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Published: August 12th 2010
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Mary was up early because there was a very low tide that enabled her to go out and collect a certain type of seaweed she likes to use in cooking. When Madeline and I got back from walking the dogs on the beach, the seaweed was spread out on paper towels all over the stove and the countertop. It was green and brown and slimy and looked like someone had gotten sick all over the kitchen!
We went to the local Farmer’s Market after breakfast. They got to visit with lots of old friends. Madeline didn’t recognize many who were her age and vice versa because she hasn’t lived here in four years. She was shy about the ones she did recognize. She related to us how much she loves to do ballroom dancing now and that she went to a dance camp earlier in the summer. She said she wasn’t shy with boys there. She just wanted to dance!
At one booth, we saw T-shirts for a bike store called “cycle logical”. That reminded me to tell Jodie about the bike store in Whitehorse called “icycle”. Aren’t people so clever? We bought some yummy bread and then went to buy
groceries for tonight. Tim’s sister-in-law and her grandson are coming to our camper for dinner.
After lunch we went down the spit to see about fishing for Rich or puffins for Nancy. We went to a friend of Mary’s and there was a boat available for going out to Gull Island to see birds (and puffins) if we could leave immediately. We said we had to go pick up Tim at the camper and get some jackets and then we’d be ready for a one hour tour. Oh boy! We went out and saw sea otters right away and then, oh my goodness, TUFTED PUFFINS floating on the water! They are so cute! We went out to Gull Island and saw quite the rookery of glaucous-winged gulls and kittiwakes. There were three kinds of cormorants mixed in and a bunch of common murres that look like they must be related to penguins because they have tuxedos on, too. There were tufted puffins up on the cliffs by their burrows. They nest in long tunnels in the dirt, believe it or not. After slowly going around the island, our guide said there was time to go to Moose Island. There was
a whole flock of harlequin ducks, but they were all females so no incredibly colorful feathers. Then we saw groups of pigeon guillemots. They are so cute with their bright red legs! Some more sea otters came closer, curiously. The rocky cliffs were the most amazing folded, layered rocks. They were beautiful and fascinating. It was an awesome boatride and it lasted more than the allotted hour.
We got to see Homer from the seaside and the small boat harbor on the spit. A U-Haul was loaded on a barge, heading out. Someone must have been moving onto an island or to the other side of the bay or to a town over there. Why not use a U-Haul?
Well, it’s a good thing I had a good haircut for the summer because between all the rain and the wind and the boats and the beach, forget the curls or any actual hairdo since we've been in Alaska. The windblown look will have to do for all of us for entertaining this evening. We went back to the camper and made dinner. Mary took all the seaweed out to their car to dry. Tim and Mary’s sister-in-law was really good
company and her grandson was adorable. After hearing about the relatives and especially about Homer for twenty years, it was wonderful to be able to be here and see it all and see why they love it so much! They must really miss this place while they’re living up in Wasilla.
Sad to have our last night together here. They have to back tomorrow. Rich entertained us by reading Robert Service.
Did I mention that they have a very nice renter for their house in Homer? We met her when we went out to their place. Also, Mary is working on putting a little house on the other part of their property so that they’ll have their own place to stay when they go to Homer for visits.
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Jodie
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Mary is SO FUNNY!!! Love her! Tim looks like a bonifide Alaskan man!