The Fleet Report and Daily for Monday September 4th, 2023

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Interesting set of days today.  DS was a newspaper carrier when he was in his early teens.  He was conscientious-- much more than any carrier we ever had.  We stopped delivery because nobody could seem to find our porch. 🙄

Yay on the white wine, even though Silverado isn't one of my favorites. I'll stick to my Marlborough SBs.  The drink would be good, and I would like the last recipe for the meal today.  But I don't have any ground chicken or Feta, so it will be hamburgers tonight.  Something easy.  We have been to Sitka, but it isn't on our Alaska cruise coming up on the 15th.

 

Sharon @Sharon in AZ Happy Birthday to your DM!

Laura @dobiemom I was up from 2-3'ish, so had just gotten to sleep when you were up.  I hope you got back to sleep.

Maureen @RMLincoln I'm very sorry to hear about the death of your good friend.

Katherine @Lady Hudson Congratulations on the birth of your great-grandson -- I hope he can go home soon and the lung issues improve.

Jake @Crazy For Cats I'm very sorry to hear about your DM's fall and hospitalization.  Prayers for a full recovery.  Thank you for posting the beautiful photo of the Purple Passionflower.

 

DS is still testing negative, DDIL says it seems to be settling in her lungs now. 😞  

 

 

[Lady Hudson]

Update — baby Jalen and Mom cleared to go home.  Lung and glucose tests (for Mom) all ok.  Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes.  Katherine 

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, USN59-79 said:

Good morning from a cool, cloudy Pacific Northwest.  In reference to @cat shepard question about plug-in hybrids:  We bought a Toyota Prius Prime in 2017 when they were first available.  We both love the car.  Sara has a Lexus she seldom drives as she prefers the Toyota.  The best thing about it is that we seldom have to add gas to it; maybe once every three months or so.  It averages about 28 miles on the battery then the engine cuts in, but so smoothly you hardly notice it.  When it operates as a hybrid it still gets about 50 miles per gallon.  It has been very reliable - no service required other than change the oil once a year and rotate the tires.  The only problem is that Toyota doesn't make enough of them.  The new model came out for 2023.  It is not available yet at our local dealership.  I have never found a need to charge it away from home.  Just plug it in in the garage and unplug it the next day when we need to drive it.

Ray

 

Thank you so much, Ray!

[durangoscots]

Good morning to all. Have not been posting much the past couple of days. I am part of the "why am I awake at this hour?" club. Last night I did get a pretty good night sleep by staying up 'til midnight to watch an old movie. Managed to do it without falling asleep in the middle of it. Would love to be back in Sitka.... or anywhere right now. Labor Day weekend brings a motorcycle rally to Durango/Ignacio area.... and it is loud!!! Loud!!!! Loud!!!. They often roar through the residential streets at 4 in the morning.  I stay at home and avoid driving if I can,  but had to go to the store yesterday so went very early (hey, I was awake anyway). Was not too bad and I was home before cycles hit the roads. They are leaving today... at least most of them.... and it is already noticeably quieter. Today will be laundry and getting two packages ready to be mailed tomorrow morning early. Otherwise, I just plan a quiet day with no naps if I can help it. Have not checked out the movie schedule for tonight.

 

Hope everyone has a nice day.

 

Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

4 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Late yesterday the good sister let me know that DM blacked out and fell while walking outside.  She's in Paoli hospital.  Early reports were very bad. Overnight the diagnosis is slightly better but still not good.  DS will keep me updated as things progress.  

 

Oh no, Jake 😬. I hope the reports improve and pray she will recover quickly.  I feel for you - it’s tough getting this kind news when you are away and ‘helpless’ to do anything 😔 

 

 

3 hours ago, ger_77 said:

About a week ago the paper didn't arrive (apparently it was a printing press problem), so I called to inquire about it and the carrier was incredibly apologetic, she also said she was so appreciative of the handwarmers in winter and the bottles of cold water in summer that we always leave for her in our front entrance.   I guess the little niceties are appreciated. 

