another trek to Homer under my belt...

 seemed easy so i went for it.  always see something new or fun anytime i go.  i stop at various spots along the way.  try to take a new road or check out something different each time i go as well.

 a little rain on the way down there.  stopped in Portage, made a loop at the Conservation center. 

 stopped at the Quartz Creek campground to stretch the legs, then one more stop at beach in Ninilchik before arriving in Homer for the  night.

 these guy didn't come with, but i did miss the cats.  he was happy to get the dog run gate open tonight and the next time i saw him was coming back over the fence. i'll be off on a boat trip tomorrow all day so i'm going to leave the gate open for the dogs..and him.  we shall see.  i left it open the last two nights i was at home, all night. 

 hadn't been at the Ninilchik beach for such a low tide so that was fun.  the low tides in the morning these days was super early 4 and 5 am.  i made it out the first morning by 5:30 am and the second morning i was out there by 5:15.  how did i do that you ask?  a malfunctioning tv in the tiny hotel room and a very loud bald eagle the second morning. i got up before the alarm. it looked pretty out so i headed out.

 i returned both mornings to take an additional nap for a few hours. it was well worth it and i'm hoping it helps me wake up tomorrow morning super early. we are headed to Seward for a super long boat trip looking for whales and whatever else.  going to a bay further out than we've gone before.  fingers crossed always for a bubble net feeding sighting.  still on my hope list, but still unfilled.  some friends were up and they saw this but hadn't seen a grizzly...screw the grizzly...haha. i'd take the bubble feeding any day over a grizzly. 

 can't keep eagle feathers as it's illegal.  can't harass them either, but no matter how often i explain that to Tusker, i must explain it again.  loads of feathers so i collected them for some photo ops.  figured if there was going to be any authorities it would be in a location where charter boats come and go. not worth the risk.  if some tourist braves it and succeeds...what do i care.  they are really pretty big. 

 trying to get myself unpacked and then figure out what i will need for tomorrow.  can get chilly on those boats.  hoping the weather cooperates and the waves aren't bad.  gotta go stick my patch on.  those are good for three days but i think i'll use it for this all day event.  it's 8 hours on the water. we have to be there super early and it's a 2 hour drive. 

 still want to get a fishing trip in as well. maybe my next stretch off.

 on the way home, it was beautiful so i finally drove the Skilak Lake road.  let the dogs take some swims in the lake.  they needed to get the fish smell off their coats anyway.  pretty views.  the fire damage from last year is pretty apparent in this area. i had started to drive it once last year. the fire had moved through but as i drove i saw hot spots and even some flames.  i decided i really shouldn't be out there and turned around. 

 it is a big and beautiful lake.

 yesterday and today were sunny.  my friend wasn't planning to go but as i drove she ended up planning for a night down there. i went flower hunting and watched a pair of Sandhill Cranes with their babies then met her for a walk at low tide at Bishops Beach.  we got take out from Fat Olives.

 i got up early this morning and as i slept she wandered a bit. i left first and she went for a bike ride on the spit.  great to have someone to do things with but also someone that we could both do what we wanted as well.  so we will hope for calm seas and good weather and whales, whales, whales tomorrow.

 covid numbers are up...don't think our hospitalization numbers are too bad here yet.  makes me nervous.  worse is all the fools who refuse to do anything to help prevent spread because they have listened to the idiots who tell them it's no big deal or it's conspiracy this or that, or masks don't work or....so many other idiotic notions. they are keyboard warriors.  one hopes that they scream about it but secretly wear masks and avoid others.  the ages are not generally elderly so i do at least hope those who are older and have co-morbidities are just doing what they need to do no matter what the crazy fools do.

 listened to some ted talks on the way home.  one was talking about how those in China dealt with this as opposed to those in the US. they are used to living in a culture where the needs of the many supercede the needs of the few.  the US is not.  i think they have a long standing respect for elders which i think is pretty absent in our culture.  we have a "not my problem" culture. until it impacts people more directly, they will just look the other way. 

