July Journal Notes

July 27, 2008:  We just finished up with four consecutive weeks with guests aboard.  I love being able to share this experience with friends and family.  It adds so much to our lives to be able to be with people we love in new and interesting places.  The best part of having this bigger boat is to have more comfortable places for guests.  Even with five more people aboard, I never feel crowded.

The weather here (rainy and cold) and not being able to run (I tore a tendon in my foot about a month ago) is really starting to wear on me.  I find myself sleeping in later or just laying in bed listening to the rain fall.  I'm feeling depressed and am ready to move south to find the sun.  We leave Sitka tomorrow and I'm not sure how far south we'll need to go to get warm.  By the time we get into Canada, it should be nice.  Can't wait!   

July 5th:  Bear and I went home for ten days over his birthday and the 4th of July.  Unfortunately we only saw Grandma Boo for a short time but were able to celebrate Bear's birthday with her, Uncle Dave and Pretty Peg.  We spent most of the time up at the cabin where John and Mel Jensen are staying for the summer.  We had so much fun up there!  The weather was perfect - sunny and 80 everyday.  My mom came out most days and it was great to spend time with her.  I was able to hook up with many people over the week - most weekenders were there for the holiday weekend.  All the Leonidas gang was there and Cathy and Tom came up for an extended time too. 

The 4th of July celebration was particularly fun this year.  It included the largest number of people I've even seen at the Millar event.  The parade had some interesting and hysterical new entrants this year.  Mel and I dressed as firecrackers and chanted, "Firecracker, firecracker - Boom! Boom! Boom!" while holding lit sparklers.  Brad Wilson came as Elvis.  Last year's salad queen rode on a float with the Salad Trophy mounted on the ATV that pulled her.  Bill the Garbologist was the parade marshal again this year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The kids participated as usual, squirting water and throwing candy.  There was many newcomers in the crowd as well.  After the parade, everyone (over 100 people) congregated at the Millar's for a BBQ.  This year's Summer Salad contest had 24 entries and Ralph Mader won.  The boat parade included 19 boats.  What a blast!

I was able to go to golf on Tuesday morning and see my golf friends (Yvette was there and it was great to catch up with her).  By frequently all the "hot spots" - Flying Eagle, Pine Point, The Spot and Scenic Drive - I got to see all the locals.  Bear caught up with friends too - the Ogren kids, Al and Shawn McConnell up from Texas, Evan and Luke Leonidas, John Bochler and Camden and Grant Bergquist in the Ciites.  We both had an awesome time. 

July 15th:  Paula, Tom and Laura Millar joined us on the boat to explore Glacier Bay National Park with us.  What a wonderful week we had!  Glacier Bay was unbelievably beautiful.  The first day with them was "whale day".  We saw a herd of humpbacks bubble-feeding and a pod of Orcas with one male whose dorsal fin was hooked.  We called him the Hoonah Hooker as we were near the town of Hoonah (where we stayed for the night).  The next day we went into the park, had orientation, then headed up to Marble Island.  There we saw a sea lion rookery with over a hundred sea lions.  They were lazy at first, then came alive as a group of 40-50 peeled off the rocks into the water and swam as a pack.  It was like they got kicked out of the house by their dad and told to go out and play for a while.  They were fun to watch.  I bet we stayed there an hour.  There were also Puffins swimming on the water.  They were so cute - and much smaller than I thought they'd be.  Paula thinks they look like stuffed animals.  I wanted to see them because I always eat the cereal called Puffins.