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.

Monashka Bay Hike - Check.

Cheety checking out Monashka Bay

A few weeks ago, we went on a hike to an area I hadn't been to yet called Monashka Bay.  Hubby hiked the mountain part of the area a month or so ago as part of a challenge he was doing called Seven Summits, but it was my first time there.

It's about a 40 minute drive north of the base, and it was another unforgettable hiking day.  The weather wasn't ideal, but one of the things we decided pretty early on after our move was that it was time to reevaluate our definition of good weather. 

We settled on, "If it's not raining, it's good weather."  That sounds a little sad when I reread it, but if you stay inside when it's a little misty or overcast out in Kodiak, you'll never leave the house.  Also kind of sad when I reread it.  What are ya going to do, right?  This is our weather reality, just like 80% humidity in October was a reality in Key West.  (which isn't that much fun, either)  I've actually started to acclimate to the cooler temperatures.  It was 65 degrees in the house the other day and I didn't even need a fleece.  Go me. 

Of course, you know I had to see if I could find any information out on the interwebs about the origin of the name Monashka, but all I came across was that it's Russian in origin.  (I also didn't look very hard)  Not really a huge shock considering the Russian factor is a bit high in these parts. (Kodiak was settled by Russians before the U.S bought it in 1867)  So that translates to lots of Russian Orthodox churches, street names like Shelikof and Melnitsa, and hotels like the Russian River Lodge.  Not to mention museums and festivals celebrating the Russian heritage of Kodiak.  Aaaaand now the history portion of this post is over.  Hey, at least you know you might learn something new when you read my ramblings, right?  This was the trail head at the start of our hike:

Hubby & the pug dog with the ever-present, vibrant green moss in the forests

 
I really can't say enough about how much I love the hiking here.  It's so unique and fun to get out and explore all these new places.  I don't think I'll ever get over how gorgeous it can be.

I'm always awed by how fat the moss can get on the tree branches.  Unbelievable.

Even though it was misty and overcast out that day, it was still a beautiful and memorable hike.  I love that there are so many other mountains, beaches, hikes, and experiences we'll get to undertake for the first time while we're here.  It's no doubt one of the best things about getting to live in a new place.  Especially a place like Kodiak.  Unique doesn't even begin to cover it.

But, I do have to be honest, I miss my old life.  We've only been here for four months, but it feels like much, much longer than that.  Whenever I have those fleeting thoughts, I remind myself of all of the one-of-a-kind things we'll get to experience while we have the privilege of living here.  I also have to remind myself that four months is still early on in the whole "let's get adjusted" game.  I try to tweak those less than positive thoughts whenever they creep in by reminding myself how exceptional it is that we get to be here.



 And it certainly doesn't hurt to have a day like our Monashka hike - where we get outside, get some exercise and fresh air, and lay eyes on some of the most unforgettable natural landscapes I've ever seen.  Makes it easy to focus on all the raw beauty we're surrounded by instead of what I miss.

The hubby laughed at me when I told him I thought it would be fun to go for a swim at the little beach on the far side of the picture below.  I mean, he does have a point about how cold the water will be - even in the middle of summer, but it looks like a fun little alcove to play in.  Maybe we'll just go for a wade into the water instead of a swim!  I don't know if I'll ever get quite that acclimated!

I was loving the swirls of green in the water here & how obscured the top of the mountain was by the low clouds.

That little beach looks nice and private, and I'm a sucker for the black sand.  Monashka Bay also seemed like it might be a good spot to go kayaking.  More fun things to look forward to doing in this new home that doesn't quite feel like home yet.  I'll get there.  In the meantime, I'll celebrate not having to bundle up in fuzzy blankets and fleece jackets when the temps dip below sixty-eight degrees.  It's the little things, really.

Ta-ta for now.