Well time really flies on a Spangler trip. Couple that with slow or no internet connection and I have not finished my posting. Will try to get everything updated this week before I head back to school.
After the trip, I flew directly to Dallas from Seattle and started as a trainer for National Boards. This is a great opportunity to work with other library media specialists and see the responses made by this years candidates. It is also very tiring work but worthwhile. I needed a much needed rest after the fellowship of non-stop and then training and scoring. Now that I have had a chance to rest I will get things updated. Also I will be adding pictures that were almost impossible to do while traveling. Only 300 good pictures of whales so I do have a few pictures to look through. Have not even started editing the video o workshop sessions and excursions.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sitka
Thursday was an early morning as we were to tender into Sitka at about 8:15. At Sitka the ship does not go to a dock in town but instead drops anchor in the harbor. Passengers go to and from the ship in a boat called a tender. The tenders are part of the life boats that hang outside the 4th deck. I don’t know how many people they can pack into the tender but it is cramped and can be warm. Carly had arranged for our group to be on one of the first tenders out this morning. We arrived at about 8am in the harbor and unless you are on an early excursion, the first tender is at 10am. You just get a ticket and wait for your tender number to be called.
Instead of the tender, we were taken aboard one of the Allen Marine ships along with the ship mascot for Sitka, an beaver and photographer. A few other people joined us on the short trip to the dock. John had briefed us on a few place we might want to visit and places to shop and eat during our limited free time in Sitka. Many of us went up to the spot where Russia formally turned over what we now call Alaska to the United States. Beacon Hill had lots of plaques with information about the transfer as well as a wonderful view into the harbor and the town of Sitka. Instead of taking the stairs back down to the main street, I took a nice path that had lots of wild flowers growing along the gravel path. The path ended on the street right by the harbor and so was a short walk back to the dock to meet the group.
The group went by bus to the Sitka Raptor Center to learn about the rescue program that they have not just for Eagles but all raptors. We started by viewing the flight area through one way glass. The area is as much like the environment that the raptors live as possible. They have trees, streams of water and the roof allows the outside elements and temperature into the area. One of the flight areas had 3 eagles that were from 3 years of age to adult. The other flight area had an adult eagle and a baby eagle that had fallen from its nest. The adult eagle was placed with the baby to imprint eagle behavior on the chick.
Next we learned a little about the Raptor Center and then maybe the favorite part was to learn about Hallie, a Golden Eagle, that came into the room with one of the two raptor handlers at the center. Haliie was found starving as a young eagle. She has a misformed beak, called a cross over, that prevents her from being able to tear food into small pieces to eat. Because of this defect, she will never be able to returned to the wild. Other raptors that they are not able to return to the wild are sent to zoos and other educational establishments to help educate people about the raptors.
After the presentation, we had a small amount of time to view the other raptors and the gift shop. The center is funded through the gift shop and donations to the center. One of the ways to donate is by adopting a raptor. Individuals as well as groups can adopt any of the raptors at the center. John later told us that as each of his daughters turned 10, they adopted a raptor for them. One of the daughter’s raptor was able to be released and they were invited to the center for the release. When a class adopts a raptor, they get the picture of the raptor and information ship about how the raptor came to the center and what has been done in it care. In addition to these item, the class receives a binder of six lessons to help teach about raptors. I think that this would be a great way to support the center and help educate the students at school.
After the short bus trip back to town, we had a little more time to shop and grab a bite to eat. I stopped at one of the two reindeer hotdog stand and got my lunch. Then it was time for a little shopping while working my way back toward the dock. I thought I was doing great on time and arrived at the dock a little early. Actually, our group was late for the wildlife cruise. The long line was for the next boat cruise by Allen Marine. We were fortunate that they allowed us on this tour.
I am to a majority of the group being out on the top deck in the open and along the sides of the enclosed area on the top deck. The two of us were the only ones outside on the way out to view the wildlife. Most of the people spent the entire tour sitting in the chairs and visiting. The first thing we came across after speeding out across some rough water was a couple of sea lions. They were not really interested in being photographed, so we headed off again. We found a group of female otters. They were cute and we had a nice amount of time to get photos. We also found an eagle’s nest, salmon that were jumping out of the water, a group of male otters and about 4 puffins. The last tender was leaving the dock of 4:30 and so our tour had to be back with us on boat the ship before that tender left the dock. It was nice to not have to go to the dock and then wait for a tender to take you back to the ship.
