July 22nd

I had arrange with Jenna the day earlier that Erik and I would be attending the Historical Pioneer Tour this morning. We meet the Sitka Tours buses under the bridge for the 9:oo a.m. tour. Our first stop was the Sheldon Jackson Historical Museum that is located right in front of my dorms. This was the first ever concrete building to be constructed in Alaska and it contains the biggest collection of native art and artifacts. This was a very interesting place to explore but like every tour there is never enough time to see everything that the facility had to offer.


-Cute seal mask.

Next stop was the Russian dance show. All the dancers in the show are indeed not Russian but have studied Russian traditional dances to keep Sitka's historical heritage alive. All the parts in the show were also preformed by women, as they explained latter in the show that the men of the town wanted no part in the dance performances. They were really good and the whole ordeal reminded me allot of Disneyland's It's A Small World ride. Erik and I were both amused and a bit startled by how very awkward the announcer spoke. In addition she made such weird almost creepy faces that made your shoulders stiffen up with uncomfortable tension when she talked.


-Erik and I with the Russian dancers.


-The awkward announcer.

Last stop was the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. I had been there once before on Wolf's walking tour but was more than happy to once again revisit this beautiful church. There is allot to look at in there and I definitely noticed a few more things that had missed the first time around. Erik and I left the bus tour after this stop and made our way to the Sitka famous Two Chicks and a Ca-bob Stick stand. There we ordered a king salmon ca-bob with rice with a salmon berry glaze. While we waited for our order to be made we headed one stand over to the clam chowder stand. My good lord, was that chowder to die for! And of course I had to introduce Erik to the legendary marshmallow milkshake at the Harry Race.


-Excited to eat!

After a good nap, we headed out once again at full throttle to hike to the waterfall on the Indian River Trail. I was concerned that it would be getting dark out before we made it out of the woods so I set a rather fast passe and had to stop once and awhile for my boy to catch up with me. We were both still very sore from our trip to the top of Gaven as nether of us are very in shape individuals. We didn't stop for any breaks and made it to the falls in a remarkable 2 hours. We spent an hour or so relaxing by the sound of the running water which was very romantic.


-At the waterfall.

We took our time coming back from the falls and stopped occasional for a photo. Erik and I made it back to to the dorms as the dark of night was beginning to arrive. We ate left over Kennys and were informed by Steve that the following morning there was to be an eagle release. There goes my hopes of sleeping in! Actually, I was super excited. I couldn't believe that Erik we going to be around for the first bird release of the summer. I swear he brought all the good luck we were having with him.

July 21st

Erik was able to catch up on some much deserved sleep today as I was working at the Raptor Center. He didn't sleep in to late however and walked in to see his lady on the stage. I was very excited showing him around the facility and to all of my co-workers. I also introduced him to all the raptors in residence and gave him a behind the scenes look at the diet kitchen, clinic and office area. He fit right in and spent the rest of the day watching the programs, walking around and photographing the birds and facility.


-Giving a stage presentation.


-In the auditorium.


-Steve and I.


-Kily. Love this photo Boog.


-Little Katie.


-The center.


-Erik and I on the back deck.


-That's a big wingspan.

As the work day came to a close everyone was called to the office for cake to celebrate both maintenance Steve and Jennies belated birthdays. It was so much fun having Erik there, I'm so glad he enjoyed his time exploring the center.

Erik treated me to Kenny's tonight. Kenny's was another highly recommended eatery on my list and I could tell Erik was craving some good Japanese food. Can't get a more American sounding name than Kenny's can they! I think we both agreed that are meals were awesome.

July 20th

We awoke to fogy mystical world. The mountains that previously surrounded us were now hidden. We ate breakfast, packed up our belongings and made our way down the misty mountain top. Our vision was limited with the fog rolling through and every now and then a mountain side would reveal itself to us. At times we could see the town below with the giant cruse ship parked in the sound but moments later it disappeared altogether.


-Inside the shelter. Names of the past visitors are etched and written on it's walls.


-Good morning handsome.


-The trail ahead.






-Facing a collapsed staircase.

When arriving back to the trail head of Gaven, I showed Erik the old graveyard that exists there. This graveyard is very old and a good majority of the tombstones are unreadable from the years of facing the natural elements. If you didn't know that these grounds were a graveyard you might mistaken it for an open field area. But if you moved aside the layers of moss beneath your feet you would discover your were standing on a grave marker. Some of the people berried here had died in the 1800's. I really think this spot is amazing. I just so happened to stumble across it one day and am in awe of the history that lays there.

It felt so good to shower when arriving back to Sheldon Jackson after our long hike. I had been describing to Erik how amazing Roma's Climax Pizza was previously and we both decided that sounded like the perfect solution to ease our building hunger. Erik really enjoyed the Italian sausage white sauced pizza that was The Climax. With bellies full we biked to Stargaven to try to catch a gimps of the bear sow and cubs.

