boat ride to Misty Fiords...or having fun in our Mustang suits!!

 these suits kept us warm and were our PFD's.  they aren't full on survival suits, but they are warm and have floatation capabilities.  we had a lot of laughs working our way into them and they really were sweet in that open boat.

 lots of photo's taken to start our trip.

 tanya and i work our way into our suits.  all the gear and boats are loaded and we are ready to roll.

 now...getting sandra in...she can make anything even more funny.

 loved the laughter in this shot...our guides were fun and we could tell immediately we would all get along grandly!!

 i got a massage today.  not sure i would use the word relaxing to describe it, but eventually it was just that.  lots of very tight muscles in my forearms, calves and butt so tender working out that, but i do feel much better.

 since i feel like my arse is just fat i often forget that there are some rather large muscles hiding way down there under all the fat.  haha.  when the glutes get totally tight it really does force the lower back muscles to also tighten up.  my massage therapist, Jillian, is great at working out all my knots and sore parts!! thanks Jillian!!

 felt bad though as the dog walks have been less than fun for the dogs since i got back from kayaking.  not many long walks i mean.  neighborhood stuff, bog, u-lake.  guess really they don't care too much, but i can tell Blossom is bored with it as she was busy digging a hole to China in the backyard.  hopefully i can get her a better walk tomorrow before i meet friends for dinner.  i'm a guilt ridden dog mom. it's just that i've been working/sleeping since i returned for the most part.

 i shall vow to do better...really do love them dogs.  joining Bob, Tanya and Maddie for another paddle over solstice weekend.  feel bad leaving them . at least Blossom will be with Lena all weekend which she will love and my friend in Homer needs my place to crash at while i'm out of town so i'll crash at her place in Homer for a night before we take a water taxi to Tutka Bay.  she can watch cats while she's here and i think Rio too, but i'll need to just sort out rio on either end....hmm...

 i think i have a few of these old Misty Fiords maps from when i lived in Ketchikan '95-'01 so i had brought one along.  Bob seemed to enjoy it so i'm happy i tossed it in.  it got a lot of use out there and he was still pulling out bits and pieces of it for the ride back to Ketchikan.  had to get a shot to show where we were off too!!  thanks Bob.  :-)

 the boys lay down on the front of the boat...Bob later complained of his back hurting him.  not sure if his feels better yet...my massage sure seems to have fixed mine up.  he thought it was from sitting up there so much of the ride both ways.  it was pretty bumpy.

 sandra demonstrates the lack of mobility the Mustang suit offers.

 on the plus side, when you fall asleep the stiff suit will keep you upright.  hehe.

 Scott and Bob also drifted off for naps

 we had pretty decent weather as you can see.  we headed north from Ketchikan and wrapped around the island that Ketchikan sits on Revelagigedo Island.  i was pretty happy to be able to circle the island again.  i think that made three times for me.  i think that is only cool really for the people who lived in Ketchikan.  they sometimes take the ferry around the island for the locals, once a year, at least that is what it used to be.  i think Martin said they still do.

 nap time.

 these past 3 nights i was in the adult icu.  different assignments each night.  i was the cardiac nurse one night and that kept me busy..hold patients.  had to take a sheath out...i always see myself as a cardiac cath jinx...never smooth. she kept oozing at the site and we had to hold pressure for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  we took turns.  eventually it held though.  that amount of time puts you a bit behind schedule..thankfully, everyone was super helpful.  i was surprised that another one of my patients that night expressed to me in the morning how wonderful of a nurse i'd been. he's had a few hospitalizations and named me a favorite nurse.  i do try hard, it felt like i wasn't giving everyone the attention i really wanted to so it was good to hear that he never felt the least bit slighted due to my being rather busy that night.

 also seemed to have a few patients one night that are in those final stages of "i smoked way too much and i'm dying now".  always so sad and a seemingly very uncomfortable way to die...so preventable.  i remember coming home that morning and seeing a young girl who is living with my neighbors outside smoking.  the next generations of smokers who may suffer the consequences of a bad  habit.

