Snow storm

NEW YEAR'S EVE - - 2007 is quickly heading toward a finish and 2008 is right ahead. More adventures and more birds and animals and exciting places await.

In the air

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - We returned to Ft. DeSoto Park to camp over the (long) Christmas Weekend. The birds weren't out in as great numbers as when we were here about two weeks ago. However, The Great Blue Heron (above) and the seagull hovering below, caught my eye. Note the identification/tracking band on the heron's right leg.

Twilight Zone

EGMONT KEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, FL - - In some areas, the western side beach on Egmont Key resembled a shot out of The Twilight Zone. A low mist and low cloud cover created this overcast scene at 11:30 in the morning. Beach erosion over a number of years turned these palm trees into dead shapes like what you might see after a nuclear war. The ATV tracks are from the park ranger patrol while the couple walking in the center of the pic came over on the 'ferry' with us.

Turtle's eye-view

EGMONT KEY, FL - - Ever wondered what it's like down there? Young kids have a low level point of view - - usually knees of the teenagers and adults around them. But let's get lower, let's check out the view from the vantage point of a box turtle. As you can probably tell, this resident of Egmont Key didn't take too kindly to a human trying to see things from ground level.

Lunch Time

TIERRA VERDE, FL - - One of our favorite camping spots in Florida is Fort DeSotoPark, a Pinellas county park south of St. Petersburg on Florida's west coast. Aside from nice campsites and great facilities, the area offers unlimited opportunity to photograph pelicans, egrets and herons - - like the one above.

The breakwater area along the nearby fishing pier is one such location. This individual has just grabbed a lunch appetizer. Now, the problem becomes how to swallow the fish since it won't fit down his/her throat sideways. Compounding the fun was a group of about six hungry friends (outside this frame) just waiting for a slip.

Time to smell the roses

JASPER, ALBERTA, CANADA - - There's always time to stop and smell the (wild) roses as this elk is doing in a shot from a trip to Jasper in 2004.

Turkey Day weekend #3

NATIONAL KEY DEER WILDLIFE REFUGE, BIG PINE KEY - - Key Deer, primarily found on Big Pine and No Name keys, are usually too friendly and inquisitive for their own good and safety. This deer (probably) stuck her tongue out at us because we didn't feed her like the tourists who just rode off had. The biggest and strongest deer weigh only 90 pounds and stand 32" high

Hidden just off Key Deer Blvd. in the refuge is the Blue Hole, the largest body of fresh water in the keys and a vital resource of the deer. Given that there were/are alligators in the water it's probably a good feeding place for them too. The dragon fly (below) was hanging out on a piece of vegatation poking out of the water looking for 'skeeters or other small insects.

As always, double-clicking on any of the pics will get you a good-sized blowup.

Turkey Day weekend #2

ROBBIE'S MARINA SOMEWHERE IN THE KEYS - - On this Keys trip we 'discovered' Robbies Marina. I say discovered because we'd been by plenty of times on other keys trips - - it's kind of hard not to since there's only one main road (A1A) in the Keys.

To stay in business you need a 'hook' and Robbie's - - besides boat tours, kayak and jet ski rentals - - has turned feeding the fish and taking pics of the birds into a money-making proposition. Pay $1 and walk out onto the pier where the tarpon are thick in the water waiting for those folks who paid $2 to throw in bait fish.

Then there are the birds: The snowy egrets (above) who patrol the shoreline among the mangrove looking for their daily food while the pelicans wander around on the pier or hover (below) waiting for a chance to swoop.

Turkey Day weekend #1

SOMEWHERE ON A1A IN THE FLORIDA KEYS - - We spent Thanksgiving weekend in the Keys doing nothing much, taking photos and eating stone crab and key lime pie. It was tough but somebody has to do it.
This is a shot of a "keys alarm clock." No need to set your own alarm because the roosters crow when they want. And they strut like they own the place (wherever they are) and they generally do.

Wood Storks stalking

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Another image from out trip to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Twiggy

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Some birds, like this kingfisher, try to blend in with their surroundings and make it hard to get a good shot. Most of the time they win. However, this resident of the Merritt Island Reserve didn't hide well enough.

Sea Cows

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Here are a mom and youngster Manatee family we saw last week at Haulover Canal. Also called Sea Cows, these large hunks of blubber feed on river grass and other veggie things.

Looking for the 'wild life'

MERRITT ISLAND, FL - - Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is about 60 miles south of OB. The NWR shares a good portion of the land used as a buffer zone by Kennedy Space Center between the work/launch areas and the public. In fact, the launch pad(s) for the space shuttle is approximately 10-miles away (in a straight line) through alligator / mosquito infested mangrove swamp from where these pictures were shot. The reality is that the space center and the NWR protect one another. And we all benefit.

