Life around the island

What an invigorating way to start the day with a clean up crew around the clinic. This is spring clean up and for the past three days we have been asked to get out and clean up around the island. I think the transplanted people (like myself and those shown below) had more fun and were far more serious than the locals. We actually enjoyed getting out, getting some fresh air and enjoying the nice morning before hitting the office for the day.
We had a brunch for a coworkers birthday and I ate too much as usual. So I got out and walked at noon and found the sprouts of a plant called pootschki (cow cabbage or Indian rhubarb). This is a wild celery like plant that can be eaten and cooked with. It also can cause severe blisters if you get the grains and prickly things from the stalks on you. I hear we see lot's of kids in the summer from these blisters.

On my walk near the harbor is the Russian Orthodox church. What a beautiful contrast the stark white makes against the brilliant blue sky. They still have services here, lot's of incense and ritual, and standing room only, NO PEWS.

Just a view of the fog rolling in over the mountains this morning. It hung low in the sky and floated along the water way all day and never came to land. Little cooler today than the previous few days, but another beautiful day, all in all.

We spotted whales in the peninsula yesterday. I headed out with binoculars after work and caught glimpses of about 4-5 a half mile away. I saw the water spouting and tails rolling and was so excited, I wonder what I will do when I see one up close and more photogenic.