Finally Some Snow!

After waiting most of the winter, we finally got some snow about a week ago!

The snow warning initially called for 24 inches of snow, cold temperatures, and hurricane force winds in some areas.  While we did get lots of wind and it was cold enough to freeze our waterlines, we ended up with a mere 13 inches of snow in 5 days.

The snow was so dry and light (unusual for our area), we didn't use the snow blowers; we cleared the snow from all surfaces with shovels.

The cold temperatures took the flow in Sadie Creek way down--most of the creek here is dry and covered with snow. If you look at the upper left rock below the branches, this rock was barely showing during the heavy rains.

 Sometimes Feral needs a little encouragement to get out into the snow.

She's pretty good in the snow once she gets going!

Thanks to JJ and Amy who brought us some beautiful flowers when they visited the townsite recently.

Reflections on snow.

The river otters also enjoy the snow--we see them sliding along the snow on the dock and sometimes up by the lodge.

Valentine's Day at the lodge.

Jen going Artsy Fartsy with her camera.

 Early morning down on the dock.  Shoveling the skiff is part of the routine snow removal.

Below are some random shots around the lodge.

 

The End

Famous Feral!

Feral Bueller is famous--she made the cover of the weekly Juneau paper recently.  The photo is from a few years ago when we had a bunch of young deer hanging around the lodge who got to be pretty tame.  Here's a link to the article about caretaking here in the bay (including several of Jen's photos):   Caretaking in Warm Springs Bay

 Feral transitioning to Four-Paw Drive

 Coming back from the dock  (always faster when headed back to the lodge!).

Feral's Valentine's Day outfit!

 Hanging out on Valentine's Day!

Super Bowl!

 We've faithfully watched the Seahawks this year, and they've had some great games, especially at the end of the season, always finding a way to win.  Jen has been a fan for 40 years and is the Fan of all Fans. She takes her wins and losses very personally.

 

Of course, Feral Bueller has been right in there cheering on the Seahawks as well.

 

She especially liked the comeback miracle against the Packers!

Feral was actually in the Super Bowl last Sunday.  It was a great game, but we were shocked at the unexpected ending, and the old saying, "The butler did it" now has a new and painful meaning for us. 

 

Jen still hasn't come out of her funk....I'm hoping she'll start talking again sometime this week!

Big January Tides!

We had a very unusual January--warm and wet with almost 28 inches of rain for the month and only 3 inches of snow.  Most years we have a lot of snow and very little rain.  The heavy rain fall combined with some 24 foot tidal ranges and gales in Chatham Strait (causing swell and waves in the bay) to bring the tide lines up to where the waves were actually lapping at the lodge.

 The rainfall is pretty evident in the flow at Baranof Falls!

Heading back to the lodge in the skiff with Baranof Falls and the townsite in the background.

 Sadie Creek has been running pretty hard too!

 Here is the boardwalk and dock house at high tide--about a 19.9 foot high.

 Here's the boardwalk and dock house on about a 2 foot tide.  The lows got down to -4.1, but that happened in the dark, so we couldn't get photos at the lowest tides.

 Looking back at the lodge at high tide.

 Low tide.

 The wood shed at high tide.

 Low tide.

 High tide from the deck looking at the greenhouse and garden.  We could feel the waves hitting the house under the deck!

 Same place, low tide.

 Looking out at the bay past the flooded garden on the left.

 Same view, low tide.

In other breaking news, the Christmas tree has now moved to it's New Year's location on the deck.  We're still waiting for some snow to flock it!  Film at 11!

 The wet weather has been good for the ducks and we've had lots of waterfowl around.  There have been a lot of Surf Scoters hanging out in front of the lodge and Sadie Creek.

 There have been big flocks of Pacific Loons hanging out in the bay.  This is the first year I remember seeing them, at least in these numbers.  I counted over a hundred one day when I was out in the skiff.

 This is a female Barrow's Goldeneye

 Male Barrow's Goldeneye

 Male Common Merganser

Male Red Breasted Merganser