Well I was able to take Gwen out today....

Today was here day off and we got permission for her to go along on the Photography boat today.  She was able to see sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals, whales along with King Salmon, Coho and a few halibut.  She was also able to see Pineapple, Veta Bay, Granite and many other fishing spots here on the islands.  She was also able to see how quick the ocean can change from a calm body of water to a very choppy body of water.  She even got in on a few drops.....

Then I took her out to Craig for lunch and she was also able to shop at a real store....

She is now working on her book and will get on here soon and update you on her adventures....

but until then... have a good evening.

Just a few of the fishing boats that I have seen this week....

 

Sorry the computer battery is down to 15% will just have time to give you a few pictures....

Gwen is still working on her third picture book.  She is actually painting while I am down here posting and doing the laundry.  Yes I am multi-tasking.....  Yesterday was my day off this week so I took a walk and climbed a mountain....  I found this waterfall half way up the mountain....

Hope that you all have a good week....  Will post more later this week.

So, yesterday and today were wild days on the ocean.   Lots of wind and waves which create for an interesting ride.  Just imagine one of those kids roller coasters at the fair.  However the track moves with some of the hills higher than the others and the distance between them changes as well.  Then there is the rogue wave that is taller and had no back, that sends you into a 3-6 foot free fall in a 25 foot boat.  Oh my.....

Well on the way back yesterday I saw this swarm of birds diving and feeding just inside one of the inlets on my way back.  When I drove over I realized that it was eagles training their young ones how to dive and feed on herring....  I wondered if they would stay around long enough for me to get my long lens and extender on...?  They did.  Then would they let me get closer...?  They did...!   Would they let me get any amazing images?  They did...!

Now there is nothing left to say..........

I even have a few where their claws are so full of herring that as they are flying away, the herring are falling out of their talons....

This is from today.  As you can see, the sun does shine in Alaska some times.  But not always on the whole island as the same time.....

The stitches are out... Tomorrow I will be able to take off the butterfly band-aids and the head should be back to normal...  As normal as I can be...!
Had a day off today and caught a Coho Salmon, by the tail literally.  Gwen will have her day off tomorrow.  First salmon in the fishing box for this year. But I do have about about 35-40 pounds of fresh shrimp in the fish box and Gwen and I de-headed over 75% of them....!

That is a story I will have to post on the blog later...

Off to supper.  Will have to see what the Crew chef had for us tonight.  Last night we had BBQ Ribs, onion rings, twice baked potato's, Salmon filet's, rice pilaf and vegetable stir fry.  Not bad for a Tuesday night meal...  Hope Gwen does not get use to that menu...!

July 4th 2012...  Gwen made it to the town of Craig Alaska, and Rick survived the day.....

Well the day started out like any normal day, there was fog and a sunrise.  Rick got up at 5:10 AM and headed for the harbor.  He completed his morning boat check and created his list of locations for the 20+ boats for the day and was out by 6:20 AM heading north.  By 7:20 AM he was out off the coast of Baker island when he felt the power drop in his engine.  Since there he did not have his back-up kicker (a 9.9 hp trolling motor) he headed for the Pineapple and the Rock pile another fishing spot about a 45 minute drive through open ocean  across the inlet by Cone island and up to Noyes island.  The ride was uneventful but there was a noticeable loss of power in the motor. 

                                                     This is Pineapple Rock, do you think
                                                     is looks like a Pineapple?

About two minutes out from the Pineapple he powered back and stopped the boat to prepare for the first morning shoot of fishing boats.  He decided to check the engine just to see if there was any visible issue with it.  Once he opened the engine compartment he saw the issue.  One of the injector lines had sprung the leak and was spraying diesel fuel all over the engine and into the bilge of the boat. 

So... he shut the engine off and called for help as once the engine was off there was no way to control the boat he was dead in the water.  But he did have his camera and a fishing pole.  However there were no boats to take pictures of so he decided to fish.  Well the limit of Halibut is two and he had that limit in about 30 minutes and the support boat "Double Ott" was about 60 minutes out so he just relaxed and took images of the passing trollers.  So about two hours of mechanics work his boat was up and running and was only about to get half of the images that he normally would get in a day. 

     Looking East from Cape Ulitka on the north side of Noyes Island

Once he returned from his events on a water he gave his fish to the fish cutters and returned to the dock to get his camera equipment and clean up the boat.  On the way back he was talking to a fellow crew member who was repairing the ramp to the dock.  So as normal Rick was talking more and paying attention less to where he was walking.  During the day one of the broken boats was placed at the top of the ramp on a boat cradle.  While talking and not paying attention Rick ran headlong into the boat with his forehead.  Well long story short, Gwen got to ride with Rick on an 45 minute emergency boat run into Craig Alaska and visit the Minor Medical Clinic for five stitches to his forehead.  That was not what she was wanting to do on her first trip "off the island".

Today we actually had the first time that Gwen and my day off coincided, but still were unable to get "off the island".  We were able to sleep in and take a three hour hike.  What a beautiful day...

One last image to leave you with.

Are we really that far out in nature.....?

And are the animals really that wild....?

Rabbit, Rabbit....

To all who know that term, I got you.  To those who do not, I still got you.  "Rabbit, Rabbit" is an old tradition where you try to "Rabbit, Rabbit" people you know on the first of each month, before they can "Rabbit, Rabbit" you.

Well today on the water was a new experience.  It was the opening day of Saner and trolling season on Alaskan waterways.  It looked like rush hour on any normal American highway, but with boats the size of semi-trucks and larger dragging ropes, lines and nets...

So on a trip from one fishing spot to another I may see one other boat in an hour, today I lost count.  I will venture to say that today the Alaskan coast is missing more than a few fish...

But it did make for a few photographic opportunities....

Two images today, I better stop....

Will write again later.......