Year of the...?

Birds.  Yay, nay, or indifferent?  I'm a resounding yay in that category.  Love 'em!  I've fancied myself an extremely novice birder for a while, but I can hold my own with lots of common bird id's.

I watch, think about, and attempt to identify birds more than I'd like to admit!  Especially when we hike and travel.

To the point where when I I see a bird and don't know what it is, I try to commit the main features to memory so I can look it up to hopefully id later.  You know, to add it to my slowly growing bird arsenal.

My latest newly identified bird was an Oak Titmouse in my neighborhood.  What a little cutie pie!

Oak Titmouse

Photo credit: By Ingrid Taylar from San Francisco Bay Area - California, USA (Oak Titmouse in the Shade), via Wikimedia Commons

Got that one now.  I won't wonder about what kind it is anymore! 

I can remember one time when we lived in Florida, I was driving past a small pond and saw a substantial flock of Wood Storks wading and chilling around the pond.  I got so excited about seeing almost a dozen Wood Storks all in one place that I almost drove off the road.

The mighty Wood Stork

Photo credit: by Charlesjsharp (Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography), via Wikimedia Commons

What?  It's a somewhat rare sighting!  And if you're lucky you'll only see 1 or 2, but not over a dozen all together!  It was super cool.  Not to worry, I didn't actually drive off the road.  It was close, though.

Yep, I'm a bird nerd through and through.  But, despite all my birding nonsense, I guess I wasn't really part of the club.

Why?

Well, because I was completely in the dark about a fun little little New Year's Day birder tradition that exists.  Now that I know about it, I guess I'm really legit.  Ha.

I can thank Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Lyanda Lynn Haupt for enlightening me.  The gist is this.

The very first bird you're able to identify on New Year's Day is your bird of the year.  So whatever you identify becomes your "year of the fill in the blank."

On New Year's Day this year, we were camping in Monterey, CA, so I knew I might have a unique opportunity to see a bird I possibly wouldn't normally see.

Or so I thought.

Turned out my bird of the year is one that I see every day in my backyard.  But, it's also a species I identified only after moving to California.  So, a common bird for this area, but still a new to me species.

Ready?  Drum roll, please.

2017 is my year of the Western Scrub Jay.  The name was just recently changed from Western Scrub Jay to California Scrub Jay.  Which begs the question, "Why does California feel the need to appropriate the name?"  But again, I digress.

They're actually super vibrant, beautiful birds.  Also on the irritating side because they're extremely screechy and loud.  There's no mistaking their squawk when you hear it. Straight up obnoxious!

Western/California Scrub Jay

Photo credit: by Jessica Merz (Flickr: Western Scrub-Jay), via Wikimedia Commons

I'm glad my bird of the year turned out to be the Scrub Jay.  No, not because I can fully unleash obnoxiousness in 2017.

Because it's a perfect geographic reflection of exactly where in the world we are in 2017 on our loony Coast Guard path.  Year of the Scrub Jay!  Bring it.

Ta-ta for now.

Puffin Stalking

My afternoon of puffin stalking paid off.  No, not with puffin stew!  It paid off with exactly the kinds of wildlife pictures I've been trying to capture over the last two years.

I spent the entire afternoon last Saturday bobbing along in my kayak on Anton Larsen Bay, patiently waiting for my beloved puffins to make an appearance.  And then I spotted a nesting area.  Which I immediately took a beeline towards.

As I was floating along, four puffin came shooting out of the trees by the cliffside.  They were so close to me - it was awesome.  I actually laughed out loud after they sped by.  They're fast little mothers.  They can fly up to 55 miles per hour, so getting an in air picture is challenging.  This was the best I could do for an action shot:

Not too bad

I thought it was pretty cool that the splashes from his wings came out too.  After gawking at  them as they whizzed past, I watched them circle around and around before they decided to land.  And then my afternoon of puffin creeping began.

I've decided that the quality that has to be paramount for professional wildlife photographers is patience. You just have to wait for nature to show itself to you and hope you get the shot you want.  I think I did pretty good for an amateur.

How damn cute are these birds?  I totally see why they're called the clown of the sea.  Between that colorful beak and their dopey behavior, they're my favorite northern bird.  I caught them making their way toward the hubby while he fished from his kayak.

They're comin' for him!

