really?

 so we can't pay our educators and for education for our youth, we can't pay to protect public lands, we can't pay for healthcare for all, we can't pay to help the veterans, the homeless....but we can pay 14 billion to bail out farmers affected by this iitoo's ill thought out tariff war, we can pay to build his crazy wall, we can pay for a military parade which really benefits nobody but the iitoo ego.  strange world we live in.  priorities are so screwed up.

 did not go to Rabbit Lake yesterday.  there are more bear things happening close to Anchorage and i found no walking partner yesterday so i headed off to Hatchers Pass with the pups.  we did nearly 8 miles out there. it was nice and sunny for most of the walk and then some rain clouds rolled in...but no rain.

 multiple warnings seen at the entrance to the terminus of the pipeline.  the oil spill is a distant memory for many who were enraged about it when it happened. this administrations assault on our environment and the species that live in it continues.  so much damage being done in such a short time.  it's pretty sad and infuriating. they are trying to make the endangered species act powerless.  this will result in species becoming extinct.  walrus are on the list to work towards protection.  any northern species on the list though will cause pain for the oil and gas industry so it goes. 

 across the bay from the terminus you can see the horizontal lines on the mountains...these were created as the ice receded.  various levels of where the glaciers once were.

 i headed back out to Valdez Lake for some beach time.  we'd been in a hurry to get on the water for the tour in the morning. i put up a few cairns and deposited some ashes from my old beloved dogs. have slowed down on this....probably a sign that i am doing better with the loss of Blossom.  still a painful memory though. i suppose it always will be because of how it happened in the end.

 this is one of those puzzle pieces of ice from the glacial ice on the beach.

 all of the ice pieces are.

 was a wee bit sore after my nearly 8 mile walk yesterday. normal i guess.  the dogs were happy and tired as well. 

 you can see the puzzle pieces in the ice below.  crazy.  very cool though.

 the trail was pretty over grown.  going alone i tried to make some extra noise to keep the bears aware we were out there.  haven't seen any signs of bears on these trails but you know they make their way through there for sure. no bears yesterday thankfully.  didn't pass too many out beyond the beaver dams.

 ran into one guy biking as i headed back.  he'd biked pretty far up and then hiked up a mountain with his dog.  always a smart way to get further back...though it is often the bikes that surprise the bears.

 there was a beaver swimming in the beaver pond reported as we walked back so i kept the pups moving along.  Blossom would have been in the pond in an instant...really any puddle was fair game. these guys aren't as nuts about water.

 the tennis ball though.  Ivy is pretty obsessed with that.  i decided it's like kids and screen time. i probably should limit her time with her tennis ball.  haha.

 more close up of the puzzle that glacier ice is. 

 i became a bit obsessed with that. 

 the iitoo is in a tweeting rampage again of late.  he claims that Rus will be working to get the Dems in...somehow i doubt that this was a topic of conversation in their secret 1:1..no doubt his way of fueling doubt in the election results if the Dems do well in the fall. 

 he screams no collusion every chance he gets...he doth protest too vehemently. 

 the deadlines are coming and going for children to be reunited with their parents. it's becoming more clear that there was never any plan or means to make the reunification's happen and some kids will be lost to the system and may never see their parents again...this is the family loving party...tearing up families in order to get their way.  cruel and heartless means to an end. 

 they are also trying to make it more difficult for gays to adopt kids.  there are so many kids in need in our nation and they are adding more to that with their border policies...if there are willing parents, they need to be considered. they hate immigrants, they hate liberals, they hate gays, they hate Muslims...this is the way of the right at this point sadly.  not sure where they got so much hate or why they feel they are so maligned by society.  they are free to live their lives as they wish...they just are not free to decide how their fellow citizens live their lives and this really seems to bother them. 

 driving around Valdez in the evening before bedtime.

 loved this big old tree. 

 read last night, watched a movie, "Gifted" and chatted with a friend.  so pretty chill night. was wondering why i just had one Netflix movie in...but my list was empty so i filled it in.  should be getting some new movies soon again.

