June 18 - hanging around Homer

We got up with the idea of heading to Kenai today, but there were places to see here, and we were a bit lethargic.  So we had a stay-cation in Homer.  I didn't sleep well due to itchy swollen bites, so I made sure I sprayed the DEET today.  When I was out spraying, a couple from Michigan stopped by, drawn by the motorcycle lift.  We got chatting and looking at grand kid pictures, but that is what you do on vacation, right?

It was only .7 mile bike ride to the Pratt Museum, and it kept us occupied for hours; so we only rode 12.2 miles today.  Several locals mentioned this was the best weather they've had in 10 years.  Maybe we bring it with us (*smile*).

This is a neat learning display for kids of all ages.  The creatures are magnetic and stick to the board.  It is up to the operator to place the right creature in the right home.  I placed them up high so the creatures would be visible in the photo, but there is a leather pouch on the log frame for them to be within kid reach.

This narrated slide show is shown on a boat sail.

Tidepool Quilt

Kachemak Bay Fish Quilt

Kachemak Bay Winter Birds.  Can you find:  Black-billed Magpie, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Bohemiam Waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks, Downy Woodpecker, Common Redpolls, Black-capped chickadees, Pine Siskins, Snow buntings, Spruce Grouse, Snowy Owl, Boreal chickadees, Common Raven.

They had quite a bit of information about the 1964 earthquake (9.2).  This caught my eye as Janet was just telling me how Dana Stabenow was one of her favorite authors.

Kachemak Bay Seasons Quilt.

This is a wall piece for the kids to put the right birds in the right ecosystems. 

Floor activity for kids to "explore" a tidepool and identify tidepool life forms.

Skeleton of a 38' grey whale. 

 They had a neat pictorial on how the whale was recovered (natural death), the flesh removed, the bones cleaned and bleached and assembled.  It took almost 10 years to get it ready to display.  It took a group effort to get the skeleton into the museum and hung.  I was shocked to see they would only be displaying it for about 6 months (Jan-July, 2013), then stored until 2016 when their new building is expected to open.

"Mammals of Alaska" quilt with the smaller "Common Fawn Lily" quilt to be raffled, fundraising for the Pratt Museum.

Homesteader's cabin the "Harrington Cabin".

Goes with the Homesteader's cabin.

Local cafe.

 The following are views around Homer from our bike ride.  Unfortunately I had to stop him each time I wanted to take a picture.  Most of the time I couldn't keep the camera handy as the roads are very rough and I couldn't hold the camera and the handle bars.

Grewingk Glacier

This is a sod farm.

We've seen this rusty gunk in drainage and asked a docent what it was.  She said she wasn't sure exactly, but that it was a natural occurring microorganism.

After storms fishing rigging washes up on shore and frequently becomes home decor.

This is a dead tree planted upside down so the roots provide bird roosts.  We were told it was started to provide for the bald eagles, but this one seems a bit low for that.  Maybe it is just the decor bit too.

 

We did see one bald eagle flying in this area, sorry no picture.  We saw a sandhill crane yesterday in the slough at the base of the Homer Spit yesterday.  I had the camera ready today in that area, but no such luck on seeing another.  We found moose scat today but no moose either.

We did go to a Homer exclusive.  Northern Marine Canvas Products, NOMAR is like a local REI.  I could have spent more time in the store, but David was waiting outside with the bike.  I think he was trying to give a little "pressure" for me not to spend to much time (aka money) in there.  Super nice staff, one young lady works in the back and the front.  I could peek into the sewing room, but nothing much was going at the moment.  www.nomaralaska.com if you are interested.

Today was a perfect rest day.  I feel much more energetic about leaving.  Getting down here has been the first sort of stressful driving.  To much traffic with to few places to pull over for them.  The "turn outs" require 90° turns onto dirt; just crazy traffic planning.  The tandem is put away and my windshield is clean, should be an easy get ready to go in the morning.

I took a walk to Bishop's Beach (across the street, no big hike here) about 11:15 pm.  I took these across the Kachemak Bay.  the land mass across the water is all in the Kachemak Bay State Park and Wilderness.

Do you see the moon?  See it is night time.

I loved seeing this sky from the mh.

Driftwood on Bishop's Beach, Homer, AK

From Bishop's Beach looking toward the confluence of Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet

Driftwood Inn RV park.  The RV's on the left look directly toward the water.  We can see the mountains over them.  We've been lucky those spots have not all been filled and we can see the water out our side windows.