He didn't catch anything, but the whole time we were out, the salmon were mocking him by vaulting out of the water all around us.  They wanted nothing to do with what he was selling that day.  He did end up catching a little rockfish, but he threw it back.  So, I spent the day tracking puffin, while he hunted salmon.  I won.

I also captured a few decent pictures of other shore birds.  Two black oystercatchers & some terns.  Let me tell you, they let you know when you get too close.  This one was downright obnoxious when I entered his comfort zone:

Can't you hear him?  He's telling me to get the hell out of his space.  And not very subtly!

Such vibrant beaks & beautiful coloring

I don't even know how I captured this black oystercatcher action shot.  It was a complete accident:

And these two were nice enough to pose for me on the rocks.  Of course they also warned me with little cheeps when I got too close.  Not nearly as obnoxious as the tern.

This was a perfect kayaking day.  The only thing that would have made it better would have been if the hubby caught a salmon or two.  It was another gorgeous, Kodiak at its best summer day.  I love Kodiak on days like this.

I took quite a few puffin misses picture-wise, but I took so many that there were a handful of keepers.  This next one is my favorite.  It was as crisp and clear as I was hoping, even though the colors of the water are a little washed out & on the dull side.  It's still my favorite:

Kodiak really is one of a kind. It was one of those days when the sunshine, temperate weather, nature, and wildlife all coincided beautifully & can only be described one way.  Synergy!

Ta-ta for now.

And Just Like That...We're Green Again

It seems to happen quickly every year.  We'll be truckin' along with our browner than brown mountains...and then boom!  The Kodiak summer time green roars in again.  The depth and magnitude of those summer colors is unbelievable.

Beautiful, vibrant, unforgettable - it seems I ran out of adjectives to describe Kodiak's allure about a year and half ago.  Unfortunately, when you blink, the green is gone just as abruptly as it appeared. 

But since it just started, I'm choosing to look forward to the next few brief months of the aptly named "Emerald Isle."  Because would you just look at that:

The green is still gradually crawling its way up the mountains - not quite there yet!

This is just the beginning of the transition to green, so it's not nearly as intense as it will be in a few weeks.  Those deep, emerald hues are still trickling their way up the mountain peaks.  But, it won't be long now!

We broke the kayaks out for the first time this season last weekend, and it was a gorgeous, sunny, Kodiak at its absolute best kind of day. 

I managed to find myself in the middle of a gull feeding frenzy, so of course I had to pull out the camera to see if I could grab a few shots.  How about those diving gulls?

Action!  They were noisy and erratic as hell!  Can't you just hear them squawking?

It would be more compelling if they were puffins or eagles, but it was still impressive to be right in the mix with them all diving and swooping around.  I was glad I didn't get pooped on.

Speaking of impressive, we had the privilege of seeing an enormous whale glide right up out of the water not far from our boats.  I heard him before I saw him, and he was just far enough away that I didn't freak out. He was twice the size of my kayak.  It was incredible.

This is by far my favorite time of year.  We repeat ourselves often, but it's true:  Kodiak's beautiful when the sun shines.  Too bad it doesn't happen more often.  Can't be too upset about it, though.  After all, the incessant rain is the reason why it gets so green in the summer.  Coastal temperate rainforest = lots of green in the summer, but lots of rain all year round.  I guess that's the trade-off.

I'll be a good little trooper and savor & appreciate the sun while we have it, and I'll do my best to focus on those memorable, sunny days. - And not fixate too intensely on the reality...which is that the best time of year is both fleeting and fickle in how often the sun decides to make an appearance.

Because really - sometimes a week of beautiful weather somehow (unbelievably) makes up for all the gray, dreariness that's the norm in Kodiak.  Remind me I said that after the next two week stretch of not seeing sun or blue sky.  And I'll probably tell you to suck it.  Ha.  Let's hear it for Kodiak summer. - Short-lived, but spectacular as it is!

Ta-ta for now.

First Kodiak Kayaking Trip

Prepping for the day

Before our trip to Italy, we broke out our kayaks and went exploring on the 4th of July. It was my first time kayaking since we moved to Kodiak, and it didn't disappoint!

The hubby bought his kayak from the chaplain when he was transferring out last summer, and he tracked down a good deal on a used kayak for me a few months ago.  So, we finally got our acts together and took them out on Anton Larsen Bay.  It was such a perfect weather day, and we had a great time tooling around with all the water birds.  We were able to get up close and personal with sea otters and all types of birds.  It was very cool.

