A Summer in Petersburg, Alaska

Sunday, August 25, 2013

The End of Summer

City Creek

Salmon in City Creek

Wildflowers on the side of the road.

Deer in our back yard.

Same deer in our neighbors yard.

Crossing his arms is Gage's newest motor skill.

Connor & Gage playing outside.

Gage demonstrating what else you can do with binoculars at the whale look-out.

Boats on Fredrick Sound.

Fredrick Sound on a clear day.

Down time at the O'Niell house...

Friday, August 16, 2013

If you haven't read my earlier posts Southeast Alaska has been experiencing an unusually warm, dry summer. We joke that we brought the drought with us from New Mexico into the rain forrest of Southeast Alaska. This time of year it is usually overcast & rainy with temperatures in the mid 60's. The day I went fishing was this typical type of weather. The rest of the week the clouds disappeared. It was warm & dry with temperatures in the high 70's. We took advantage of this and went hiking in the forrest.

Coho Salmon jumped in the foreground with a fishing boat in the background.

The first fish of the day. We became so busy catching fish (or almost catching fish, probably an equal number got away before they were in our net). The rest of the day I didn't get many pictures until the poles were put away & we went whale watching (pictures below).

I love this photo! It became so hectic on deck we didn't have time to bleed the salmon and put it in the hold so we tossed it into the bait bucket to make room on deck.

The halibut I caught. Thank you Paul Anderson for your help and encouragement. We grilled some of the halibut on the BBQ and we made breaded fish sticks with the rest. Two of the best meals we have had since we have been here!

Salmon fresh from the ocean!

Rob is the best! Not only did he stay home with Gage all day so I could go fishing, he gutted & cleaned all the fish we caught which was 9 coho salmon and my halibut.

Gage explaining which boat I was on.

Um, Todo? I don't think we are in Alaska any more. This reminds me of our trip to Hawaii. This is not the weather I was expecting from our trip to Alaska.

Besides brushing his teeth, Gage has added shaving to his morning routine. I love this little guy!

Now that Petersburg has become a tropical paradise we bought Gage a pair of sunglasses.

Rob and Gage showing a little skin as we walk in the woods.

We came across a little creek on our walk.

Gage loved throwing rocks in the water.

We had a great day as a family.

Another beautiful day, Gage discovered a neighbor's dog water bowl and decided it was a wading pool. His bare legs are so cute.

How is the banana the only thing in focus?

What did Rob and Gage find?

A construction site with an excavator and dump trucks.

A quiet moment while dinner cooks on the grill. They are so relaxed.

Rarely I am up before Gage in the morning. If I was, there would be a lot more pictures like this.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

WHALES!

It has been unusually warm and sunny here in Southeast Alaska this year. The phytoplankton grow faster with the sunlight and have been unusually abundant which in turn has produced record amounts of krill. Krill is the whales favorite food. The whales have been around the Mitkof Island, the island Petersburg is on, in record numbers enjoying the krill. Pods of whales have be seen right off the beach bubble feeding. When they aren't feeding they can be seen traveling around or leaping out of the water. Rob and I went out salmon fishing and the whales would swim right by the boat. It was incredible!