Greetings!

Greetings! Here is my favorite picture of the week, just taken yesterday morning after the first frost.

I was out taking photos of the ice tipped leaves when I heard these two beauties screeching. I followed the calls to find them perched on a autumn tree branch. They are so beautiful.

Thanks for your patience as to the delay in my postings...working full time has put a bit of cramp in my writing. Any free time I have, I spend it living, so at least I have something to write about :)

I hope you enjoy this week's postings. I bring you up-to-date on Mom, Andrew and Steve as well as the next three days of our journey to Alaska.

Next week I'll share more fun photos to with you....grizzly bears, eagles and, of course,my precious family...

I'll close with a sunset. Thanks for reading!

Andrew's Update

Andrew had a busy and fun-filled three weeks. Here are some highlights...

He and his class mates dissected sterilized owl pellets and this is what they found! Sterilized owl pellets? It is the regurgitate fur, feathers, bones and stuff that the owl can't digest. Yum! Isn't science fun! They took what they found and reconstructed the skeleton of the eaten animal.

The leader of the Lego Robotic Club, Hoonah science guru, Ben McLuckie made a special concession and allowed Andrew to be in the club even though the ages are 9-12. They meet twice a week, after school to work on their "challenge." He won’t be able to participate in the competition in Juneau, but he does not care - Andrew is so on fire for Legos, he loves to help out any way he can.

Over the weekend we went blueberry picking with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters group. It was pouring down rain but we were all smiles despite the deluge :)

And last week his class entertained audiences with their version of the Titanic in Reader’s Theater.

Andrew and his class went on an outdoor field trip to the park to look for birds and the signs they leave behind on the ground.

And had lots of fun playing games with Grandma Leines....

Next week I'll have pictures of open house, grandparents day, the band concert and Andrew's new hobby.

Mom's Update

Mom has a nice cozy spot by the window...meaning table, chair, lamp and lots of room for her to spread out her paperwork. She has an awesome view of the harbor where she watches the eagles, whales, ravens and neighbors. She waves at all the tourists and locals as they walk by our picture window.

Mom is working through her piles of projects checking off her "To Do" list one by one. Aside from taking frequent naps on the couch, playing cards and cutting out magazine articles for me to read, she is perfecting her gift of gab. Mom has gone over her cell phone minutes five times since she has been here. Some how Mom is able to persuade her phone carrier in to giving her more free minutes each time.

While Mom loves the wildlife and great views, but what she really wanted to do was visit the Hoonah Thrift Store. Wishes do come true. She scored some hangers, received some valuable bear advice and of course, made new friends.

She dines with Andrew once a week in the cafeteria and after what she has been eating our our house, she is happy to go to school Mom has attended open house, grandparents day and our first band concert of the year.

Mom loves our new Chinese restaurant and orders her usual: "pork fried rice" For some reason she is collecting extra fortune cookies to take home to her friend Dixie...Dixie you may want to ask Mom about this one :)

Our time is slowing coming to a close and soon Mom will be on her way back to the real world..Oregon, I give her back to you rested, refreshed and a few projects and pounds lighter.

Steve's Update

Steve has been very busy with work and is currently on his way home after a three day conference in Anchorage. A great Anchorage bonus was that he went to see the Broadway musical the Lion King on Tuesday night and was blown away! He loved it :)

If I was to make a list of all the things he does in a day…I would never get this posted. Aside from all of his job duties, he goes above and beyond and tries to make everything better. He truly help his students in an authentic and caring way. As one example, he makes time to visit, not only Andrew’s class, but all the classrooms everyday. He sensitively relates to kindergartners, students, staff , parents and community members. He is a problem solver and a super-hero and we are very proud of him.

Here we are at Open House... where Steve was the host of the party!

A Grizzly Experience

It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning when Tina and Chris Fuller called and invited us out for a day of island exploration. It didn’t take me two seconds to reply an enthusiastic, “yes!” We gathered the gear, snacks, and camera for the trip. As I sat in the car, ready to go, I felt like a kid on the way to Disneyland.

Tina is the Kindergarten through 2nd grade teacher. Her husband, Chris, is a retired engineer and has the joy of being a stay-at-home Dad. H spends his day taking care of 10 month old Even and loves every minute of it. Chris also is a great photographer and has captured many amazing shots of Alaskan wildlife and landscapes. Also along with us for the trip, was Renee Hewitt; the recently hired counselor for the school.