The second formal night had been moved from Friday to tonight, so we had to quickly get things put away and change clothes for dinner. Several table started getting the wait staff involved with things like red noses and red dots. After dinner I changed clothes and went to write my blog and check email. I got the blog all written and copied so I could put it on the blog. When I got logged in to the internet and the blog, what pasted was the blog for Wednesday night. I was never able to recover the blog. When I started this tonight, I made sure to save after a few sentences so that the auto back-up would save my document for me.
A couple from the group were trying to view some things on the internet and said it was extremely slow. Usually when you are in port, we have good access but not tonight. Actually, this is the first time we have been in port this late. We were suppose to arrive at 6pm and leave at 11:59pm but we did not start off the ship until almost 8pm. Some of the excursions that people had booked were cancelled because of our arrival time.
Watch for more details about the adventures in Ketchikan and Victoria, BC.
Instead of the tender, we were taken aboard one of the Allen Marine ships along with the ship mascot for Sitka, an beaver and photographer. A few other people joined us on the short trip to the dock. John had briefed us on a few place we might want to visit and places to shop and eat during our limited free time in Sitka. Many of us went up to the spot where Russia formally turned over what we now call Alaska to the United States. Beacon Hill had lots of plaques with information about the transfer as well as a wonderful view into the harbor and the town of Sitka. Instead of taking the stairs back down to the main street, I took a nice path that had lots of wild flowers growing along the gravel path. The path ended on the street right by the harbor and so was a short walk back to the dock to meet the group.
The group went by bus to the Sitka Raptor Center to learn about the rescue program that they have not just for Eagles but all raptors. We started by viewing the flight area through one way glass. The area is as much like the environment that the raptors live as possible. They have trees, streams of water and the roof allows the outside elements and temperature into the area. One of the flight areas had 3 eagles that were from 3 years of age to adult. The other flight area had an adult eagle and a baby eagle that had fallen from its nest. The adult eagle was placed with the baby to imprint eagle behavior on the chick.
Next we learned a little about the Raptor Center and then maybe the favorite part was to learn about Hallie, a Golden Eagle, that came into the room with one of the two raptor handlers at the center. Haliie was found starving as a young eagle. She has a misformed beak, called a cross over, that prevents her from being able to tear food into small pieces to eat. Because of this defect, she will never be able to returned to the wild. Other raptors that they are not able to return to the wild are sent to zoos and other educational establishments to help educate people about the raptors.
After the presentation, we had a small amount of time to view the other raptors and the gift shop. The center is funded through the gift shop and donations to the center. One of the ways to donate is by adopting a raptor. Individuals as well as groups can adopt any of the raptors at the center. John later told us that as each of his daughters turned 10, they adopted a raptor for them. One of the daughter’s raptor was able to be released and they were invited to the center for the release. When a class adopts a raptor, they get the picture of the raptor and information ship about how the raptor came to the center and what has been done in it care. In addition to these item, the class receives a binder of six lessons to help teach about raptors. I think that this would be a great way to support the center and help educate the students at school.
After the short bus trip back to town, we had a little more time to shop and grab a bite to eat. I stopped at one of the two reindeer hotdog stand and got my lunch. Then it was time for a little shopping while working my way back toward the dock. I thought I was doing great on time and arrived at the dock a little early. Actually, our group was late for the wildlife cruise. The long line was for the next boat cruise by Allen Marine. We were fortunate that they allowed us on this tour.
I am to a majority of the group being out on the top deck in the open and along the sides of the enclosed area on the top deck. The two of us were the only ones outside on the way out to view the wildlife. Most of the people spent the entire tour sitting in the chairs and visiting. The first thing we came across after speeding out across some rough water was a couple of sea lions. They were not really interested in being photographed, so we headed off again. We found a group of female otters. They were cute and we had a nice amount of time to get photos. We also found an eagle’s nest, salmon that were jumping out of the water, a group of male otters and about 4 puffins. The last tender was leaving the dock of 4:30 and so our tour had to be back with us on boat the ship before that tender left the dock. It was nice to not have to go to the dock and then wait for a tender to take you back to the ship.
