The Other Side

Let's catch up!  I've gone west (yes, again).  Have landed in North Vancouver.  Took myself on a walk today and was blown away by this view as I walked down the hill (along a wide sidewalk beside a busy thoroughfare, mind you).

Big mountains, lots of evergreen trees, low lying clouds...dampness.
Feels like home (my roots are showing).

The classic view in Deep Cove that I can never resist.

Views of extraordinary houses, expensive toys, affluence that I will never know.
But looking is free!

Coast to coast

Please pardon my absence in recent weeks 

L'Aboiteau, New Brunswick, Canada

but I've decamped  from the east coast 

and headed for a visit to the west...

leaving one shore for another 

floating through the world

Deep Cove, British Columbia, Canada

and enjoying the view.

Different strokes for different folks

Saw this fellow paddling to shore in Deep Cove, North Vancouver last winter.  Yes, that is what winter looks like
out there.

My mother once wrote in my autograph book 

when I was a little girl, 

"Love many, trust few, but always paddle your own canoe."

I would imagine that it applies equally to a kayak.

Bringin' home the bacon, one way or another.

Glacier Bay

We are sailing into Alaska's Glacier Bay.

For me, Glacier Bay was the highlight of the cruise.

Such stillness here (other than the broadcast explanations of the local park ranger who has come on board to tell us about the formations of Glacier Bay, and many scientific details, of which I remember none).

As we get closer to the glaciers, bits of floating ice 

dot the water,

patches of snow become evident,

and a small dark shape on a floating piece of ice reveals itself to be a seal, watching us watching him.

It's snowing on the mountain tops but we're lucky today to have such good visibility.  The captain said that the previous week the scenery was completely hidden by fog.

A small waterfall in the lower region of the mountain
dives into its own reflection.

The lower slopes are still covered with green, reminding us that less than a century ago, this area was a rich and welcoming homeland, full of natural resources, for the native Tlingit people, until they were pushed further afield by the encroaching glaciers.

Clouds creep down the mountains to soften the appearance of the sharp edged-ridges.

Peace.  Silence.  Awe.

We can only look on in amazement as we approach the glaciers.

Crew members are passing out small bowls of thick, hot,
pea soup to warm us on our approach to the ice fields.

Be sure to get a bowl before we continue on.

One last look at Skagway

It's time to hustle back to the cruise ship as departure time is nearly upon us.

As we hurry past, a brash young temptress calls to us from an upstairs window of the town brothel  hotel.

Actually, this sweet young thing is probably earning money for college with a summer theatre job.  Actors roam the street between showings, staying in character and trying to drum up business for the play.

One last quick dash down a side street stops me in my tracks in front of this antique store window, combining a fascinating time-warping view of the past with the present.

(as well as providing a contribution to 

James' Weekend Reflections )

I wonder if that old license plate we saw in the window has travelled any of the roads leading to places suggested on this signpost...

if there are roads leading there. 

(note to self: must look at a road map of Alaska)

I think this rusted handle, beautifully showcased on an even rustier door, would make a fine addition to the collection in that antique shop.

All that sight-seeing has made me hungry.  What say we stop in the ship's Lido Restaurant for a little snack before supper?  For entertainment, we can watch a crew member wash the windows in the rain.

One last look at the fresh snow on the mountains above the rain-soaked deck as we say so long to Skagway.  

More mountains to come.  

Be sure to bundle up for our next stop, 

that's all I'm saying.

Remember Where We Parked!

Not too hard to remember where our boat is anchored today,

at the foot of bustling downtown Skagway.

But be careful not to get caught in a time warp here as we prepare to take a tour of the town.

Should we go by train?

Or take in "all points of interest" 

on the Alaska street car tour?

Perhaps a horse-drawn carriage is more to your liking?

Ah, here we go; just the ticket!  

Tour will be getting underway soon.

Double Your Pleasure?

First Stop: Juneau

On day 3 of our Alaskan cruise, we docked for the day at Juneau.

Passengers poured off the ships and invaded the downtown streets, panting for good jewellery deals, cheap tee shirts, fridge magnets, Native art, Ulu knives, shot glasses, and any species of souvenir that said "Alaska" all over it.  

The city huddles at the foot of a mountain.  It seems to exist largely for the cruise ship season.  There are many interesting excursions one can sign up for, to get a taste of the wilder side of Alaska--go out into nature, or even drive past the governor's mansion, but all these cost money.  So I stuck to wandering the streets with my camera.

This decorative fence of stylized sea life caught my eye,

as did these brightly painted chairs sitting by the sidewalk.  

I believe this is some sort of Native Community Centre, judging by the artwork of the fence and that seen painted on the wall behind the chairs.  

I spotted this ashtray attached to the wall outside a bar on the main street.  Symbolic, I thought.

This is where Elks hang out.  

The sign says it is the Elks Mother Lodge of Alaska.  

It's as close as I got to wildlife on the trip.

The wreath-like decorations, the colours and varied finishes on this old building intrigued me.

Even more so when I noticed its name painted on a side wall: "Palace"

Maybe not the stairway to heaven, but if you look closely between these two buildings you can see a steep set of wooden stairs that climb at least part way up the mountain.  

But no time for further exploration today as it's time to set sail for our next port of call,

and more opportunities to make up for not buying that sweet little souvenir that we saw and passed up when we were in Juneau.

All At Sea

Before setting sail, we have to be immersed in a safety drill.  The main point is to watch your step and mind your head and everything should be all right.  Although, just this past week, there is a report of a 70 year old woman who apparently walked off a Dam boat somewhere between Charlottetown  Prince Edward Island and Halifax Nova Scotia.  It is felt that she was neither a victim of foul play (at least not on the boat) nor did she fall/jump overboard.  But she is missing, along with some items of necessity...such as what I'm not sure.  Perhaps a life ring or immersion suit?

so many ways of being "at sea"

but we are not lost--

we're heading north to Alaska!