Only 30 minutes after the excursion began we were rewarded with an exciting bear sighting. We stood on a small wooden bridge and watched the Grizzly wade trough the water. The stream was full of fish and this beauty was slapping the water with his clawed paws, finding his favorite Coho to gobble. Another gentleman had stopped on the bridge to watch the bear. He had been there for over an hour carefully observing the bear go from one end of the river bed to the other. She showed Andrew the grassy spot where the bear feasted on his kills. The muddy bodies still remain but the fish heads were taken as a bear snack.

The bear sauntered out of sight and we moved hopped back in the truck; all thrilled with seeing our first Grizzly.

This is a view from the roadside, on our way to the next stop.

We arrived at small side road where a little pathway was in view. Chris, carrying his own gun, also armed Steve with a rifle; just in case hostel bear encounter occurred. Tina, Mom and baby Evan stayed behind in the safety of their car. We quietly and slowly walked down the path. Thick huckleberry bushes, fireweed, mushrooms, ferns and tall pines gave adequate refuge for all forest creatures…no matter how big. Chris stepped a few yards ahead of us scouting for smells or signs of a bear. Many of the berry bushes had been picked clean and the evidence of who did the picking was in the bear scat we spotted on the path.

Once we reached the stream, no bear were in sight. Renee was relieved and I was just happy to see a new and beautiful spot of our island.

Our next stop was False Bay. It was lovely. The beach was clean and the water, clear. By the rocky edge of the shore the water gave off a translucent turquoise glow. We lunched and laughed and strained to list on one hand places that were prettier than this.

We ventured next to Wukulook Trail. Supposedly this area is highly populated by bear. We didn’t see a one, but we sure had fun looking.

Our outing was so much fun. I loved seeing the island, the excitement of seeing and looking for bear and being with family and friends, made for a great experience.
I say we do it all again tomorrow….wha'do ya think?

Day Four: Night of Frustration

After the game we hopped on the express bus and made a quick get-a-way back to Issaquah to meet up with Lisa and Mom. (Since Mom didn’t go the game, Jim gave her his snazzy Mariners hat as a keepsake.) Andrew, Mom and I still had to make it to Vancouver BC that night, so under the cover of the Park-n-Ride structure; we said our heartfelt thanks and good-byes.

We had about a four hour drive ahead of us….or so we thought. We embarked on a section of I-5 that neither Mom nor I had ever traveled. It felt good to slowly transition from the big city to the green unfamiliar farmland and pastures of northern Washington, all the while following the curves and cuts of rivers and streams. It was a beautifully peaceful evening. That soon changed. As we rounded the corner to the Canadian border entrance, I saw one of the most amazing sunsets I had ever seen. Yet I was trapped in my car, with my hands stuck on the steering wheel…no place to park, stop or even stick my head out of the sunroof... I rubber-necked glances, prepared my camera in vein and watched in anguish the elusive picture-perfect sky; pinks, blues, purples and oranges, reflecting in the evening water drift into black. Between looks I was yammering at the injustice of the Canadians for not providing a lookout, a “view” marker…or a “last chance” sign… The looming peace arch was laughable, as I was in too much of a tizzy to appreciate it. To make the mood even better, I was being slyly prodded by my mother to break the law, “to heck with the hundreds of cars behind you and those armed men,…jump out of the car, run across three lanes of traffic, and get your picture…Jeeeez, you’ll never make as a photo journalist if you can’t break a few rules!!!” Getting arrested was not part of the plan and with my luck they would never believe my sunset obsession and confiscate my camera and send me off to some remote place for questioning. This picture is the best I could do: a sliver of the sunset streaming through, over and under cars. Heartbreaking.

Finally we make it to the customs agent. I hand her our appropriate information. She asks about plants, firearms and weapons. I said no but Andrew replied …”What about those fireworks we have in the back?” The Customs lady is probably thinking that we are loaded with explosives…I say, “Aaaaandrew, we have 10 sparklers…fireworks, sparklers are different that fireARMS.” No surprise, next thing she does is ask us to pull up to the “You’re in Trouble” checkpoint and go inside the building. But, before I can drive to our next spot, Mom decides to pull a youuuu – whoooo and chat a bit. Over me and through the open window, Mom made small talk with the border control lady, “Why are there so many people tonight? Is it always this busy? Is the gentleman driving in that car up there…is that a Studebaker…it says Studebaker but they haven’t made those in years. So, darling, how long have you been working here?” At this point I was practically in tears with frustration…finally we said good-bye to the nice customs lady at the window and pulled over to the appointed spot. The heavily armed man asked us to go inside the adjacent building and wait. (As far as Government wastefulness goes…there were 15 uniformed people in that building and I swear all of them were playing games on their computers.) We were the only people in the building…which made me even more nervous. We walked to the counter and I handed the lady our paperwork and passports…when she asked me my name, Mom thought she would add some credibility to our station by informing her, “I was Miss Oregon and 2nd Runner-up to Miss America.” So, if the explosives in the back of car and the Studebaker question didn’t put us on the loony list – me posing as a Miss Oregon with a 7 year-old son was going to get us cuffed for sure!