The second formal night had been moved from Friday to tonight, so we had to quickly get things put away and change clothes for dinner. Several table started getting the wait staff involved with things like red noses and red dots. After dinner I changed clothes and went to write my blog and check email. I got the blog all written and copied so I could put it on the blog. When I got logged in to the internet and the blog, what pasted was the blog for Wednesday night. I was never able to recover the blog. When I started this tonight, I made sure to save after a few sentences so that the auto back-up would save my document for me.
A couple from the group were trying to view some things on the internet and said it was extremely slow. Usually when you are in port, we have good access but not tonight. Actually, this is the first time we have been in port this late. We were suppose to arrive at 6pm and leave at 11:59pm but we did not start off the ship until almost 8pm. Some of the excursions that people had booked were cancelled because of our arrival time.
Watch for more details about the adventures in Ketchikan and Victoria, BC.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Fantastic Wednesday
Wednesday was an early morning. We got into Juneau about 8am and I was off the boat shortly after that to do some shopping. This was our first day to be in port so lots of excitement to get our feet on solid ground. We had the second docking position, so we were close to town and quick access to the sea walk. Besides heading out to do some shopping, I was looking for pictures. There is a statue on the dock and information about how the dog would let the town’s people know when a ship was in port. I want to see if there is a printed book about this dog.
John was out searching for high speed internet connection for Steve and helped me get to the Ben Franklin and the Post Office. I had learned on line that I could purchase fabric with scenes of Alaska there. Well, I found a wonderful quilt pattern or two to use with the fabric, stuffed animals, a puppet telling glove and a piece of seal fur. Great deals and I supported a local owned store not the stores right on the dock that are trying to get the tourist’s money. I visited a couple other stores including a store with Russian imports. I tried to buy some soap made with glacier silt but they didn’t open til 10. Then it was time to get things back to the ship and meet on the dock for our excursios. Getting on the ship is not just run up the gangway and head to your room. First you have to show your ship card (aka room/charge key) and a photo id, then after walking up the gangway with people coming down, you have to put everything through the xray machine and walk through the metal detector. After I grabbed my stuff after it passed through security it was off to the room to drop things off. Getting off the ship just requires having your room key scanned as you exit and then walk down the gangway. Oh yes, if it is near the beginning of port time, you have an animal mascot that wants you to have your picture taken with them.
The gang all met at the dock and loaded onto our 2 buses to head out to get on our whale watching and wildlife cruise. We had a little time to kill on the way to Allen Marine dock, so we stopped to take our first pictures of Mendenhall Glacier. When you are near the front of the line to get on-board you get your choice of seats. I headed straight upstairs to claim a set in the enclosed area upstairs. After we pushed off, we had a safety briefing. Then most people left the upstairs cabin and we standing outside in the sunshine watching for the wildlife. We didn’t have to wait long before we spotted whales. The first whale was a youngster that was playing around learning what he could do. He really put on a show for us and then he joined his mother and they were diving and having a good time.
The pilot was shocked to see a boater almost hit a whale. The whale had been diving and with our boat just drifting, it was obvious that some form of wildlife was in the area. After the group so see that the whale was fine we went back to watching and taking pictures. While we were enjoying ourselves, the captain discovered that a group of whales were bubble feeding just a short distance from where we were. To bubble feed, a whale blows bubble while going around in a circle and making noise. Then the whale do a deep dive and comes back up in the center of the circle. The fish inside the circle will not go through the bubbles and they get stunned. Then the whale have a feeding frenzy along with the sea birds in the area. This is not a common thing to see and we got to observe it several times and even had whales breeching at the same time. The captain said that they don’t stay with a whale for more than about 30 minutes so that they do not interfere with their feeding.
We then headed out to a marker where sea lions are often found often on or around the marker. The marker was full and there was a sea lion that was in the water waiting his turn. Being a group of teachers we associated it with kids on the playground. A toy is full no one is leaving to let someone else have a turn. As we started back toward where we had seen the whales earlier we meet another group of whales that wanted to put on a show for use. We didn’t leave til the captain said that we needed to head back to have lunch. As we passed where the bubble feeding had been earlier, we could tell by all the boats just drifting that they were still busy eating. We also saw the bubbles being blown.
We went to an island where the only year round residents have a place that boat groups can stop and have a salmon bake. A group was about to leave as we arrived. The earlier group had been a little late arriving and so we had to wait for the salmon to cook. After lunch, we had a little time to visit the gift shop, go to the touch tank or walk on the shore. Several of us collected shells and pebbles on the beach. I had packed in my bag, 4 of the pop bottle plugs with lids. I have one container with water and another with some of the sand, pebbles and tiny shells from the beach. Then it was time to head back to the dock.
