Jackets zipped, hoods up, cameras clenched in cold fingers, we stared at the waters as our boat chugged into the cold July wind blowing over Resurrection Bay. The boat captain had announced a pod of humpback whales ahead, and we weren't going to miss this. Whale watching wasn't high on the list when my family members and I started talking in January about visiting my nephew in Alaska. Sean, age 22, has been spending every summer for the past five years in Healy, Alaska, volunteering his … [Read more...] about From Glaciers to the Sea: An Alaskan Road Trip
Family
Return to the River
Crayfish, turtles, and snakes— they were as much a part of our camping weekend as the campfires, tents, and trains. For the second June in a row, our family camped on the banks of the Juanita river for a weekend. This year, because of the dry spring, the river was much lower than last year. My nieces and nephew spent hours wading and swimming in the shallow water. Cordell said, "Almost every big rock has a crayfish under it if you turn the rock over." Several of us were standing … [Read more...] about Return to the River
Teacups and Hatchets
Sometimes the invitation reads "bring your favorite teacup", sometimes it says "bring your own hachet". Here's a few photos from two very different parties I attended this month. For her fifteenth birthday, my niece Mikayla wanted to host a tea party for her girl cousins closest in age, her grandma, and her mom's sisters (including me). Normally, we don't do too many birthday parties— we'd be going to several each month— but Mikayla is an only girl with seven brothers, so she got a … [Read more...] about Teacups and Hatchets
A Mouse Eating a Potato Chip and Other Photos from Hiking at Ricketts Glen
Sometimes you take a long hike to see one waterfall, but at Ricketts Glen, you can take one hike and see eighteen waterfalls in one afternoon. Last Saturday, several of my siblings and I took nine of my oldest nieces and nephews hiking at the state park located about two-and-half hours north of here. We hiked 3.2 miles (the main Falls trail at Ricketts Glen). Several of us enjoy photography and took our time taking photos. Here are some of my shots. After about a mile downhill, you … [Read more...] about A Mouse Eating a Potato Chip and Other Photos from Hiking at Ricketts Glen
Tea Party for Six
Enjoy a few pictures from a special tea party I attended last week. I'm leaving on a trip soon, and don't have time to write much, but I thought you all might enjoy these photos. The tea party came about when we had a "bean auction" at church. Everyone attending the auction offered some kind of gift, and then all the participants were given beans to bid on the gifts we wanted. My friend Bettina offered a "tea party for six", and so I was able to take my mother and four oldest nieces to … [Read more...] about Tea Party for Six