The Kelly Lake and Kayak Excursions

With all the postings of Tours and Museums and historic towns some of you might wonder what spending a few days sitting next to Kelly Lake might look like.....other than beautiful.  First, you put in a request for sunshine everyday.   You wake up in the morning whenever you want.  For some of us, we get dressed and head out for a morning hike with dogs.   Herschel and Remi are particularly pleased that they are able to explore off lead walking down the road and around certain areas of the small camp circle.  Herschel has been spending most of his days just hanging out either in front Nan's or our rig.  He takes a swim if he feels like it.   Anyway, after the morning walk breakfast tastes good.  You might even take a cup of tea or coffee and sit out in the chair and look at the lake....

Other activities of the day might include....(No actual schedules have been allowed here at Kelly Lake.)

Getting on the computer and checking e-mails and blogs.

Sitting and looking at the lake.

Watching a mother duck swim by with her little duckies.

Brush out a dog or two or three.

Listening to the Loons call.

Watching the loons fishing with their baby loon.

Sit and watch the lake.

Take the kayaks out and paddle around the lake.
Take the kayak out forget to paddle and just float for awhile.

Watch some eagles fly over head.

Examine the beaver lodges from the water.

Come back to camp and eat some lunch and sit and watch the lake some more.

Read some of your current book till your eyes start to close.

Nap a bit.

Go on another hike.

Sit by the lake and watch the mountains and the water some more.

Watch more loons and ducks swim by.

Read some more.

Watch some fish jump.
Take another hike or get back in the kayak.

Eat dinner.

Enjoy a campfire...while you sit and watch the lake....

Meet other campers by inviting them to your campfire.

Sit and look at the lake.

Watch a beaver swim past.

Listen to some more loons and watch some more ducks.

Play cards if you can keep you eyes open or read some more.....while you listen to the loons.

Walk the dogs again.

Get cleaned up and head to bed.
Listen to the loons.

Leave your kayak inflated because if the next day is still sunny....you might have to repeat some of the activities.....

"Nice campground." says Herschel, "No, Herschel leash needed."

"And even Stuart dogs get a few moments of off leash water fun."

And some folks give in and let their children "swim" in the lake.....burrrr shiver......

Yes, even the small Remi dog has some freedom on walks.

"But what about me?" pleads Stuart.....  "Someone needs to chase the creatures of the trees."

Location. Location. Location.

Now I know that I am in a lake in Alaska but if you are quietly paddling through the lily pads and glance over and see a long partially submerged object with a strong textured surface (and you have paddled your kayak in Florida before) what does you mind initially think it might be seeing?

This is a public use cabin on Kelly Lake.  It is about 1/2 mile hike in to the cabin and then you can row the boat back to ferry your gear to the cabin.  One young couple came in and spent the night with their dog and two very young twins.  Mom hiked in with them...one carried on the front and one packed on her back with a bunch of baby supplies.   Dad rowed the boat with the other supplies.....

"What do you mean you didn't really put this here for me?"  "I could use a comfortable chair."

I got the picture. By the next day I brought out one of the "dog blankets" so Stuart could be more comfortable in his throne.

When Nan hauls back firewood for the campfire she does not mess around.  I particularly like the "flag" at the top.  The stump supported campfires for two night in a row....

This was Liz's reaction when she arrived today and saw our site and first looked out onto the lake and mountains.  Yes, it is all that.  Life is good and we are fortunate.  

Liz immediately started getting her kayak ready to launch. Birdie suggested that we eat lunch before we head out on the water.  Liz said that she would pack a lunch and eat it out on the water......  We headed for the water.

Liz and Nan.

Birdie and Liz.

Liz, Birdie and Nan.

You will have to check someone else's blog to find a picture of me. Or since Nan and I have the same kayak just use your imagination.

Birdie is heading out towards Homer to spend time with some friends and then will be heading to Anchorage to meet up with folks flying in to travel with her for awhile.  Weather permitting and "holding tanks" permitting, Liz, Nan and I may stay another day.  There is just some much to do and so much lake watching that needs to be done still.  

Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out......

