Another week up in the north!  I took a bunch of pictures again, and here are a few of the favorites.  This was a southbound trip, and so we went on a different trip than the northbound two weeks ago.  Now we are going back northbound and that will be a similar trip to one that I've done before. 
Its been two weeks of working and i still like it, but getting enough sleep is difficult, and I would like to do more during the day, more looking, picture taking, and basically staying awake.  I'll need to come back and see this place again on my own time, for sure.  When, I don't know, but sometime.

Alaska Week 1

I probably won't do much for updating this blog for the next few weeks.  There is a lot I would like to do, but I am working night shifts and getting off at noon, then I don't have much time before I have to get to bed, and lots to do in town.
The trip was great, but very busy, and it included some high speed driving, some cave exploring (see pictures) and lots of wildlife viewing.  We went in Tracy Arm to see the glaciers, and it is amazing up there, with calving icebergs one after another.  I had been to Glacier Bay before, but this was possibly better, just less glaciers.   

The baby seals are on the ice floes near the glacier, the baby whales are following their mothers around, and everything is turning green, shaking off the snow, and preparing for summer.
The sun does set, but not by much.  Last night it was a medium twilight all night long, darkest at 1:00 am.  There was a faint reddish orange to the north, and the sky was dark blue, fading to nearly black, but not quite.  Its amazing.  In two weeks it will be even lighter.  Sunrises are fantastic, and I get to see them every day.  Today was at 3:58!

I'll try to write more as I go along, and of course take pictures, but time is short in this land of endless days, and I must be off to bed to be rising tonight.

Migration

I've taken step one in my migration, by getting up early this morning and getting on a plane.  TSA gently molested me with their scanners and then let me pass, and the flight was pleasant.  The airport here is on an island so I had to take a ferry to get to town, then a taxi, and then walk.  Now I am on a boat, and this afternoon we'll set off slowly working north to Juneau.  The boat will do week long trips between Ketchikan and Juneau, with all sorts of little coves and retreats and explorations.  I can hardly wait.  I am working on the midnight to noon shift, so I have to go to bed soon to wake up before 12, then go on watch, engine room checks and other duties until noon.  Night shift has always been a tough one for me, so I will have a challenge before me.  I won't have internet very often, but I'll try to write and post when I can, about the trip.  I live in a small room with another guy, we have hot showers and delicious food, watching the wildlife and the sun climb higher and higher.  Night shift is just less day shift really, because of the amount of light...

Going north again

I'm heading to Alaska again.  This time I won't be on board Altair, but this boat, and I will be working.  I got a boat job!
I've got a few days here before I ship out, so I'll be busy moving all my stuff out of my room and getting Altair ready for summer vacation.  I did get to spend a last hurrah with her last weekend out in the San Juan Islands, and I have some pictures from it.