Hanging out in Ketchikan...

 i'm on hold with the business licenses department. questions.  don't want to fill out application unless i have to.  my back was sore yesterday and got worse through the day.  ended last night with heat packs on my lower back and taking robaxin...early to bed and early to rise, thanks to the dogs.  supposed to work tonight so hopefully today goes better.  can't wait for my massage on friday!!i have to try and make it through 3 nights of work first though.  we had a few nice sunsets while in Ketchikan, not much while we were out in Misty but i suspect we just had islands and mountains in the way.

 after our hike we went downtown to eat with a water view.  i was happy to just have a burger.  Anita joined us.  our waiter was a soft talker who we all decided needed to write things down as we found his memory to be lacking.

 always love sundogs.  giving up on the holding pattern.  if they just had music i could have held longer but it's the same annoying words repeated over and over.  post concussion i find i have less ability to tolerate such things.  i have rare reminders that i bonked my head of late, but that was making my brain go all fuzzy so i hung up.

 it was raining yesterday and it appears to be continuing today.  i really will just have to get out and walk the pups though, they deserve it.  i really don't mind walking in the rain and even when my back gets sore i find the best thing is to get out and move.  laying about can only make the muscles seize up more.  it's always tougher to get motivated when it's raining for some reason, which is silly as once i'm out there i always enjoy the walk rain or shine.

 these were from our lovely Inn on the water.  it really was nice to be right on the water again for a few nights.  i do miss that from my life in Ketchikan.  i have always loved the ocean.  i used to get off work in the mornings and walk along the beach.  i collected so many baskets of these big snail shells.  most have been given away but i still have a few baskets that i keep around to enjoy and remind me of those days.

 i lived a bit further south than our Inn was.  we drove a bit and i think i did find the place, it's changed quite a bit. been remodeled, i'm not sure it's even a duplex anymore.  the driveway had changed as well.  just wanted to see the place.

 the next day i dropped off Bob and Tanya for a flightseeing trip.  with nice weather i thought they would enjoy seeing Misty from a different vantage point since they had time.  i'm not sure they were very impressed with their flight for the cost.

 i took that time to drive out and see my friend Joleen's place.  they lived out on this little bay when i lived there but they have since built a new house closer to the waters edge.  it's still a work in progress.  looks great though so i was happy to be able to head out there and see that.

 passed my old street along the way.  when i first moved there i lived up this road. no view of the water up there.  there are more walkways all over the city which is great.  the next street up is whipple creek. when i first arrived there it was a dump zone.  i remember a big clean up happening while i lived there that i went and helped with but it was still too much of a mess for me to use it as a place to walk the dogs really.  one time i tried and huey came out of the water with a laceration on his foot.  stitches and keep a water dog out of water in a community that is almost always raining was no easy task.
as i drove past that day a few weeks ago i noted a tour bus headed down whipple creek. i asked later what it had become  apparently they take tours out there for 4 wheeling?  many more tourist options from when i lived there.  that was starting when i lived there but it's really grown.

 the view from my friends front window...pretty sweet!!  below is the bay, it totally empties out twice a day with the tides.  it filled while i was there and the neighbor across the little bay hopped in his float plane as soon as it filled and took off.  several blue herons were out there when i arrived.  never took any pictures of them though there may be one below, haven't looked at the picture that closely.  she said she's become a bit of a birder living here over the years.

 i hung the camera up in a tree and snapped a shot of us.  we used to take some walks together when i lived there.  always fun.

 on my way back to pick up sandra at the airport and Bob and Tanya downtown i stopped by Totem Bight.  seemed like i should get a few pictures of totem poles..it is southeast Alaska!

 i jumped in ahead of a tour group to do a self tour.  they have built an area where they can have totem artists do restoration work on the totems.  nobody was working while i was there but they had a few totems stored inside.

 i'll post more totem pictures later.  these are all still with the little powershot camera.  i have finally finished going through all my photo's though.  too much computer time was probably not helpful for my back.  sitting is never good for me. walking or laying down are my best choices when my back hurts.

 have always loved this little Island retreat.  i think you can walk to it at low tide.

 the old pulp mill still remains.  this closed down while i lived in Ketchikan and this forced folks to find new work.  this is when the town started to change to relying totally on tourism.  not sure what has taken over at this spot, there were boats there so i'm sure it's owned by someone, i suspect it's turned over a few times since the pulp mill left.

