Three Majestic Beauties (March 25, 2012)

Mount Redoubt (last eruption, 2009)

Mount Spur (last eruption, 1992)

Mount Illiamna (inactive volcano)


What a gorgeous day on the Cook Inlet. The range was as clear as can be and the ocean calm. The tide was out in the morning, allowing for some good walking on the beach. Mount Redoubt, Illiamna, and Spur were stunning. If only pictures could do them justice.

A Beautiful Moonset and One Hungry Moose (March 21, 2012)

Moose that got under the fencing for an evening snack at Wal-Mart!

Moonset in early March

Florida Adventure: Englewood and the Gulf (March 10-20, 2012)

Wild Dolphin in Lemon Bay, Englewood, FL

The Gulf of Mexico

manatee area

mangroves

Plover on Don Padro Island

Florida Adventure: Plants of the Everglades (March 10-20, 2012)

bromeliad (orchid)

magnolia

primrose

Cypress Swamp

Smallest Post Office in the World

Florida Adventure: Other Animals of the Everglades (March 10-20, 2012)

green gecko

Manatees- mother, juvenile, and baby

Softshell turtle

white peacock butterfly

Red-bellied turtle and water snake

Florida Adventure: Birds of the Everglades Part 2 (March 10-20, 2012)

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Green Heron

Little Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Florida Adventure: Birds of the Everglades Part 1 (March 10-20, 2012)

Purple Gallinule

Common Moorhen

black vulture

Anhinga mother and baby

Double-crested cormorants

Florida Adventure: Alligators of the Everglades (March 10-20, 2012)

Florida Adventure: Twins and Sanibel Island (March 10-20, 2012)

Joe Mauer

Starting Line Up

Sanibel Island

Shelling

Ibis

Florida Adventure: Disney and Universal (March 10-20, 2012)

Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure: Hogsmead

Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure: Hogswart Castle

Disney's Animal Kingdom: Gecko (wildlife, not an attraction)

Disney's Animal Kingdom: Softshell Turtle (wildlife, not an attraction)

Disney's Animal Kingdom: The Tree of Life

For spring break this year we decided to leave cold, snowy Alaska and visit sunny Florida. My parents drove to Florida from Wisconsin, so we meet them there. While there we:
1. Visited 3 Disney theme parks: Magical Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.
2. Visited Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure. The new Harry Potter area was MAGICAL!!!
3. Went to spring training. Go Twins! They did terrible, but we rooted for them anyway.
4. Exposed our fragile, white, Alaskan skin to the sun.
5. Visited Sanibel Island where Jon and Dad swam and Mom and I went shelling.
6. Went to the Everglades where we experienced the wonders of an amazing and unique ecosystem.
7. Spotted alligators, birds, MANATEES!!!!, more birds, geckos, more birds, turtles, more birds, butterflies, more birds, and snakes. If you are a birder, the Everglades is your paradise.
8. Sent mail at the world's smallest post office.
9. Visited friends from Wisconsin (my parent's neighbors) in Englewood, FL, which is on the gulf.
10. Attended a yoga on the beach class.
11. While walking back from yoga on the beach, watched people fish with wild dolphins cresting above the water right next to the dock.
12. Took a boat out on the gulf past many wild dolphins and a final swim off of Don Padro Island.
13. Continued to expose our baby white skin to the sun resulting in a nice tan and maybe a little burn.

Windy Weather and Wildlife (March 3-4, 2012)

For the weekend we traveled down to Homer to celebrate our anniversary (a bit late, but better than never). Our original plan was to take in some extreme tubing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. However, upon our arrival we decided these activities would not be very enjoyable with winds up to 21 mph. The snow that was falling was coming at us sideways. Instead, we watched the waves and wildlife. The wildlife was definitely huddled in groups in an attempt to get out of the wind. We spotted four or five sea otter in what was probably the calmest part of the bay and a slue of crows tucked away behind some trees. To keep out of the wind we poked around a couple of gift shops and visited our favorite winery, Bear Creek. In the evening, following church, we discovered a fabulous Pho and Thai restaurant. It will definitely receive another visit from us.

On Sunday morning the wind had died down but the snow was still falling. We took advantage of it being calmer and walked the shores of the spit. We spotted four more sea otters swimming on their backs. And unfortunately, a dead otter that had washed up on shore. The bald eagles were out making their sounds. As we walked on the harbor docks we spotted a loon in its winter plumage. The wind began to pick up after our beach walk so we decided to head back to Kenai. The closer we got to Kenai, the more the skies cleared. It ended up being a very sunny afternoon.

Despite all the wind and snow, wildlife is abundant and on the move. Last weekend we saw two coyotes as we were crossing the Kenai River flats. They were digging in the snow, no doubt looking for a meal. We have also seen a number of moose in the past week. The chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches have also been busy visiting our suet feeder. Rumor has it we are about 6 inches away from beating the Kenai snowfall record.

sunrise- 7:55am
sunset- 6:38pm