When we arrived at the dock, we had to stay onboard for a while as one of our buses had had trouble and had to be replaced. We finally unloaded and walked up to get on our bus. Everyone got a wrist band to wear at Mendenhall Glacier. Since the salmon were running, I walked down to the stream to view the salmon. This particular salmon is referred to as the Christmas salmon as they are red and green. Then I walked to viewing pavilion to see the ice bergs that had calved from the Mendenhall float out to sea. Then it was a quick walk to the a couple trails at the visitor center to get a closer look at the actual glacier. We were not allowed from this site to go onto the glacier. Buses are only supposed to drop their load off for a 45 minute visit and then have 5 minutes to get their bus loaded. Our drivers did not come back til we had had an hour to visit the glacier. Even with the extra time I didn’t have time to make any purchases.
The buses took us back to the dock about 5:30. It was back through the process to get back on the ship to put cameras and bags back in the room. I spent about another hour looking around for things for the culture boxes. Everyone had to be back on the ship by 7:30. Since most of us missed our dinner at 5:45, we headed up to the Lido deck for dinner. It was nice to sit and have a nice conversation with a couple others in the group. Then I ran up to the Crow’s Nest to use the internet. If you used your internet account between 8 and 10 pm you were only charged for half the time you used in one session. I was able to upload to my blog, check email and try to get on to the school account.
I headed back to the room to get organized for the early morning shopping before the Sitka activities. It was a fantastic day with sun (none of the liquid sunshine) and high of something like 72 degrees. This is not normal for Juneau.
John was out searching for high speed internet connection for Steve and helped me get to the Ben Franklin and the Post Office. I had learned on line that I could purchase fabric with scenes of Alaska there. Well, I found a wonderful quilt pattern or two to use with the fabric, stuffed animals, a puppet telling glove and a piece of seal fur. Great deals and I supported a local owned store not the stores right on the dock that are trying to get the tourist’s money. I visited a couple other stores including a store with Russian imports. I tried to buy some soap made with glacier silt but they didn’t open til 10. Then it was time to get things back to the ship and meet on the dock for our excursios. Getting on the ship is not just run up the gangway and head to your room. First you have to show your ship card (aka room/charge key) and a photo id, then after walking up the gangway with people coming down, you have to put everything through the xray machine and walk through the metal detector. After I grabbed my stuff after it passed through security it was off to the room to drop things off. Getting off the ship just requires having your room key scanned as you exit and then walk down the gangway. Oh yes, if it is near the beginning of port time, you have an animal mascot that wants you to have your picture taken with them.
The gang all met at the dock and loaded onto our 2 buses to head out to get on our whale watching and wildlife cruise. We had a little time to kill on the way to Allen Marine dock, so we stopped to take our first pictures of Mendenhall Glacier. When you are near the front of the line to get on-board you get your choice of seats. I headed straight upstairs to claim a set in the enclosed area upstairs. After we pushed off, we had a safety briefing. Then most people left the upstairs cabin and we standing outside in the sunshine watching for the wildlife. We didn’t have to wait long before we spotted whales. The first whale was a youngster that was playing around learning what he could do. He really put on a show for us and then he joined his mother and they were diving and having a good time.
The pilot was shocked to see a boater almost hit a whale. The whale had been diving and with our boat just drifting, it was obvious that some form of wildlife was in the area. After the group so see that the whale was fine we went back to watching and taking pictures. While we were enjoying ourselves, the captain discovered that a group of whales were bubble feeding just a short distance from where we were. To bubble feed, a whale blows bubble while going around in a circle and making noise. Then the whale do a deep dive and comes back up in the center of the circle. The fish inside the circle will not go through the bubbles and they get stunned. Then the whale have a feeding frenzy along with the sea birds in the area. This is not a common thing to see and we got to observe it several times and even had whales breeching at the same time. The captain said that they don’t stay with a whale for more than about 30 minutes so that they do not interfere with their feeding.