The lady politely asked us to take a seat while she ran our names through their system. I was relieved when only 15 minutes later she told us we were “all clear” and free to go. Thank God!

We set off very ready to find Vancouver and settle in for the night. This was one section of the trip that I did Map Quest and ….little good that did me. I won’t go into all the details, for fear I might redevelop my tick, but it was an insane evening of disorientation, driving all over “hell and tarnation” and mother and I both resolving, in a fit of anger, that we were not going to let each other navigate anymore! Andrew, bless his heart, slept through the whole thing.

When we finally found our Best Western it was far from best. It was in a crazy part of town and had two inebriated males playing with a bouncy ball in the parking lot. I was ready to leave and go find a place to park and sleep in the car. Mom went in and checked out the rooms. They were nice, although I thought ours smelled like cat litter. The guy at the desk had a thick Indian accent and large gold earring. He was so nice and offered Andrew water, milk or juice five different times while we waited for the elevator to arrive. He expressed to me how classy my mom was and he even told Andrew that I was a little hottie. Andrew just smiled and nodded, as I think he thought he said that I was a little “odd-y,” with which Andrew would agree.

Day Five: The Lowlands and Highlands of Vancouver

On day five I fell in love with Vancouver, BC, or more specifically “Stanley Park.” The magical 1000 acres of park offered a new surprise at every turn and a solace that can only come from huge trees, a beach and Scottish dancing…but first, we had to get there :)

The drive from our hotel into the city reminded me of back avenues in Hollywood; long, wide, four lane streets, full of cars, bicycles and electric buses. The littered sidewalks were laden with shuffling laborers and waking homeless. Block after block tattered shops with torn awnings and chipped paint lined the thoroughfare. As we entered downtown, the buildings turned to stone and soared high above us. The streets were clean; business suits and pencil skirts, the glisten of fountains and monuments fit the shady pockets, and waterfront condos with pulled curtains exposed a life of nicely chosen art and petite mantle ornaments.

Thankfully, our refuge was easy to find. Without much effort, we parked ourselves in a front row spot right outside the Vancouver Aquarium. After last night’s chaos, all of us were overjoyed at the ease of our arrival and convenient positioning. (Before we left the hotel, the lady at the front desk advised that we not leave anything in our car. She was aware of several guests returning from Stanley Park having had all their possessions stolen. Well, emptying our car was not an option, we had too much stuff, but this choice parking spot was highly monitored and it turned out to be quite secure.)

For anyone that loves aquariums this is one not to be missed. The Aquarium has more than 33,700 fish from about 300 species. Nearly 30,000 invertebrates, including sea stars, jellyfish, octopuses and about 20 other spineless creatures are displayed. More than 350 snakes, frogs and newts represent 56 species of amphibians and reptiles. And, finally, close to 60 individuals represent 21 species of birds and mammals from around the globe including whales, seals, sloths and scarlet ibises.

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre was formed initially as the Vancouver Public Aquarium Association in 1951. The Vancouver Aquarium, officially Canada's first public Aquarium, opened on June 15, 1956. The Vancouver Aquarium always has been a self-supporting, non-profit organization receiving no annual government operational funding.

Through visionary, responsible growth programs with building additions starting in 1967, the Vancouver Aquarium has become the largest in Canada and one of the five largest in North America. The Aquarium is internationally recognized for display and interpretation excellence, and was the first facility to incorporate professional naturalists/interpretive specialists into galleries to explain animal behaviors. Aquarium research projects extend world-wide and are internationally recognized for the successful Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program.

Aquarium animals come to the aquarium from many places and in many different ways. Many animals arrive at the Aquarium as part of an exchange program with other large aquariums, zoos and universities. Most of the tropical fish are flown to the Aquarium from dealers around the world. The Aquarium tries to buy fish from sustainable fisheries and conservation-based associations and only purchases from dealers who collect fish with nets, and not chemicals or explosives.

