A STRANGE TRIO THAT SHOWED UP AT OUR DOOR ON OCT. 31. THEY SAID THEY HAD SEEN A STRANGE CREATURE THAT LOOKED LIKE BUGS BUNNY WITH PINK AND GREEN HAIR OUT ON THE STREET!
"RED SKY'S IN THE MORNING, SAILERS TAKE WARNING" IS THAT HOW THE OLD SAW GOES?
AN EARLY MORNING MOON RISE IN THE EASTERN SKY...
AND A COUPLE SHOTS FROM THE MIDDLE FORK OF THE FLATHEAD RIVER OF A COUPLE OF THE PEAKS IN THE "CROWN OF THE CONTINENT" WHICH IS GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. THE SUN WAS SINKING IN THE WEST, PUTTING THE FORE GROUND IN THE SHADOWS, AND EMPHASIZING THE 8 TO 10,000 FOOT PEAKS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
Below- A 120' tall pine tree being topped by a young fellow over 100 ' up (he's behind the top which is tipping out of the tree...
Below- this is a difficult tree removal in an alley in Kalispell. The tree must have been topped many years ago, and multiple tops had come back. A squirl had a nest in a hole right up where all the tops came out, which makes for a very weak spot, and very hazardous around a powerline. Notice how the top stick of the boom is threaded through the wires. That section of the boom is dielectric (sp??)(does not conduct electricity unless it is wet, or dirty. These guys have very little room for error on these jobs! This tree is probably over 80' tall and will probably take more than a day to remove.
A SHOT OF OUR MOUTAIN AFTER MEETING THIS MORNING... IT STAYED OUT ALL DAY WHICH WAS PRETTY UNUSUAL. THE NEW SNOWS HAVE FOUND IT AND ARE CREEPING TOWARD US VALLEY DWELLERS.
AND A NICE SUNSET A WHILE BACK...
AN EARLYBIRD CATCHES THE VALLEY AWASH IN A FULL MOON...
GODS AMAZING HANDIWORK IS APPARENT ALL AROUND AND AT ANY TIME, AND AS WE HEARD IN MEETING SUNDAY, IT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN ANY LANGUAGE!
THE LARCH BEGINNING TO SHOW THEIR FALL COLORS...
Below is a place I stopped at today near West Glacier. I was struck by the beauty of the place, enhanced by the fall colors.
BELOW, COLLIN AND TERRI OVERSEE THE APPLE BOB. A RARE QUIET TIME...
THIS APPLE TREE WAS SEEN ALL OVER... GOOD JOB COLTER!
BELOW, LUKE TRYING TO CATCH A FISH...
SOME SUGAR MONSTERS IN LINE FOR SOME GOOD FOOD!
Lyle and Mary have been working very hard on their landscaping around their place. It has certainly paid off, as it is beautiful!! Thanks for the memorable evening, your lasting friendship and most if all, your inspiration and example!!
BELOW--THIS WAS A QUAINT LITTLE COUNTRY STORE ON THE ROAD OUTSIDE OF PETERSBURG. JOE WANTED TO GET OUR PICTURE WITH THE STANDARD SOUTH EAST FOOT WEAR. EXCELLENT LATTE'S HERE ALSO.
BELOW--SEVERAL SEA LIONS RELAXING ON THE RED BOUY THAT MARKS THE INLET TO THE NARROWS, NEAR PETERSBURG. AS WE MOTORED BY THIS FELLOW GOT UP AND GAVE A HUGE YAWN, LIKE HE WAS THINKING... "ANOTHER TOURIST TO POSE FOR! WHEN IS THIS EVER GOING TO END!!
WE MADE A TRIP OVER TO THE LE CONTE GLACIER, WHICH IS NOT TOO FAR FROM PETERSBURG, TO THE EAST ON THE MAINLAND. IT IS THE FASTEST MOVING GLACIER IN NORTH AMERICA. THAT IS PROBABLY WHY THERE WAS SO MUCH ICE IN THE CHANNEL THAT WE COULDN'T MAKE IT UP FAR ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY SEE THE GLACIER. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THE BIG ICEBERGS IN THE CHANNEL, AND THE PRETTY BLUE/AQUA COLOR OF THEM. WE SAW SEALS ON SOME OF THE BIG ICEBERGS, AND SOME SPOTTED SEALS ALSO, ON THE WAY BACK, ON A SMALL ISLAND.
SPOTTED SEALS BELOW...
AND SOME OF THE LOCAL FRIENDS GATHERED AT A POTLUCK...
WE HAVE TO LEAVE THIS MORNING... NOT EASY, AS IT IS TRUE, THERE IS AN ALLURE THAT DRAWS YOU TO THIS LAND AND PEOPLE.
We didn't see much "old growth" timber like the sitka spruce below, but there is such a lack of good soil on the Island to grow one like this, I guess it didn't suprise me. This is in a little park near the fish hatchery. I'm sure there's more timber like this if you got out and started hiking around. Joe said that in one 2-mile stretch of road they installed 90 culverts on a recent reconstruction project.
Below is a stream leading from the sea up toward the hatchery. Notice the large salmon, dark shadows in the center, and bottom of the picture.
We stopped to experience walking on the muskeg which makes up a lot of the island perimeter. The town of Petersburg is built on it. It is a thick mat of vegetation, or decomposing vegetation, maybe 6 ft thick, on a hardpan clay layer, that holds the water from draining away. Thus its like walking on a sponge, the water coming halfway up your boots. The trees look hydroponic, kind of stunted with short needles. Houses have to be built on pilings that are driven down into the clay layer. Below, Judy and Joe standing in the muskeg.
Our main destination for the day was a little garnet mine, where people have gone and found garnets in a vein of rock near a creek bottom. Garnets are a gemstone, kind of redish colored. Joe took his bear spray, the 44 magnum type, and we decended down a steep trail, thru extremely thick brush, off the end of the road. We didn't see any sign of a bear, thank goodness. Below is a couple pictures of Judy searching the steep slopes above the creek.
Above is one of the many big glaciers you see in the valleys between the towering peaks to the east on the way from Seattle to Juneau.
Below, me attempting to boat some herring to use for bait, before leaving the harbour.... A sea lion showed up to help himself to our bait. I'll try to get a pic of these fellows. This morning Judy and I saw a huge one frolicking in the harbour, right behind where the boats are tied. Joe said theres a couple of the weigh in at around 2000 pounds. We found ourselves not walking very close to the edge of the dock for obvious reasons! A couple months ago a young man was sitting on the edge of the dock and one came out of the water behind him and bit of a piece of his cheek! Lucky he didn't get pulled in the water! The fishing was pretty slow the first day. We caught one koho, and had it for supper. Excellent tasting, deep salmon orange.
Judy roughing it here, in the last frontier...