 

How very thoughtful of you, Gerry ♥️ 

 

 

3 hours ago, ger_77 said:

  Nope, smoke - thick, heavy smoke that smells like wet campfire ash, just like yesterday.  I checked the air quality report and we're still at 10+ on a 1-10 scale, so that's not good.  It looks like it's going to be another indoor day for the 3 of us.

 

Yikes 😬 That’s really bad.  Stay indoors and safe, please

 

 

2 hours ago, Live4cruises said:

DH continues to improve and is just about as independent as always, just not quite as flexible. Thank you all for contributing to his steady improvement! 

 

That is wonderful news!  🙂 

 

 

1 hour ago, Sharon in AZ said:

 

I had some kind of bug these past few days but started to feel better yesterday.

 

So sorry to hear you have been unwell. 😔. Glad you are starting to feel better, Sharon and hope you continue to improve 🤞 

 

 

1 hour ago, Vict0riann said:

 And I have to move some peonies, I know they don't like it, but they'll just have to lump it!

 

I had to move several of mine a number of years ago when we replaced our retaining wall, Ann.  They all did well and continue to bloom.  Just watch the placing of the crowns.

 

 

58 minutes ago, Lady Hudson said:

Update — baby Jalen and Mom cleared to go home.  Lung and glucose tests (for Mom) all ok.  Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes.  Katherine 

 

Congratulations on your new great great grand baby.  So glad to hear Jalen and his Mum are cleared to go home 👍 

 

 

7 minutes ago, durangoscots said:

Good morning to all. Have not been posting much the past couple of days. I am part of the "why am I awake at this hour?" club.

 

Sorry to hear you have joined the club, Susan.  It’s not one anyone wants to belong to 😞. Yikes on your motorcycles.  I hate the sounds of them.  Glad it is pretty much over 😥 

 

 

[RedneckBob]

A secret about Sitka from RNB.  If you go to Sitka try to find something that is locally made in Sitka; Sweet Sisters Caramel. It is excellent but a little pricy. Once you buy it, it will not last long!

[RedneckBob]

26 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

A secret about Sitka from RNB.  If you go to Sitka try to find something that is locally made in Sitka; Sweet Sisters Caramel. It is excellent but a little pricy. Once you buy it, it will not last long!

If you buy Sweet Sisters Caramel and tell the sales clerk that RedneckBob recommended this treat, I guarantee you will not receive any discount! 😀

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by RedneckBob

[Vict0riann]

1 minute ago, RedneckBob said:

If you buy Sweet Sisters Caramel and tell the sales clerk that RedneckBob recommended this treat, I guarantee you will not receive any discount! 😀

 

 

Looks like you bought them out already, if that's your stash!

[RedneckBob]

4 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

 

Looks like you bought them out already, if that's your stash!

At $16.99 a box, I don’t think so. Only can afford one box per cruise!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon from a partly cloudy and warm central Texas.  It is about 94F now, and I'm in for the rest of the day.  After doing a couple of chores, I finally finished reading the Daily. 

 

I got the mowing and trimming done quickly this morning, but after our wind last night, the blowing took about as long as the trimming.  I also filled two more 33 gallon trash bags with more crab grass that I pulled.  I think the rest of the day will be an easy day.  Tonight we're also taking it easy and having hamburgers and potato chips since we had French fries last night.  And we won't forget the wine.  🍷

 

At one point last night, DH's weather station said the wind was 33mph, and it is in a place where it reads the speed lower than it really is.  I think we had a micro burst of wind, since it did not last long, but did some damage.  The house across the street that is for sale, and that the owners had some of the siding replaced this summer, had some of the siding in the port blow off the house.  Some was even in our yard, along with a lot of branches of their crepe myrtle that had been trimmed.  I got those bagged for the trash last night, and the siding put out of the wind.  The weird thing I noticed this morning was the wind had pushed the golf cart into the Smart.  There was no damage since the golf cart tires made contact with the bottom trim on the back before any part of the golf cart could come in contact with the rest of the car.  We don't set the brake on the golf cart, but it is heavy and takes effort to push, so the wind had to be pretty strong.  I just wish we'd gotten more rain than just a sprinkle.  One neighbor mentioned she couldn't get their back storm door open during the high winds.

