enjoy old churches...

 this one was in Seward.  this is leftovers from my little camera June.  so a blend of various hikes and rambles from then.

 North Bivouac above, Campbell Airstrip below.  out all the time, often i just take a few pictures, other times like the past few days i take much more.

 try to vary up where i go to keep walking interesting...and the blog.  the blog encourages me to get out and to vary it as well.  i'd get bored doing the same trail over and over.  thankfully we have miles and miles of trails up here. many that i have not even walked yet.  to be here so many years and not walk all the trails available to me.  i know it's terrible.

 some are just more convenient than others.  some new ones get discovered and then i try to rotate them in more.  some require more driving than others.

 today i went out to Thunderbird Falls. it's been ages since i've walked that trail.  it's not long down to the falls.  i think round trip today was 2.4 miles. debated leaving Rio home, but we left her yesterday.

 she did fine today. the second walk i took i left the pups in the car.  i drove out to Hatchers Pass. i didn't do Gold mint or Arc Angel...though i always love those. Arch Angel is getting the road worked on so you have to walk to the trail head...i think that is nearly 3 miles in...may wait to do reed lakes again for a bit.

 i cruised up the road to Summit Lakes.  i'd never walked the trail up to the upper lakes.  it's a short uphill but good bang for your buck as they say.  lovely views at the top and the little tarns are just so darn cute

 these are from a loop of homestead to moose meadow and back.

 another route in the campbell tract.  this mom and two calves was blocking the trail

 so cute.

 then they went into the brush...you can barely see the baby moose rump below.  it is always amazing to me how quickly these large animals can become hidden in the brush up here.  who knows how many animals i have just walked past on the trails, never knowing they were there.

 turned out that happened with black bear in ketchikan once. right after i walked past he came out of the brush and just crossed over.  huge bear, thankfully, he could care less about me and the dog...and i was 30 feet from my truck at the time.  whew!

 taking the back bike trails

 at summit lake i walked the dogs around, fed them, let them play in the lake and then we headed home back the Willow way.  it's a longer drive but there were hardly any cars and the sun seemed to be out a bit more that direction.  it's been awhile since i did that little drive.

 will look at those pics from today tomorrow.  it's nearly 1 am as it is.

 rain so no roofers today.  looks like rain again tomorrow.  they will wait for sunshine.

 chatted with a few family members yesterday, always nice.  today i just cruised.

 a few from my day at the zoo.

 and these are in Girdwood.

 rain forest out that way more.  only 30 miles from Anchorage but very different in many ways.

 i'm sure it's all the same to Blossom.  all she is thinking is can i swim? can i chase the tennis ball?

 not sure any animals really notice scenery....of course, there are many humans that seem to be oblivious to the stuff of nature as well.

 lots of devils club...

 looks pretty, but don't fall into it.

 thought this tree with all the dead limbs looked kind of spooky.

 the trek to Seward for the day...baby moose

 scenery along the way. not a lot of actual photos taken as i drive that route but it really is beautiful out there.

 a couple from the sealife center.

 from the various tanks on display.

 anenomies and tube worms

 then some cool stars...i think that one right below is a type of star...

 the seals were busy blowing bubbles.

 and i always have to stop and see the diving birds and cool fake looking fish.

 then off to Lowel Point to let the dogs get their beach fix in...and me too.

 a bit rainy that day, but beautiful still

 a little otter out there while we played on the beach

 Blossom waits..

 i think I just enjoyed the view while i ate a subway before heading home

 drove towards Exit Glacier.  i probably could have lingered a bit and then taken the dogs for a walk out there..the rangers were leaving as i drove in..they strictly forbid dogs now. after hours....i suspect i could sneak them through.

 along the drive heading towards exit glacier

 there is exit glacier.

 glaciers are massive but are retreating...at least the majority are.  there are a few exceptions to that, which those who want to cling to the idea that there is no global warming seem to notice and cling to.  as if one glacier out of thousands is statistically significant.

 of course....a stop at the pipe on the way home.  need to stop again soon, my car water bottles are nearly empty.  always good to keep water in the car in the summers.

 of course, i may have slipped and stuck one of our stickers on the pipe while i was there.  :-)

thankful for:  1. rain, i love the rain 2.  hope, we all need hope 3.  peace, nature always seems to bring me to a peaceful place.  no matter what else happens in life there is that peace that comes from being in nature and taking it all in.