The blue herron (above) is searching very hard for a meal. The butterfly (below) will become a meal for some preditor if it isn't careful.

Afternoon stroll

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - A sign, a riverside table for relaxing after a hard day and an egret; all on an afternoon stroll.

Heading South

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We live one block off the Intracoastal Waterway. Come November the boat traffic really picks up as the 'snowbirds' and their craft head to South Florida for the winter. Most don't pilot their own boats but rather hire people to shuttle their floating toys down. We have plenty of vantage points to watch the traffic. Two of the above craft (both white) were from Maine. The blue craft had a hard-to-read locator.

Warm laundry

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Finding warm-just-out-of-the dryer laundry piled on the bed or in a laundry basket means nap time for The Queen. Our other cat, The Princess, must have been asleep on the job already.

Signs you won't see in Florida

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Here's a sign which escaped my posts...probably because this was shot on the first day of our trip back at a display area in Delta Junction (AK) commemorating the finishing point of the Alaska Highway. It's a bit more graphic about the perils of vehicle versus buffalo confrontations.

A look back, #2

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Yellowstone National Park in late April (2005) with low clouds, some snow patches and a herd of buffalo grazing. The vastness is stunning. Imagine this on a sunny day. Or watching herds of elk, bears roaming, Old Faithful gyser-ing, or the splendor of the rugged landscape, the mountains and valleys

Each National Park has its own character, its own personality. Yellowstone was the first designated NP. If you've been there, it's easy to see why. If you visit only one NP in your life, make it Yellowstone.

A look Back, #1

ORMOND BEACH , FL - - Now that we're back in OB we have a lot more free time. So we go browsing through the photos of other adventures we've had. We like the Canadian Rockies and have vacationed there a number of times. The hiking is spectacular.
The above photo is one of my favorites as is the location: Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park just outside Field, British Columbia. To hike here you must get a 'permit' from the park service - - easier said than done because of strict limitations on each day's numbers. You remote park in an area a short distance off the highway and take a 9-mile ride in a school bus before off-loading. The daily allocation of hikers works two-fold in keeping the area pristine and the trails relatively empty: There is a private lodge and cabins on the lake which discourage the "unwashed hordes" from coming near; and there are plenty of scenic trails to hike for all skill levels.
Double-click on the pic and you'll be better able to see the lodge/cabins on the lake in che center of the picture.

Chillin' out

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Chillin' out isn't exactly what we're doing as the temperature and humidity has been hovering in the 80s. Two days at home and, other than not having to unpack and pack each day, it doesn't seem real yet. Just like last year when we returned from Skagway (AK). Of course in about a week we won't even feel like we spent 6 months away.

On the feline front: The Queen and her younger associate, Princess, are glad to see us. Maybe they've figured out that the stranger who has fed them for the past 6 months isn't coming back...and neither is his cat.

The blog entries will probably be a bit more spaced out now since it's back to the basic routine.

The end is near

DESTIN, FL - - That's probably not the most interesting title I could have come up with. But, in the grand scheme of things we have about 420 miles left in our journey home. We've gone from "The Last Frontier" to the "Sunshine State" in a meandering, round about way with plenty of time to sightsee. Except for the last four days where the scenery has zipped past at (usually) 70mph. That was how I saw the half-buried Cadillacs in Texas, the "Welcome To" signs of a whole lot of states and lots and lots of Route 66 advertising.

So now we're in Destin: The beach is half a mile away, the clouds are dark, it's blowing rain and we don't feel like getting into the Honda anymore today. Tomorrow, we'll summon up the energy to make one last rush home to Ormond.

Oops

CORRECTION: The song referred to in the previous blog should be 'Willin' and not The Weight..although listening to either one will mellow out and bring back memories to anyone who wasn't benefitting from the music of the day.

Tucumcari to Tonopah, or vice-versa

TUCUMCARI, NM - - Remember when cars had fins?? Like this representation of a old Chrysler or DeSoto? We're traveling on I-40, but Route 66 is close by. Where better to have a representation of what a time it was way back when on Route 66. This sculpture is at the Tucumcari Convention Center. Nice building, but after driving thru the town we felt they were hoping somebody would show up as the place was d e a d.

And how many tunes can you name with lyrics mentioning Tucumcari and Tonopah, plus Tucson and Tchatchapi (sp??) Dust off the oldies, break out the Dago Red and a little Panama Red to go with it and crank up "The Weight" by The Band or Little Feat's rendition.

Zion, Part #2

GRANT, NM - - Although we've left Zion National Park over 400 miles behind I wanted to post 2 more pics. Above we see the intrepid LH leading the way up trail. The 2,148' vertical gain should translate to an average 10% grade, but some parts were steeper and some not so steep as in the shot below.

