Puffins.

Puffins. Need I say more?

My boss certainly didn't have to, when I received a text from him one Saturday morning in May, not long after I had woken up late and just enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, staring absent-mindedly out the window.

The surprise text informed me that there was a free birding cruise for local nature guides, leaving in exactly 15 minutes.

Stuffing my binoculars and camera in my bag, I jogged down to Crescent Harbor. These cruises are usually upwards of $90, so knowing that it was not only full of ornithology experts, but also prime nesting season for seabirds on St. Lazaria, made it a no-brainer to at least try to make it before the boat took off.

We Are Mountain Women!

"In case we get eaten by a bear, we went out hiking the Indian River Trail. Left at noon, should be back no later than 7. We have bear spray and a small amount of food."

It's Saturday, and my roommate Christina and I leave this note, along with our phone numbers, on the whiteboard in the kitchen as we head out to hike the Indian River Trail. I've gotten in the habit of leaving these notes whenever I go hiking, partially in good humor, partially in all seriousness.

changes

I've been through a lot of changes lately, all for the better I think. I was talking to someone about change yesterday and remembered something Mom always used to tell me: "Change is the only thing you can rely on." In effect, it's the one constant in life -- ironically, since the word itself suggests anything but consistency. But at long last, whether things are going well not, you can count on them to change.

My new digs

Springtime reflections

Deer Heart and moss

It feels as if spring has finally gotten a firm hold on Sitka. When I first arrived 2 months ago, the forest floor was still barren beneath the high canopy of the evergreens, but within the last few weeks, lush foliage has burst forth from dormant flora that I hadn’t even noticed before. The woods have become ten times denser with the bright green yawn of deciduous trees awakening from their winter slumber, and the soft understory is completely obscured by thousands of Deer Heart leaves that have sleepily unfurled from their spear-like shoots. Ruby-crowned kinglets and pacific wrens warble their odes to the season, fervently trying to find mates amid the cacophony of nature stirring to life again.

And we're back!

After my long hiatus, the thought of catching up on my travelogue seems overly daunting. A lot can happen in a month, a lot more than can possibly be summed up in words, so I will substitute mostly pictures for now, in lieu of spending my entire evening trying to remember what happened three weeks ago, much less a few days ago.

In light of this, we will begin with a photo:

The muskeg

Be back soon!

I fully realize it has been a month since my last post, and it's not for lack of things to post about. Truth be told, my laptop decided to kick the bucket about a month ago and it has taken this long to get it repaired.

 Surprise surprise! There is only one computer store on Baranof Island and they referred me to a company in Illinois to fix the broken part of my laptop. Three weeks and roughly $150 later, my laptop should be back and in working order early this coming week, so prepare yourself for a backlog of stories and adventures.

That's all for now, because MY GOD it is annoying to type on the touch screen of a mobile device! Hang tight, my friends. I miss you all, and will be back soon to catch up fully with everyone.