Many animals, some of which, are caught with nets or lines from boats, are donated to the Aquarium by fishers, local aquarists, sport divers and scientists. Aquarium divers have permits to collect marine invertebrates including octopi, sea stars, sea anemones, and other species of fish. Other collectors walk out from the beach with seine nets to gather local invertebrates and fishes.

Many animals are also born into the Aquarium’s care. Once in the Aquarium, most animals live for many years.

The world is facing what may be the single largest mass extinction event since the time of the dinosaurs: as many as half of the world’s 6,000 known amphibian species could be wiped out in our lifetimes. The Vancouver Aquarium has joined forces with zoos and aquariums around the world to try and stop hundreds, if not thousands, of species from vanishing forever. (* taken from the Aquarium website)

At first take, Mom appreciated very much the planning and design that went into the aesthetics of the facility. Every turn of the head brought a new discovery. Andrew took in with awe the myriad of creatures, big and small, that moved, slithered, swayed and jumped before his eyes. I loved watching him take it all in.

I was lucky enough to meet a gentleman that passed on some very helpful advice regarding my ISO setting on my camera. I immediately went from terrible pictures with an intrusive flash to sensitive shots with just the right color. I was so excited. I took dozens and dozens of photos…here are a few of my favorites.

We enjoyed the aquarium at a leisurely pace; walking slowly, taking in to the fullest the incredible bounty of all that was presented to us: each beautifully made with a specific purpose in mind. From the baby beluga whale and his mother to the thick-whiskered leopard seals, from the delightful seahorses to the flying dolphins, we weaved and wandered through the aquarium, marveling at the mere fraction of the undersea world protected in this place. Knowing that beyond this glimpse of ocean, sea and stream there is a dark and glorious universe that we will never see. It was a divine experience and a definite highlight of our trip.

We settled back into our truck and explored the park by car. We came across a sign that announced a miniature train ride just inside the gates. It sounded amusing and there was also a playground nearby where Andrew could release some energy before dinner. Mom, literally saturated from our aquarium experience, decided to stay behind and take a well-deserved nap in the cab of the truck.

It was a slow, meandering train that ckick-ity-clacked us through the tall cedars. Sparsely placed facades of cabin, saloon and a general store decorated the roadside. Pretend animals also accessorized the setting; my deep desire to see a moose on our trip only came true only in the form of this brass sculpture. One surprise came when in the middle of trip when we saw some sheep…they were so still, we assumed they were fake…but they suddenly darted out of their tight formation…Andrew (with great influence from StarWars) thought, perhaps, they were robot or clone sheep….hmmmmmmm perhaps.

The playground proved a good choice, as we were soon off to dinner with a rested and hungry Mama and tired and hungry boy. We dined at Prospect Point; a historical place known for a ship wreck, but we will forever remember this spot as the historic place where Mom fell in love with Edemame beans. Dinner was awesome…fresh veggies, fish, a huge bowl of steamed Edemame beans with sea salt and a view of the water to boot.

I had my eye on the clock, because before we left Oregon, I had Googled Stanley park and discovered that at 7:30 pm at Ceperley Meadow we could all learn Scottish Folk Dances for free. This was a dream come true. I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

Again by car we found our destination….another beautiful spot in the park. Within view was a beach, pool, playground and thirty-or-so people hopping and turning to Scottish jigs under the fair skies. I was ecstatic.

Mom opted to watch the dancing and ended up taking pictures for a smootchy young couple who was just learning the steps. Andrew was thrilled to have a playground just feet from the dance area. This swing disk was a favorite as well as the slide with no sides.

I watched as well, as the moves were advanced but one seasoned dancer assured me my time would come. In the meanwhile, I took some pictures….

Soon enough my hand was taken and I was whisked away to the dance floor. I shuffled, hopped and schootched to the delightful music, all the while my partner giving me clues as to what to do next. Andrew snagged the camera and managed to capture my bliss. I have had a deep and long devotion to Scotland ever since I was young… on this beautiful night in Stanley Park, dancing to highland tunes…. I was in 7th heaven.

After a repeat performance, it was back to more advanced dances and I was off to the side lines again. I walked Andrew to the beach, where step-by-step, he ended up swimming in the water. The sunset was glorious.

The sun lazily sank behind the watery horizon, the pool emptied, the music stopped and the time came for our day in Stanley Park to come to an end. We quietly walked back to our car, full of the blessings of the day. I hope to return to this place again…next time with Steve dressed in a kilt :)