Sunday, August 29, 2010
Halibut Cove (August 27-29, 2010)
Friday after school we headed down to Homer where we stepped abroad the Danny J, a wooden boat that took us on a 45 minute ride across Kachemak Bay to the very small town of Halibut Cove. Halibut Cove has a population of about 125 and is home to many fishermen and artists. They are well known for two art galleries, all work by local artists, and the Saltry Restaurant. We had been told on a number of occasions that the Saltry Restaurant is very much worth the trip and indeed it was. We were fortunate to try local seafood from the area, crab stuffed rock fish and seafood cannelloni with shrimp and scallops. I can easily say that the crab stuffed rock fish was the best meal I had ever had in my life. First, if you’ve never tried rock fish you need to, it is a delicious white, buttery fish. Inside the rock fish of course was the crab stuffing. The fish sat on top of a mashed sweet potato and Golden Nugget potato blend. On top of everything was a thick cream sauce. With food like this, eating could easily become a hobby.
On our trip over to Halibut Cove, a tufted puffin was swimming about 6 feet from our boat. We also saw a sea otter bobbing up and down through the water. Halibut Cove itself was a very quaint town, the majority of it sitting on two islands connected by an isthmus. After supper we were able to walked the island boardwalk and take in the two galleries. We also did some short hiking at the top most point of the island, walking on dirt paths and past horse pastures. It had a very Anne of Green Gables feeling to it…the lush grass, dirt paths, and salty ocean water. After spending just a few hours at Halibut Cove, our boat departed back to Homer. Although it was cloudy, we did get to see a bit of the sunset as well as a playful sea otter about 10 feet from our boat.
On Saturday and Sunday we biked down to the beach, which is about a mile from our home and walked the shoreline. We saw a new species of bird. I think they were some type of plover migrating through. They were travelling in small flocks, quickly running along the shoreline, digging with their beaks in the mud. They reminded me a lot of the way a killdeer moves. We also saw a large hawk with a bright reddish-orange underside. Although our Saturday walk was windy and overcast, Sunday was beautiful. The skies were clear in the morning, giving way to a beautiful view of Mount Spur, Mount Redoubt, and Mount Illiamna.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010 and the past two weeks
Wow, school is here already. It’s hard to believe. We started teaching students this past Tuesday after dropping our company off at the airport the week before. Although it’s been a busy last two weeks getting ready for school, we have had the opportunity to take in some amazing wildlife. We have seen multiple caribou on the way to work. Our route takes us across the Kenai River Flat, which is very tundra looking. There is a herd of caribou that hang out in these parts. Just this morning on our way to school we saw at least four caribou off in the distance making their way through the morning fog. We have also been fortunate to see flocks of sandhill cranes and bald eagles in these parts.
Our residential mama moose and her two calves are still showing up at the house. Two nights ago we saw one of the calves run to mom and begin feeding right in front of our place. It was incredible.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Back in Alaska (August 6-12, 2010)
We arrived in Kenai around noon on Friday the 6th with Mom and Dad Moravec. The weather was dreary with temps in the 50s. We took the remainder of the day to move into our new place. We are house-sitting for a couple who will be in South Korea this school year. The place is beautiful with a stunning view of the Cook Inlet and Mount Redoubt (an active volcano in the area).
On Saturday we toured Mom and Dad around the Kenai and Soldotna area and visited the National Wildlife Refuge and one of the local beaches; Sunday was spent hiking Skilak Lookout trail; and Monday was spent down in the town of Homer. We saw one Harbor Seal while down there, visited the local brewery and winery, and walked the beaches of the spit and the boat harbor.
Tuesday night turned out to be very exciting. Around 10:30 PM a cow moose and her two calves appeared in the woods next to our house. As we watched them they moved out into the lawn and walked by about 25 feet in front of us. It’s amazing how big they can get. On Wednesday, the four of us headed down the Seward to meet up with our good friend, Donna Hill (one of my Wolf Ridge buddies!). After having a bit of trouble with the car, we visited Exit Glacier and did the hike up to the Harding Ice Field. On the way, we spotted three or four marmots and seven Mountain Goats. Nature never seizes to amaze me. At the top of the climb, we were looking out at literally a field of ice. Even though the temperature was colder and glacial streams were running through the mountains, flowers were popping up and at one time I spotted a bumble bee buzzing from flower to flower. When we got back to our place on Wednesday evening the cow and her calves were hanging out in the woods again chowing down on some forbes. We are hoping they continue this evening ritual so that we can see more of them. On Thursday evening we spotted two Harbor Seals sitting out on a rock in the Cook Inlet. We spotted them from our deck and even though they were far away, they were there.
We are enjoying our visitors and the rest of our summer as it is dwindling fast. School starts on Tuesday for teachers…hard to believe.
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