Homer, Day 2, Learning, Eating and Walking About: The Estate Takes on Alaska

Copyright 2019, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

July 20, 2019

Note:  Most photos on today's blog post are digitally edited, some way more than others.  Just sayin - - 

Started slow, cause we can and cause it’s our preferred way.  

Finally got all organized and cleaned up and off we went, back to Homer.  Stopped at the top/visitors center again and were rewarded with much better views than yesterday.  There be mountains and glaciers and such out there.

Haze from fog/weather and light smoke and distance.

Some nice lady came up to us and insisted that she be allowed to take our photo in front of the sign. I wiggled and tried to get out of it, just ask Man, he will tell you.  Alas, I failed, so, here is the photo.

Headed down the long hill to town.  Fireweed, Cook Inlet and Mountains beyond.

Grabbed a burger to hold our bodies together. Stopped at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitors  Center. Beautiful building, stunning art work and well done displays.  

This is the elevator inside the building, and a small sample of the artwork.  It was all quite stunning.

This is the front entry door. Sea kelp.  Took my breath away.

We watched 2 movies and then went for a walk to the wetlands (sand hill cranes) and the beach.  In between we stopped at the  bakery for a lunch and a great desert.

The "board walk" was. actually metal grating type.

The beach - -

Sandhill cranes, thanks to Sony III and super zoom!  And, some heavy sharpening on the digital editing.

This is a technically icky photo, but, look at that baby!  Testing it's power and prowess.  And, it's cute factor.

This was called "touch me not balsam".  With a quick search on the net I found:  Impatiens balsamina goes by several charming nicknames, including touch-me-not, jumping Betty, and lady’s slipper. This one is a bit past it's prime. Still, wanted to share, isn't it a sweet thing?

A view from the parking lot looking out toward Cook Inlet.

Later we went back into the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitors  Center, because it was fascinating, so well done and we had the time and the curiosity.

Then, we went for a ride. Skyline Drive Overlook.  Up high.  The views of the “spit”, town and the mountains cross the  bay were breath taking.

While up at 1, 100 feet, we watched this sea plane make his approach, turn, line up and land.

The mountains, the snow, the glaciers, seen through the fire weed.

Sony III and super zoom and a wee bit (ok, a lot) of digital editing.

Back at camp we visited with our neighbors, from Germany, whom we discovered we have much in common, despite we are old enough to be their parents.  LOL  She has twins, she is a principal in a school, she has written several textbooks, he has a job dealing with computers, ohhh, and she loves the long days of Alaska, and sun!!  It was a  nice evening, chattering, sharing a beer and laughing.

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