we stayed our last 2 nights at pinto or pinta point. it was a beautiful camping spot. the actually camping spot of point adolphus was occupied so we paddled on to this place.
the weather just kept improving!
i think scott set up this little rock garden. at some points on the trip the guides would set up cairns on the beach to entertain us....we'd throw rocks to knock em down. eventually, these rocks were taken down as well.
the sun came out and we basked in it. who would think one would see this much sunshine on a trip in southeast alaska!! nobody was complaining though! bob, tanya and val add to thier summer tans.
just went to see "the help" with lesley and sandra today. hadn't seen lesley for a bit and was happy to have a chance to catch up with her. we met for dinner at tgif first. after a bit sandra joined us and then off to the movie. i had loved the book and was excited to see the movie. it did not disappoint. it followed the book well. that is one i will purchase for sure when it comes out and i do hope it wins some awards. "water for elephants" also did a great job with that book. often hollywood disappoints, but with both of these they nailed it.
stayed up late last night watching my netflix movie, "power of one". always interesting gaining insight into histories of other nations. both this movie and "the help" show the injustices done to people based solely on the colour of thier skin. i have never had fear in my life like these poor people endured on a daily basis in thier lives. you hope that if you were in a position to help you would react like those in these movies did. with bravery, courage and a willingness to sacrifice for the better of the cause. not sure i would be courageous enough. it's easy to watch movies like this and convince yourself that you would be like the writer in "the help" or like the boy in "the power of one". sadly, most people follow along with the crowd, too afraid to stand out and become a victim themselves.
both movies also demonstrate the power of language, of basic reading and writing. education is one of the greatest defenses. there is power in the written word. it's no wonder that so many societies restrict education as a means to control. many are kept from education still, most often i think of the many women who have been prevented from learning as a means to control them.
it's hard to fathom the level of hatred that exists and how the weak are made stronger through control and violence and fear. reading "schindlers list" and "we regret to inform you that tomorrow you and your family will be killed" (probably screwed up that title), but both books made me realize that we are surrounded by serial killers just waiting for someone to tell them they are justified in killing. that all thier problems are because of this people or that people and now they have been allowed to hunt them down and make thier lives better. amazingly, a large percentage of the population will kill if given the green light. it's horrific.
but back to the beauty of point adolphus and pinto point. loved the thick forests and all the mosses hanging on the trees. even thicker down in ketchikan where i lived, but i love the rain forests of the north pacific. spectacular.
scott had a birthday out there on the trip. these are a few from the celebration that night.
bob and tanya brought scott a bottle of whiskey to enjoy.
of course, a few people took the whole shot thing a bit too seriously. this isn't one to suck back to quickly. burn, burn, burn. we all did get a laugh though. that is what a campfire is for.
the guides secretly carried and protected the cake for 4 days before putting it all together for scott. i think he was happy and surprised. i'm sure he never expected all this!
adam brings out the cake! okay so these are a bit backwards! i'm always out of order.
another great fire!
dinner was the best on this night of scotts birthday! doesn't that look tasty. yep, we loved having the guides do all the cooking and clean up! the guys especially liked that the guides also did all the water collecting and filtering!
took the paddle i purchased in juneau in to a local frame shop to get it framed. just didn't want to have what happened to my scrimshawed baleen happen to this paddle. hopefully, this will protect it and also enhance it's beauty. the baleen got knocked off the wall somehow and my old dog baby huey had a great time chewing it up.
it was actually nice that the girl helping me at the framing shop is native. we spoke for a bit. i have a book i want to read that she recommended. i almost bought it today, but then thought i may have it already here, just waiting to be read. seemed right for someone from the native culture to help me frame the paddle properly.
there is this tiny, bent over little old lady that works there as well. i have seen her there many times when i've gone. she's the cashier. she is so sweet, omg, not quick, but always with the smile and as helpful as anyone can be! beats many of these teenage salespeople who are more interested in their latest text than in providing service. not sure if she is family of owners or one of the actual owners or what. frames, etc on northern lights have done a fine job framing many things for me and they are all so nice and helpful...none as much as that sweet lady though. please do not go there rushed...you will ruin your experience.
went downtown and did a bit of shopping at a few shops there as well. wanted to get a package ready for my nephews in texas. they both had/have birthdays. was looking at t-shirts, but it's so hard from far away to know what sizes kids are.
i have often bought shirts for kids that were way huge or not big enough. tried to call my sister in law from the shop, but no dice. should have texted, but like i said, i don't think my family has my cell in thier cells so i just look like spam to them. i know the boys really liked the glow in the dark shirts and they had some cool ones...maybe i'll have to do that for christmas.
was very tempted to buy a cool vest for myself, but i just couldn't justify the price of it.
loved all these rocks that looked like perfec bricks for a walkway or fireplace.
love the stripes!
this was our water source for the next few days. there were a few floaties in there, but it tasted fine and it was filtered!
at the same location there was an emergency shelter. we waited here while adam pumped our water.