Getting ready to launch

There were a lot of black oystercatchers all over the bay, and I was able to get a few good pictures.  They're really easy to identify, but it's a little creepy that they have red eyes.

I paddled up pretty close to this little island a bunch of them were hanging out on, and I'm pretty sure I freaked them out. Once I floated over, they all started squawking and sounding the alarm for all their buddies.  I unintentionally created a little oystercatcher calamity with my picture taking.  

Along with all of the oystercatchers, we saw a ton of puffin, too.  Most definitely my favorite northern bird!  They're so doofy - I just love watching them in their natural habitat. 

They fly so fast, (up to 55mph!) and they love to splash around in the water.  They're adorable.

You can hardly see this little puffin. - That will change
once I bust out my new camera and I can zoom in better!

We were also able to get close to a few sea otters.  They're actually a lot bigger than you would imagine.  And also adorable to watch.  They float along on their backs & it's impressive how fast they swim. I tried to get close enough for some pictures, but they're quick little guys & they weren't having it.

Anton Larsen Bay is a great kayaking spot.  It's a protected little bay, so the water is calm and flat as long as the winds aren't too strong.

There were plenty of houses that dotted the shore line that seemed to be pretty self-sufficient.  Sprawling compounds with multiple hoop greenhouses, solar power, boats, and seemingly everything they would need to live so far from the conveniences of town.  They definitely fend for themselves out there! 

One of the compounds along the water

This was one of the most memorable 4th of July's I've had in a while.  There's really nothing like being able to explore the wilderness we live so close to - and being able to get out on the water to see it from that perspective is a whole new way to take it all in.

There's no way we would have been able to get as close to the puffin and other wildlife we saw if we weren't out on the water, so I'm looking forward to checking out some of the other areas around Kodiak that are kayaking-friendly.



There's no doubt that hiking and kayaking are two of my favorite things to do up here.  Can't wait to put a few more trips on the water under my belt!

Ta-ta for now.

Pyramid Mountain in the distance

My Favorite Place in Kodiak

Full speed ahead for the Pugbull

We've hiked in this area a bunch of times, and it's most definitely my favorite place in Kodiak.  That would be Fort Abercrombie.  I've blogged about it before, but it's so diverse and beautiful, why not share a little more about it?  Plus - truth be told, I was kind of flailing around for something to write about this week.

I was planning to write about the St. Patrick's Day wreath I was working on, but I wasn't happy with how it came out once I finished.  It's cute - and I hung it on the door - but I didn't think it was blog worthy.  Why share something when the end result turns out just eh?  It's like, "Hey check out this mediocre project I did!"  So instead, another hike is what you get this week!  Hope you're not tired of hiking posts yet.  We're getting to the point where I should rename the blog Adventures in Hiking and Crab Eating.

One of the reasons why I love Fort Abercrombie (besides how beautiful it is) is because I can always count on seeing all kinds of bird species whenever we go exploring.  During this visit, I saw a ton of different species of Ducks, - too many to even begin to identify - Cormorants, Bald Eagles, Black-capped Chickadees, and so many others.  (birding nerd alert!)

So far every time we've hiked here, we've found new trails to check out.  I'm sure eventually we'll hit all the trails the park has to offer, but we haven't gotten to that point yet.  Some of the trails are in the forest, with enormous Sitka Spruce trees towering above you, and others wind around along the cliff side. The view is always spectacular, but a little less so on those oh so common overcast days. - Which not surprisingly, this one happened to be.

I've been thinking about upgrading to a camera with stronger zoom capabilities, because I'm constantly trying to get shots of birds that are just too far away for me to capture.  Can you even see him here?:

Can you see him?

He swooped down and landed on the cliff, and had a few of his buddies in the trees and on some of the other rock outcroppings.  What I've noticed is that once an Eagle lands somewhere, he usually hangs out for a while.  They're not the kind of birds that flit all over and move from here to there like so many other types of birds.  So if you catch one landing, you have a pretty good opportunity to get a picture since he probably won't be going anywhere for a while.  I'm sure it takes a lot of energy to haul 15 lbs of Bald Eagle grandeur into the air! 

That Puggy Boy cracks me up. - He's like a damn Admiral with his posture!  I bet if he could salute, he would.