As luck would have it no bears were to be found. So we decided to walk along the beach at Mosquito Cove and were very fortunate to see two sea lions playing in the Pacific. As one sea lion floated merrily on its back a larger lion decided it was great fun to hassle its playmate by splashing and jumping on the other. Fortunately we remembered to bring along my binoculars so we had a wonderful close up view of this scene.


-Thought this was funny. That's a pile or bear scatt behind the sign.


-The playful sea lions.

It couldn't hurt to check for the bears one last time. Sure enough, after 5 minutes or so mom and cubs appeared out of the forest. They didn't stick around long perhaps another 5 minutes but I was very happy Erik had the opportunity to view some of Sitka's wild bears.



On our way back home from biking I was just craving some Junior Mints. We decided to stop at Lakeside Grocery for a sugar and alcohol run. After a very fiscal full day, we settled down to watch Shawshank Redemption while treating ourselves to a platter of treats and a bottle of cheep wine.

July 19th

Today was the day Erik and I made the big hike up Gaven Hill to stay overnight at the survival shelter. Before heading up the mountain we pack a few provisions and rented an emergency radio from the fire station, just incase. Skyler and Steve were very generous letting me barrow some of their hiking gear since we only had one backpack, sleeping mat, excedera.

It was raining pretty good when we made our way up the mountain. The weather forecast for the week predicted showers the whole time Erik was here so we figured today was just as good as any to start our quest. The going was tough! Steps almost the entire way up the mountain. This continued almost all the way to the top, which we reached in approximately 4 hours and 45 min.
-that’s with plenty of stops to catch our breath and take eat breaks.


-Erik making the hike.

What beautiful scenery we saw, high misty mountains, delicate plant life and tiny Sitka nestled by the sea bellow. I loved viewing the eagles soaring at such high altitudes crying out to the world. It just about took my breath away when I gazed upon a red-tailed hawk darting though the mountain trees. Up till this point I had never seen another raptor in the area besides the bald eagle. The trail was made a bit more difficult as we traveled along broken stair cases and platforms. At times we had to crawl on our hands and knees to make our way.


-Sitka below.


-Some of the many steps we climbed.




-The path ahead.

I have to say we were pretty beat when arriving at the shelter. It was nice to eat a hot meal of Beanie Weenies, which we heated on a starter log, ham sandwiches and various sweets. It felt wonderful to kick off our wet shoes and change into dry clothing. The rain and chilling winds beat upon the shelter all through the night as we slept cuddled up in my oversize sleeping bag.


-The Shelter.


-Bear clawmarks on one of the shelter's plexiglass windows.

July 18th

Today Erik and I gathered salmon berries for pancakes. We got a bit sidetracked however and explored a few of the empty buildings around the college campus. To our surprise the ceramics building was still open and we had fun exploring the abandoned pottery and tools.

We walked through totem park and I showed Erik how easy it was to see eagles and ravens in Sitka. I made a point to show him ever bird that flew over head to make my point. Soon he was spotting them like a pro.

We made our way down to the docks to look at the sealife that made its home under the pears. Erik was very excited when I found a few starfish for him to hold. After this we headed back to S.J. because Ronda was going to be picking up the gang for another dinner and movie night at her apartment.



At Ronda’s we feasted on spaghetti and Italian sausage, a pasta dish, salad, banana pudding and of course Coke cake. We watched a movie, the Prestige and had a blast just hanging out. I’m glad Erik made the opportunity to come and meet all the wonderful people I have been talking so much about.

July 17th

Ronda let me barrow her car tonight to pick up Erik at the airport! I was over flowing with excitement as people began to filter off the plane. Then there he was. It felt so good to wrap my arms around him. I can’t believe how awake and rearing to go Erik was after his long travels. I was so very tried when arriving in Sitka for the first time.

We dropped off his luggage at my dorm and I introduced him to my friends. We drove the car back to Ronda’s apartment and proceeded to ordered a to go pizza at Pizza Express. It was just wonderful scarfing pizza, watching a movie and holding the one I love.

July 15th

Leaving work I paused to see Katie, our small American Kestrel being looked over in the clinic area. Before I knew it I was motioned inside and holding her small feet while Jen and Ange proceeded in clipping her talons and coping her beak.


-Working on Katie.


-Raptor Jen and Katie Kestrel.


Tonight was also Harry Potter night. I really enjoyed the flick. Walking home a pup run across the street and into the petting hands of all my friends. A young man sprinted close behind to capture the four legged beast. This guy was more than open to share with us that the canine was indeed a %100 wolf that he had sent here from California where it was bred.

July 14

Deb scheduled me to work Husbandry for the first time today. It’s nice to actually get paid for doing this work vs volunteering on my days off. I get pretty tired when I’m constantly working without a day off in between. One highlight of the day was putting away Sunset a very dominate, head strong, female bald eagle. This requires walking up her with a blanket to try to persuade her to go into her mew for the night. Roger one of our keepers had been taloned in the neck by Sunny a year or so earlier, so this procedure had to be done very carefully. One thing I have learned from working with the bald eagle is that you never back away from a bird who is trying to push you around, standing your ground is very important to show your dominance. It took a few minuets but I managed to get her into the mew without much of a problem.