 there is another huge scandal for this administration.  if i ever hear about Benghazi again after this bull....

 trump is trying to say he wasn't briefed on the Russians paying a bounty to Taliban for the death of our soldiers in Afghanistan.  bull.  that is crap.  when i was in college, if i wanted to party all night and skip class, guess what?  i was still responsible for the information covered in class.  just because he hates to read, or listen or can't comprehend or would rather be golfing....he's still the POTUS and so therefore the buck stops with him.  he is responsible.  i'm sure he asked Putin about it and then just took putins word that he didn't do that.  trump really is a puppet of Putins.  he has him right where he wants him and those fool Republicans are too afraid of losing an election to face up to it.

 saw these little guys this morning with their mom.  i was heading to the spit and there was a mist/fog at the float plane lake so i pulled in and was taking pictures when i saw the family.

 the one saw that log and then went into attack mode.  it was adorable.

 this is the mist/fog on the lake below

 as soon as i set my bag down, Covi Kitten climbed on it.  he got a visit this morning i hear. 

 this evening i must say, Miss Breezy Chatterbug has been hanging out downstairs more....i've hoped he would help her gain more confidence to move around the house. 

 big slabs of natural coal on the beach at Ninilchik.

 i stopped at Deep Creek on the way home today.  loads of boats out there.  it was still early.  all the eagles seemed to be on the cliffs as we walked out but on the way back a load of fish guts had been dropped it seems so there was a big group of eagles.  as i drove out, my friend drove in.  we exchanged texts all day.

 part of our evening walk.  she took over tennis ball duty.  i know i did loads of steps but my fit bit had logged me out so i have no record for a week i think at least.

 the dogs are tired...which is good, i think i can leave them guilt free tomorrow. Ivy is showing more signs of hip issues. i'll have to get an appointment.  she takes her glucosomine and hopefully that helps some.

 not really keen on a major surgery.

 hopefully, medications will be enough to keep her more comfortable.

 sunrise yesterday above and this morning below.

 this is from my first night i think.

 the sun is up but still great color.  this was at the spit.  i only saw one sad sea star...it only had 3 limbs and looked like it was about the end of the road. 

 this is Kenai Lake i think, quartz creek campground day area.

 a nice stop for the pups.

 we also took a walk at Everling?  it's a great place to see wildflowers . there was a sign that there had been a grizzly with 3 cubs...i didn't notice that the date of sighting was over a week before i arrived. i would have been less concerned had i read the sign more closely.

 great light at times.

 the lupine were in full swing and many other flowers were also blooming. so pretty

 raining in Portage but we had a good walk there as well.

 i think i have lots of sand all over me.  the dogs shake and their coats are good collectors. good to get them into Skilak Lake to get some of the ocean off.

 i kept no feathers but took lots of photo's.  i'll have to look at those when i get back from tomorrow's boat trip....where hopefully, i'll have even more photos to look at.

 we won't linger in Seward i'm sure after we get back.  i'll have to plan more treks out there.  that is this summer.  lots of little mini vacations. 

 this state has plenty to offer even if you stay close to home.

 loved all these red flowers.  they were often in the ditches along  the road.

 i better get myself ready for tomorrow and hit the bed so i can wake up early.  eek!! 

 perhaps i can finally take a day to catch up on the newspaper reading. 

 will sleep great tonight i suspect

thankful for a. all the amazing beauty of this place.  b. furs and friends to hang with.  c. cool sightings like those moose and a black bear on my skilak drive today...and the eagles.

so much i should be doing right now...

 oh well.  these are cup fungi, a type of mushroom. i think it's going to be a good mushroom year.

 had some big hiking ambitions today but here i am.  so i may try little campbell lake...not sure yet. indecisiveness gets me everytime.

 woke and walked with my friend SG yesterday. we did Campbell Airstrip.  funny, i tried to post those cup fungi to an Alaska Mushroom site and was rejected because i only said Campbell Airstrip and not Anchorage...never mind that i've seen other posts with minimal descriptions.  seems a bit silly to me. 

