It's a PARADE!!!

There's nothing like a small town parade and that's just what was on our schedule!!  We drove up East End Road to see how far it went ... which was farther than we wanted to go!!  Since we couldn't find the Hillenbrand's Time Bandit homestead, we checked out our point of parade watching ... and headed down to the spit.  One of the charters had just come in with their catch and proudly hung them up for pictures.  You are allowed to catch two halibut each.  The end ones looked pretty small to me, at around 20 pounds before cleaning ...  Dan calculated it might be worth the cost of the trip with halibut at $21.00 a pound!!

Finally ... moose!!!!  Out in the meadow next to the spit was this young mama browsing.  She definitely kept an eye on her surroundings and soon wandered off.

The flowers here in Homer are amazing.  They grow HUGE and beautiful.  While checking out some calendula I spotted this bumblebee snacking in the next door restaurant.  

Time to head back to the ranch for OUR fourth celebration ... barbecued cheeseburgers with all the fixings, potatoe salad, chips and good company with a view to die for.  Overcast all day, but no rain.  It doesn't get better than this!!!

Dan made the best burgers, I made the potatoe salad and Patty made the fixings and decorated for the event.  Even though it was a little chilly outside, we had a great lunch celebrating our American Freedom.

Then it was off to the parade!!!  Wouldn't you know, we would find the local town  .... well you know ... he occupied a small part of the bench, so I asked if we might sit down (that was before the smell of alcohol wafted my way).  His name was Steven, he came here years ago on the K-Mart of Cruises (??) as a band member, said he came down from the moon to watch the parade, knew everyone, including this blond Russian lady that had at LEAST ten children,  loaned $10 to his friend who just got out after 30 days incarceration, was co-producer of a radio station and never stopped talking the entire two hours we were there!!!  Pretty natty dresser though ... check out the red handkerchief in this pocket ... oh, and just turned 60!!!!

Leading the parade was the local fire department with sirens blasting and lights flashing!!

MY favorite ... this gorgeous dog was looking for a home.  I'm pretty sure she found one ... I would have taken her in a minute, but smarter heads prevailed as I was reminded Jessie probably wouldn't go for it!!

What's a parade without tractors????  A second one pulled a car along ... proud drivers!!!

And gorgeous green motorcycles!!  He did a pretty spectacular burnout in front of the judges stand!!

The Scottish Highlander group showed up, even with the cold weather.  Two were on motorcycles ... in skirts ... with drawers.  Sorry ladies ....

They even had horses ... and to make it better, when they stopped, the baby took the time to have a snack provided by his mama.  This group has horse and pony rides, ATV rides and clam digging!!  You have to be versatile here!!!

I'm sure the star of the show, Eye Candy here also did a spectacular burnout, leaving everyone else coughing in his smoke.

And finally the end of the parade ... the Police Department.  What a cutey patooty!!  Dan keeps saying "cradle robber", and I just can't figure out why!!!!

A fun time was had by all ..........  did anybody get the nice officer's name???

Happy Fourth of July From Homer AK!!

I'm sitting here having morning coffee, and this is what I see out my front window.  I loved it the minute we came to town ... even with the rain.  It started yesterday afternoon and is expected to continue for the next few days.  With a view like this though, you can't complain!!

Our first trip to town was to look for the Time Bandit store.  For those not familiar, it's the TV reality production that shows crab fishing in the Bering Sea.  Originally a segment on "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe, it turned into a hit TV series.  The Captain of the Time Bandit ship and part of his crew, are from Homer.  Naturally, they would have a store where you can get merchandise!  Dan wanted a picture of the crab boat, but they were tendering other boats in another location.  With that kind of investment, you "gotta keep 'em moving"!!

Next up was another quilt store.  We met a VERY nice lady in Coeur d' Alene Idaho, who said to please stop in and say hello to her sister-in-law in Homer.  Of course we couldn't say no to that, so patient Dan waited in the car while we checked it out.  Such nice nice people here.  We had a great time, bought some "stuff" and headed off to the spit!!