We then headed out to a marker where sea lions are often found often on or around the marker. The marker was full and there was a sea lion that was in the water waiting his turn. Being a group of teachers we associated it with kids on the playground. A toy is full no one is leaving to let someone else have a turn. As we started back toward where we had seen the whales earlier we meet another group of whales that wanted to put on a show for use. We didn’t leave til the captain said that we needed to head back to have lunch. As we passed where the bubble feeding had been earlier, we could tell by all the boats just drifting that they were still busy eating. We also saw the bubbles being blown.
We went to an island where the only year round residents have a place that boat groups can stop and have a salmon bake. A group was about to leave as we arrived. The earlier group had been a little late arriving and so we had to wait for the salmon to cook. After lunch, we had a little time to visit the gift shop, go to the touch tank or walk on the shore. Several of us collected shells and pebbles on the beach. I had packed in my bag, 4 of the pop bottle plugs with lids. I have one container with water and another with some of the sand, pebbles and tiny shells from the beach. Then it was time to head back to the dock.
When we arrived at the dock, we had to stay onboard for a while as one of our buses had had trouble and had to be replaced. We finally unloaded and walked up to get on our bus. Everyone got a wrist band to wear at Mendenhall Glacier. Since the salmon were running, I walked down to the stream to view the salmon. This particular salmon is referred to as the Christmas salmon as they are red and green. Then I walked to viewing pavilion to see the ice bergs that had calved from the Mendenhall float out to sea. Then it was a quick walk to the a couple trails at the visitor center to get a closer look at the actual glacier. We were not allowed from this site to go onto the glacier. Buses are only supposed to drop their load off for a 45 minute visit and then have 5 minutes to get their bus loaded. Our drivers did not come back til we had had an hour to visit the glacier. Even with the extra time I didn’t have time to make any purchases.
The buses took us back to the dock about 5:30. It was back through the process to get back on the ship to put cameras and bags back in the room. I spent about another hour looking around for things for the culture boxes. Everyone had to be back on the ship by 7:30. Since most of us missed our dinner at 5:45, we headed up to the Lido deck for dinner. It was nice to sit and have a nice conversation with a couple others in the group. Then I ran up to the Crow’s Nest to use the internet. If you used your internet account between 8 and 10 pm you were only charged for half the time you used in one session. I was able to upload to my blog, check email and try to get on to the school account.
I headed back to the room to get organized for the early morning shopping before the Sitka activities. It was a fantastic day with sun (none of the liquid sunshine) and high of something like 72 degrees. This is not normal for Juneau.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday
I had written about Tuesday's adventures in Glacier Bay National Park. This seems a little pale in comparison to the whale watching today in Juneau. I hope you enjoy and I will post more later.
Today was the most awesome day!!!!!! While eating breakfast on the 9th deck, we spotted a number of whales. The rain cleared and by 10:30 it was a sunny day and fairly warm. The idea of dressing like an onion saw many people peeling off layers of clothing. John had us meet him up on the 10th or observation deck aft to start watching for wildlife as we started into Glacier Bay. More whales, harbor seals and a couple different types of gulls were plentiful. By noon, it was time for a quick lunch before heading down to watch a presentation by the Hunan Native American tribe. The Park Rangers that had come on board to narrate during our stay in Glacier Bay, moved the time for the presentation. I missed the beginning of the presentation. After the talk, I had a chance to visit with Alice and get a web address to access information about the tribe. Alice said that the site included some lesson plans, workbooks on learning the language and other materials for teachers.
I went to the room to put on some warm clothes, as I planned to spend the rest of the day on the upper observation deck watching the landscape and wildlife. National Park Ranger Steve, a neighbor of John, joined our group to help explain about the glaciers we were seeing and answer our questions. Two juvenile orca’s were spotted beside the ship. John said that it was rare for orcas to be seen in this part of the Inside Passage. We slowly sailed by the Lamplugh Glacier on our way to the John Hopkins Glacier. The ship spent 1 hour in front of John Hopkins Glacier. During this time we saw whales, gulls and a puffin. What amazed people was watching the caving of the glacier. I was able to see 2 small caving and a spectacular caving before the ship slowly turned around and headed out of Glacier Bay
Some of the group stayed on deck and witnessed another big caving while the rest were listening to a presentation by Ranger Steve. We learned about some ways to access materials from any and all of the National Parks. Ranger Steve shared information about the school support they are giving the local school in the Glacier Bay area. We learned some activities to demonstrate glacier movement, the benefit of blubber, and how a whale collects his dinner. The Junior Ranger Program has materials on line that teachers can download and also a section at the National Parks site that is just for teachers. It was a great day of learning about Alaska.