bob waits and looks cool while waiting!
they'd found these someplace so we had to take turns getting photo's
today was another wet day. when there was a break i got the pups out for a walk in the bog. it was coming down so hard earlier that i couldn't convince blossom to even go out this morning. it is funny how dogs refuse to go out in the backyard on a rainy day, but if you get the leash on and go out the front door, those raindrops don't bother them.
lazy paddlers.
this is the kind of water you want to see out there. scott enjoys the sunshine!
the yellow boats vs the blue boats....they were lighter so they always won!
we carried much of the food and the supply of toilet paper. sandra made it a point to keep that bathroom bag in check.
adam plays with this skull before dropping it back into the ocean
beautiful and relazing paddle!
we could see spouts in the distance but our best whale viewing for the week wasn't at point adolphus or pinto point.
happy i mowed yesterday. soon the lawn will stop growing and the leaves will fall, for the time though, that lawn still grows like crazy. i'm still battling all the chickweed. i've gotten control mostly over the bulk of my lawn, but it still tries to take over and there are a few places that i haven't been able to tackle it yet.
everyone racks up, ready for another day of paddling. sandra, alex, scott and erica with adam and monica in the background
tanya enjoys the view at the point!
saw a few sea lions out there.
black and white of lichens.
so artistic....
for my geologist friends. love all the various rock formations out there. easiest to view them from a kayak!
bob and tanya out at pinta point
hard to see but the sunlight was hitting these seagulls out there. looked cooler live, but was fun to watch them dance out there and see the light catching them.
probably an eagle feather, plenty of those out there.
these are those parasitic orchids. so pretty!
there were several growing out of the tree roots.
often we see the world only from our vantage point, only see how it impacts us. no matter what destruction happens around us, we only see that our path is obscurred and our way made more difficult by the commotion. some people ride the waves in life, the sun shining on them, the views clear...while others get sucked under the surf and struggle to turn the right direction and catch another breathe before being sucked back under. from the view at the top of the wave it's difficult to see the struggles going on beneath the surface of the water. luckily, there are others who also struggle with the surf and we can try and help each other out sometimes.
sometimes it's good to speak up and be heard, other times it's pointless. sometimes you just are better off speaking to someone else, explaining to them your point of view. they can tell you they understand and you can just move on.
well, i will retire again for another lovely night of sleep. i think blossom is seeing "kittycats" outside. she is cool with her own housecats but those ones that live outside....she gives them the what for.
we stayed our last 2 nights at pinto or pinta point. it was a beautiful camping spot. the actually camping spot of point adolphus was occupied so we paddled on to this place.
the weather just kept improving!
i think scott set up this little rock garden. at some points on the trip the guides would set up cairns on the beach to entertain us....we'd throw rocks to knock em down. eventually, these rocks were taken down as well.
the sun came out and we basked in it. who would think one would see this much sunshine on a trip in southeast alaska!! nobody was complaining though! bob, tanya and val add to thier summer tans.
just went to see "the help" with lesley and sandra today. hadn't seen lesley for a bit and was happy to have a chance to catch up with her. we met for dinner at tgif first. after a bit sandra joined us and then off to the movie. i had loved the book and was excited to see the movie. it did not disappoint. it followed the book well. that is one i will purchase for sure when it comes out and i do hope it wins some awards. "water for elephants" also did a great job with that book. often hollywood disappoints, but with both of these they nailed it.
stayed up late last night watching my netflix movie, "power of one". always interesting gaining insight into histories of other nations. both this movie and "the help" show the injustices done to people based solely on the colour of thier skin. i have never had fear in my life like these poor people endured on a daily basis in thier lives. you hope that if you were in a position to help you would react like those in these movies did. with bravery, courage and a willingness to sacrifice for the better of the cause. not sure i would be courageous enough. it's easy to watch movies like this and convince yourself that you would be like the writer in "the help" or like the boy in "the power of one". sadly, most people follow along with the crowd, too afraid to stand out and become a victim themselves.
both movies also demonstrate the power of language, of basic reading and writing. education is one of the greatest defenses. there is power in the written word. it's no wonder that so many societies restrict education as a means to control. many are kept from education still, most often i think of the many women who have been prevented from learning as a means to control them.
it's hard to fathom the level of hatred that exists and how the weak are made stronger through control and violence and fear. reading "schindlers list" and "we regret to inform you that tomorrow you and your family will be killed" (probably screwed up that title), but both books made me realize that we are surrounded by serial killers just waiting for someone to tell them they are justified in killing. that all thier problems are because of this people or that people and now they have been allowed to hunt them down and make thier lives better. amazingly, a large percentage of the population will kill if given the green light. it's horrific.
but back to the beauty of point adolphus and pinto point. loved the thick forests and all the mosses hanging on the trees. even thicker down in ketchikan where i lived, but i love the rain forests of the north pacific. spectacular.
scott had a birthday out there on the trip. these are a few from the celebration that night.
