Wednesday, July 8, 2009

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Friday, July 03, Glacier Bay, We Made It!

Praise be to God for the wonderful blessings He has given us! We made it to Glacier Bay. God has answered our prayers. We’ve had safe weather, never hit anything, everything is running properly, and we’re all getting along! Thank you, friends, for your prayers and support!
It was yet another magical day, indeed. We had a very quiet anchorage in Inian Cove. We overslept this morning but that’s just fine…we’re on vacation. We got going about 10AM after pulling our crab trap and doing dog duty. We had a very smooth ride 17 miles to Bartlett Cove, stopping often, shutting of the engine and overloading our senses with scenes of dozens of whales all around our boat, feeding, playing, and giving us an incredible performance! Amazing creatures! They are so huge! We saw dolphins, seals, sea lions, eagles and other birds of all kinds…all with an incredible backdrop of snow-capped mountains, glaciers and forest.Hallelujah! Today, it’s sunny and warm! Shorts on, suntan lotion on bald head, feels like
summer! Our world seems much larger now that we can see the mountain tops.
We got to Bartlett Cove about noon and checked in with the National Park Service and then walked up to the Glacier Bay National Park Lodge for lunch. As we walked up to the lodge, Val took my hand and said, “Congratulations, honey, we made it!” This has been a dream come true for me. Bartlett Cove and the Lodge is a very nice place! You should fly up and stay here. We’ll pick you up in the boat tomorrow! After filling our bellies, the crew had to check out the gift shop and the little museum while I checked my e-mails. I’m amazed that even out here we can stay in relatively close communications. At 2PM, we had to attend the mandatory boater orientation course for all the rules, regs, warnings, and advisories. The rangers are all very friendly and welcoming, especially Wayne, who gave me a bunch of fishing tips! He used to work on a flight rescue chopper in this area as a rescue swimmer. I would have liked to visit with him more, but we also want to go exploring. After filling our water tanks, we headed out to Berg Bay, our first anchorage. We found a cool little cove and secured our anchor on the first attempt. We’re nestled into a gorgeous nook with incredible views. Mom and Cody dropped Connor off on a little island with his pepper spray and walkie-talkie and then they left to go fishing. It’s so warm! I’m sitting on the back deck in my shorts and bare backed! Yes… finally, a taste of summer. The thermometer says its 76 degrees and there’s not even a hint of a breeze.
Val’s got a wonderful halibut recipe she’s going to make for dinner. I love eating up here. (Come to think of it, I love eating everywhere.) Last night, we enjoyed our crab and shrimp…yum! I’m so glad we now have a freezer full of halibut both on the boat and at home! Now, we just need to get into the salmon.So, when you get to the lodge tomorrow, hail me on the radio and I’ll come pick you up! Until then, be blessed, friends.