ON THE FERRY... TO KETCHIKAN

Here we are - getting on the "Columbia" in Bellingham. (See my car - driving on the ramp?) It was a long boring wait in the blazing sun until we finally were able to drive on. They had drug and bomb sniffing dogs go through all the cars (except mine and a few others - why? I dunno). I had heard that you had to get on quick to claim your tent spot and that they allowed tents set up on the rear of the top two decks only. I had Sade walk on and I drove on, because the walkers get on quicker and I told her to run to the top deck and claim a spot. She was bored out of her mind and we texted each other while waiting. At least she wasnt outside in the 95 degree sun, dying with me and Rosie!

The ferry left at 6:30 p.m. Friday and got into Ketchikan Sunday a.m. at around 9:00. It was definitely a long ride - but the weather was perfect and the scenery beautiful. Most of the trip was through Canada and you could see clearly the clearcut logging operations with attempts at re-foresting. The first night we set up the tent and 3 people borrowed my duct tape (I came prepared with two rolls) and used it all up. At 4:00 a.m. the wind was whipping so intensely (one of our two "2-hour open ocean" crossings, I believe) and the tents were almost blown flat on the deck - that is if they were still up. About 9 of the 13 or so tents on our deck were taken down by 5:00 a.m. as it became more and more evident to the owner that they were about to be blown overboard. Only 3 tents were left standing by 6:00 a.m. -mine and two others. Sade slept through it all! I was nervous for a little while that the wind would be strong enough to lift the ten with her in it clear overboard. So... it is definitely not worth attempting to set up a tent. The lounge chairs work great for cozy sleeping bag sleeping and there's a solarium roof in case it rains. The temperatures vary significantly though - from hot as hell during peek of sunshine to freezing with fleece coats and wool blankets at dark. We both got very burnt. Most of the time we spent lounging, and waiting for someone to yell "Whales!", then you'd get up and watch the blowhole fountains and tails emerge of the humpbacks. We had some good games of cutthroat Battleship - a good game to bring on a ship.

There was lots of pretty scenery and the ferry only went average of 18 knots, which I learned is only a bit more than 20 miles an hour - what feels like a snails pace! No wonder it takes so long! Phone reception was only at the few towns we passed and lasted for 15 min or so. Sadie would frantically text and then - poof, it's over!

Now in Ketchikan - Sunday a.m. There's our hotel, with the blue roof.

<=== We ate in this place - as usual I got halibut and Sade got coconut shrimp - our two standards.

<------ Nice place on their own island!!

We had all day Sunday to play and I found this long long Kelp - see how the tail goes way behind me? It was fun to play with. We say them floating in the ocean at night from the ferry - glowing white and couldn't figure out what they were. The leaves were gone and it looked like a giant sperm.. from a sperm whale?? ha

I wanted to keep "kelpy" and tried to tie it on the roof but Sade wouldn't let me.

< Bald eagle and nest (need a good camera)

More pretty places and sites in Ketch. The white in the rock was quartz.

<---Obviously someone wanted only Coho to go thattaway. I saw my first Dippers on this stream.

The shore at low tide was much fun! Mussel beds, and what turned out to be Clams spitting (?) water out of the sand in cute little 4-inch squirts everywhere. Starfish everywhere of every color and size - fat ones skin ny ones. These pics are actually from my work mtgs- I have to learn Marine Biology fast! It was a bit intimidating listening to these people talking about restoration and what species of salmon like this and that and on and on... and it was greek to me.

< ---- A midget Starfish? The inspiration for Patrick (Sponge Bob's pal)?

OK, I gotta get serious at these meeting - I was dangling a piece of eelgrass in front of a crab - we were playing Monkey in the middle - haven't had that much fun since I was 6! He's much bigger than those 1-inch guys you see along the Atlantic. Coulda taken my finger off if got too close - well not really, but it woulda hurt.

Went to the infamous "Road to Nowhere" that would have connected to the "Bridge to Nowhere" that was never built. (Got it?) Had to buy a T-shirt! Is this one of FHWA's biggest blunders? Why did no one go to NEPA Jail?