 

@Lady HudsonKatherine, congratulations on the birth of your great grandson, Jalen Alexander.  I was glad to read that both the baby and mother are cleared to go home.  It's good that you are taking precautions until the escaped prisoner is captured.

@Heartgrove  Jack, that is interesting that you received a pre-cruise survey from MSC.

@Haljo1935  I would have passed on the $17k coat too.  Thanks for your pictures from Sitka.

@cruising sister  Lorraine, I hope Murphy's parents are at peace with the difficult decisions they have had to make.  I'm still hoping for a miracle for that sweet little girl.  Thanks for the pictures of  your niece, DGS and DGD, all real cuties.

@Crazy For Cats  Jake, I'm so sorry your DM passed out and fell.  I hope with time, she will keep improving and will have a full recovery.  I'm sorry you are having to deal with this news while on your cruise.  Thanks for your pictures from Quebec City.  They do have some interesting buildings.

@1ANGELCAT  I hope they capture the escaped convict soon so everyone can return to life as normal.

@Seasick Sailor  Joy, what time is dinner?  It's been so long since we've had hot roast beef sandwiches, that I can't remember the last time we had them.  I'm glad the dogs are getting along, and I hope the two visitors don't get spoiled eating Oliver's food.  Good luck with the garage cleaning.

@marshhawk  Annie, sending positive thoughts that this time the quitting smoking will stick for DH.  I'm sorry you missed most of Sitka, but thanks for the good pictures from the ship.

@ger_77  Gerry, it's about time you got a break from the bad smoke.  How nice of you to leave hand warmers and water out for the paper carrier.  We haven't had one in so long I can't remember when they quit.  We do get our weekly local paper in the mail.

@Live4cruises  I'm glad your DH is continuing to improve and is mostly independent again.

@Norseh2o  Safe travels to you and your DH.  I hope he enjoys the camping and fishing trip, and that you have a good visit with your DM.

@Sharon in AZ  Sharon, I'm sorry you have not been feeling well, but glad that you are better.  Enjoy your lunch with your DM.  Thank you for the anniversary wishes, which are always appreciated.

@Cruising-along  Carolyn, I'm glad your DS is still testing negative, but sorry the Covid seems to be settling in DDIL's lungs.  I hope she feels better soon.

@durangoscots  Susan, I hope the motorcycles have left town by now.  Most weekends, there are quite a few motorcycle groups that go for rides in this area, and they take the road behind our house.  It seems for the riders, the louder the better.  

@cat shepard  We have a 2008 Prius that is a hybrid, but not a plug in version.  It is our second Prius.  We got one of the first ones, a 2001 model that we sold to younger DD.  She kept it until last  year.  Our 2008, gets about 60mpg, and even when we take it to San Diego for a cruise and it's loaded with luggage, it gets around 50mpg.  We keep it in Quartzsite, and usually just drive it around town and to Blythe or Parker, so we don't have to put gas in very often.

 

Lenda

 

[RMLincoln]

Finally have a few minutes…. 

Thank you Jacqui, Gerry, Vanessa, Carolyn and all (because all here keep an open heart for each other) for your caring condolences on my loss of a dear old friend. I’m at our granddaughter’s and realized I was my granddaughter’s age, 29, when my friend and her DH came into my life. The longer we live the more we experience loss. I’ve had So many blessings of special people coming into my life!  While out today a got a sympathy card to mail tomorrow, gosh it just doesn’t seem like much. Their kids overlapped with the boys I raised….  a lot of shared history and growth but life moves on… it’s like sticking my hands in a stream a trying to hold onto the water!  
 

We’re getting the Royal treatment from DGD and her DH on our “extra” day here in NY. Frankly I’m glad for the the day of rest. We did a “scoping” run to the train station so tomorrow we’ll know what to do, where to go. And got our train tickets. 
 

