After seeing nothing but shades of brown for the two and a half months I've been here, I am starting to see color pop up in small places around the island. I've seen clear blue skies, gray clouds, snow and very few other colors till recently. The Pacific Ocean that surrounds me is the bluest blue I've ever seen, I don't think even Crayola has a color to describe it....maybe I'll just call it Aleutian Blue and then I will know exactly what color that is. I hope by the time I've shared enough pictures, so will you. On my outing Saturday, I found some flowers blooming among rocks, hidden in the moss, and just waiting to break free and enjoy the fast approaching 17 hours of sunlight.
Any flower or weed buffs out there? Please let me know what these plants are.
I think these little blooms are called Alpine Azaelea's.
I took a ride out to the volcano vent Sunday, one of my favorite places to go and get away from it all. Even on an island you still need your space and alone time and if you have to hike to the top of an old volcano, so be it. The volcano is inactive and now the area is used for rock and gravel on the roads here in Sand Point. The vent hole is exposed and you can see how the Basalt formation is pushed up and formed after years of pressure and steam from inside. It is a pretty cool site and kind of ominous as I am walking around ready to feel the ground rumble beneath my feet.
I really went up there to lay out on the east side in a bed of moss and soak up some rays. I have to have the whitest legs in the world and they desperatley are crying for some sun. The moss is soft, starting to turn green and if the wind had died down, I would've been content to lie there for hours.
BUT, content I wasn't and decided to ride the 4 wheeler down to the lake miles below so I would be free from the wind and continue on with my "tanning".
I learned three valuable lessons this day.... Number one, be content with where you are, things could always be worse. Number two, never go 4 wheeling without a partner or telling someone where you are. And number three, there are bogs EVERYWHERE on the island. BEWARE.
I was enjoying my ride when all of a sudden UP FROM THE GROUND CAME THIS BUBBLING BOG AND REACHED UP AND GRABBED ME AND TRIED TO SWALLOW MY 4 WHEELER!!!
Well, what a way to get to meet the rescue squad on an island!! I at least had my two-way radio and was able to radio "for assistance". The alder bushes had me perfectly hidden from the road above and no one could see me or understand where I was. SO, I hiked up the hill, not once, but twice that day, worked up quite a sweat and believe me, my nose and lips are quite tanned now. So should my hide be, but Officer Mike and the Police Chief came to my rescue and didn't ticket me for stupidity, I walked away with a warning...one I will never forget.
We had a close call when the bog sucked one of Officer Mike's shoes right off his foot, but it was rescued and brought back to safety. Thankfully and in my best interest, the only thing that was lost today was my pride. I gladly left it in the bog and took my life-lesson home for the day.
