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