 Janet is excited about this adventure.  it was so great to have her along.  we doubled and got along grand.  we always had fun chilling together when i lived there in Ketchikan.  so many great friends there.  they are really more like family...those small towns can be that way.  you just get close to the people you are around all the time. it was a totally welcoming place i remember.  i felt like i was a member of the community as soon as i arrived. i felt the same returning for this vacation.  the plane ride down getting with familiar people and talking about old friends.

 i do ponder a move back from time to time.  it's just a great town and i really liked the lifestyle there, so laid back.  no plans at the present.  one reason i did work in pediatrics was to gain experience just in case i did return to smaller place again .

 we stopped for a lunch/pee break somewhere out there before we turned into the Behm Canal.  we took off our Mustangs and i set them up so they could visit with each other while we ate.

 it cracked me up anyway.

 CJ minds the boat so we don't lose it.

 below Amanda does some beach yoga.

 picked up the phone the other day to contact the state business licensing folks.  this time a girl picked up on the first ring and was very nice and helpful.  will need the license, but won't be able to actually consider selling anything until we get that 501(3)(c) and a web site up and going.  she said we can wait until October to apply and then the rest of the years fee will be waived.  if i sign up now i have to pay for a full year and they all have to be renewed in December.

 so now what i really need to do is start filling out the paperwork.  once i get that mailed off i can work on finding help with a web page and some sort of graphic designer to get the logo that Stephanie creates polished and ready to put on everything from letter head to web page...and whatever else we want it on.

 Katie and Karen will start working on the articles and bylaws...we need those for the tax exempt status.  the sooner we can get that all sent off the sooner we can be of more assistance to our walrus friends out in the Walrus Island Sanctuary.  i really love how the logo is coming along and love that Stephanie is able to do that for us.

 walked the dogs this evening just down Elmore.  the bugs are in full attack mode and i've got the bites all over to prove it

 drove home the other morning to snow on the mountains.  June and it's been snowing in the mountains.  not completely unheard of, but still...it's June!

 was talking with Jillian about how our brains are kind of confused.  such an early and warm spring and now snow in the mountains. is summer over already?  is it really fall and we just forgot to turn over the calendars?  then part of me can't believe that it's almost solstice.  today is friday the 13th and a full moon...many at the hospital seem convinced that things could be crazy there so i'm happy i have tonight off...of course, things are actually always nuts there so i'm sure the prediction will come true.

 my Walrus is on the way.  i have seen signs of shipping cost charges so that makes me more confident that all is well. will have to clear off a spot so he can inspire me to keep plugging along on the paperwork and all the other things that will be needed to get this non-profit up and rolling.  i still feel a bit overwhelmed when i think of what i am taking on.  i try to remind myself that many other folks just like myself have done this same thing.  we are all capable of so much more than we ever give ourselves credit for.

 our camp area at hut point at the mouth of Walker cove.  the water was at high tide when we arrived.

 we organized and set up tents and a soon the tide was going out and the area in front of the kayaks above was dry.

 the boats and bags are very colorful.

 the boat looked empty after we unloaded.  scott helping Janet get her pedals in the right spot

 our guides quickly got snacks out for us to munch on...so great to have them deal with all the food and clean up.

 our lovely guides...Amanda and CJ!!  thanks guys!!

 here the water is parting between the mainland and the island...which we called poop island...well i really don't need to explain further i guess.

 the water has parted and i am looking across from poop island.

 i liked this rock...pretty colours.  Cj actually has a degree in Geology so it was fun to get some explanations for the different rock formations out there.  of course, i can't say i remember enough to pass that information along.

 tide back in i think

 just so wonderful to be back by the waters edge. i just love the ocean.  i like anchorage beaches and coast as well, but the mud flats are just different that seeing all these cool sea creatures and plants.

 took some time but we got our tents sorted out.  i feared i'd be freaking out after my bear scare in the fall, but i never had a concern at all, even when we saw the bear later.  we did pitch the tent by scotts. the three girls then tented together and used scotts extra room for our closet.

i d believe i will sleep well tonight. my body is still all relaxed from my massage.  hopefully get moving tomorrow and get these dogs out for a nice sensible walk.  some hills would be nice...kincaid i think. thankful for... 1.  Jillian for her skills at massage!! 2.  patients that give positive feedback. sure makes it easier to do what i do knowing that the extra care i take is noticed and appreciated.  3. dove ice cream bars...just had to have one tonight.  nummy!!