We hiked along the boulders on the shore line until we got to a dead end, where as you can see in the picture above we climbed up the rocky side of the cliff.  I thought it looked too steep when I first saw it, but it wasn't bad at all.  Adventure dog hopped right on up as usual.  I managed to not sprain an ankle.  I love hiking, but I'm also perpetually clumsy - so I find myself being overly cautious most of the time.  If anyone in this little trio is going to have an accident, it'll be me!

View of beautiful, but overcast Monashka Bay off of Fort Abercrombie

Sometimes when I look out at the horizon and contemplate how truly vast it is, it's almost impossible not to think about how really far away we are.  Time to cue the Carole King again.  ♪ ♫ "We're so faaaaar awaaay..."  ♫ ♪  But hey, if we weren't remote like this, the birding wouldn't be anywhere near as diverse as it is on this enormous, bear-filled island in the middle of the northern Pacific.  It's still a little surreal that this is where I call home these days.

Ta ta for now.

The Magic Hour

The hubby accidentally dropped my camera while we were hiking about a month ago & it dented in a spot that caused the lens to malfunction and not open properly. - So, I've been using my phone as my main camera while we sent the damaged one off to Canon to get repaired.  I've so missed my camera.

I think a phone should be a good phone and not an okay phone and an okay camera, and an okay __ fill in the blank __  for all the countless other functions our smart phones have now.  I guess I'm on the old-fashioned side when it comes to that.  I don't want all my desires on one device.  I prefer a quality camera for pictures, an ipod for music, a phone to talk/text people...you get my drift. 

Near Island

The point is that I finally got my camera back, and I went on a little picture taking binge on our last hike.  It takes photos of a much higher quality than the phone, I tell ya!  I can zoom in without the annoying pixelation on the final photo, and there are no dark, blurry edges on the outside of the pictures anymore.  Hooray!  So, I decided this post will be very photo-heavy because I got some beauties the first day we went out for a stroll after I got my camera back.  Or maybe I was just starved for decent pictures.  Either way, here's a montage of our hike on Near Island a few weeks ago.  It was Alaska-astic.

I was loving the way the sun highlighted the colors on the houses in this quaint little harbor area we stumbled upon.  It's just across the way to town, but we'd never seen it from this point of view before, so it was a new perspective.  The lighting was perfect all afternoon because it was the magic hour. - That unique time when the sun is setting and the quality of the light is warm and perfect for taking pictures. 

Hard not to look like a big red snowman in my puffy coat - But I love it because it keeps me nice & toasty!

 We hiked through the trails of North End Park on Near Island, and then wandered off the trails and found some beautiful areas to explore.

I always catch him off guard, and then he looks like he has bitchy resting face.  ;)

There were a few spots on the trails that were pretty icy, so we had to tread carefully.  Someone took a little tumble on the ice.  Surprisingly, it wasn't perpetually clumsy me. Or Cheety.  Not to worry, there weren't any injuries.

I couldn't get enough of this serene little scene we found ourselves in.  It was so placid and silent. - There were Bald Eagles swooping through the trees, and countless different species of sea birds and ducks paddling around.

This will be a great spot to kayak

I can only describe it as rejuvenating to quietly stand there listening and observing my surroundings.  It was so still, and I could hear even the faintest call of a bird in the distance or the subtle sound of the water lapping along the shore.  Robert Frost I'm not, so I'll stop now.  But, it was truly beautiful.

And the Pugbull was as always, completely fearless.  He'll climb on anything & loves it.

I really can't say enough about the quality of the light.  So warm.

The water on the shore line by the moss was so unbelievably clear. - You could see right to
the bottom and it was chock full of mussels and all sorts of other sea life.

I got a not too shabby shot of a Bald Eagle on our travels, but I'm still on the hunt for the ultimate Eagle soaring through the sky picture.  We'll see if I'm lucky enough to catch that!

And at the end of the day, we were treated to a lovely sunset over the mountains on our drive home.  The funny thing is that this stretch of highway is nicknamed "Dead Man's Curve."

You wouldn't think that by this view, but the steep curves in the road and substantial drop-off make it pretty treacherous, especially during the winter when it's icy.  (Can't say I'm crazy about living somewhere that actually has an area of road called Dead Man's Curve)  The hubby and I joke when the weather gets snowy/icy and say, "How are the roads?  Said no one in Key West, ever."  But, you can't beat that view...

