Blogging from Alaska #3

Sept 9

Hi all...

So this is my last week in Alaska before heading back to South Carolina.  I haven't been in Alaska in four years, so it was nice to come back to visit old friends and enjoy the scenery.  

My brother took Pat, his wife, Mary, and I out halibut fishing the other day and we caught enough to have a nice dinner...actually, Pat and Mary caught the "dinner", but mine was too small, so I let him go.  I drove the boat to our favorite fishing spot...and felt good to be on the inlet again.  It was a beautiful day...cool air and great mountain views.  We saw puffins and sea otters along the way and had a right good time. 

On Sunday, Pat and I drove to Hope and hiked the Gull Rock Trail...12 miles of heavy forest along Cook Inlet.  It was an excellent hike but wore me out.  Here's what it looked like most of the way...

It was low tide so we were able to see all of the exposed mud flats.  If I'm not mistaken, Cook Inlet has the most extreme daily tide in the world.  Along the way we stopped to get a few shots of the mud flats, just because they looked so unique...

On Monday we drove back to Kenai but stopped along the way to get a few "reflection" images...

  

  We were fortunate to see swans on Tern Lake...

...and we made it back to Kenai in time to help my brother work on his new garage.  Later in the evening I took Pat to the airport and he flew home...and I'll be helping my brother finish his garage before I leave next week.

I'm wishing you all well and leaving you with one last Alaska sunset....

John