Because of our early dinner time, we missed eating in the formal dinning room this evening. We had Ranger Steve join us on the Lido deck for dinner and more conversation. A small group of people joined John back on the observation deck to see some harbor seals and a second look at the scenery. We were waiting to watch how people get off the ship while at sea. All the group of rangers climbed one at a time down a rope ladder onto the deck of a small boat that took them back the land. The pilot boat (usually used to transfer special area pilots to and from the ship) comes along side the ship and matches speed before the ladder is lowered.
I forgot that the Park Rangers brought a collection of books and other materials to offer for sale. Having a group of teachers on the boat probably increased their sales today. I saw a few things I might want to get later. This was especially true after seeing the presentation by Ranger Steve.Internet service is terrible tonight so I will try again in the morning. The service is by satellite and so slower than what most of us are used to but this was extremely slow. I could not even get to the blog
Today was the most awesome day!!!!!! While eating breakfast on the 9th deck, we spotted a number of whales. The rain cleared and by 10:30 it was a sunny day and fairly warm. The idea of dressing like an onion saw many people peeling off layers of clothing. John had us meet him up on the 10th or observation deck aft to start watching for wildlife as we started into Glacier Bay. More whales, harbor seals and a couple different types of gulls were plentiful. By noon, it was time for a quick lunch before heading down to watch a presentation by the Hunan Native American tribe. The Park Rangers that had come on board to narrate during our stay in Glacier Bay, moved the time for the presentation. I missed the beginning of the presentation. After the talk, I had a chance to visit with Alice and get a web address to access information about the tribe. Alice said that the site included some lesson plans, workbooks on learning the language and other materials for teachers.
I went to the room to put on some warm clothes, as I planned to spend the rest of the day on the upper observation deck watching the landscape and wildlife. National Park Ranger Steve, a neighbor of John, joined our group to help explain about the glaciers we were seeing and answer our questions. Two juvenile orca’s were spotted beside the ship. John said that it was rare for orcas to be seen in this part of the Inside Passage. We slowly sailed by the Lamplugh Glacier on our way to the John Hopkins Glacier. The ship spent 1 hour in front of John Hopkins Glacier. During this time we saw whales, gulls and a puffin. What amazed people was watching the caving of the glacier. I was able to see 2 small caving and a spectacular caving before the ship slowly turned around and headed out of Glacier Bay
Some of the group stayed on deck and witnessed another big caving while the rest were listening to a presentation by Ranger Steve. We learned about some ways to access materials from any and all of the National Parks. Ranger Steve shared information about the school support they are giving the local school in the Glacier Bay area. We learned some activities to demonstrate glacier movement, the benefit of blubber, and how a whale collects his dinner. The Junior Ranger Program has materials on line that teachers can download and also a section at the National Parks site that is just for teachers. It was a great day of learning about Alaska.
Because of our early dinner time, we missed eating in the formal dinning room this evening. We had Ranger Steve join us on the Lido deck for dinner and more conversation. A small group of people joined John back on the observation deck to see some harbor seals and a second look at the scenery. We were waiting to watch how people get off the ship while at sea. All the group of rangers climbed one at a time down a rope ladder onto the deck of a small boat that took them back the land. The pilot boat (usually used to transfer special area pilots to and from the ship) comes along side the ship and matches speed before the ladder is lowered.
I forgot that the Park Rangers brought a collection of books and other materials to offer for sale. Having a group of teachers on the boat probably increased their sales today. I saw a few things I might want to get later. This was especially true after seeing the presentation by Ranger Steve.Internet service is terrible tonight so I will try again in the morning. The service is by satellite and so slower than what most of us are used to but this was extremely slow. I could not even get to the blog
Tuesday and Wednesday
What a couple of days. I will post more complete details later but we saw things that John and others that live in Alaska rarely see. We have seen Orca's in Glacier Bay, calving of glaciers, and bubble feeding. We watched about 3 different times a group of 6-8 whales bubble feeding and whales breeching at the same time. Wonderful lunch of salmon and a chance to walk on the beach and collect some shells, sand, and water.
At Mendenhall Glacier I saw salmon (Christmas Tree Salmon) and got samples of water with silt and another sample with the gravel at waters edge with some water.