I guess this brings my photo-centric post to an end.  Let's hear it for a decent camera.  And The Magic Hour.  :)

Ta-ta for now.

Be Magpie Aware?

A few weeks ago I posted about the ubiquitous "Be Bear Aware" campaign the city of Kodiak has going on.  Really, they need to add a whole other dimension to the campaign:  Magpies.  Granted, they're not dangerous, scary, or potentially life-threatening in any way, but they deserve a little cameo.  Why?  Because they're completely ridiculous.  I've already had three encounters of the weird with these birds, and I'm sure it's just the beginning. They're absolutely everywhere up here, just like backyard sparrows in the northeast.  First, so you know what the hell I'm talking about:

Their full name is Black-billed Magpie. - One of the first new species I got to identify up here. (birding nerd alert) You can't really tell in this picture, but their tails are SO long.  And their coloring is gorgeous. - Love that shade of blue

No doubt, they're beautiful.  They're also smart, travel in flocks, are territorial, and loud!  They're pretty big birds, ranging from 17-23 inches long.  Not as big as the huge Ravens we see around here, but still on the big side for a backyard bird.  

You can see how long their tails are better in this one.  Look at
those beady little eyes. - Just waiting to get up to no good!
Photo credit:   Alan D. Wilson naturespicsonline.com

My first Magpie-encounter was the day after the movers dropped off all of our household goods.   We were in and out unpacking and moving things around, so we had the garage door open.  I was in the house and heard their tell-tale squawking, and it sounded really close.  As in, possibly in the next room close.  There was a reason for that. - There were two of them in the garage, swooping around to see if there was anything good to eat that they could steal.  As soon as I walked out to investigate, of course they both high tailed it out of there. But they were totally IN the garage, diving up and down making a huge racket with their high-pitched screeching.  I half expecetd to see bird poop all over the place.  (none, thankfully)  After that nonsense, I knew we were going to have to keep an eye on these sneaky Magpies we've got hanging around everywhere.

The second encounter was much more in your face.  They have no shame, I tell ya.  I had just come home from doing some grocery shopping, and I was unloading the bags from the back of the Jeep, which was parked in the driveway.  I was talking to the hubby in the kitchen for maybe 2 or 3 minutes, when once again we heard their tell-tale squawks.  I look out the door, and no joke, there were three of them feasting on a loaf of bread that was in the last grocery bag I hadn't unloaded yet.  So of course, I come busting out the front door to scare them off.  They flew away, but managed to peck holes through the bread bag and get a few mouthfuls before I chased them away.  One of them was in the back of the Jeep, casually standing on the grocery bag, munching away at his newly hijacked lunch!  The nerve! They're bold little mothers and they know they've got nothing to lose. 

I bet if I hadn't come out when I did, they would have figured out a way to fly away with the whole loaf of bread.  (That's a funny visual)  Once again, I expected to be scrubbing bird poop out of the back of the car, but lucky for me, I guess they weren't feeling spiteful that day.  Needless to say, we chucked that loaf of bread pretty quickly.  They're almost like Gulls at the beach - just looking for any opportunity to steal food.  I'm sure they'll scavenge whatever they can, wherever they can.

Look at all of them - It's probably their weekly pow-wow to plan their next bit of mayhem

Magpie story number three was pretty funny, especially because it didn't involve our house or vehicle.  It's always funnier when annoying crap happens to other people and you get to watch.  (Somehow not as funny when it's your car.  And bread.  Incorrigible birds)  So, we were taking Cheety for a walk, and passed by a neighbor's house.  Maybe the Magpies have a thing for Jeeps. - There was a white Grand Cherokee parked in the neighbor's driveway, and I noticed some sort of motion near the passenger side window.  

I look over, and I see a Magpie inside the back of the car, sitting on top of a pile of whatever was in the back seat.  Just hanging out in there, looking out the window at us as we walked by.  Taking a little break from the stresses of being a Magpie.  I'm sure it can get overwhelming at times, what with all the skulking around and pillaging they have to do.  I couldn't just scare the bird out of the car, I had to knock on the neighbor's door and let him know.  I'd want to know if there was a bird in my car, and I'm sure if he didn't roll up the window, it certainly wouldn't be the last visit from one of the hundreds of overly-assertive neighborhood Magpies.  Next time, he'd probably bring his buddies along and have a little Jeep Grand Cherokee shin-dig.