Congratulations Katherine!  And to Sharon’s mom!  
 

We’re all thinking of baby Murphy! And happy for some good news about Live4Cruises’s DH Nicholas. Terri, i hope the floor fiasco is over!  Jake, I hope your next news is encouraging. Others with struggles, I send out supportive thoughts to you to get through today!  Please, no more falls!  
 

Happy to say DH’s eye pressures are good and the itching is manageable on some Benadryl at night 🤞. 
 

I’ve missed some things to write specifics on but sending blessings to all in need of healing, comfort or hope!  
Those celebrating remind us that Life is Good!  

I’m grateful for today and for each of you. m—
 

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by RMLincoln

[Mr. Boston]

Hello everyone, happy Labor Day.  Thanks for the daily report. We had a very early morning with a small group tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica all before opening to the general public.  Needless to say we’re pooped!  We fly to Biarritz tomorrow so it’s early to bed. Prayers for everyone on our prayer list.  Cheers to those celebrating happy events.  Following are some highlights of our day.

 

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

@cat shepard  We have a 2008 Prius that is a hybrid, but not a plug in version.  It is our second Prius.  We got one of the first ones, a 2001 model that we sold to younger DD.  She kept it until last  year.  Our 2008, gets about 60mpg, and even when we take it to San Diego for a cruise and it's loaded with luggage, it gets around 50mpg.  We keep it in Quartzsite, and usually just drive it around town and to Blythe or Parker, so we don't have to put gas in very often.

 

Lenda

 

Thanks Lenda

 

I currently have a 2016 PriusV - Toyota’s discontinued hatchback. It is long enough to fit my kayak inside, so I need a SUV to replace it. And I really want a plug-in hybrid. I am not in love with the RAV4 version, though to be fair, I have not test driven one. Yet. 

Edited September 4, 2023 by cat shepard

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

56 minutes ago, RMLincoln said:

Finally have a few minutes…. 

Thank you Jacqui, Gerry, Vanessa, Carolyn and all (because all here keep an open heart for each other) for your caring condolences on my loss of a dear old friend. I’m at our granddaughter’s and realized I was my granddaughter’s age, 29, when my friend and her DH came into my life. The longer we live the more we experience loss. I’ve had So many blessings of special people coming into my life!  While out today a got a sympathy card to mail tomorrow, gosh it just doesn’t seem like much. Their kids overlapped with the boys I raised….  a lot of shared history and growth but life moves on… it’s like sticking my hands in a stream a trying to hold onto the water!  
 

We’re getting the Royal treatment from DGD and her DH on our “extra” day here in NY. Frankly I’m glad for the the day of rest. We did a “scoping” run to the train station so tomorrow we’ll know what to do, where to go. And got our train tickets. 
 

Congratulations Katherine!  And to Sharon’s mom!  
 

We’re all thinking of baby Murphy! And happy for some good news about Live4Cruises’s DH Nicholas. Terri, i hope the floor fiasco is over!  Jake, I hope your next news is encouraging. Others with struggles, I send out supportive thoughts to you to get through today!  Please, no more falls!  
 

Happy to say DH’s eye pressures are good and the itching is manageable on some Benadryl at night 🤞. 
 

I’ve missed some things to write specifics on but sending blessings to all in need of healing, comfort or hope!  
Those celebrating remind us that Life is Good!  

I’m grateful for today and for each of you. m—
 

 

 

Maureen, you and your DH deserve the Royal Treatment.  Glad you got your train tickets and know what you need to do tomorrow.  I'm glad your DH's eye pressures are good, and that he can manage the itching.

 

51 minutes ago, Mr. Boston said:

Hello everyone, happy Labor Day.  Thanks for the daily report. We had a very early morning with a small group tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica all before opening to the general public.  Needless to say we’re pooped!  We fly to Biarritz tomorrow so it’s early to bed. Prayers for everyone on our prayer list.  Cheers to those celebrating happy events.  Following are some highlights of our day.