Returning home to S.J., another piece of riffraff was being handcuffed and taken away in a police vehicle. Good grief people! That night every one gathered together around the big brown leather couch to play the vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles board game we found in the commons area. Zach and I teamed up to battle against the forces of evil. It didn’t take long before the little boy who lives in another wing decided to join in on the action. Poor kid, growing up here. We didn’t mind him necessarily but when he started to knock on our doors late at night, we found him to be quite irritating.


-Me with the S.J. kid, Zach, Reece, Skyler, Miranda, Steve and Morgan.

July 12th

The partial albino bald eagle made yet another appearance today at the Raptor Center. Just the other day I saw it soaring over both the center and S. J. This bird is hard to mistake with it’s white wing tips and talons.

July 11th

I felt a bit spunky today and was able to do two stage presentations. It’s was defiantly a slow day at work, giving me allot of time to plan my night. After the work day was through, I biked downtown to pic up a pocket size sketchbook. I am very pleased at the large variety of supplies the art store in town has. I found the perfect one, just small enough to conceal in my pants pocket at work. I’m starting to get the itch to sketching out the centers residence.

Now it was time to go berry picking! Everyday I have been feasting on the Salmon Berries. Where ever you go in town there is a bush nearby. They are like the towns ditch weed, they are everywhere and are finally ripe! Salmon Berries are the prettiest orange and red colors you have ever seen. They aren't super sweat, I would best compare them to a Black Berry. They can get so big they resemble small golf balls hanging on the branches. I had a large collection by the time I decided to called it a day. I ate just as many as I saved which was at least a good two pounds of berries. What can I say, fresh fruit is very expensive here. You got to indulge while you can.


-Salmon Berry bush.




-My collection.

July 10th

I just haven’t been feeling the best lately. I gave one stage presentation today and that’s just about all I could handle before my voice would give out on me. To make things worse a group of inconsiderate folks came into the center. I was giving the group a walking tour (a round robin) when a caugh attack hit me. I swear these people didn’t even notice. They continued to tell me eagle stories and ask questions about the birds while I was turning red in the face from lack of oxygen. I had to interrupt them to excuse myself, sneak away and grab a drink of water. I just didn’t feel like talking to anymore people after that. The rest of the day I found myself half answering other guests questions and slipping away from the large crowds to take photo breaks.


-Kily and Pele enjoying the sunshine.


-Ronda doing her best Vanna impression.


-Reece's signature cocked eyebrow.


-Zack showcasing Mary's bus.

July 9th

Finally I went sea kayaking! Just Richard and I venturing out on the open Pacific Ocean. I was a bit intimidated when I started to think about how big the underwater creatures must be lurking below the ocean's surface. Kayaking on the sea is much different than being on a river or lake, which is what I’m used to. The kayak does move allot smother through the saltwater but the waves are much fiercer than the rivers I have been on. I felt so small in comparison to the large body of water we were on.


-View from my kayak.



We ventured from Richard's house, passed whale park and arrived at the island destination. At the island we snacked and explored this untouched world. I found six abalone shells here scattered around the forest floor. Richard thinks perhaps a raven feasted upon them and there the shells remained. I’ve never found one before and was very excited to take them with me. I purchased a pair of earrings from the Raptor Center a few weeks earlier that were made out of this shell. It’s interesting to see where these materials come from. We also saw allot of bear scat in that area. I often wonder just how many bears have seen me without me seeing them. As we were leaving the island the cruse ship in town was also heading out. I secretly cursed whatever ship gave me this reached head cold.


-Richard with the cruse ship in the distance.

July 7th

Time to say goodbye to old feathered friends. Today the centers frozen bald eagles were being packaged and sent to the National Eagle Repository in Denver Colorado. Every eagle that passes away or doesn't make it at the Raptor Center has to be bagged and froze. The bodies are then sent to the repository and distributed to Native Americans that have applied for permits from the government. I bet we packaged 35 or so eagles from that previous year who have just been chilling in our large ice chests. As we were putting them in their fish box coffins Jen and Ange were recalling stories about the departed birds.


-Eagle coffins.


-A job well done.

July 6th

Steve, Skyler and I stole Jen's dog and truck after work today to go lay on the beach at Mosquito Cove. I unfortunately had caught a cold the night before and felt very stuffed up and congested during our adventure. We sun bathed and explored the beach as Skyler filled me in on the names and functions of the plant and animal life surrounding us. I touched my first jellyfish here, I’m not sure what type it was but Skyler reassured me that it’s stingers wouldn’t do any harm. It felt really neat like a circular piece of silicone covered in a protective mucus. Skyler then threw the creature at Steve's back. It made such a weird spaloosh sound when it hit him. We even had the privilege of seeing a second jelly, a Lion’s Mane.


-On O'Connell Bridge in the back of Jen's truck.


-Ice Age 4: Extinction.




-The Lion's Mane.