I LOVE THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Last Sunday was so beautiful and warm that we loaded up the boat and headed out to
do some fishing. We brought halibut poles and various assorted gear to catch whatever 

would bite! My brother in law caught 3 rockfish off the bottom--that's it.
Since the herring are still here spawning I think everything has a full belly and are
not very interested in our lures and hooks. We had a fantastic time anyway, cruising
around exploring inlets, bays and coves. The water was like a mirror the entire day
and it was in the 60's, which up here feels closer to 70+.

I wouldn't want to meet these 2 in a a dark alley! This is my husband and brother in law as we were starting out. The wind is still crisp on the water when you are moving so you have to protect your eyes and ears.


This is one of the beautiful coves we came across. It was shallow, warm water with both beaches covered in crushed shells. They were entirely white! There are clam beds under the water and over time the shells wash up on the beach. It was so warm there with the sun shining on the shells and totally quiet except for the ducks that were flying around the water.

We explored a bit along the beach and found this rock embedded with these symbols. They weren't just drawn on--they were actually a part of the rock and very symmetrical. I have no idea what would make such a thing.
My younger daughter had a blast beachcombing. The barnacles were busy feeding in the shallow water and there were tiny, conical shells all over. The crabs were all under rocks we lifted, just waiting for the tide to come back so they could go back to safety. If you look at the bottom of the picture you can see my husband's feet. He laid full length on the beach and promptly fell asleep. A sunburn in Alaska in April. Who would have thought?

We came around another small island on our way back and visited with my younger brother out working on his island property. He had his 2 little daughters with him (click the picture to see them in their matching purple coats!) helping out and enjoying the sunshine. His property is in a beautiful, secluded cove that faces the mountains. I love the old, gnarled tree on his property.

This is a nice view I took on the way back home. It shows part of our town as seen from the water. The island we live on is huge and mostly uninhabited. Our entire town is all along the waterfront with a grand total of 14 miles of roads from the beginning to the end. Our house is to the north of the large, red one you can see in the left side of the photo if you click it and make it larger.

Hey, who's that 11 year old driving the boat back? A great time was had by all--can't wait to go again!