We have been in Homer since Friday. Homer is a rustic fishing village, but it does have its redeeming qualities, they have a Starbucks! It is 8:30 am here (4:30 am EST) and we are there now catching up on communications. Yesterday we walked throughout downtown and then hiked on and off trails through the wetlands hoping to run across a moose. No moose yet. There are, however, plenty of eagles. The locals are oblivious to them, but Tom and I are amazed every time we see one soaring by. Yesterday we spotted two huge eagles perched atop a building. They were so large they reminded us of the storks we saw in Africa. No one else seemed to care, but Tom and I walked/jogged down the Spit in order to see them. Homer Spit is a narrow strip of land surrounded by the sea and the Kenai Mountain Range, part of the Kenai Peninsula. Yesterday, we took a boat out to Halibut Cove, an even more rustic village. We had lunch at the island's only restaurant and then explored the island. For the "mariners" in the listening audience, the tide here is 28 feet. So all the houses around Halibut Cove are built on stilts and they have 30+ feet long ramps that extend to the docks and boathouses which all float up and down with the tide.
Our main reason for coming to this area was for the bear viewing, which has been postponed due to weather (rain). Fortunately, we awoke this morning to clear blue skies (although it is still rather brisk outside) and we are scheduled to take a sea plane to the coast this afternoon for bear viewing. Don't panic if we don't post to the blog for a while, we won't return from the bear viewing until 9:30 tonight and then we have an early flight to Fairbanks tomorrow on our way to the Denali area. I am, however, re-thinking my strategy during the bear adventure. My plan, in the event of any bear mishap, was to outrun Tom. During a chat with one of the guides, they informed us that the bears usually chase and attack the one who runs...so on to plan B.
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| Homer Spit |
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| Halibut Cove |
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| Bird Island on the way to Halibut Cove |
Yes, Stick to plan B. Make sure Tom is out of listening range and get more helpful hints from the guides like should you be carrying the marshmallows or Tom. I like the way the hole in Halibut Cove looks like a heart. Very groovy. I would be impressed with the Eagles too, unless they were too big, then I would be hiding. Have fun!!!
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