Spring Visitors

It's March and the time of year we start to get more boats coming into the bay as fishing seasons are getting closer. People and boats are moving around, getting ready for summer.

Chase and Hillary Bell are back in Alaska after their honeymoon in Thailand, and stopped by the bay on their way back from False Island to Petersburg.

Chase bought this big landing craft last summer in Kotzebue and barely made it back to Sitka in time for their wedding in September. I can't pronounce the 14-letter Inuit name of the boat, but it will be called Lituya as soon as the paperwork comes through.

Trevor and his crew stopped by on the Afognak, which is a tender, heading from Petersburg to Sitka for the herring opening. A tender is a boat that offloads fish from the fishing boats, then delivers that fish to the processors, allowing the fishing boats to continue fishing in their current location.

I realize how small Sailboat Bob is when a big boat like the Afognak ties up to the dock!

Trevor brought an unexpected surprise--Lizzie sent a replacement popcorn popper since our popper's top was melted in an unfortunate American Idol incident.

The Afognak left the next day during our snowstorm.

And that same night Jim came in with the Kupreanof. Jen's not happy with this photo, but she just ran out and snapped it as Jim went by the lodge.

We still cut some firewood on the days between snowstorms. Jen is happy when it's warm and dry in the lodge. And when Jen is happy.....Rick is happy!