catch up from last summer still...haha

 most of these are from Hallo Bay with a few left over from Holgate as well.  what can i say summers are busy picture wise.  these are scenery mostly as this evening walk was not bear filled.  we did have a great opportunity to listen to the call of the wolves which was pretty amazing.  what a sound!

 light rain right now.  i'll don rain gear soon enough and head out with the puppies.  makes for a lazy start of a day when it's raining i find. once i'm out there, i quite enjoy it. yesterday started out like that as well but soon the sun came out and in the end it was pretty sweet out there.

 ran a few errands and did some touch ups on the little free library.  hopefully i can get that base built soon and get it out there.

 met with friends to hit the bear tooth and the movie, "zookeepers wife".  wildly depressing but still well done...except the last bit where it's a year later and the baby they had suddenly looked about 4 years old. that was kind of odd.  could have done without seeing all the animals blown up at the zoo and shot.  it's based on a true story though.  these things do happen.

 it's rarely a mention though with all the human bloodshed.  the animal losses are morphed by the human losses.  the animal losses are always there though.  i'm sure many of the Jews killed had pets that were left to their own devices or killed outright.  Zoo's that fall in to war zones are rarely left untouched. even if they are the animals are often left to starve to death.  keepers are forced away and food is scarce.

 had debated an outing this stretch off.  so far that hasn't happened.  lots to do around the house to though.  this break up/spring time is a great time to get some of that stuff done.

 the mosquito's are coming out.  especially in the evening. after the movie i went moose spotting, only saw one, but there were quite a few mosquito's.

 we did a loop around Little Campbell Lake yesterday.  no moose spotted there.

 these lenticular clouds were the ones that kept the plane from coming to pick us up for a few days.  the plane lands on a beach with an up slope so a cross wind could be very problematic.

 iitoo is out of the country.  snippets from his speech to the males of the middle east (it was a vast sea of males in the audience as is common in modern middle east), he seemed to stay on the message given to him.  thank God.  he does not do well with ad lib.  so the speech was not bad really.  sadly, i don't really think his actions match the speeches he tends to make.  but a nice speech can keep some peace for another day.  fear was he'd piss people off.  i'm sure he loved his greeting in Saudi.  he was treated like a king, which is exactly how he believes he should be treated...oh that he wasn't born in America and he could have risen to the level of king.  so they wisely stroked his ego to get what they wanted.  more arms and in return they have made a donation apparently to Ivanka's non-profit i believe.

 it is amazing that everything that he does that is totally like the crap they screamed about that HRC did is suddenly just fine.  as long as it's their person, all the corruption is totally fine.

 the GOP still wants to gut medicare and social security.  still want to make it easier to drill in monuments and national parks, still want to take away insurance...their core values or lack of values still remain.  we, the people, matter very little to those in office at this moment.  sadly, so many who still are on team Drumpf still don't seem to see that he is not fighting for them as much as they believed he would.

 they that watch faux news get the usual crap...if it's negative about iitoo it must be fake, or but obama or but hillary still, yes still.  they seem to push the victim role.  poor conservatives they have no power, they have no media, they have no influence.  once a martyr always a martyr it seems.  we all take on roles in our lives and it can be tough to reverse course.  truth is they have gained all of those things but still act like they are the victims.  being a victim does make success more difficult and fleeting so i'm ok with that. just think it's become so self destructive.

 this attitude seems to have also lost the conservatives their moral/ethical high ground.  since they have sunk to even lower depths than those that they call their enemies they no longer have any moral stand.  this administration is a source of constant lies.  they blame everyone else for all of their errors and take absolutely no responsibility.  the secrecy is extremely detrimental.  they blame leaks and leakers, but the leaks are only really a sign of how dire things have become in the administration.  he demands loyalty but, when those around him see mayhem and live in fear, their only recourse is to leak and hope that some how this mess will be discovered and dealt with.

 they like to think the leaks are from Obama holdovers but i suspect the bulk of them are just those in the know who are scared of what is happening.  the GOP knows it but they have an agenda that they would desperately like to push through before the crap storm takes away all power and respect.  before their base figures out that faux news has fed them a line of crap for years.

 below our guide is calling back to the wolves...they responded.  we had some fun out there.

 walking along a remote beach like this is always a treat.  it's amazing what you might find out there.

 we were a fairly early group as the bears were just collecting waiting for the big salmon rush.

 looks like a pretty big bear to me.

 i wear a size 6.5-7 for some perspective.

 remnants of the Japan Tsunami.

 these pups are overall pretty chill. they are currently just laying around waiting for me to finish doing this so we can head out walking.  they are never demanding.  not for walks or food.  they don't rush me for meals and often i just fill the bowls and set them down without dog presence.  Tusker still tends to pick up the bowls and move them to a preferred eating spot.  usually scattered across the main room floor.

