Such a FUN WEEKEND!!!!

It is a blast to have time off!! I have had a very gratifying weekend.
It started by driving 3 hours south to Anchorage. A moose crossed the highway right in front of me. Thankfully, it is so large and easy to see that I could slow down and easily avoid it. I visited the Alaska Public Lands Visitors Center, and the Alaska Theater to see films and displays. One was on the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964 and the theater chairs buckled and jolted to simulate the force of the 9.4 magnitude quake, which is believed to be the second most powerful earthquake in recorded history. I enjoyed another film on the Aurora Borealis, and live music and dance by a Yupik group. I enjoyed their haunting music so much, I bought their cd.
 Later, I drove to Girdwood, to meet up with my friend Raven, who I worked with during the summer of 2005 at the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka. We went to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which is a facility that cares for non-releasable or orphaned Alaskan animals. I was thrilled to see muskoxen and moose at close range. I am so glad there is a place for these beautiful animals to rest in safety and be cared for.

Afterwards, we drove to Raven's apartment in the wild, weird and interesting town of Whittier, right at the edge of Prince William Sound.

To get there, you have to drive through a 2 and a half mile tunnel through a glaciated mountain full of melting snow and cascading waterfalls.

Tunnel

The town has only a little over a hundred year round residents, and 500 something seasonal employees, (affectionately nicknamed "half-witts") so they built a residential "Tower" to house the employees, where Raven lives.

The Whittier Tower

I was able to stay in Raven's guest room, which had a killer view of the harbor, and the living room overlooked the glacier and waterfalls. It is really handsome scenery!!!! It even had running water, a flush toilet and a hot shower!!!

Today, Raven was able to get me a free ticket on the glacier viewing boat she works on. We went out for 6 hours viewing black legged kittiwakes, stellar's sealions, sea otters, and numerous tidewater glaciers. It was SSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOO   FUN!!!

Kittiwake Nesting Colony

Black Legged Kittiwake

My Mom took care of an injured kittiwake while visiting me during my first summer in Alaska! It was a pleasure to see a huge group of these beautiful fish eating birds.

These gorgeous blue glaciers evoke such mystery and raw power!!!! Our world is so fascinating!!!!!!

Surprise Glacier