Now that we have ticked over to July the summer (at least my summer) is about half over. I’ve done a couple of boat related posts so far but I have a number of random pictures from the first half of the season that are interesting but didn’t quite merit a post of their own.
This spring we had the second largest forest fire the Kenai Peninsula has seen in the last 100 years or so. We got a lot of smoke. The above morning headed to Bear Cover was one of the thicker days.
The weather has been pretty exceptional this summer but we have had a few rainy days too. Trying to remember where I was headed here but I’m pretty sure there should be some mountains in the background.
We move a lot of interesting stuff and this 24 foot carbon fiber Hawaiian outrigger canoe certainly rated a picture.
We attack everything we do with great enthusiasm and grabbing something out of the forward cargo hold is no different…Just kidding. Actually, this was the day I was drying out the Derkka boots after I came to the simultaneous realization that the left Derkka boot and my left Xtratuf both leaked.
I’ve only got five kayaks on the boat in this picture. I think that I’ve had eight on the back before and I don’t think that that was a record for total kayaks on the boat. At this current time I still haven’t knocked any innocent bystanders off a float while docking either (fingers crossed that it stays that way).
This was an evening trip returning from Halibut Cove to the Spit. Photos don’t do it justice, it just makes you feel insignificant.
This is a reminder of a really weird day. 30-35 knot winds forecast but calm all day (while I was crewing it should be noted). Last trip of the day I take myself (I’m now captain and crew) and my people are late due to foolishness. Waiting for people and the wind finally starts to come. Finally find the people and BOOK it over drop them off. By the time I’m back to the harbour I’m fighting through really short coupled 4 to 5’s coming straight down from the head of the bay. One of those times when it’s a challenge just to squeak into the harbour entrance.
The other fun part of NE winds is that they blow us off the side of the slip and can, in extreme circumstances, make it impossible to dock. Naturally, I’m docking at about 8:05. The peak of the wind was about 15 minutes later though. That was about the same time that I realized my car was parked a mile away on the other side of the harbour. It was also raining sideways. Definitely a day in the life.
I took this over my shoulder as I was spinning around to get into the fuel dock. The gulls clearly sit on the boat when it is static (and apparently think it is a public restroom) but I think that this is the first time one has dropped in while I’ve been in motion. It’s expression was much more smug in person.
I think that this has was the latest trip of the year so far. If memory serves this was about 10:40 coming back from Kasitsna Bay. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, late night light is an incomparable way to wrap up the day.
The best things that happen on the boat are spontaneous and I don’t get pictures of them. However, I think that I can benefit from taking a moment to appreciate (and sometimes capture) the smaller but finer things at work that make work, and life, good. They are everywhere.
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