exploring nature

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humpies at the harbor

September 2, 2011 in exploring nature, harbors, salmon, wildflowers | 1 comment

Yesterday brought us a very unexpected and very welcomed day of sun. Oh sun!  At this time of year, that encounter is like sipping on a glass of honied Kentucky bourbon. You know that feeling.  Just warming. It’s is still high enough in this Alaskan sky to cozy everything up in its brief appearance.  I’d planned to clean out the basement… but yeah, that didn’t happen.  Micah and Lola took me for a late afternoon walk at Statter Harbor.  This is what we saw…

Lots of pink salmon. Also called humpies (which makes me snicker for some silly reason) because of the big humpback the males develop during the spawning migration. These are near the end of their journey. It was incredibly beautiful.

And some bonus sunny harbor pictures. Kind of reaffirms why I love it here so much.

looking toward Mt. McGinnis and the majestic Mendenhall Towers

throwing salmon roe to the fish and seagulls

Today it’s back to grey, wet skies. Guess the basement will get cleaned after all.

summer in flowers

August 23, 2011 in exploring nature, summer, wildflowers | 13 comments

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my fireweed post.  It’s comforting in a sad time to know there are sweet people in this world.  As summer was flying by around me this year, everything seemed emotionally straining and rough… but looking back, I realize there was a lot of beauty happening around me, too.  That’s why I love taking pictures. It forces me to stop and see things in a new light.  Even when I’m a complete disaster, I become pleasantly distracted by the way the light hits the mountains or by a sweet moment shared between my kids.  I don’t know that I would be so aware of such instances if I didn’t love to take photos.  Even if I don’t have my camera or I choose not to take a picture, I notice and I remember those little snapshots of time and they bring me great joy.

If you ask me, summer is officially over in my book.  Though we technically have a month left on the calendar, school started today… the boys are gone and the house is way too quiet… and the rains have set in here BIG time.  Despite the rain, I love fall.  The colors and the settling in after a summer of manic activity.  So, in an ambivalent farewell to summer, I’m posting a wildflower catalog of sorts; or a tribute to the relics of a bygone season.  Starting a new chapter beholden to the earth for sharing its bits of beauty that appear every year just for me (and you).

roseroot

lupine

shooting stars, northern rice root, western buttercup

rocket weed on the hillside

oxeye daisies + forget-me-nots

beach peas

wild beach carrot (?)

sitka sedge (?)

white clover

red columbine

wild carrot (queen anne’s lace) + grass

sitka burnet + yarrow

northern geranium

thimbleberries

yellow mountain-heather

self-heal

mountain monkshood (extremely poisonous)

common harebell

robin’s egg found in a patch of foamflower near ebner falls

maidenhair fern

forget-me-nots (the alaska state flower)

arrow-leaved groundsel

fireweed

(I’m no expert here, so please correct me if I’m wrong on the names!)

camping on the sand

July 15, 2011 in canning, exploring nature, family, foraging wild edibles, summer, weekends | 6 comments

We discovered a new favorite camping spot last weekend.  We went out to Boy Scout Beach and camped right in an open field of wild peas and fireweed.  And to top it off, there is real sand on the beach. It’s not the typical rocky Juneau tideline.  Sand!  Like you can walk barefoot. That never happens here!

The beach is located off a very accessible 1.5 mile trail that runs along Eagle River (very appropriately named as we were literally swarmed by bald eagles). A friend and I packed in with Lola in the stroller while the boys and Brian biked. Because Brian pulled the bike trailer, we were able to bring along a bunch of stuff that we wouldn’t normally be able to pack in.  Like a real campstove. I’m not good at packing light.

We have walked out to the beach for day excursions before, but this is the first time we’ve actually made a weekend trip out of it. The icing on the cake is that the weather was gorgeous. It makes me happy that my kids were able to stay in bathing suits just about the whole day. Much like the happy camping trips of my youth in Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona.

Wild critters and wild edibles were at every which turn. Unfortunately, the strawberries weren’t quite ready but we did manage to scavenge a few handfuls of ripe blueberries. And how adorable is this bunny! She was still as a doorknob until she took off in a mad dash.

Did I mention the sand? And the sun?

