up for bait.  Lana wanted to keep 2 for eating right away.  The halibut will will be shipped overnight to Helena for a premium price. 

Hold your tail high and keep it a waggin'

Jack

June 22, Day 37, Seward to Homer

                                                Good bye Seward. Seward Harbor.

Stopped to check out Exit Glacier and would you believe they wouldn't let me take the hike there?  How outrageous!

It wasn't that pretty of a glacier anyway.  To get an idea how large the glacier is check out the people in the middle of the right side of the picture.   Lana did say the hike was nice.

Hold your tail high and keep it a waggin"

Jack

June 21, Day 36 Seward Some Rain 50's

This morning we visited Seavey's Iditarod Champion Kennel. Four generations of Seaveys have raced in the Iditarod.  They've won the championship three times.  It's a labor of love for sure.  Even if you win the Iditarod you win $69,000 and just brake even to cover the expenses.  They love and know every one of their dogs.  Those that they retire from racing (if they don't keep them) they go to homes throughout the states.  This is Mitche's sled that was used to win the Iditarod in 2004, and Lana's trying on the coat and gloves they wear for the -40 temps---and that's not the wind chill. Mitch's son, Dalles, won in 2013 and 2014.

The Alaskan Husky is not pure bred dog, they are all mutts!  (As I mention in my profile, I'm a Chinese Crested, which "is" a purebred.  Lana said not to be so smug about it.) 

They all started howling and barking to be chosen to go.

This is the team that took us for a ride.  Theses were the lead dogs.

That's Chuck bonding with one of the Huskies.

Lana wasn't to thrilled with their living arrangements but after explanations for their total care she was okay with it.   If you want to know more about it,  e-mail her and she will give you more details. 

Here's the best part, but it made me a little jealous.  Lana told me not to worry, she wasn't going to bring one home.  The future Iditarod champions.

Hold your tail high and keep it a waggin'

Jack

June 20, Day 35, Seward 50's some rain.

Today we went on a Marine wildlife excursion on the Star of the Northwest.  Does anyone recognize this guy?  He is the captain of the ship and is from Dickinson North Dakota!  Justin Krunk.

The first thing we saw on this trip were sea otters, comical little fellows.

Then we spotted a pod of Orcas,

which were surrounding a pod of dalls porpoise (the fastest among dolphins and porpoises) and hoping for a meal. We didn't stick around long enough to see if they were successful, which was just fine with Lana, although she said it was quite the scene.  

And then then they saw a Humpback whale.

And then lastly Lana and Chuck saw this group of sea lions.  Looks kind of like slugs on a rock, but Lana said they were quite a bit larger than slugs.

Hold your tai high and keep it a waggin'

Jack

June 19, Day 34, Seward 50's and some rain.

Seward, named after the Sec. of State who was instrumental in buying Alaska from Russia for a pittance.  Also the beginning of the Iditarod Trail, not to be confused with the beginning of the Iditarod Race which begins in Anchorage and ends in Nome.

Lana has a warped sense of humor----do I really look like an Alaskan Husky just because I'm standing in front of this ridiculous sled?

The library in Seward.  The glass tiles show colors of every hue of the blue skies and the sea.  Really beautiful!

Lana in the library checking over my blog to make sure I spelled every thing correctly (and I did!).  Notice the view out the window?

The next blog is the marine life excursion Lana and Chuck took out of Seward.  Again lots to see.

Hold your tail high and keep it a waggin'

Jack

June 19 Palmer to Seward con't

More on the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center  The reintroduction of the largest land mammal on the North American continent.  Any Guesses?????
Ta da, the wood bison!  They roamed the Alaskan wilderness for centuries  before becoming extinct in Alaska due to over hunting.  They are larger than the Plains bison and look slightly different.  Shaggier and longer hair on the heads and smaller rear ends but larger in general.  Here's a picture of a very good specimen.

Some mom's and babies.

More beautiful scenery along the way to Seward. (Lana and I had to get in one of these pictures!)

Hold your tail high and keep it a waggin'

Jack

June 19, Day 33 Palmer to Seward

On our way to Seward we stopped at an Alaska Wildlife Conservation center.  Most of the animals here were injured or orphaned and cannot be released into the wild.  They are given permanent homes here and are provided with very spacious enclosures.  The bear enclosures are the largest in the country.  The stories of these babies are heartbreaking but it's nice to know there are people in this world that care enough to take care of them.
                                                             Black bear

Grizzly

Moose

Elk

Baby moose

Baby elk

To be con't

Jack