July is here

So I know I promised that it wouldn't be 3 weeks until another blog post...but I have been out enjoying my Alaskan Adventure. There have been zip line adventures, early morning tide pooling beach trips, Beach bonfires, more skiff adventures, and a 4th of July celebration that has now become one of my favorite memories!! 

On one of our days off, Gwenn and I went to visit the raptor center. On the way there she told me, we were also going to get to go zip lining. I was super excited for this, since I had never been before. It was pretty awesome to move through the trees in the top of an Alaskan rain forest. We also saw a black bear down below us which was pretty great! 

While we were at the raptor center I got to hang out with a few injured birds. There was a cute barred owl, a red tailed hawk, a peregrine falcon, and a beautiful bald eagle. Also at the raptor center I got to hang out with a super cute reindeer. 

All my new friends Gwenn found me!!!

One of my favorite days over the past few weeks has been when my captain had to dive under our boat to get some sticks out of our jets. I was there to spot for her and help get her gear out of the water. While she was looking for some things that had been dropped off of our dock, she found me a few new friends to play with. My new friends came in the form of a stack of sea stars, sea cucumbers being thrown at me, and a cute dungeness crab. 

Finding baby sun stars!!! 

Tristan playing with a Dungeness crab.

Tristan found me a Moon Snail.

With my love of sea creatures, I couldn't pass up on the -3.5ft low tide this week. So Tristan and I got up super early and went to explore before work. We found so many great animals!!! there were new species of sea stars, more sea cucumbers, kelp crabs, decorator crabs, worms, and my favorite the most amazing moon snail I've ever seen! I am in love with the coast line of Alaska, there are so many amazing and awesome things to see! 

Bonfire with Tristan and Stephanie

Beach bonfires are my new favorite thing way to hang out with friends. We went with a bunch of people from work and a couple of the local fishermen. This meant that we got fresh fish with our bonfire!! So we had some halibut and rockfish. There was cornhole and another amazing sunset!! I took my hammock and set it up in some trees right next to the fire!!

Now I have had some wonderful 4th of July celebrations, but I'm not sure if any will be able to top this years. I started the morning off tide pooling, and then at work I had Disney day  which was great as usual!! Then we went to the Lumber Jack competition. The best part of that was the little girl log rollers, they stole the show for sure!! One pair went on for at least 20 minutes! Then we enjoyed our favorite pizza place for dinner at like 10!!! At 11 the fire works started...so Tristan, Gwenn, and Stephanie and I jumped in the skiff and headed out to watch them from the water. It was an amazing way to see them. It was also incredible to hear the fireworks echoing through the mountains!! 

Every single day I fall a little more in love with Alaska. It is stealing my heart more and more ever single day! It is hard to believe that I have already been here for over 2 months, and that the end of the summer is coming very quickly!! I'm not ready to think about it at all...leaving here is going to be very very difficult! But until then...I still have another 3 months!! 

Skiff rides with the crew.