 

 

You were very lucky to get a small group tour and to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel before they opened to the public.  We had a ship tour in Rome in 2001, where the tours were allowed into the museum and Sistine chapel after they closed at 1 pm on a Saturday afternoon.  The seven buses were staggered so that no more than two groups were in the Sistine chapel at once.  That allowed us to really see and appreciate that special place.  Going through the museum all the buses were separated. Thanks for the great pictures.  Have a safe flight tomorrow.

 

3 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

Thanks Lenda

 

I currently have a 2016 PriusV - Toyota’s discontinued hatchback. It is long enough to fit my kayak inside, so I need a SUV to replace it. And I really want a plug-in hybrid. I am not in love with the RAV4 version, though to be fair, I have not test driven one. Yet. 

 

Ann, I hope you find just what you are looking for without too much trouble.  We've talked about our Prius, and like the idea of a hybrid better than an EV.

 

Lenda

 

[bennybear]

Catching up late as we were camping. But the smoke is so extreme the whole province is covered.  Some places  were over 300!  Some fires will need winter to end. 
 

I was so sorry to hear about baby Murphy! 
@Crazy For Cats I am so sorry to hear about your mom’s fall and hospitalization.  So hard when you’re away!  
 

To add to the hybrid conversation, there’s also the Toyota Venza and several Lexus ones.  That’s my plan next vehicle.  Since 2007 our vehicles have not needed anything other than routine maintenance.   

Edited September 4, 2023 by bennybear

[grapau27]

9 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Good morning friends!  Today I awoke to 63 degrees and darkness but we shall have sunny skies and a high of 89.  We decided last night to skip our morning exercise and carefully descend the slope behind us and do a little more annual cleanup of the grounds meaning pine cones and dead branches.  That should equal a work out!  Now as long as DH doesn't wake up with a different plan.  

 

Thank you Rich @richwmn for our Labor Day Daily and Fleet Report.  It is also my DD DF's birthday.  He was born 104 years ago.  And good old Dr. Pol turns 81 today so happy birthday wishes to that hard working octogenarian!🐴

 

Days of celebration include Bring Your Manners to Work Day (actually on Sept. 1) but we should all remember if we are going to work to take our manners along with us.  Remember the Golden Rule!  Newspaper carriers, if there are still any around, have a tough job and I know that for a fact.  Both my kids delivered newspapers in our neighborhood when they were around 12-13 years old.  They started out early making money for their future plans (a car at 16!).  Spice blends are a good thing for a little variety in our cooking.  Interesting quote.  I bet the Mediterranean chicken patties are good.  Caramel apple martini sounds tasty but the purists will object.  I would love to try the Sauvignon Blanc.  And a very interesting fact about Los Angeles.  Thank you to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for food and beverage reports.  🍸

 

Prayers lifted today for our Care list group.  Hoping to hear some reassuring news from Annie @marshhawk and Chuck @catmando that they are doing okay this long holiday weekend.  Praying for a miracle for Baby Murphy and family.🙏  I hear the DGS's are feeling better.  The youngest is taking allergy meds which seem to make him feel better.  The older is well now and probably looking forward to Lisbon.  Congrats to the Celebration list folks.  Enjoy your cruises, friends!🚢  Thanks Vanessa @JazzyV for the list keeping and getting up just to post it.  I hope you get some more sleep and feel better this week.

 

The port this morning is Sitka (Baranof Island), Alaska.  This great port was shown here on July 15, 2021 and June 6, 2022.  The links are below for your convenience.  We enjoyed visiting there on Sept. 6, 2019 on ms Amsterdam.  It was a very special day indeed for DH and myself. 

 

 

 

 

Here are my photos from a lovely day spent in Sitka, 2019.

 

 

On September 6, 2019, our actual 50th anniversary date, we disembarked the beautiful Amsterdam to take a bus ride into the town of Sitka, 5 or 6 miles away.  The painters were busy touching up the hull with "Holland America Blue" paint. 