 some old buildings on the water.

 there was a little bay that had some falling about boat houses, i noticed they are all gone now.

 loved these remnants from another day though.

 still waiting for my walrus friend to arrive. walrus don't wander down to southeast so it was kinda odd to see this guy sitting there with southeast decor.  he just seemed to call out to me.  they gave me a locals discount and now i'm waiting for him.  hopefully nothing bad happened.

 lots of pretty flowers all over town.

 i knew Sandra would have little time in the actual city of Ketchikan so we headed to Creek street.  the soho coho owner seemed to recognize me, though perhaps she was just being nice.  that is her and Ray Trolls shop.  it's been there for years and it's always a local favorite.  it seems she was involved in the Monthly Grind as well..a little local variety show that happens through the winter months and i played at a few times.  Ray Troll is a well known local artist.

 these are creek street.

 when we returned after our paddle trip we headed up the trolley for one last dinner in Ketchikan at the Cape Fox restaurant.

 this night though we opted for pizza at a place near Janets house.  we ran to drop off sandras stuff at the Inn and grab a bunch of paddle gear just so we'd have less to drag out there the next day.  we had our meeting that night.  on the way out we picked up Scott at the airport...so the pizza place was near. we laughed as i was texting Janet to tell her we'd ordered her a spinach pizza and my phone auto corrected it to "sphincter" pizza.  i didn't send it but we all got a good laugh and the kid at the desk seemed to enjoy this error as well.  it was an ongoing joke all week after that.

 sphincter pizza....

 off to meet with our guides.  i had spoken to them a few days before and they seemed super cool on the phone...they were just a nice when we actually met.  just made you know the trip was going to be great!!  they were trying to get food sorted out and they had to deal with all our various tastes and needs.  i'm picky i know and they were sweet and accommadated my child like taste buds.  also a few vegetarians and who know Tanya needs fancy albacore tuna. :-)  we ate well all week.  nobody starved.  we had loads of treats as i had said our only disappointment on our last guided trip had been the lack of chocolate.

 quick stop for the sunset. i crashed at Janets place that night as the Inn now had 2 more people.  great to have some one on one time with Janet and see her house as well.  they have moved since i lived there.

 the rest are from the morning off.  we all got picked up at Janets place.  bob dropped the rental car off and Janet picked him up on her way back from dropping her daughter off at school...well kinda...she sorta forgot and drove home.  took some time at the place to select kayaks but we eventually got the boat loaded and headed out.

 this was the bathroom there...inboard/outboard.  unique.

 the art on the bathroom wall, starfish riding a bike.

 the gear was hauled down to the dock.  they have nearly 80 kayaks...too many for some to chose from. i've never really been given a choice.  Janet and i just took the double.  i think they were happy to have our group take so many singles as i'm sure they need as many doubles as possible for those day tours.  most of the paddlers on day tours have little to no kayaking experience.

 that barn had even more kayaks!!

 i think bob was drooling.  i didn't see any wooden ones.  in Gustavus they had some personal boats that were wood...they were beautiful.  i think bob and scott dream of making their own one day.

 it's a pretty large operation.

 part of the group getting ready to load up the boat.

 views from the dock.  we left out of Knutsen cove.  when we returned i think we came in Thomas Basin? near the hospital.  they were able to get sandra to the airport fast that way and they dropped the rest of us off at Janets place.  we got bags we'd left there while we paddled and then Janet got us to the New York Hotel that evening.

 look at all those kayaks

 Scott and Janet.  our boat is back there behind them.

 hauling gear.

 almost all loaded up

 one with Janet and myself. great to be able to spend time with her and catch up.  we used to hike all the time when i lived there.

 i am getting hungry...will have to grab a bite before i take the dogs for a walk.  we may just be cruising up Patterson or the bog.  lots of bugs in the bog though.  was going to try and walk with Tanya but i haven't heard back from her.

 the boys, ready to take off.

 everyone is in good spirits and ready for a fun week of paddling.

 and we are off...

better get moving.  i'm all showered at least so not too bad. way less lazy than yesterday. thankful for 1. dogs that are very forgiving.  2.  good friends and great laughs 3.  warm, fuzzy slippers.