May 2, 2015 -- Homer Bound

Eagle on the beach at Land's End in Homer, about fifty feet from the restaurant window. It sat for quite a while, then joined several other eagles down at the water line for a fish gut dinner.

The Homer Spit, seen from the hill above town. Land's End, with the eagles, is at the very end of the Spit.

Eagle coming into settle on the beach. More about that little kid in the back sling after the eagle photos.

In the water.

Two adults and a juvenile. The adult to the left has the prize, fish guts. The adult in the middle is waiting his turn (later, there were three adults with enough for all of them), and the juvenile (no white head) to the right should probably think about getting dinner elsewhere.

Later, there were three adults, not much interested in the photographers.

The guy in front is cleaning a fish that he just caught (possibly the source of the fish guts that the eagles were so interested in). The guy in the back with the little girl on his back was fishing with her for an hour or more.

She seemed fine with it. Eventually he caught a fish (did not see what kind), and handed the child off to someone else while he cleaned the fish. A dozen or so people were fishing at low tide.

Other beach action -- kids skipping rocks. Land's End is one of the best-anywhere skipping rock beaches, covered with flat rocks of just the right shapes, and with an approachable water line.

A tug (out of the photo) was pulling this boat, from Cook Inlet Marine. It appeared to be hauling a load of rocks and dirt, along with a bulldozer into the east end of Kachemak Bay.

Elsewhere in Homer, a sea otter in the marina.

Looking from the Marina on the Spit at smoke on the other side of the bay, down the bluff from East End Road.

Paddle boarders coming in for the evening, at Bishop's Beach.

A bonfire, and a cairn on driftwood, at Bishop's Beach.

Rippled mud formations on Bishop's Beach at low tide.

A pair of Golden Plovers at Bishop's Slough. We had hoped to see swans and sandhill cranes, but haven't seen either. On the other hand -- we saw these, and the eagles. We've done fine.

Our window at the Driftwood Inn overlooks this odd little cabin that sits between Ohlson Lane and Bishop's Beach. The trees are leafing out in Homer, but along most of the drive through the mountains and along Cook Inlet spring is two weeks behind Anchorage -- hardly any green.

On the way down to Homer, the drive along Turnagain Arm, with mountains and ocean. One of dozens of photos -- hard to stop taking them, because each view seems spectacular.

In the parking lot at Turnagain Pass. Enough snow on the north side of Turnagain Pass that we saw a group of people heading out (on skis? snowshoes? just saw them briefly) across it for a hike. Only a few small patches of snow left on the south side of the Pass.

Daffodils at Land's End Hotel. Spring has reached Homer, but isn't as far along as Anchorage.

Spring Saturday , Anchorage -- April 11, 2015

Now the daffodils at Hohn Apartments are really out -- just a few, but enough for spring.

Spring today in so many other ways -- garage sales, car washes, skateboards, croquet games, parties, bonfires.

A lonely snow shovel. I like this time of the year, when the trees cast open shadows.

A tour bus is out, perhaps just driver training. and they've set out picnic tables rather at random on the Park Strip. The ground is still too wet for ball games, but not for picnics.

Bee hives, waiting for occupants.

Kids (and parents) putting on a car wash.

At this house, parents and little kids (well supervised) were sawing up the branches that had been blown down over the winter, and burning them in a grill that had hot dogs roasting on it. Looked like everyone was having a grand time.

Further proof of spring, a fly at the Little Library.

A croquet game, in tight quarters.

Bonfire -- being readied for s'mores.

Buds on our birch trees -- another sign of spring, a few weeks early.

Tomorrow is the day on which the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Easter. This is Fire Island's version of the traditional bread, a tsoureki crown. We saw these in Athens a few years ago, in every bakery window. The braided crown has a red hard-boiled egg set into the center [the egg symbolizes Christ and the Resurrection; the red symbolizes Christ's blood - the shape of the bread also must be symbolic, but I can't find a web site explaining it].

Besides all of the spring activities, it was a day of weather -- more of the cumulus clouds, more rain and snow. We took a few photos at Ship Creek, and then drove to Palmer and back for a road trip.

Looking west from the Small Boat Harbor at the mouth of Ship Creek, a mix of clouds.

Containers docked at low tide, where the tugboats usually are.

A tug boat and a barge, at low tide at the Port of Anchorage.

Clouds over the city, with mountains clear beyond.

Driving through a rain/snow fall on the Glenn Highway -- limited to about a two-mile stretch. When the forecasters say "isolated" rain and snow showers, this is what they mean.

Low clouds over the highway, and bright blue beyond.

Knik River, and mountains.

The flats by the Parks Highway turnoff.

The gravel loading equipment next to the Alaska Railroad, just west of Palmer.

This is the view from the Fred Meyers parking lot in Palmer. I tend to take our views for granted, but this evening it struck me how very fortunate we are.

This is either the Matanuska River, or the Knik River looking west out to the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet.

Steam from the electric plant against a stormy background.

Driving down O'Malley Road, with Cook Inlet ahead.

A spray of dry grasses, lit by morning sun.