In this shot I like the colors and the sculpting of the rocks by huge flows of water over time. There was also a nice echo factor. The two ladies in the pic are from Quebec and were quite friendly. One thing to note while in this section: If you hear a sound like thunder or a train coming...you're finished. We never found out if flash floods in this section have killed anyone, but there were signs at the trail head to Observation point that people have slipped and fallen to their death (for not paying attention) on the trail. I should point out that I "hugged" the wall on the first mile down.

On the edge in Zion

SPRINGDALE, UT - - Today we're in Zion National Park, a spectacular carving of sandstone by wind, water and time. We've hiked 4 miles up and up to Observation Point, one of the many maintained trails in the park. I'm sitting on a government survey marker which says 6,508' elevation. I refuse to get close enough to look over the edge. The elevation gain on this hike is listed at 2,148' so I guess that's how far I could fall.

The valley below us has the park road where the shuttle buses run and the winding Virgin River. The sun is fairly overhead, hence a bit of washed-out effect on everything in the distance. Tomorrow, the real work begins as we 'really' do start heading home.

Out of touch

NEVADA SR 375, RACHEL, NV - - Last year, while in Nevada all I got was a pic of the ET Highway, this year in the pursuit of good blogging I went all the way. No, I didn't get picked up b space aliens but I did wait around for a lift. Waiting can make you hungry so I went to the Little A'Le'Inn in Rachel, NV for an Alien Burger complete with special space sauce. The combo restaurant/bar/motel has been a gathering place for 'spacey' folk and believers for a long time. It's location is about the closest you can get to the Air Force's Area 51 without getting arrested.

Hitting 1,000

BRIDGEPORT, CA - - Lydia would probably never admit that we are quite competitive. But we are, and have been for the last 15 years. Which brings me to Hitting 1,000...as in blog hits...as in all you folks out there who read my blog. The only problem is: Lydia has over 1,500 blog hits. This is very disturbing. But I probably won't lose any hair over it.

Lets pick up the pace, all you slackers out there.

Lassen Volcano

LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK , CA - - If you read Lydia's blog today then you know 'Grandpa Prince' was asleep by 8pm last night. So, no blog. You should check out her blog as it (always) makes great reading even when I get bashed or poked. To be up front, it's true, I'm guilty and I (still) have a sense of humor.
If you follow the direction in which Lydia is looking you'll see the object of our escapade. The top of Lassen peak is 10,457' and has a white-ish colored weather or radar directional beacon on top along with solar panels to power the equipment. The top for hikers is about 200' below that in a flat area.
This is shot from the top looking down at parts of the trail. (Double click on the photo and it will supersize itself.) There are hikers descending on the upper levels while the center-bottom left shows a good bit of the zig-zag trail. Lake Helen shows up in the center and sharp eyes will pick out the park road....with our parking lot just where you begin to see the (left-side) beginning of the road. It was much easier coming down. The park info on this hike said it would take at least 4 hours. We did it in that time including about 20 minutes up there talking to folks. Not too bad for 'grandpa.' DISCLAIMER: The only beings who could call me 'grandpa' are our cats - - especially the Queen when she's in a bad mood - - and they can't speak.
But if they could, they'd probably call me 'pop.'

On the trail of volcanoes

MT. SHASTA, CA - - We're continuing to wander and today's adventure brings us to the town of Mt. Shasta, named for the 14,162' peak which towers over the landscape. Volcanoes continue to be famous in this area. The road we traveled to get here was marked by signs "Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway." The VLSB connects Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon (subject of yesterday's blog) with Lassen Volcanic National Park, where we are headed tomorrow.

Mt. Shasta is considered an inactive volcano since it's last eruption was in 1786. It was witnessed by an explorer on a ship off the California coast. It would be another 34 years before anyone other than native americans ventured into the area.

Crater Lake

CRATER LAKE, OR - - Please note, there have been no color corrections to this photo. The water is really this deep blue.

Today, we headed inland from Florence; away from the ocean on what would turn out to be a very clear and sunny day. The first stop was Eugene and the REI store. No luck with the correct size of the new sandals I've been wanting. Then, we turned south and headed for Crater Lake National Park and part two of our "History of volcanoes in Oregon" studies.

The lake was formed 7,700 years ago when a 12,000' volcano collapsed upon itself . The result was a caldera, a bowl (4.5 to 6-miles wide) backed by an 8,400' peak. This huge 'soup tureen' is now filled (altitude 6,173' at lake surface) to the depth of 1,900' with the bluest water you've ever seen and is considered the cleanest large body of water in the world. There are no rivers/streams/etc. running into the crater. This is rain-water and snow-melt only. The area gets 66" of rain per year and 44' (yes, 530-plus inches) of snow.