About Puffins and Good Art Teachers

I mentioned that on the Fjord boat excursion we enjoyed watching the Puffin swim and dive and fly just over the water. It was the next day at the Sea Life Wildlife Museum that I got to enjoy what they really looked like.   Just wish I could have gotten a picture of them swimming under water.  They are amazing athletes under water.  

I know we pasted baby gulls and nest out there in the boat, too...but don't look for any pictures from the boat...at least from me.

There is a tide pool filled with all sorts of sea creatures with permission to touch as long as you only use two fingers and were very gentle.   The textures were so different and unique.

I enjoyed reading the notebooks that are kept each year with pictures and descriptions of the animals that are rescued and brought in to the museum.   Many are injured or lost babies. Again, many are only estimated to be days old, some only a couple weeks.  Certain animals can never be released in the wild and then are found "forever" homes in other aquariums or zoos.  Some are released back into the wild.

I also wanted to share the first place art work..... Another proud moment for a young person, her family and an art teacher.....

 The picture of the seal was taken through the thick glass but the seal was so still and focused on scratching just a small itch.   The shine and colors off her skin and the curves caught in the light reminded me more of a statue sitting out in a harbor that a living mammal.   I piece of living art.

So we are still sitting here on Kelly Lake...and this is why......

There are blue skies and sun shine today.   There are kayaking pictures to be loaded and posted and well maybe it will get done....depending upon if we head back out on the water.... It is a good life...

This picture is left over from when we were parked on the water back in Seward.  I think this is a way to tell if Birdie appreciates the birding opportunities in a particular site.....she can set up her scope in her living room and watch the action...  In this case it also kept her warm and dry!

Tales of Water and Whales and Such

While visiting Seward several of us made the 6 hour journey out on the water to see some of the sights of Fjords National Park and the wildlife there in.   It was a chilly, gray, misty sort of day but apparently the wildlife don't mind. The ship's captain tried to tell us several times that the number of whales, orcas and dolphins that we saw was not the norm for the trip.   But since they showed up for our trip we were just glad it was our trip!

The mountains come down to the sea.  

 

I shot back towards one of the glaciers that we were not going to go see.

The cliffs were the two eagles were hanging out.  But the pictures of the eagles wasn't worth uploading. The clifts on the other hand....

Then we started seeing the orcas.....

Mama, Papa and Baby...  They cam quite near the boat or my camera would not have been able to capture them.

I just liked this one..... dressed for a chilly boat ride and hunting for the whales.....

There is one now!

And the one that swam straight towards the boat and right along side...

And waved "good-bye"  (Okay, I admit that we have been informed that the whales sometimes slap to try to dislodge the barnacles, seen so clearly in this picture.....but we also think babies smile at us when they really only have gas...)

So ends the tale of the whales....

These waterfalls were on the side as we headed back towards the glacier.

This smaller glacier coming in no longer reaches the tidewater to calve.....it did about 6-7 years ago..... Another glacier slowly melting back....

A close up of one small section of the larger glacier....the melt water was roaring out from under the ice at the edge...

 

Several "calves" were born while we sat still upon the water.  This smaller one was on the left side of the glacier. The cracks and thunderous roars reminded me of thunderstorms..... There was also times when you would hear the thunder but see nothing moving...yet....

On the way back towards other sights, we observed more whales, this time feeding at the surface.  The birds were the first give away. They found it beneficial to feed with the whales....

Moving into a cove we noticed white spots on the green hills.

There were a group of goats, some feeding and some resting. The captain mentioned that they usually don't stay down this close to the water after birthing the babes but here they were.....all in all another plus for one exceptional excursion...

We also passed by rocks full of Stellar Seals resting and saw hundreds of Puffins flying and floating out on the water.  I took pictures but there is a limit of what can be uploaded at one time.....

ANd for all the puffins flying and floating and fishing, it wasn't until we walked through the Sea Life Museum in Seward the next day that I could really see them up close and how remarkable these birds are.  But I leave that for another day's postings.

So Nan and I are still sitting besides the clear calm waters of Kelly Lake for another day.  The kayaks are calling out again as we left them inflated just for this reason.  If the camera doesn't come up with a dead battery after the first picture (as it did yesterday) there will be pictures.  ...till then....