Surprisingly, the spit is quite long ... and at the end is the Seafarer's Memorial to those who have been lost at sea.  My ex-father-in-law was a crab fisherman in Oregon and Northern California and this is a BIG deal much deserving of respect.  

The bell tolls for all the souls set free upon the sea ........

We purchased some fresh halibut to barbecue (at $21.00 a pound ... but it was sooooo worth it) and headed back towards town.  Perched on top of a sand pile was an eagle, just posing for anyone who drove up.  

Further along, there was another on top of a light post.  We got very close to this one ... and I just waited ... and waited ... until a big dog started barking.  The eagle didn't like that at all, and after a few seconds, took flight.  My camera will take about 5 shots per second ... it took 8 shots to get this one.  The perfect picture for the fourth of July ... we will be attending the parade this evening.

Further along in a ship boneyard, we found this great house!!  Yes, someone DOES live in it ... made up of whatever pieces of wood they could find ... not sure it's very warm, but it serves the purpose!!  Now THIS is recycling!!

Another local abode ... a recycled bus made into a home with a huge deck on top.  Even still had caribou horns on the dash.  The wood to the right is an interesting fence, large enough to hide the buildings where they probably really live.

Another wooden gem on the rocks, headed to the compost pile.  It's such a shame to see these beauties in the graveyard.

Back at the ranch, fresh barbecued halibut was on the menu and it was DELICIOUS!!!!  Ugh, I ate too much.  I watched 4-5 eagles soar in the thermals in front of my RV for two hours before hitting the hay.  More exploring on the agenda today .....

Homer Sapiens!!

We said our goodbyes to Seward and headed off into the clouds towards Homer, hoping it wasn't raining where we were going to spend the 4th of July.

Around every corner is another lake or river ... and rain clouds.  Summer runoff is still high, making for the most beautiful turquoise rivers I have ever seen.

There are lots of interesting signs along the way, most I can't capture while driving.   Here they sell lots of different varieties of beer and with each, you get free mosquitos!!!  The recession has hit here also ... many businesses are closed.  I keep telling Patty we could open a quilt/something shop.  Quilt/Beer, Quilt/Guns, Quilt/Something to keep the men busy kind of store.

A short drive later, we arrived in Ninilchik where we decided to spend at least one night while we found a place to stay in Homer.  Being such a big holiday, Dan thought everyone might be booked, or worse, we would pay an arm and a leg!!  

We drove by the local tiny Ninilchik harbor, which is fascinating.  The boats are all touching each other ... in the mud!!  The tide is out and most aren't even floating.  Not only that, but unless the first three boats go out, NO ONE goes out.  There are no waterways ... only maybe 50 boats all tied together.  When the tide comes in, they will all probably rise 10 feet or more and must exit and return en masse! 

The sports fishermen are on the ocean side, having tractors launch them down a very steep ramp and bring them in.  While we were there, this one was pulled in.  The local fish racks were full of halibut.

Further on was a small RV park where we got out to look at the stream going into the ocean.  What a sight we saw!!  Three full grown eagles (two here) and LOTS of juveniles!

Probably five juveniles were in and around the creek.

These two, the biggest, were both eating salmon.  Careful to keep the seagulls at bay, they were definitely getting their fill.

Around the corner, this baby was waiting for them to leave the feeding grounds.

From Ninilchik we drove to Homer, checking out all the RV parks on the way.  The first stop was the best.  Talk about an oceanside view ... wait til you see!!  Patty and I discussed a halibut fishing charter, but decided to hit the local fresh fish market instead.  Charter $120 ea, Tip $25, Fish Cleaning $25, Seasick Patch $15 ... total $185.00 each for $50.00 worth of fish.  I pass ......

Eagles are everywhere here ... we saw 6 or 7 flying overhead within 10 minutes.  

This is a good shot of the "Spit" from a roadside rest on the hill.  It doesn't look like much more than a sand bar from this distance.  Once down in Homer, we drove all the way out to the end.  It's like the Santa Cruz Boardwalk ... interesting buildings all along the way, restaurants, gift shops, fishing trips and native crafts, including one named Homer Sapiens.  We will be spending time here later.