 i just started a new book and i saw there was a movie based on this book so i added it to the list. i generally like to read the book before i see a movie.

 local art above.

 in the morning i got to the boat early for our tour out of Valdez.  always nice to get on the water when i get a chance. you never know what you will see.  not tons of animals...though we did see loads of otters. 

 a military plane crashed on Colony Glacier back in 1952.  they have been going up every summer since 2012 in an attempt to locate whatever remains and debris they can find.  the debris showed up on the top of the glacier back in 2012 and it's been a bit of a race against time to locate what they can before the debris field moves into the lake in front of the glacier.  they have identified the remains or partial remains of 38 of those lost that day. 

 the debris is about 12 miles down from the original crash site...that is how fast a glacier moves, at least this one.  there were a total of 52 souls on board

 trash cans painted and looking good

 wild irises.

 always love harbors...anything related to the sea is cool i think.

 seeing the terminus from the boat after we head out to sea.

 we headed out slowly from Valdez as there were many rafts of otters. 

 good to see their populations returning to more healthy numbers. 

 many members of the white helmets have been evacuated from Syria after their lives had been threatened.  they will be sent as refugees to nations with kinder policies than our own.  the Christian nation here is not keen on helping anyone but the wealthy at this time.  I'm sure God is well pleased with us. 

 there are still hundreds of white helmets left in Syria.  they emerged to become the only rescue operation in Syria after the many bombings but of course they are being accused of being political and so are being caught and tortured when they can be.

 Sessions spoke with conservative teens and when they started to change "lock her up" he laughed and joined in.  if she did so much wrong why have they not been able to lock her up in these two years, as far as i can see, no charges, no further investigation.  perhaps there just never was the crimes committed to charge her. 

 so many lies generated by this administration.  he is irate that anyone would question his legitimacy as potus and yet he spent a great deal of time claiming Obama was not legit.  you get what you put out in the world in some cases.

 no matter how much they hated Obama and his agenda.  he was a good and decent person.  a solid family man.  one day perhaps folks on the right will see that they were made to believe things that were greatly exaggerated if not plain false. 

 Jimmy Carter was off helping others again this last weekend.  building homes for Habitat for Humanity.  what do people do? it says who they are.  every thing that the iitoo does is for the benefit of himself for the most part.  even if it helps another person, it's done to make points to make himself look better, not out of any true compassion or empathy. 

 the iitoo screamed in all caps at Iran leader on twitter.  who would have thought the leader of the free world would do all his diplomacy through tweets? it's insanity. 

 i would welcome someone with a brilliant business mind that could also learn the art of diplomacy.  this man is neither skilled at business or diplomacy.  i can't imagine that using the language he does against every other nation (except Rus) will lead us down a good path. he is doing great harm to years of diplomacy. some like hearing a US potus scream at our allies and foes alike, but in the grand scheme it's not a great way to lead.  yes, i worry about this potus bring bloodshed to our lands but i also worry more about the damage he is doing to our nations Democracy and our world standing. 

 the walk back of the walk back of the walk back of words continues.  face it....the iitoo trusts Put more than our own intel.  do any of us really trust the iitoo in a room with Put alone once let alone twice...?  do any of us trust Put in that situation.  it's becoming painfully clear how easy it is for world leaders, especially dictator types to manipulate this man child.  he's a fool.  heap him with praise and he will drop to his knees for you. the Dems would have done better if they had taken this to heart.  it's what is working for the Repubs at this time...but at a loss.  loss of dignity, loss of self respect, loss of their party really.

 sorry, i have stayed clear of politics for a few posts, but there is so much going on and it gets in my head.  the best way out of it is to release it.  the blog is the best way. 

 leaving Valdez for the glaciers beyond...a fisherman below.

 a barge loaded with all sorts of containers, buildings and large boats....

 i had better get moving.  these dogs need a walk. i think a pre work dog park run is in order. they got the big walk yesterday.

thankful for: A.  reporters who continue to seek the truth despite being maligned by our current iitoo over and over.  B.  truth.  let it be heard, let it be known.  C.  no bear sightings in the woods