bob and tanya brought scott a bottle of whiskey to enjoy.
of course, a few people took the whole shot thing a bit too seriously. this isn't one to suck back to quickly. burn, burn, burn. we all did get a laugh though. that is what a campfire is for.
the guides secretly carried and protected the cake for 4 days before putting it all together for scott. i think he was happy and surprised. i'm sure he never expected all this!
adam brings out the cake! okay so these are a bit backwards! i'm always out of order.
another great fire!
dinner was the best on this night of scotts birthday! doesn't that look tasty. yep, we loved having the guides do all the cooking and clean up! the guys especially liked that the guides also did all the water collecting and filtering!
took the paddle i purchased in juneau in to a local frame shop to get it framed. just didn't want to have what happened to my scrimshawed baleen happen to this paddle. hopefully, this will protect it and also enhance it's beauty. the baleen got knocked off the wall somehow and my old dog baby huey had a great time chewing it up.
it was actually nice that the girl helping me at the framing shop is native. we spoke for a bit. i have a book i want to read that she recommended. i almost bought it today, but then thought i may have it already here, just waiting to be read. seemed right for someone from the native culture to help me frame the paddle properly.
there is this tiny, bent over little old lady that works there as well. i have seen her there many times when i've gone. she's the cashier. she is so sweet, omg, not quick, but always with the smile and as helpful as anyone can be! beats many of these teenage salespeople who are more interested in their latest text than in providing service. not sure if she is family of owners or one of the actual owners or what. frames, etc on northern lights have done a fine job framing many things for me and they are all so nice and helpful...none as much as that sweet lady though. please do not go there rushed...you will ruin your experience.
went downtown and did a bit of shopping at a few shops there as well. wanted to get a package ready for my nephews in texas. they both had/have birthdays. was looking at t-shirts, but it's so hard from far away to know what sizes kids are.
i have often bought shirts for kids that were way huge or not big enough. tried to call my sister in law from the shop, but no dice. should have texted, but like i said, i don't think my family has my cell in thier cells so i just look like spam to them. i know the boys really liked the glow in the dark shirts and they had some cool ones...maybe i'll have to do that for christmas.
was very tempted to buy a cool vest for myself, but i just couldn't justify the price of it.
loved all these rocks that looked like perfec bricks for a walkway or fireplace.
love the stripes!
this was our water source for the next few days. there were a few floaties in there, but it tasted fine and it was filtered!
at the same location there was an emergency shelter. we waited here while adam pumped our water.
bob waits and looks cool while waiting!
they'd found these someplace so we had to take turns getting photo's
today was another wet day. when there was a break i got the pups out for a walk in the bog. it was coming down so hard earlier that i couldn't convince blossom to even go out this morning. it is funny how dogs refuse to go out in the backyard on a rainy day, but if you get the leash on and go out the front door, those raindrops don't bother them.
lazy paddlers.
this is the kind of water you want to see out there. scott enjoys the sunshine!
the yellow boats vs the blue boats....they were lighter so they always won!
we carried much of the food and the supply of toilet paper. sandra made it a point to keep that bathroom bag in check.
adam plays with this skull before dropping it back into the ocean
beautiful and relazing paddle!
we could see spouts in the distance but our best whale viewing for the week wasn't at point adolphus or pinto point.
happy i mowed yesterday. soon the lawn will stop growing and the leaves will fall, for the time though, that lawn still grows like crazy. i'm still battling all the chickweed. i've gotten control mostly over the bulk of my lawn, but it still tries to take over and there are a few places that i haven't been able to tackle it yet.
everyone racks up, ready for another day of paddling. sandra, alex, scott and erica with adam and monica in the background
tanya enjoys the view at the point!
saw a few sea lions out there.
black and white of lichens.
so artistic....
for my geologist friends. love all the various rock formations out there. easiest to view them from a kayak!
bob and tanya out at pinta point
hard to see but the sunlight was hitting these seagulls out there. looked cooler live, but was fun to watch them dance out there and see the light catching them.
probably an eagle feather, plenty of those out there.
these are those parasitic orchids. so pretty!
there were several growing out of the tree roots.
often we see the world only from our vantage point, only see how it impacts us. no matter what destruction happens around us, we only see that our path is obscurred and our way made more difficult by the commotion. some people ride the waves in life, the sun shining on them, the views clear...while others get sucked under the surf and struggle to turn the right direction and catch another breathe before being sucked back under. from the view at the top of the wave it's difficult to see the struggles going on beneath the surface of the water. luckily, there are others who also struggle with the surf and we can try and help each other out sometimes.
sometimes it's good to speak up and be heard, other times it's pointless. sometimes you just are better off speaking to someone else, explaining to them your point of view. they can tell you they understand and you can just move on.
well, i will retire again for another lovely night of sleep. i think blossom is seeing "kittycats" outside. she is cool with her own housecats but those ones that live outside....she gives them the what for.
Wow, enjoyed visiting here again. Glad you're enjoying the summer!
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