so far not too impressed with politics or Kickstarter....

 i was pretty excited when i woke up and saw we already had $61- in our kickstarter...looks like a great start.  it never budged the rest of the day though.  a few people shared, but mostly the video...and people liked the link on facebook, but didn't donate.  not sure what to make of that.

 these are from our trek in Misty Fiords.  loved the series of shots of CJ minding our kayaks while we grabbed a snack.

 i will try not to let myself get too bummed about the slow start at kickstarter.  got a few emails from entities promising to boost our kickstarter...of course, my suspicion is that they will want more money.  bummer..live and learn i guess.

 i think it was a bummer WARIS day as well because i got an email from Vincent-Lang. those always depress me.  just the idea of these walrus being used in some political battle really just annoys and frustrates me.  they are just animals, totally innocent, not on anyones side, not Republican, not Democrat.  they care less about the immigrants or gay marriage, they have no idea that there are wars being fought in other parts of the world or that the oil industry wants to drill in their feeding grounds.  they have no idea what global warming is...they just are.  they exist.

 my role and that of WARIS is to assure them this one spot to exist on in as much peace as we can grant them.  my role is to attempt to keep them out of some political battlefield...they deserve better.

 so not my best day....will try to return again tomorrow to the battle that has been handed to me to fight.  i'm left to hope that in this world filled with unfairness and unkindness that what little there is may be directed at these great animals and this place where they reside.

 in a matter of days the island will be abandoned, closed early for the year, and the animals will hopefully be able to continue on in peace.  we won't know that though. i think today is actually the day the staff leaves the island.  i hadn't turned over my calendar yet.  :-(

 group shots from a happier day.  we really had a great time out there.

 not many photo's today.  it was raining a bit.  Maddie came to chill with me for a few hours so we headed to Kincaid and met my friend Kelly for a stretch.  maddie just had crocs on and my knee is acting up for some reason.  we didn't do a huge strenuous walk today.

 my boots are the best for rain, i think we all had wet feet by the end of the day.

 Amanda makes us lunch while CJ tends to the kayaks.

 before the walk Maddie and I tie dyed some t-shirts, always fun.  also tried to show her some guitar chords.  i think she prefers just goofing around with it. not ready to actually learn it.

she was happy when i said we were headed to Michaels, a craft store.  i bought the roll so we can work on a big WARIS poster.  i still may try and get the basics of it written so she can work on it tomorrow.  may need to take something a bit stronger than ibuprofen though.i feel like all the muscles around my knee are pissed off.  didn't help that Rio did a header into my knee the other day.

 another article in the ADN today blasted Bates(director of the habitat division) and Vincent-Lang (director of the division of Wildlife conservation) these are appointed positions.  they are appointed and seemingly set on keeping those who appointed them happy.    perhaps this panel idea i have needs to be expanded into a gathering for anyone who is involved in any and all of the 32 special area's that are currently on the chopping block to have changes made that will allow our current powers that be to please special interest groups in making us "open for business".

 hopefully i can drop a line to Rick Sinnot tonight, who wrote the article.  thankful that the news hasn't forgotten about this and continues to make reports.  bummed that round island wasn't mentioned.

 strange intertidal worm thingee.  ick.  :-)

 reading old news...i think from when i was out here in Misty.  still have this little pile of papers to go through.  silly me.  hate to miss out on news but have been busier than my usual carefree life.

 anyway, i don't know the outcome but Iditarod winner Mitch Seavey has sued a knife company because in the 2011 race i believe it was he was using their knife when he sliced off a bit of a finger.

 these sorts of lawsuits always annoy me.  the folks in our nation need to learn to just buck up and take responsibility for their actions.  it is not always somebody's fault.  during the Iditarod the racers are exhausted, it seems reasonable to me that he probably got careless in his exhausted state.  did this lose the race for him...no way to know that, but that race is open to any body winning even up to those last few miles as was clearly seen this past year in the race.

 i guess Jeff King and Aliy Zierkle should sue Mother Nature for causing the winds to blow at just the wrong time.  one of them would have won otherwise.

 a gentlemen died at the hands of police officers in a choke hold this past month.  he was a very large man and was resisting arrest.  clearly too much force was used in the situation or too much adrenaline prevented these police officers from realizing until it was too late to let up a bit.

 it is tough though, controlling those things.  if the guy is still talking and moving you don't know if he is just faking or lying about his symptoms...apparently he wasn't.  Al Sharpton is, of course, involved. i think he probably does more harm than good in these situations by making them more about race than they may have been.  if you are doing something illegal you are risking death/injury and incarceration.  this is the risk you take as a criminal for that i have little sympathy if you do the illegal and then resist arrest as you now have worsened your situation and put yourself more at risk of harm.  that being said, the police should probably have some additional training in controlling their adrenaline and being able to continue to think clearly in each situation and not use excessive force.

 the guy is gone which is sad, especially since his crime wasn't really a huge one as far as injury to others...dude should have just accepted that he'd been caught in the act...he'd still be here.   also his actions and the over reaction by the police have no doubt damaged a few police officers careers as well.

 sweet cabin at Windstanley.

 my pain meds must be kicking in.  had to take them last night as well.  just couldn't get comfortable in bed last night.  up late.  felt tired again today.  hopefully, i get some decent sleep tonight and wake refreshed.

 will have Maddie again for just a few hours tomorrow.

 our camp at Windstanley...another place at risk.

 the view...pretty sweet!!

 it's kind of sad to see all these older Anchorage Daily newspapers...i do miss the old name and not sure all the changes will be good with Dispatch taking over.  the name change is still not sitting well.  i think even if they had just made it Alaska Daily news it would have been better than the Alaska Dispatch news.  oh well...things change.

 this was a large stowaway i discovered as i emptied out my kayak for the last time at Windstanley.

 some beach art that was left for us by the last guests.

 quite impressive really.

 always love the kayaks...they just really add to the scenery shots

 this was my beach art...not quite as impressive. haha.

 from the cabin.

 only us girls stayed in the cabin. i started out on the upper bunk but there was no lip and at some point i couldn't sleep for fear i would fall to my death or at least fall and fracture my pelvis.

 in the end i climbed down and just slept on the floor between the other lower bunks.  hopefully no spiders or mice climbed over me while i was sleeping.

 i did do some beach art other than what i showed above.

 there were a lot of dead baby crabs on the beach.

 Amanda directed us in campfire yoga... a bit uneven surface and a few pre yoga drinks probably didn't help us too much.  i think i was laughing too hard to be able to get any decent photo's  above is required outhouse shot.

 the beginnings of sunset.  so late at that time of year and we were tired.  don't think i saw more than this really.

 better go look at applications for assistance that were sent my way from JM.  guess that is another way to get funds...hope the paperwork isn't too complicated.

 my little crab note looked better with the boats there

thankful for 1.  those who donated to our drive so far...may i have faith that more will follow 2.  a day with miss maddie and a walk with a good friend.  good to focus on something else for a few hours today.  3.  hope...it does spring eternal and it does get you through when things don't appear hopeful...it's best to be hopeful and think positive.  Everything will be alright in the end, and if it isn't, it's not yet the end. Good night.