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.
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