They're funny to watch, too.  They're always in groups. - Sometimes only two or three, but sometimes really big groups, and they're always hippity hopping around like a little comedy troupe.  Someone could easily film their antics and narrate it a la the honey badger video.  Sometimes they even dive bomb Cheety when we're out walking.  He'll be minding his own business doing dog things and a rogue Magpie will come tearing toward him, intent on a little canine harassment.  I'm sure they have quotas to keep.  So, lesson learned:  Be Magpie Aware.  They will steal from you and harass your dog!

Ta-ta for now.

Fifty Day Re-cap

We stepped off the Kennicott ferry and on to this unique & remote island - which will be our home for the next three years - on June 29, 2013.  So about now (somewhere around the 50-ish day mark), I'm doing a little mental round-up of what I know so far.



1.  Kodiak is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

Anton Larsen Bay and Fort Abercrombie

Mossy tree in Rotary Park, view from 
Base Kodiak, & misty Mill Bay Beach

 

View from the top of Pillar Mountain

2.  I've had to redefine my idea of what "good weather" means.  Basically, if it's not raining, it's good weather.

More often than not, this is the weather norm - Misty!

3.  There are no fleas or ticks on Kodiak, so we don't have to worry about prescriptions for flea/tick control for Cheety.  Nice!


 4.  Living on a military base is not what I expected.  So far, it's been downright pleasant.

Apparently, I'm surrounded by experts

5.  I order a ton of stuff online.  Way more than I ever did in Key West.  I'm keeping Amazon, UPS, and FedEx on their toes with the number of deliveries that come our way these days.


6.  The hiking here is fantastic.  It's one of my favorite things to do & I can't can't say enough about it.  

Lake Gertrude

7.  I predict I'll have as many different types of fleece jackets & winter hats here as I did flip flops in Key West.


8.  The Kodiak Daily Mirror is the world's tiniest newspaper.  They don't even have a weekend edition.


9.  There are more varieties of salmon than I ever realized, & one of these days I'm going to catch one, cook it in a delicious way and EAT it.


10.  I've rediscovered my love of taking bubble baths.  Probably has something to do with the fact that it's not God-awful hot outside.  


11.  If I had to choose a non-negotiable day-to-day item for living here, it would be rubber boots.  Glad I already had a pair of Wellies from the rainy seasons in Key West.  I've worn them A LOT since we got here.

Hey, if it'll help counteract the winter
 blues, sign me up - I'm all on board

12.  I'm a little concerned  about what the reality of winter will be here.  We'll know first hand in a few short months.  But, we're nothing if not prepared.  The word on the street is that light boxes & a vitamin D supplement are the way to go during the gray & dark winter.  Done.  →


13.  The people who live here are (not shockingly) called Kodiakans, and they're one hardy bunch of people, I tell ya.  We've seen kids running around in shorts and t-shirts, & adults out and about around town with about the same amount of clothes on in 52 degree temperatures.  I guess it's possible that after a few years, I may just morph into a sturdy Kodiakan, too.  The jury's still out on that one!


14.  I've been in bird identification nirvana with all the new species I get to see.  From the ubiquitous Black-billed Magpie to the illustrious Bald Eagle, I've been geeking out all over the place whenever I see some of the new and distinct types that live up here.  Black Oystercatchers!  Puffins!  (which I'm still waiting to catch a glimpse of)  I've come a long way from the Pelicans and Egrets of Florida's shores.

Black-billed Magpie, Black Oystercatcher and a Bald Eagle
(Photo Credit:  "Mike" Michael L. Baird)

15.  I'm not the only one who's been in nirvana.  Cheety's been in doggie heaven with everything from the cooler temperatures, all the space he has to roam around on walks, the big mountain hikes he loves so much, and the pièce de résistance, his very own dog park right behind his house. (translation:  his first ever fenced in backyard in his 3 short years of life)  Someone is one happy pooch:

Kashevaroff Mountain - What pup wouldn't be in paradise with all
that space & freedom?  The hills were alive with the sound of Cheety!

View of Kodiak from the top of Kashevaroff Mountain

Fifty days in and all I can say is, not too shabby.  Not too shabby at all.  

Ta-Ta for now.