 love beautiful big clouds and big skies.

 below you can see a wolf.  a nice sighting

 checking out the crossings.

 we chilled and waiting on the sides.  i think he was just curious how deep it was out there for potential crossings with later groups.

 they will move camp. in the old days they had an established camp but the rules changed and now they have to switch locations every few weeks i think.  more of a pain but the powers that be feel it's better for the land.

 family of some sort of bird.

 and of course, eagles.  can't be around salmon without eagles.

 this one is a juvenile bald eagle.

 coming in for a landing.

 adult

 fox prints

 bears down the beach as we head back to base camp for night.

 it was the mom and three cubs

 love these little cotton flowers.  the purple is monks hood.

 the rest are scenery from Holgate.  that is actually Peterson glacier i think. these are from the ride back to Seward.

 all seemed pretty calm out there, but it did become a more exciting ride as we turned into the bigger water.  had reminders of my trek out in Bristol Bay.  not excited to repeat that, but i just rode it out at the front of the boat.  we weren't really in any danger and we arrived back safely, but it was a bit sketchy in a few spots

 tough to take pictures once the slop began, but for this section it was flat and calm.  on the way out we had big sways.  those were fun. it's when the sways come from all different directions that it gets more dicey out there.

 i guess i have wasted enough time for the morning...now afternoon.

 ice from the glaciers can be seen pretty far out depending on the tides.

 off we go...below is more whale action though seeing them and taking pictures in the slop proved pretty tough at times.  we still stopped and attempted to watch. our best views of whales had been on the way in.

grateful for:  A.  folded chips. man those are good..it's the little things B. snuggle time with puppies. i'm sure they don't enjoy it as much as i do, but they oblige.  C.  the company of my pets. it would surely be a lonely home without them.

pissed off..

 many things to get pissed off over of late...so this is a rant...enjoy the pictures. they were all taken on our trip out to Hallo Bay this summer.  pissed off rants seem much less rude with bear photo's...at least in my mind.

 i was for sure an over sharer on FB today.  apologies...i vow to only have the occasional day of over posting...and when i say over posting i posted 7 things today, of which 4 were political...so no where near what i have seen on some pages.

 these executive orders are really ridiculous.  i try to remind myself that overall there are still some checks and balances and that just because you say build a wall that doesn't mean they start digging tomorrow and that somehow billions of dollars are just moved over to whatever the current Potus desires. Obama wrote an executive order to close Guantanamo Bay in his first weeks and last i checked it was still open.

 still the pen stroke from Friday did impact people immediately and possibly will mean people who have already suffered more than i can imagine will now suffer more or possible die.  he put a ban on immigrants from certain nations.  these are countries that are in turmoil for sure but  they are also nations he has no invested interest in financially.  countries like Saudi Arabia...where most of the 9-11 crew of terrorists came from was not included. he was clearly targeting Muslims as well.

 people who were in flight with legal documents after months and years of red tape and vetting have been stopped and held at airports. people returning to attend school on visa's, people with green cards...all being held up.  if you go out of the country with a green card you can't be away for more than 6 months or you risk losing the green card. if you are out now and this travel ban lasts too long, you may be screwed.  people who are trying to get here who worked as interpreters for our military at great risk to themselves will be held up even longer or never get to get out.  these people risked their own lives and those of their families...and continue to as they are targets for sure in Iraq especially at this time.  these interpreters also saved many lives and were heroes really.

 lets not forget as well that leaving these poor souls to die over there sends a message to anyone in future conflicts to not help us at all as you and your family will be ditched and you will not get any help for the US.  mostly, this is not the nation ideals which i was raised learning of.

 our culture as someone said is a great human experiment...not an easy one as people do tend to live in like groups left to their own devices and yet here we mix all the tribes together and ask them to get along and work it out.  yes, it will be a mess, it will get ugly some days, but we are the lamb and the lion.  i love the melting pot that is America.

 people were going to the international arrivals at airports to protest and show support.  i think it was the ACLU that was able to get a hold of parts of this idiotic order through a judge.  i know some who have hated our POTUS the last 8 years are no doubt gleeful, enjoying us libtards being riled and rankered. i'm sure in their minds it's about time, they are loving that we are not getting our ways as they feel we have for years....their vengefulness may cost us our nation.

 am i being dramatic, sadly, i really don't think so. i'm not the only person i know who has had more than passing thoughts of taking our money out of banks and hiding it someplace for ease of exit.  not the only friend who has thought of there possibly being a need to relocate to another nation if things get really bad.  today at the store i bought some big jugs of water...time to get your emergency supplies in order.