 

 

 

When we arrived downtown, we noticed the smoke hanging in the air from nearby wildfires, unfortunately.  But it was still beautiful!

 

 

We enjoyed sitting near the little harbor for a while.  DH phoned his DM at her nursing facility back in St. Louis and had a nice chat.  I wish she could still participate in a conversation like that now, but her abilities have declined since then. (note she has since departed this earth and may she rest in peace).  We also took a selfie of ourselves to send the kids to show them where we were spending our anniversary.

 

Luckily they give out little maps showing you where all the sights are to be seen in the town.

 

We passed by St. Michael's Orthodox Cathedral, a National Historic Landmark.  It was originally built while the land was under Russian rule, but was rebuilt in 1966 after a fire.

 

Lots of shopping, of course.  I have to admit I didn't buy one of these because I have so many T-shirts from over the years, stacked up on my closet shelves. 

 

Then there were book stores, florists, hotels and general stores.

 

 

A very nice looking rest home for the elderly.  

 

And right in front of it this statue of what must be a Pioneer as the building says in its name.

 

A totem pole, of course.

 

Some of the details on it.

 

 

 

We really enjoyed our walk through Sitka that day.  Later in the day we sat in the Crow's Nest and watched the dock workers lifting boats out of and into the water.  They could just roll them into a parking spot!

 

 

 

 

We also noticed a large group of staff and crew welcoming passengers back to the ship.  They were there until the last person boarded.  A nice touch, and something we all miss I'm sure.

 

 

Hoping you all have a great Labor Day holiday.  Drive safely and stay well.

Lovely collection of photos Sandi.

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, JazzyV said:

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily. Happy Labor Day!

People should always bring their manners to work. Not many newspaper carriers around any more. Spice blends improve the flavor of food. I like the quote. Maybe on the meal, pass on the drink and wine. I have been to Sitka.

 

Another hot and humid day here today. There were extra EMS at today's Labor Day Parade downtown. We have one of the country's oldest and largest Labor Day Parades. The city is opening cooling centers tomorrow and Wednesday. I don't really have any plans for my day. The lawn will have to wait until the weekend, when it's cooler.

 

We had a high school quarterback collapse on Friday at a game. He has a brain bleed and collapsed lung. Prayer vigils are being held for him and his family.

 

@RMLincoln Condolences on the loss of your dear friend.

@StLouisCruisers Happy Heavenly Birthday to your DF. I'm glad your DGS's are feeling better now. Nice Sitka photos. 

@cat shepard These things always happen on a holiday! I'm glad the garage door is fixed and wasn't too expensive. I'd like a hybrid too. Unfortunately my car of choice has gone from gas cars to all electric.

@GTVCRUISER Thanks for the photos.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Great Sitka photos.

@Lady Hudson Congratulations on the birth of your great-grandson Jalen  Alexander! Prayers all will be well with him and that he and his DM will go home tomorrow. Scary that they haven't caught that convict yet!

@smitty34877 Enjoy the BBQ. Blessings to all your family.

@ottahand7 Nice that your family got to see the Northern Lights. You're working too hard!

@dfish It sounds like you all had a fun time yesterday. LOL on finding the going rate for the tooth fairy. Thanks for the recipes.

@Haljo1935 Nice photos. 

@RedneckBob Funny story.

@cruising sister Continued prayers for Baby Murphy and her family. Cute pictures of the grandchildren. 

@Crazy For Cats Oh no, sorry to hear about DM's fall and hospitalization. Prayers that she improves. Thanks for the pictures.

@marshhawk I hope DH can quit smoking and maybe you two do it together. Nice photos from the ship. 

@ger_77 That's terrible that the smoke is still so bad.

@kochleffel Interesting photos. 

@Live4cruises Good news that DH is doing well now. 

@aliaschief It sounds like a wonderful time with family. Aww on being Papa Bear!

@Vict0riann The bear pictures made me smile. 

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for those with something to Celebrate.

 

A few photos:

Approaching Sitka. The Amsterdam was also there.

