Sharon's Ramblings

Easter 2011 in Sitka..

2011-04-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Nice weekend... Saturday morning found the sun shining and me in the yard looking for spring. It's been so fickle this year with what seems like hourly changes in the weather since March. One minute it's raining, next it's snowing and next it's hailing, all within a morning. Brave blossoms are peeking their heads out, but very cautiously.

My mood for gardening has been as varied as the weather, with me stepping out to see what the temp is before I gather my tools. Bout the time I get outside though, it seems like the teasing sun ducks back behind a cloud with a "fooled you" giggle. Sometimes I stick to it and tackle dandelions, other times, I give way to a warm corner and a magazine that promises blooms untold if I just follow their instructions.

Easter Sunday did find me out looking for wildflowers to coax into my garden. I love the woodland mosses and the tiny flowers that grow there. Tiny pieces of art, peeking from within the soft mound of green. Petals so dainty.

Small treasures of wild Columbine, tiny ferns and wild strawberry made the trip worth it.

So, for now, my gardening is low key, waiting for the magic number of 55 that everyone says is when the plants in our area can grow.. till then, a cup of coffee, a good gardening magazine and a warm blanket over my knees will keep me happy...

The herring are coming.. the herring are coming!

2011-03-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Saw my first whale of the season yesterday. I was on the phone with a customer, in my office that sits right on the oceanfront and could barely conceal my excitement!

The herring are coming the herring are coming was going off in my ears as I try to focus again on our conversation..

"Yes, June is a nice time to come," I say again. What I don't say is if I could only have one month in Sitka a year, it would begin about mid March to mid April when all the wildlife starts coming in to get ready for the influx of the herring. Love this time of year..

Sea lions have been gathering a couple weeks and now the whales are here.. I had noticed an increase in eagle activity, too, so knew it was getting close.

In three weeks my cousins are coming from Texas, so I'm excited they'll be here to witness "the feast" as it was called in the BBC documentary that covered it a couple years ago.

And me, I get a front door view as I watch from Sharon's Cabin on the Sound!

The whales, the eagles, and the sea lions are all good tokems saying that winter is over and spring has sprung. On my list today is go around and start looking for crocuses and daffodils!

2010-04-30T04:28:00.001-07:00

The earth has music for those who listen...

May Arrives in Alaska

2010-04-30T04:20:00.001-07:00

The pulse quickens as May arrives,

and Whales frolic off the shore

and Sealions gather near the rocks

as Summer knocks upon our door

Can it REALLY be May in just 2 days?

2010-04-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been here in a while. It' s not because I haven't been writing, I write ALL the time! It's just that either I'm writing for business reasons which keeps me VERY busy or I'm on face book writing whatever is on my mind.

Unbelievable that it's already May! And what an incredible winter and spring. We've been in gardening mode seems like since last summer. Truth is we did not really have a winter you know.

Everything is budding out and it is killing me! Last winter I rented a small section of the RE/MAX office downtown, figuring it would be easier for customers to get to me and such, but now with my clematis beside my office and the honeysuckle blooming, it's killing me to be away for one second!

I wanted to be nestled in my tiny home-office, coffee in hand, peeking through the ferns and foxglove that snuggle against my large view window, watching the hummingbirds and other wild things as they gather near.

I saw my first hummer this morning. Quick as a minute it flew by the window and went and sat in the plum tree that's filled with blossoms right now. I never knew hummers sat still until we moved into the upstairs apartment that looks out on the plum tree. There's been times when I can see 25 or 30 at a time humming around the, frequently settling to rest or work on their nest.

Now I'm waiting for the Cedar Waxwing to return. It had just started coming after several years of me putting out the kind of food that it and other jays like, peanuts, sunflower seeds. Now I wait with bated breath for its return.

Well, I guess that's it for right now. This weekend I get my little office set back up then you won't be able to shut me up as I share the gloriousness of the arrival of an Alaska summer!

till then, take only photo, leave only footprints and kill nothing but time...

Sitka mist settles over the sound like a fine woven blanket

2005-04-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

What a wierd couple of days...

Woke Sunday morning as the full moon moved close to the horizon, shining across the slight ripples in the sound. Then, before I could get my camera, it was gone, replaced by a thinly woven blanket of fog that eventually thickened to pea soup.

Yesterday morn no moon, the sound was smooth as glass, the eagles reflections showing as they soared overhead, again, within moments, the fog had moved in.

Today, a light layering of mist hugged the islands across the way, while somewhere behind, the moon or the sun hid creating wierd reflections on the water just around that one small island. Sea gulls flew over, silent.

I considered trying to catch it on film, but knew that no camera had the ability to capture the serene beauty of this morning.

I hate sounding like a broken record, but...

2005-03-24T07:27:00.000-08:00

Got up this morning, put on the coffee and walked outside. Okay, so the water is like glass, the volcano is crisp and clear and there just happens to be a full moon rising silver in morning light. In housecoat and slippers, I grab my camera and go on the porch and start shooting.

9, 8, 6.5, I keep changing my aperture to see which is working best. Love digital cameras because I can switch back and actually see the photo and make immediate changes.

Got to get closer. Looking around to see if anyone is about, I slip off the porch to the rocks and shoot. Wish an eagle would fly by or a sea lion would pop their head up to add interest to the pic, oh well, it's beautiful all by itself.

Need to get inside and get ready for my busy day-one more shot, well, maybe two...

An eagle does fly by, but I miss it. Digital cameras are slow, that's one draw back.

Back inside, I cuddle with a cup of coffee watching the moon as it continues its path behind the clouds. I notice a ripple on the surface a sea lion, no too small, maybe an otter. The camera... nah, think I'll just stay here with my coffee and enjoy the view....

Photos here.... www.mysitka.com/

Boats, boats and an occassional whale

2005-03-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, so today is pretty. I got up at 5 this morning to the moon sparkling across the water so bright that at first I thought it was a spotlight from a passing boat. Tons of boats coming in now to get set in case they call the herring fishery is called today. So scenic. Everyday they are testing the roe, measuring the fish, getting ready for the next call. Amazing that such tiny fish can be such a big haul money-wise for so many fishermen.

Photos here.... go to mysitka.com and see photos!

Well, time is short today, so on my way. Have a wonderful day!