 the main White House staff carry on POTUS to POTUS.  they are there no matter what party the POTUS is.  i suspect this paranoid leader baby will soon send them all packing and instead put in people that he can pay to control.

 talk of disolving EPA, the park services and EPA i believe are not allowed to tweet or share information.  can't talk to anyone.  freedom of speech is being trampled on.  this leader baby bashes the press at every turn.  silence the science, silence the press, silence the vote.  i know people think i'm sounding alarmist but he is actually destroying peoples faith in all these things.  chipping away at it with a huge chisel.  all this crap about the illegal votes...it's really just a way to make people lose faith in our election system the way he has successfully made many lose faith in science and press.  history says to be concerned.  history repeats itself.  i am concerned.   those around him are not pushing back at all.  they are all sitting back in suits with smirks on their faces....i am seeing the bulk of those around him now as his toilet paper.  not only are they beating each other off to kiss his arse, they are willing to wipe it as well with their faces.  they are so power hungry it seems.

 hoping there is action going on that i am not seeing.  that many long hours are being spent trying to unravel this mess and protect our nation for this leader baby and his toilet paper crew.

 not sure that i am capable of a civil conversation with some so i will just walk and blog and prepare and resist when i can.  write letters, make calls.  whatever it takes.  this bear is wearing a collar.

 we saw a few out there that were collared.

 lazy few days with the dogs.  the weather was crap. it warmed up and drizzled.  thankfully, all our snow is not gone but it got a bit icy.  more snow today. by the time i hit the trails they were packed down today. i did take some side trails to wear out the pups and myself.  pups found a few of the tennis balls that had fallen off.  another pup came along and snagged one of them.  they had fun playing all of them.

 that night i last blogged, i did get called in to work.  super busy that night.  had to run CRRT again. well, actually, my poor charge, MW had to run it since i am just the monkey who runs the machine and i don't set it up.  due to an extremely sick patient and extremely elevated white cell counts...the filter kept getting gunged up.  i think the 3 filters we went through from 2am to 6:30 only lasted like 1.5 hours max each.  crazy.  pt was guppy breathing on the vent...not a good sign...lets say i didn't have that assignment the next night for a heavenly reason.  sad week really.

 my old Resource Pool Manager passed away.  she had been sick and had retired early due to her medical issues so i guess we knew it was coming.  super nice woman and an awesome manager.  i am lucky again as she trained my current manager. lots of tears in the Resource Pool break area as i arrived to work last night.

 PICU.  i have been an RN since 1993.  the first years i was not in ICU/PICU settings but the bulk of my days as a nurse i have been.  knock on wood but i have never had a patient accidently remove their endotrach tube. i am careful...and lucky too i'd guess.  anyway.  the parent was not happy that i insisted on having the current to the room open all night so i could watch her kid.  it is amazing.  people seem to forget that i am not there for their comfort primarily. i am there to take care of their sick loved one.  no matter how good i cared for her kid all that lady and her friend will remember about me is how mean i was for insisting the curtain stay open which disturbed her sleep.

 i am pro-life...i decided...not what you think. i'm taking it back from the anti abortion folks who claim to be pro-life yet seem to care less about those lives once they are out of the womb.  i am not pro-abortion.  nobody really is pro-abortion.  we would all rather not have this happen.  we'd rather have people have access to quality medical care and birth control to avoid the pregnancy in the first place.  i'd like to say i would never have an abortion but i have learned in life to never say never.  i'm old now so it's a moot point.  how would i have felt if i had been brutally raped and ended up pregnant....not sure i would want to be carrying that child nor would i want to live with risk that i would birth a person with genes of that person.

 those who claim to be pro life often act superior...there but for the grace of God go I.  people in general do not rush to abortions nor do most use it repeatedly as a form of birth control..there are always going to be those horrible folks who do get serial abortions...but is that someone you would want being a parent really.

 when is it life?  semantics...i would agree that once an egg and a sperm get together it is a zygote, DNA slated to human.  existence outside the womb possible...i'm for a cut off in general unless there is risk to parent or extreme unsurvivable issues with the fetus. again. i have no idea what i would do in any particular situation but i would rather leave that up to the individual in the situation..and hopefully her partner or family and friends to help guide her.

 a common refrain in the scriptures i read growing up was do not judge.  i've come to believe we are encouraged to not judge because there is just too much that is beyond our understanding.  i feel we all have lessons to learn in this life and ways may be created to help us learn those lessons.

