Homer and Katchemak Bay specialize in scenery. Mary arranged for a boat and bird tour of the bay with
Bay Excursions. And birds we did see! This birder type opted to leave the camera at home so as to better focus on the watching part of birding. We saw three species of loons, cute little Tufted Puffins, rafts of thousands of Common Murres, Red-faced and Pelagic Cormorants, Harlequin Duck, Marbled Murrelet, and Barrow's Goldeneye, among others.
We also saw the ubuquitous Bald Eagles of Katchemak Bay. For many years, a woman that lived on Homer Spit had fed the eagles that gathered each winter, feasting on the natural and human-made food supply. The woman, whose name I did not learn, passed away during the winter of 2008-09, but her supporters continued to feed the wintering population of eagles. With only good intentions, some locals believed it necessary to continue the food source until the natural supply increased in the spring. The eagles thrived. Unfortunately, these same predatory birds that were being nurtured had a devastating effect on populations of other species that nested in the bay, including Arctic Tern, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and many others. Next winter, there will be no deliberate feeding of eagles in the hopes to return Katchemak Bay avifauna to a more natural balance.
Throughout our stay, the weather was perfect in every way and the waters calm.
We also had great views of Grewingk Glacier. The unseasonably warm and dry weather did have its drawbacks, however.
We witnessed the start of this wildfire about 10 miles east of the main village. By the next day, it had grown to over 500 acres, and folks were being evacuated. Three days later, I learned that it had reached 5,000 acres and some homes had been lost. This area had been hard hit by spruce beetles, leaving dead standing trees as a reminder of the infestation. Unfortunately, the combination of the diseased or dead trees and glorious weather had a devastating effect.
A tiny tree in progress with the brilliant light of the Alaskan summer in the background. I found the Valley Quilters of Palmer and Wasilla to be very enthusiastic and remarkably cheerful. The good will was positively infectious. Each night, a large group dined with me, and the stories I heard! It was a blast. They're a hardy, plucky bunch too.
During class introductions, I asked each student to tell how it was that she came to be living in Alaska. I heard lots of "I came here with my husband to stay for -- months (insert 3, 6, 9, or 18). Well, that was -- (insert 10, 12, 24 or 36) years ago. It is blissfully clear that the women of the far north appreciate the uniqueness of their home state. I was privileged to share it for a few days.
Ah, the Goose is Loose, my favorite class! The ladies created their own designs, and began stitching them in less than 6 hours.
A lot was accomplished amid laughter, shared potluck lunch, and friendly camaraderie. We thank Sylvia, of Sylvia's Quilt Depot for allowing us the use of her classroom. BTW, should you ever find yourself in Wasilla, be sure to check out Sylvia's. She has an awesome selection of specialty Alaska and northern fabrics, some of which are created locally.
