Earlier this summer I posted several pictures of totem poles from Sitka National Historic Park (Totem Park.)  This prompted several comments from friends abroad.  Questions of where the poles came from, how old they where, and questions about their role in religion. The original poles were gathered in the park after the 1906 St. Louis World’s Fair.   (The meet me in St. Louis, Louis fair).  As they aged they decayed, and would have fallen back to the earth (as they are meant to) but in this park they were preserved, some older poles are on display in the visitor’s center.  … Continue reading Sitka’s Totem Walk

This has been a strange summer.  Perhaps stranger than last summer, which was dry with record heat.  This summer has been warmer than usual, and with both more sunny days and more rainfall than normal.  A lot more rain, record … Continue reading Rain Forest Walks, Sitka, Alaska

Each year salmon return in the millions to rivers and streams in Alaska.  In a way it is, like the wildebeest migration in Africa, a great biological machine that moves nutrients around the ocean and returns to enrich the streams … Continue reading Salmon Run, 2014

I posted the following on Facebook last week. Suzi and I went out to take some pictures of The Michio Memorial Totem Pole. It is a pole dedicated to a Japanese wildlife photographer killed by a bear. On our way, … Continue reading Bear Cub Fishing

The Sitka Conservation Society along with Allen Marine sponsored an evening cruise on Sitka Sound.  We had a discussion of Salmon and got to watch the dramatic change in weather as fine weather moved in from the sea, piling up … Continue reading August 19th An Evening on Sitka Sound

Yesterday morning I woke to sunny skies despite predictions from the night before.  I could see whales spouting in Eastern Channel.  This looked like a good day for an Allen Marine wildlife cruise.   Although the weather was fine I checked my weather app and found a weather advisory predicting unusually heavy rain and two storm fronts bearing down on Northern Southeast Alaska.  I looked at the radar and decided that, although it was sunny and warm I would take my Gor Tex.  It was a good decision.  We started out in shirt sleeves enjoying the sun and watched as the front … Continue reading August 16, 2014, A Pretty Good Day.

As part of the Sitka Seafood Festival we enjoyed athletes demonstrating feats of strength, including throwing telephone poles (cabers), weights (both for height and distance) and bales of hay.  I missed the Crab Pot Toss. Continue reading Sitka Highland/Island Games

The Sitka Seafood Festival is probably the last thing you would expect me to attend given the strong allergic reaction I get from eating almost anything that comes from the sea.   True, I give the seafood banquet, prepared by visiting celebrity chefs, a pass;  but I certainly enjoy the other activities.  The Seafood Festival happens largely on the Sitka Fine Arts Campus.  Chuck Bovee, who worked for Sheldon Jackson College for years, said it’s been a long time since he’s seen so many people on the campus, it felt good.  It does feel good.  For several years the abandoned … Continue reading Sitka Seafood Featival

The last regular season concert of the Sitka Summer Music Festival is this evening.  It has been a glorious month of music.  The Festival has concerts or events 6 days a week, evening concerts, brown bag lunches, cafe concerts, music based movie nights, a kid’s concert, a garden party concert and a concert on a boat floating in Krestof Sound.   About half the events are free.  The concerts are a delight, with four centuries of chamber music performed on instruments that span five centuries.  June is a month where I know I am exactly where I should be. Thanks to … Continue reading The Sitka Summer Music Festival Ends Today.

When the rain came back earlier this week I had the feeling of fall coming on.  It has been beautiful the last two months, with our long northern days and lots of good weather.  We have been so blessed with weather that I can’t let myself believe that it isn’t autumn already.  But, of course, we are just beginning summer.  A friend told me we are fortunate to live in Sitka because when something normal happens, that is normal for other people, a blue sky, it is a cause of celebration in Sitka.   We have had two months of celebration.  … Continue reading An Early Summer in Sitka

After a 31 year absence, the Carnival came to Sitka over the weekend – not the cruise ship Carnival, but the cover-your-kids-in-cotton-candy carnival. Golden Wheel amusements brought 14 rides, games, funnel cake, and corn dogs. Sitka was ready. KCAW’s Rich McClear sent this audio postcard from the midway. Awesome – This is fun, do it again next year – cool –I haven’t seen a lot of people gathering like this for a long time, very active, good for the community – my kids were born and raised here so they have never been to a carnival before, They’re super excited, … Continue reading The Carnival Comes to Sitka