FYI: The island in the center left corner of the picture is Wizard Island which is really a cinder cone from a later eruption. The area behind the island, which looks like a part of the surrounding walls, is actually a reflection.

The gang's still here

NEWPORT, OR - - Last year, Lydia blogged about the sea lions we saw lounging around a dock area in Newport. This year we arrived early in the morning and had breakfast sitting on an outdoor deck while we were serenaded. Afterward we walked to the docks.

The guys above were so happy to see us they broke into a duet...
...while this big guy was just a bit miffed we hadn't at least dropped him a postcard from Florida....
...and this youngster was a bit more vocal in his displeasure about being forgotten.

Devastation

MT. ST HELENS NATIONAL VOLCANIC MONUMENT, WA - - The Mt. St Helens National Volcanic Monument is a vivid testament to nature's power. It's 27 years since the massive eruption and the scars are still evident. We were able to drive to a viewpoint 8 miles from the base of the mountain. The photos are from varying areas along the way.
The profile of the mountain (top) shows a barren space where once it was heavily forested. The middle photo is the left side of shot one while the bottom pic shows the right hand side. The section of the blowout is on right side of the middle photo while on the bottom photo one can see the avenues of lava flow.
So where are the trees which weren't vaporized in the 300mph gas and ash storm which followed the explosion? From our viewpoint, Spirit Lake way below us looked like it was half frozen over. Closer inspection via binoculars showed us that what looked like 'ice' were the "bodies" of thousands of trees floating on the lake. They had been bleached by the sun over the years and looked so jammed together that it appeared you could take a walk on them

Mt Ranier..another look

PACKWOOD, WA - - Here's another view of Mt. Ranier and some of the over 30 glaciers covering the 14,400' peak. Check Lydia's blog for more info on our day in the area

On to the Cascade Mountains

ALONG THE NORTH CASCADES HIGHWAY - - After two days of sun in Annacortes, we left town under low clouds and light rain as we headed into the Cascade mountain range. One town we went through billed itself as: "The gateway to the American Alps." This was a bit of an overstatement at least at this location as we believe the views from the air of Mt. Baker and other snow-covered peaks are spectacular. But, like Denali, Mt. Baker wore a shroud on this day.
WE stopped at a couple of observation points along the way where the rain had let. (Top) If you look at the center of the pic you'll see a very fine spray from a waterfall. (Bottom) In this shot the clouds clinging to this mountain look more like smoke from a forest fire. Both shots were taken on the Cascades' western slopes where there is plenty of rain. On the eastern side, the fire danger signs listed the hazard level as "very high."

Cabin Nite

ANNACORTES, WA - - As LH mentioned in a recent blog entry, one of the first things we did upon arriving in Annacortes was do laundry. Not only did we get clean clothes, but we got lucky also. As LH was watching the machines I was talking with a young guy who had parked next to our Element with his (same year) Element. We discussed the merits of throwing out the back seat and carrying as much cargo as we wanted. He noted the Florida plates and I told him of our Alaska adventure and of plans to spend another day or two in Annacortes.
AS we were leaving, the young guy asked where we were headed. I mentioned Deception Bay (WA) State Park to camp. He replied that he managed an RV Resort which had no camping but did have cabins, and wi-fi and a nice price. He invited us to at least stop by. We did and stayed in the cabin pictured above. The park was very nice, the RV folks were quiet, and some even had cats.

We've landed!

ANACORTES, WA - - After three nights and four days, we've finally landed at the Alaska Marine Highway dock in Bellingham, WA. First on, first off played into our hands as we were the fourth car loaded in Skagway, but were parked right in front of the exit ramp. So, Monday night just when we were nearing the food servers and deciding what we wanted for dinner the PA system called for the owner of the Honda Element with Florida plates to come to the Pursers Desk. Off I went wondering what this was for.
As it turned out, all they wanted for us to do was show up early so we could be ready to roll as soon as they docked. No problem. Unfortunately there were about 50 people ahead of me when I returned to the food line. I decided not to wait.
We got to the car early, off the ferry early and pulled into Anacortes (one of our favorite places on the Left coast) in time for breakfast. Tonight we are in a cozy cabin in a RV park nearby.
The ferry ride was well worth the cost because as sick as I was I don't think I wouldd have survived the drive.

Pics on the water, part 2

ONBOARD THE M/V MALASPINA - - On a sunny day while traveling through the Johnstone Straight you get to see a lot of different boat traffic.

Pics on the water, part 1

ONBOARD THE M/V MALASPINA - - On a sunny day you can see: A signal light instalation and a couple of Orca Whales playing