While driving out the spit itself, this seagull kept up with us, right outside my window.  He flew alongside for maybe a half mile!!  How weird is that??  Got some great pictures of him flying though!!

Today we pack up and head to our new digs and become Homer's newest Homer Sapiens!!

Sopping Wet in Seward!!!!

So we stayed an extra night in Seward because it was pouring so hard we didn't want to dump our tanks and hook up the cars, let alone drive in it.  For $15.00 a night with an oceanside view, it was a no-brainer.  We did go for a short drive (and got soaked) to see where the Mount Marathon race started.  As we drove up, three kids came running down, wet with mud and water.  This is the beginning of the trail up the mountain.

Apparently this race is the second oldest in the nation, the first being the Chicago Marathon.  It started on a bet by two stampeders to see who could run to the top of the mountain and back first (pretty sure there was some "spirits" involved).  In 1915 it became an organized race and has been run ever since.

Here's the latest map of the mountain, acquired free at the Visitors Center.  Times generally run 45 minutes and above for the 3.1 mile race to 3022 feet.  Pretty crazy if you ask me!!

Since it was pouring and didn't show any signs of letting up, I spent the rest of the day in my rig cutting out a flannel rag quilt.  Unfortunately for my neighbors, I didn't realize the small iron I was using would run the batteries so low.  My generator to the rescue ... they just had to listen to it!!  There were two small lakes at the bottom of my steps with a small island in the middle.  Jessie daintily stepped on the island ... little Cooper dog (who loves water) plowed right through.  Gotta love the smell of wet dog!!!

Up early, thankfully the rain had stopped for the day.  We packed up, dumped at the local site, refilled our water tanks and hit the road for Homer!!!

Undersea Life in Seward!!

As you may or may not know, I'm a PADI Underwater Diver/Instructor and love seeing the sea creatures!!  Yesterday we definitely got an eye-full.  Patty picked up this cute little starfish and let it crawl across her hand.  It's a very funny feeling ... you should try it if you get the chance.  Several different varieties of anemones are in the background.

Here's a look at the bottom of their feet ... millions of tiny "legs" moving them along, even if they look like they are standing still.   If they really ARE standing still, they are probably eating something, so don't stick your finger in the hole in the middle ... it's full of "teeth"!!

Starfish come in all shapes, sizes and colors, as do the sea urchins.  These prickly guys are what the sea otters are munching on when you see them floating on their backs, eating.

The water here is REALLY cold, as you can imagine.  It requires ice diving preparation, including jammies (thick fleece clothing) to be worn under your dry suit ... named because it has rubber seals around the neck and arms, keeping you dry while diving.  That is until you have a small leak, which means unless you like shivering, the dive is over.

The fish here are almost fluorescent, with surprising colors.  In Monterey, where I dive most often, the fish are pretty drab in color ... maybe an orange rock cod ... but nothing like here.

No clue what this guy is .... other than about 2-1/2 feet long.

I think these guys inspired the library building.

Amazing octopus!!!  His body is close to two feet long ... no telling about those tentacles.  I certainly wasn't going to get any closer to check them out!!

And of course my all time favorite ... harbor seals.  They love to play tricks on you ... I have had them come up behind and grab my fins, push me with their nose ... trying to get me to chase.

When you turn around, they will blow bubbles in your face and be gone in an instant.  Amazingly fast, acrobatic and effortless swimmers, they make you laugh!!

I've had them swim up to my face, look me in the eye and disappear in an instant.  Being the color they are, we are always thinking SHARK!!!!  as they flash around.  Very curious creatures they are!!

Also spending a lot of time underwater are these puffins.  

They spend more time flying underwater than they do above water.  We saw them pester a huge crab for 20 minutes.  Not sure if they were looking for dinner or just playing around.

This mama, whose got better makeup than me, was gathering nesting materials.

Right you are again ... we really didn't go diving.  We were at the Alaska SeaLife Center checking out all the amazing creatures under the sea.  This is one of the best aquariums of local critters that I have seen.  The Stellar sea lions were camera shy today, but they reside here too.  If you come to Seward, be sure and check it out!!