Sand is fun to play in. We made up games, like stick-tac-toe. And created beach creatures.

And of course, we did some fishing. Catch and release this time. Lots of pink salmon and double uglies (sculpin) brought in. Jonah also brought his Red Ryder BB gun to practice shooting at targets. He’s a waaaay better shot than I am.

And then there were my favorite things about camp: campfires, camp snacks, and black coffee.

This weekend will be a little different… the boys have their first soccer games of the season tomorrow and we have a few fun social activities planned. Also, king crab season is opening for just a few days so we hope to go out with a friend to pull pots and see if we can have ourselves a crab feast. Ah summer… seems like you’re going by too fast.

 

little feather

July 8, 2011 in exploring nature, foraging wild edibles, in the kitchen, mighty, summer | 12 comments

There’s an abundance of little feather growing on the beach near our house. Or, if you prefer, old man’s pepper… or perhaps, more commonly known as, yarrow.

We drink a lot of tea in our house and yarrow is one of my favorite flavors. Not to mention, it is great for allergies and colds–both of which I have been suffering from all summer long. Yarrow has the same properties as aspirin for reducing fevers and historically was most commonly used for regulating blood flow. Achilles carried yarrow with his army to heal battle wounds. One article that I read suggested that when consumed in large doses, “…you may notice a shift in the color and intensity of light around you. For artists or photographers this photosensitiser can sometimes provide a useful shift in perception.” Wild! A yarrow high made for photographers!

Mighty and I went on a harvesting walk several nights ago and brought home enough to preserve for use throughout the year. We mixed fresh leaves and flowers with mint leaves from the garden and made a delicious cup of tea, with honey as sweetener.

**I’m totally not an expert but everything I read about yarrow said not to use it while pregnant or nursing… just fyi.

fish creek

June 8, 2011 in drawing, exploring nature, little bird, summer | 4 comments

Fishing season is here again. Us girls tagged along with the boys to the creek, but not to cast a line… we chose to frolic in the wildflowers, do a little creating, and watch the clouds move across the sky.

I’ll be heading into the wild with Jonah and about 100 other boys for Boy Scout camp over the next three days.  We are staying in cabins close to a perfect beach and having meals made for us. Kind of sounds like a vacation. Except for maybe the mass amount of energy that I imagine will be sparking in the air with all those boys.  Wish me luck!

they danced a cotillion in the sky

March 11, 2011 in alaska, exploring nature, northern lights, winter | 18 comments

The aurora borealis had a brilliant show across the north this week. We were fortunate in Juneau to have a rare clear and dark sky at the peak of the solar activity. It was the most spectacular display of northern lights I have ever seen.  The sky was pulsing and twirling with pinks, purples, reds and the most luminescent green. Mesmerizing. And quite obviously a spiritual experience. It is no wonder that people long ago took the lights as omens or visits from ancestors long gone. There is just something eerily magical to be standing under a sky braided with light, breathing in the crisp, cold air of the far north.

This was really my first venture into time lapse night photography.  I’m not really sure why I couldn’t capture the other colors of the lights, but I’m wondering if it’s because my exposure length was too long?  Any hints would be appreciated.

Here’s the summer view from close to where I was watching the lights, on the frozen Mendenhall Lake. Northern lights or not… I will never tire of this magnificent view. There is always something magical for the eyes and soul.

Some of my March favs from the Aurora (Borealis and Australis) group on flickr.
The Aurora Volcano, Caroline, 3/9/11 – Auroral Speed Zone…., C-FIFJ, Aurora, Vasatokka, northern lights, Dagvarðará, Aurora Borealis, Laxá í Kjós – west Iceland

They danced a cotillion in the sky… why Robert Service, of course. From the Ballad of the Northern Lights.

tuesday

March 8, 2011 in exploring nature, little bird, mighty | 4 comments

I’m home with a sick boy today. Mighty’s running a fever but he seems to be generally feeling ok, just a little worn out. We’ve been snuggled in bed watching movies together and I am loving being all alone with him. It so rarely happens.

On Sunday, we had a pod of orcas right outside on our little beach. It was breathtaking to see so close!

