Changing weather, once again.

At 10 this morning I thought about going kayaking out on Mill Bay,
just to check out how the seals did after the recent storm.

It looked as beautiful and bright as we showed you on yesterday's picture of the "Trusted Tusty".
...So clear that, with our scope, we could see the color on the sea gulls seating on the rocks.

But we saw a few thunderstorm on the horizon.
Then, the rains came; the tide  rose and visibility suddenly dropped.

Couldn't tell where the sea and the sky met!

And, it was rain and snow.
Although only 43 degrees, it was just like the forecast said:

SATURDAY . RAIN LIKELY. . .MIXING WITH SNOW IN THE MORNING. NO SNOW
ALCCUMULATION. HIGHS IN THE MID 40S. WEST WIND 15 MPH SHIFTING T0 THE
NORTH IN THE AFTERNOON.

It was, cold snow flakes that melted on your skin the moment they hit.

We are beginning to think that Summer has ended in Kodiak!.

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The Trusted Tusty returns!

The "Trusted Tusty", (officially known as the Tustumena ferry),
returns past Mill Bay to Kodiak,

on Friday night ,under strong sunshine,
one round trip after Wednesday's crossing in rough seas.

Maybe not a good day to be in the North Pacific

This September we've been having October weather:
Lots of storms...some affecting what we can do.

For example:
This afternoon, the ferry service announced the 2 PM arrival would be delayed till 9.
It's 10 PM and they are only now arriving at Pt Lyons, on the other side of the island, on its trip form Homer to the city of Kodiak.

The reason?  60 mile per hour winds and 16 foot seas they said.



And here is tonight's forecast of the Baren Islands, along the course they just passed:
"Hurricane force wind warning tonight.... Gusts to 75 knots (86 mph) in the evening.
Se of the Barren Islands...Seas 27 ft ..... Rain"

Good thing the ferry passed before all that arrived!

But, we take it all in stride.
As one local post on Facebook aptly stated.........
"What do we call this in Kodiak?  Wednesday"

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Helo Practice

At this time of the year the Coast Guard often comes to practise at Spruce Cape.
One day this week they stayed there from 11 AM to 2PM.
As fishing boats passed by, there they stayed, often perfectly stationary for 15 minuted at a time.

 

If you look closely, you can see them putting down and picking up a diver.

Then another helo comes out, practices its "stationary" pose.....

then it approaches the land.

And puts down its own diver.


Three hours of this, and it's finally time to go home!

Ready for a rescue in the North Pacific!



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Get ready for the Silvers

Yes there are Silvers coming in.
Not as many as we hope, and hopefully better in a few days.
But this is some of what was there this Sunday.

So get your pole out....

and enjoy a little solitude.

Or bring the family out for a little commune with nature.

 

So, what if she gets a little bored?

 

Before too long, you'll be sitting at a desk,

trying to figure out how to pay for her college "education".

 

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The Silvers are waiting

On the last blog we talked about all the Pink Salmon coming in the Buskin river, just outside of town. Yes, there are a lot of them. And that creates problems.

According to Thursday's Kodiak Daily News, last year at this time we had 9,500 Pinks that had crossed the weir (the automated fish counting equipment) on the Buskin.

By September 10th of this year 74,000 had been counted. That's a lot more.


So here is series of pics about what is going on as you look at the weir and what is downstream.

And like overpopulation of humans, that creates a problem with waste.
Lots of dead fish who died along the way generate a lot of bacteria.

That means the water's oxygen saturation has fallen form 84 down to 54% between the lake and the river.

So, our favored Silvers are just waiting out in the ocean, waiting for a strong rain to flush out all the bio-toxins.

They've been waiting there for weeks.
Can you imagine what type of a Silver run we are going to have after this weekend's rain?

Yes, the time to be fishing on the Buskin will be the first 48 hours after the Silvers decide it is clean enough to swim upstream!

I hope it doesn't happen on Monday morning...
or lots of people are going to be missing work.

Summer visitors have left...

......so, why are those gulls still here?

Because these guys have arrived.

No, those are not rocks.
Those are salmon swimming upstream.

The Humpy or Pink salmon.

Lots and lots of them.

We humans don't particularly like catching pinks in our rivers.
They might taste good when caught in the ocean.
But in the rivers, this type of salmon start to auto digest their muscles as soon as they get into fresh water.
Mushy, semi liquid meat is what you get.
Not the firm meat we like.

So we hope to miss them and catch the Silvers as they also come in about this time of year.

On the other hand, gulls don't seem to mind.

Neither do these guys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Because, with so many fish available, if one is not tasty, 

 

 

they just reach for another one. 

 

 

 

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OK, what else is there at the Kodiak State Fair?

 

We have roosters, we have chickens, we have rabbits.

And a place to show off last winter's quilt.

 A place to socialize.

But, it's also a place to compete with your garden's products.

 

Incidently, I was talking with the guy who won the lemon and lime competition. Turns out he has them producing year-round in his greenhouse...and that is valuable when a lemon or lime can cost you over 2 bucks each at the grocery store!

And he tells me, he even has tangerine that are now flowering.

 

 

But for those of you who are really into gardening and fairs...

what do you think this is?

 

According to the Internet, when you bite into them, the "crisp skin and a snappy tang is followed by sweet flesh. These attractive large, deep red berries taste great. Self-fertile plant bears fruit in the first year if planted early enough in the spring."

 

Yes, it indeed is the Hinnomaki Red Gooseberry.

 

Let's get some to plant !

 

 

So, you think we don't have a real rodeo....

 So you might think ours is not a real rodeo.

Well, just take a look.



We have saddles for the best all round cowboy and cowgirl.

And a bunch of belt buckles as well.

No wonder the cowboys as work hard

as the cowgirls do.

And, at the begining, we pay homage to the flag.......

 

.........   like all proud Americans do.

 

May you have a Happy Labor Day!

 

 

 

 

What to wear to the Kodiak Rodeo

Labor Day weekend is always the time for our fair and rodeo.

Actually, they they call it the Kodiak State Fair.

 

 

So, what should you wear to such a special event?
Well, on Saturday you could have dressed like a cowboy going to any rodeo in the Southwest.

But on Sunday, the rain came and you'd better have worn a little rain protection.

Some still figured it was "summer" so it was shorts for them. Others used their big city wool coats.
Others just put on their fishing overalls, 'cause that fits in just fine in this weather.

Of course, just about everyone wore some sort of rain boots.

This one went all out, and brought out her fanciest pair to accentuate her rain pants.

Yes, we are always ready for every type of party in Kodiak!