A Long Way From Tahiti

The Tahitian Princess docked in Port Valdez today. The first phase of the dock renovation was completed in time for Valdez's first cruise ship in years. Before the ships had to dock at the container dock 4 miles out of town. Which didn't make Valdez a popular destination with the cruise ship crowd.

The businesses in town will be happy now that the cruise ship passengers have returned and are within walking distance of beautiful downtown Valdez. Only problem is, when a ship is in town, it blocks access to the fishing dock which was torn down to make way for cruise ships.

I understand that in the 2nd and 3rd phase of the dock renovation a new public access fishing dock will be built. Hopefully in time for Silver Salmon season in August.

The ship was so huge I went to the other side of the harbor entrance to get a long shot.

The weather will clear up after the ship leaves port.

Kayaks in the Sky

Ice Hunter

stand up for your rights

Knowledge Driven Revolution

Fish are like women

Whale Hunting

We had a great cruise.

The video on yesterdays post was from the Valdes Penninsula in Argentina of a bow head whale.

I forgot to mention that.

Whale of a Day

Spouting air somewhere.

Snow Pile Wreckers

Valdez has had beautiful weather since Sunday. Summer is here so the city knocks down all the snow piles to help them melt faster. Here is a loader spreading the yucky black snow around under clear blue skies. GOOD BYE SNOW!!

Hope the weather stays nice for tomorrow as we are going out on the Columbia Glacier Cruise courtesy of Captain Stan Stephens. He does this free every year for Valdez Senior citizens, the disabled and their caregivers. Last year we had a blast and I am looking forward to it again. I'll be taking pictures and videos.

Here are some from last years cruise:

Blue Ice , Ice Fishing , Whale Hunting , Sea Lions Roaring , Whale Action

the Keystone

Meet Daniel, the grooviest kid in Valdez.

Lemon Leaf Snapper

Fresh PWS rockfish before baking in a 400 degree oven on a bed of onions topped with butter and lemon leaves.

Sunday and Monday were sunny and windy. I'm going to wait and see what the rest of the week is like before hardening off my Livingstone Daisies.

Let summer and fishing begin!

Watch out for Bears

Photoshopped by somebody else.

Sleeping Single in a Double Bed

New Ride

A mini-van and a skateboard.

charismatic

Loud House

Turn the music up!

Chocolate

Melts.

Hummingbirds Arrived

One flew in my cabin attracted to the red tea roses with the door wide open.

Reflections

Outside

Venture to the Sunny Side

Lots of fun, sun and wildlife on my trip up north. The six days went by fast so excuse the blurry pictures. This was a spring bear on the Valdez duck flats heading out of town last Friday.

Quite a few crowds of caribou crossing the road on the Richardson Hwy between mile 150-170 on the trip up. Only saw 2 strays on the way back in the early afternoon. More are moving around in the evening when its cooler. So watch out. When there is one there are usually more darting across the road. Also saw a moose, swans, a porcupine and a rabbit.

Gas was 25 cents cheaper a gallon in Fairbanks than here in Valdez. The weather was gorgeous and warm enough to barbq AND eat outside ALL weekend.

As I was passing by Eielson AFB a C-130 was taxiing down the runway and an F-15 landed.

Stopped at the Tazlina lookout over the the Copper River and two eagles were soaring below. Soon the sockeyes and king salmon will be making their way up the Copper River.

Good thing the state extended the deadline for studded tires as it was sleeting rain and snow on Thompson Pass tonight.

Back to dark rainy gloomy Valdez. In a creative writing class I took at PWSCC a fellow student wrote "that to her driving down Thompson Pass into Valdez was like licking the bottom of a stagnant lake." She was from the sunny side.

Fairbanks Bound

Heading up north to Fairbanks, Alaska for my nephew Wylie Rogers graduation with a degree in Business with a concentration in management.

I will be bach Tuesday with pictures.


CONGRATS WYLIE on being a 2008 University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate!!!!

Fish Tatoos

Check out the reader submitted tatoo art on the Anchorage Daily News website.

Photos: Tattoo gallery

Orange Crush

Fruit Truck

A fruit and vegetable truck from Montana showed up in Valdez in the Totem parking lot. I'm going to go check it out tomorrow. I hear its unloading fresh oranges, grapefruit and onions etc. at sweet prices. Eagle Quality Center, the only store in town, look out. Theres a new game in town.

Took a little ride out to the canyon today and Bridal Veil Falls had some cool looking ice forms with water flowing through them.

the F/V PERRY

This old fishing boat sits forever drydocked in the parking lot of the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive in downtown Valdez.


In his heyday the Perry was a highliner. The boat that caught the most.

Eight Belles

She was the queen of beers.

Street Sense

Get ready for the Kentucky Derby.

My pick to win is:

Post 5

Horse

Eight Belles

Trainer

Larry Jones

Dosage

2.20

Jockey

Gabriel Saez

Odds

20-1

5. Eight Belles (20-1)

Why she'll win: On four-race winning streak. Is one of only five horses in the field to post a triple-digit Beyer speed figure in a race at a mile or longer as a 3-year-old. Off-the-pace win in Fantasy at Oaklawn in last start. Seasoned, her nine career starts are the most in the field, and consistent, with five wins (three in stakes).

Why she won't: Never raced beyond 11/16 miles. This is no Winning Colors, who toyed with the boys in winning the 1988 Santa Anita Derby, and wired a 17-horse field in the 114th Kentucky Derby. Call me a traditionalist. She probably would win the Kentucky Oaks easily.

Meet Star

Valdez Dollhouse

I think this is one of the cutest houses in Valdez. So cute it has a miniature doll house on the porch.

Also has a basement.


Starting a new series called "Valdez Houses".

Puddle Walkin'

~From the Fairbanks News Miner

Photo by John Wagner


Joel Hales, 11, trudges through a deep puddle bordering the Pioneer Park parking lot on his way home from school Monday afternoon, April 28, 2008, despite chilly temperatures in the 30’s. When asked what his parents say when he comes home wet and muddy, Hales replied, “They get used to it.” According to the National Weather Service, expect cloudy skies for the rest of the week with sporadic rain and snow and highs from 40 to 55 degrees.


Check here for the latest break up conditions: nenana ice classic

Uptown Valdez

Mineral Creek tour start.

Theres gold in them there hills.

Tea Roses

Tea Roses in the front. Livingstone Daisie starts in the bach.


Even when its raining the sun shines through.

Last Night

SNOW!!

Radio Paradise

Listen here.

Purple Haze

The purplish blue haze hovering over Alaska became visible in Valdez today.

Story below.


Haze over Alaska is from Russia

Smack of Jellyfish

This is an artsy site with cute cards like the one above. Smack of Jellyfish

Dog in a wheelchair

Sunny Dayz

Love this time of year. No bugs and not that many tourists.

Munchie Time

Old Town Burgers.

This is a money maker.

Hip Teenagers

Gorgeous day in Valdez by mid-morning. After high wind gusts caused a racket all night. High 40's tomorrow. YES.


Had to stop and take a picture of these two teenagers walking around town. They sure know how to brighten up the world!

Colorful Daisies

Time for some color on this blog. I started a couple flats of Livingstone Daisies today. No instant gratification with my favorite annual. They don't bloom here til around the 4th of July. Sometimes later, sometimes never. But when they do bloom, its well worth the wait.

Blooming Livingstone Daisies

Starz are fallin'

They look like the size of fifty cent pieces.

Last Snowplow of the Year 2008

I HOPE!!

Mating Season