Yesterday afternoon, I found Bird with a pair of scissors and a pile of her hair that she had cut off. I thought it was going to be terrible… but I was able to somewhat pull off a very short bob which partially covers the bald spot on the side of her head. Yikes. It’s been one of those weeks where I’m realizing that parenting is such a comedy of errors. You can’t help but laugh, really.

before… i’ll post after pics soon

Brian and I watched 180° South last night (it’s on Netflix instant play right now). It was beautifully done, inspiring and had a great soundtrack. It’s definitely worth a watch. Made me wanna get outside and climb a mountain. Soon enough! It really feels like spring is in the air here.

february blues

February 22, 2011 in alaska, exploring nature, snow, winter | 21 comments

Saturday, Mendenhall Lake

…a shuddery breath like the coming of Death crept down from the peaks far away;
The water was still; the twilight was chill; the sky was a tatter of gray.
Swift came the Big Cold, and opal and gold the lights of the witches arose;
The frost-tyrant clinched, and the valley was cinched by the stark and cadaverous snows.
The trees were like lace where the star-beams could chase, each leaf was a jewel agleam.
The soft white hush lapped the Northland and wrapped us round in a crystalline dream;
So still I could hear quite loud in my ear the swish of the pinions of time;
So bright I could see, as plain as could be, the wings of God’s angels ashine.

- Robert Service, from The Ballad of Pious Pete

Monday, Mendenhall Lake

And the sun makes the February blues much more beautiful.

(now if only it would stay sunny until spring)

one spring day in january

January 7, 2011 in exploring nature, hiking, little bird | 18 comments

Today kind of blew my socks off. Sunny. Warm (relatively speaking). And my best girl to walk with me. Now it is 3:30 and the sun is setting outside my living room window, bouncing shades of purple off the snowy mountains onto my white walls and shooting hot pink cloud ribbons through the sky. Now that the darkness is settling in, I can come inside and change my tune to dinner prep… fajitas. Gotta make some corn tortillas.

Somebody didn’t want to walk anymore, sunny or not.

little icebergs

October 20, 2010 in alaska, autumn, exploring nature, juneau, little bird | 10 comments

My girl and I explored the West Glacier beach at Mendenhall Lake yesterday. There are so many brilliant blue icebergs on the lake right now. I actually really love to experience the glacier area when it is dark and stormy out because the ice really pops in the ominous lighting. It’s really quite spectacular and makes for a striking scene with all the contrast. And check out all the snow creeping down the mountains! It’s quickly moving from autumn to winter. Can’t you feel the chill in these pictures?

Snow-Capped Bullard Mountain Reflection

The Medenhall Glacier is fed by the Juneau Icefield (which also feeds some of the other glaciers you’ve seen here, like Herbert Glacier). You can think of the glaciers like frozen rivers, always slowly flowing and moving down between the mountains. Sadly, most of the glaciers from the icefield are retreating faster than they are advancing, due to global warming, and soon they will disappear from view. We have photos taken of this glacier from when we moved here originally in 1997 and it looks completely and frighteningly different. These small lake icebergs are formed when the glacier calves and pushes ice out in to the lake. I feel like I wrote about this before… but I can’t remember so forgive me if I’m being redundant :)

Natural Ice Sculpture (do you see the bird taking off in flight?)

The reflections in the lake were amazing. The grey sky is really beautiful in it’s own right. I mean, who wants blue sky all the time? It would make my moods so predictable.

Bird asked me to wade in the water with my big rubber boots to pull some ice to shore for us to see. They are so crystal clear and come in the most beautiful, organic forms.

Ice and glacial silt clouds in the water. Silt is apparently really good for mud baths (see below!).

At the end of our icy adventure, we came upon this bald eagle. He was such a ham for the camera–too bad I had on my 50mm lens, because he was so close to us! He was also so extremely covered in mud… a real dirty bird. I am guessing he must have been bathing in the mineral-rich mud around the lake.

He was super chatty, which kind of unnerved me. I got the sense he was sending out some kind of warning. Then he startled and took off. It made me feel like we were being watched by a big scary bear or wolf, a feeling I don’t often get… time to leave!

Bird and I had lots of fun. The sun is making a rare appearance here today. Time to get back outside! Until next time!

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