As I was typing I think I did get info about Tuesday adventures so I only need to get todays written. Will hopefully get that done a little later tonight and post tomorrow. Tomorrow is an early morning as we leave on a tender at 8:15 so we will have about an hour to explore and shop in Sitka before we head to the Raptor Center and take another wildlife watching cruise.
Time is ticking and you pay by the minute for internet. So I will close for now and post later tomorrow. I will be posting complete information about each day's adventures.
At Mendenhall Glacier I saw salmon (Christmas Tree Salmon) and got samples of water with silt and another sample with the gravel at waters edge with some water.
As I was typing I think I did get info about Tuesday adventures so I only need to get todays written. Will hopefully get that done a little later tonight and post tomorrow. Tomorrow is an early morning as we leave on a tender at 8:15 so we will have about an hour to explore and shop in Sitka before we head to the Raptor Center and take another wildlife watching cruise.
Time is ticking and you pay by the minute for internet. So I will close for now and post later tomorrow. I will be posting complete information about each day's adventures.
Monday's Adventures
After a restful night, I awoke to seeing the world passing by my window. After getting dressed, it was upstairs to the Lido Deck for breakfast. The first 48 hours on the ship, Holland America has staff serve all items on the buffet and drinks. This is an effort to prevent any illness from being brought on the ship and spread among the passengers. This is a nice precaution, but does slow service for meals. What do I want, there are so many choices. I love getting omelets made of the items Iike. I was able to ask for more onion in my omelet. Then some toast with orange marmalade and orange juice. After finding a table at a window, I sit down to enjoy. Some wildlife is spotted but I only manage to spot the ring from the blow. More opportunities are available each day.
Class this morning was entitled “Rocks, Ice and Weather” which was an introduction to basic geology of Alaska. John demonstrated about plate tectonics effects with 2 pieces of cardboard, mayo, catsup and mustard. He said that different colors of jam/jelly also work very well. He had several different suggestions for inexpensive ways to demonstrate geological concepts.
My how time flies! After 3 hours, we all headed off to lunch. We had Danish and cookies to munch on while drinking coffee and ice water during the class. I decided on a tuna sandwich that was grilled with a few chips. For dessert, I had a little bread pudding and some chocolate ice cream. I had heard that the bread pudding was to die for and it was good. Sitting by the pan of bread pudding was the recipe. I guess they have had so many requests for the recipe they just make it available.
A little time was available to view some scenery and search for wildlife before heading back for the afternoon sessions. We had a sharing time for how to use the information we learn back in our classroom. Then a session on using technology and what are some forward thinking ways to use blogs, face book and twitter with your class. We learned about a way that school can now run You Tube in a Safety Mode. You add a list of search terms that are not allowed so that students and teachers are not able to get to sites of concern. Steve’s staff is available to us all week to help with tech questions.
I had seen in the ship activity list, a tech session on making movies using a free software program. The 45 minute class was instruction followed by hands-on to try the information. We each received a 2 page hand-out. The hand-out contained information about where to get the software and information to get a more complete hand-out (about 6-8 pages) for each of the workshops offered this week. This is a great way to take some of the still pictures and make then into a presentation that seems to be a movie.
Tonight is a formal dinner night. Run off to the stateroom to change clothes. I have had lots of practice changing clothes quickly. Dinner choices were great and with so many choices make the decision difficult. After dinner, it was a trip to the Crows Nest to find a window to watch the scenery. No birds, so it off to the back deck to see if we can find birds or other animals. After a few pictures, it’s back to the Crows Nest. We found John reading and we try to determine what the bird is that people have been sighting.
Since I didn’t blog yesterday, I have been working on both Sunday and Monday activities. It is getting late, so I think I will actually upload tomorrow. No classes until about 11 when we enter Glacier Bay.
Class this morning was entitled “Rocks, Ice and Weather” which was an introduction to basic geology of Alaska. John demonstrated about plate tectonics effects with 2 pieces of cardboard, mayo, catsup and mustard. He said that different colors of jam/jelly also work very well. He had several different suggestions for inexpensive ways to demonstrate geological concepts.
My how time flies! After 3 hours, we all headed off to lunch. We had Danish and cookies to munch on while drinking coffee and ice water during the class. I decided on a tuna sandwich that was grilled with a few chips. For dessert, I had a little bread pudding and some chocolate ice cream. I had heard that the bread pudding was to die for and it was good. Sitting by the pan of bread pudding was the recipe. I guess they have had so many requests for the recipe they just make it available.