 i think in some ways my Mormon upbringing made transitioning to another Christian based church difficult.  there are some beliefs in Mormonism that do not jive with mainstream churches that i think i have hung on to in one form or another.  one is this idea of prelife...i guess i tend to blend in some of the teachings of Bhudda...that perhaps we return and learn other lessons.  in this way i guess for me.  i feel if that fetus is aborted, it's more science based. a fetus is aborted.  the soul is what matters i suspect a soul can inhabit a multitude of fetuses.  i have sensed in patients that they had a soul and then other times like the other day you look in the patients eyes and they are "dead"...don't know how else to describe that.  the soul is there or it is not.  our bodies are just vessels.  do not get too attached to them.  they just house the soul.  that is how i work out the debate personally.  i have no idea when a soul would enter a fetus, but a soul can just as easily leave a fetus and move on. the act is distasteful i would agree and it's always better to avoid an unwanted pregnancy than to abort one.

 so anyway.  i have been pissed these past weeks as many Drumpf supporters seem to continue to believe that he and the GOP represent Gods return to America and the White house.  one such person i did shoot down a bit.  i informed her that i do not believe that my prayers have not been heard these past 8 years.  that i believe God never left America.  that God is present and we can pray and be heard no matter if we are Democrat or Republican or whatever you believe. whether you believe in God or not..if there is a God that God is available to answer prayers....

 this man who claims to grab and kiss women just because he can because he's a star.  this man is not in my mind some man of God.  that is offensive...he has done nothing in my opinion to have earned respect as a religious leader for the masses.

 the refugees and many who are trying to come here or other places to get out of terrible situations with horrible leaders are suffering and we all should be compassionate and accepting and attempting to help those that we can.  for the most part they are individuals like you and i, trying to get through their days, find a slice of happiness. work, raise kids....anytime you reach out there is risk...but i suspect God wants you to help anyway.  to just look away and ignore the fact that these people are dying and suffering and do nothing is beyond pale.  we have been blessed with much and where much is given much is expected.  there are many in the Drumpf camp that are cheering this ban due to fear and being poorly informed.

 they must be freaking out too thinking they were coming to America to start and new life in some peace only to discover that we have elected a fruitcake into the office and we may be on the verge of civil war ourselves.

 we have a global responsibility. no terrorist attacks on American soil due to refugees.  is it possible, of course it is.  we could die so many ways...every day but most of the time we die due to illness or old age. we turned away Jews who ultimately died in concentration camps due to our being scared.  this is history.  we must, as individuals, always strive to be on the right side of history.

 being a nice person back when Hitler rose to power often ended up meaning not involving yourself.  sometimes in this world you have to not be nice.  you have to fight like hell.  sometimes all a woman has is being a bitch...that is a line from a movie. being nice is good at the check out line or when you are driving in traffic, but if someone will die due to a not well thought out stroke of a pen then being nice is not the best plan.  the Governor of Washington State spoke and he was pissed. liked him.  he was saying to sign this into action without any sort of plan or warning is nuts.  wake up...this man is not good for our nation.

 give him a chance...we are long past that already.  the signs were there for months.  these signs have only grown more clear these past weeks.

 good snuggle time with the pups.  they are good at that for sure.

 will have to stop my rant soon and head to bed.  this constant underlying anxiety is stressful.  i know many feel the same.  i'm sure many are speaking to their physicians about this stress brought on by this POTUS, who to many of us seems clearly incapable.  will i be happy with him if some jobs return...doubtful, not if Iraqi interpreters and their families die, not if we do not do our part to help with those who are less fortunate and in dangerous situations, not if we don't let folks have basic medical care, not if the epa is disbanded, not if pipelines go through despite the will of the people, not if the arts are cut, not if the walrus are harmed, not if scientists are not allowed to do what they are trained to do.  not if global warming is not continued to be seen as an issue that we need to address, not if we continue to run our nation to benefit the top 1%,not if that top 1% remain selfish and greed driven....does that answer that enough for you?

 lots of eagles out waiting for the fish to return.  not many fish when we were there, but we did have plenty of bear, wolf and eagle sightings.

 landing.

 a young bald eagle

 bear and bald eagle tracks.  those eagles are pretty big

 front and back paw prints.

 all the fresh tracks totally cool everywhere.  may this land be kept safe, may peace return.  may the best thing that comes from this failed Presidency be that we eventually make inroads on this divide.

 hungry now.  may have to have a quick snack before i crash.

 thanks for either ignoring my rant or reading it.  i suspect those who think differently from myself on many of these issues have long ago stopped reading my blog.

grateful for:  A.  that i still am enjoying freedom of speech  B.  that i have enjoyed a relatively stress free and easy life to this point  C.  that i have like minded friends that allow me to vent.  we do need to have Drumpf support groups...to help us all cope