 as you can see in photo below, Sir Covid Cat has figured his way out of the yard. on my last day of work i came home to dog poop in the house.  now these are dogs that have never pooped in the house even when they were puppies so Covid is probably going to get his wish.  he still seems to spend most of his time in the yard.  plan B is obesity.  make him too fat to get over the fence.

 my back is a bit sore this morning. really could use a good massage.  not ready to go to that yet

 worked all three nights.  first night was ICU. people not happy with the visitor restrictions and getting less patient about it.  so they take it out on the messenger. one was an ex, they don't get information without permission anyway...but then he said he'd come visit so i explained that this the visitor restrictions.. he then began ranting about how covid isn't any different than the flu...i love how all these people with zero medical/science back grounds are suddenly experts because they have facebook and watch fox or whatever.

 i shut him down by saying, "we are not going to have this discussion...". my fellow co-workers took note and cheered me shutting him down.

 the next two nights i was the runner.  did have quite a few deliveries.  spent quite a bit of time chilling at the door as well.  a few folks pissed at the visitor limits.  security is back chilling with us as people are getting more pissed. it's just a matter of time though before this escalates even more. 

 have time off at this point.  first i booked a hotel in Homer.  i know i go there a lot so far this year, but the drive is beautiful, always changing and the dogs and i do enjoy our time down there.

 SH and i are booked on a long cruise out of Seward for Wednesday, so i'll either have to wake up super early or go the night before and camp. i'll get back from Homer Tuesday night.

 i may do a few more turn around trips to Valdez and/or the Denali Highway perhaps. have tent will travel i think. always looking for pretty scenery and water for the dogs to play in. the flowers should be peaking over the next weeks, then more mushrooms.

 loved this of Covi and his big fluffy tail.

 the poppy bloomed and has now fallen down.

 Ivy waking me up for her walk. 

 we did have a little rain this week.  some rainbows, which i always love.

 little flowers.

 these were from work while i was delivering stuff as the runner. i laughed that perhaps the house sups have decided i need to be runner to get my steps in and lose a bit of weight.

 caribou moss...really a lichen.

 the handsome boy had a visitor yesterday. a co-worker loves cats and has been watching his posts on facebook so she came by for cat time and i gave her a key so she could stop by and play/feed them when i am out of town.  she seems to be excited at the prospect. i told her she could be a 5% owner.  :-) 

 i did warn her he may break our hearts with his escape antics.  he was a bit slow to warm up, which i have heard from others.  so maybe he won't just find a new place to live. hopefully, Sir Covi Kitty has figured out he has it pretty dang good here.

 i mean look at this life.  these animals have it pretty good

 the dogs will be happy to get out walking.  i want to pack, mow the lawn, get the trash out, pay bills, vacuum, laundry...so lots to do today.  i really should get on it all.

 always fun to get out there and enjoy the wilds and scenery of AK.  such a place

 our covid numbers have been 20's-40's even.  still much lower than places in the lower 48, who are having numbers in the thousands for new cases.

 his favorite spot.

 new stuff coming out that Russia was working with Taliban, offering  bounties for US troops in Afghanistan.  Trump was told a few months back and has done nothing.  like Kashoggi, he cares more about his relationships with dictator types.  how can those who support this fool look the other way as he bows down to Putin and allows this to go on. 

 Biden doesn't need to do much, it's probably better if he doesn't as sometimes he misspeaks.  trump is burying himself in his own idiocy. the crazy thing is how many are still finding some way to do moral/ethical twisting in order to keep supporting him.  it can't be easy.

 here he is looking at me from the wrong side of the fence. 

 left the dog door/gate open all night last night.  everything was fine.  since about the time he arrived i've kept the run gate open when i sleep between shifts without issues.  he has no doubt wandered off multiple times.  mostly, anytime i randomly check on him outside, he's in the yard, entertaining himself.

 always so pretty out there.

 will grab the micro lens anyway.  well, i better hit that to do list

thankful for A. rain and rainbows.  B. a few plans for the week.  should be fun.  C.  animals that entertain me and keep me company