A little time was available to view some scenery and search for wildlife before heading back for the afternoon sessions. We had a sharing time for how to use the information we learn back in our classroom. Then a session on using technology and what are some forward thinking ways to use blogs, face book and twitter with your class. We learned about a way that school can now run You Tube in a Safety Mode. You add a list of search terms that are not allowed so that students and teachers are not able to get to sites of concern. Steve’s staff is available to us all week to help with tech questions.
I had seen in the ship activity list, a tech session on making movies using a free software program. The 45 minute class was instruction followed by hands-on to try the information. We each received a 2 page hand-out. The hand-out contained information about where to get the software and information to get a more complete hand-out (about 6-8 pages) for each of the workshops offered this week. This is a great way to take some of the still pictures and make then into a presentation that seems to be a movie.
Tonight is a formal dinner night. Run off to the stateroom to change clothes. I have had lots of practice changing clothes quickly. Dinner choices were great and with so many choices make the decision difficult. After dinner, it was a trip to the Crows Nest to find a window to watch the scenery. No birds, so it off to the back deck to see if we can find birds or other animals. After a few pictures, it’s back to the Crows Nest. We found John reading and we try to determine what the bird is that people have been sighting.
Since I didn’t blog yesterday, I have been working on both Sunday and Monday activities. It is getting late, so I think I will actually upload tomorrow. No classes until about 11 when we enter Glacier Bay.
Sunday's Adventures
Sunday was hurry up and wait day. First it was time to find space in the luggage for all the goodies and books I got on Saturday at the workshop. After checking of the hotel, I joined the other participants in the misty rain to wait for our bus. Everyone was excited and eager to get started on our journey. After loading the buses, we headed off to Dock 91. Again we had waiting and lines. After carry-on luggage and personnel security check, it was check-in time. With room keys in hand, it was one last stop for a picture and off to find the stateroom.
Since it was after lunch time, I headed off to find some lunch in the formal dining room. It was nice to sit back, relax and have my lunch brought to me. Most people had headed upstairs to the Lido Deck for buffet style choices. After lunch, it was time for a little stroll aboard the Oosterdam to locate things. At 3:15, there is a required safety drill on the promenade deck. After, this short demo similar to that on the airplane, it was time for the anchor to be pulled and we headed out through Pudgent Sound. When I got back to the stateroom, the luggage was waiting to be unpacked. I took a couple laps around the ship and then it was time for dinner.
The first dinner is exciting in that we learned where your table is located in the dining room. For a large group of 100 teachers and their families, it also meant learning who your table mates were going to be for the week. Table 71 was a table for 6 located next to a window at the back of the boat. Quite a view of where we have been is available. Sometimes we even get to see some wildlife during dinner.
I spent a little time outside on the 3rd deck watching the scenery. Then, I headed into the stateroom to look over all the mail that had been delivered. I hope that they recycle all the paper I put in the trash can. On the outside decks and other outdoor areas, I have seen receptacles for trash, cans and recycle. It was time to lay in bed and watch the world go by and then sleep.
Since it was after lunch time, I headed off to find some lunch in the formal dining room. It was nice to sit back, relax and have my lunch brought to me. Most people had headed upstairs to the Lido Deck for buffet style choices. After lunch, it was time for a little stroll aboard the Oosterdam to locate things. At 3:15, there is a required safety drill on the promenade deck. After, this short demo similar to that on the airplane, it was time for the anchor to be pulled and we headed out through Pudgent Sound. When I got back to the stateroom, the luggage was waiting to be unpacked. I took a couple laps around the ship and then it was time for dinner.
The first dinner is exciting in that we learned where your table is located in the dining room. For a large group of 100 teachers and their families, it also meant learning who your table mates were going to be for the week. Table 71 was a table for 6 located next to a window at the back of the boat. Quite a view of where we have been is available. Sometimes we even get to see some wildlife during dinner.
I spent a little time outside on the 3rd deck watching the scenery. Then, I headed into the stateroom to look over all the mail that had been delivered. I hope that they recycle all the paper I put in the trash can. On the outside decks and other outdoor areas, I have seen receptacles for trash, cans and recycle. It was time to lay in bed and watch the world go by and then sleep.
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