 

 

St. Michael's Cathedral

 

 

 

 

Totems in the Sheldon Jackson Museum

 

Totem in front of the Alaska Pioneers Home

 

Ships and tenders

 

Bear outside a store in town

Nice photos Vanessa.

Prayers 🙏 for the high school quarterback who had the brain bleed and collapsed lung.

I hope he recovers completely.

Edited September 4, 2023 by grapau27

[grapau27]

8 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

@Lady Hudson Welcome to the world Jalen Alexander.  I hope you have a long, happy life.

+1.

[grapau27]

9 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Since we usually do b2b2b2b... cruises, we've been to Sitka 12 times on the 14 day Alaska cruise.  It is one of my favorite Alaskan ports and one of the prettiest.  We've been to the Fortress of the Bears twice and the Raptor Center at least three times.  My pictures are from all our cruises.  I found in looking at the pictures, on each visit after the first two or three times, I took fewer and fewer pictures.

 

There is a statue of Alexander Baranof near the Ceremonial Hall.  On one of our 2010 visits the statue was on a pedestal, but by 2015 it had been lowered and moved.

 

Meet Volta, the mascot of the Raptor Center.  It's his picture on the t-shirts and on the wall behind him.

 

This is along the forest path between the Raptor Center and the Totem Park

 

On our first visit in 2010, we took a wildlife small boat tour, and these are from the boat.

 

In later visits, as we explored further from downtown, we saw the National Cemetery.

 

On an early visit we toured the Bishop's House, which is now run by the National Park Service.  They left two rooms partially restored so visitors could see some of the construction details.

 

The Bishop's private chapel

 

One of the old Russian blockhouses on the island

 

The Cable House near downtown

 

The inside of St. Michaels Cathedral

 

We were told it is considered good luck when the eagles perch on the cross on top of the Cathedral.  We've seen a bird there twice and once saw an adult and a juvenile eagle at the same time.

 

A plaque commemorating the 250th anniversary of the 1741 Russian expedition

 

One of the many sculptures of marine animals found along the path between the road and the harbor.  The Episcopal Church is in the background.

 

On our third visit to Sitka in 2015, the Statendam docked at the new cruise dock instead of tendering.  It is a nice dock and building, even if it is out of town.  The drive to and from the new dock gives a good picture of the rest of the island.  This was Statendam's last call to Sitka.  When she got back to Seattle, she then headed to Singapore for a drydock before joining P&O Australia.

 

Lenda

 

Interesting photos Lenda.

[grapau27]

Good evening.

It is still 68°F and humid here at 22.05pm.

I did a couple of sales calls and drove over 100 miles so I am late catching up today.

As a sales representative I always have to be polite with good manners.

Just heard from our Sarah that one of her friends BIL has just died after fighting a brain tumour for several years.

Edited September 4, 2023 by grapau27

[dobiemom]

10 hours ago, dobiemom said:

Happy Labor Day! 
(Why am I up at 3:40am instead of sleeping? I have no idea. 🤦🏻‍♀️)

 

10 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

I was up at that time on the other coast….two nights in a row!

 

 

5 hours ago, Live4cruises said:

 

@dobiemom and @smitty34877 Thank you for taking the coastal watches for 3:30 this morning. DH and I covered central time zone. What’s going on?  I rarely have a restless night, thankfully.

 

4 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

 

Laura @dobiemom I was up from 2-3'ish, so had just gotten to sleep when you were up.  I hope you got back to sleep.

Maybe we should start a club? No! 😳 Yes, I was able to go back to sleep for a few hours. 

(BTW @Cruising-along Carolyn, my name is Marcia [pronounced Mar-shah]. 😉)

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by dobiemom

[dobiemom]

9 hours ago, Lady Hudson said:

Great grandson born on 9/2.  (Wait — I can’t be that old — but we started at 19 and 20!). There are some lung issues and “Jalen Alexander” and his mother will be in the hospital at least until tomorrow.  Doctors say all will be well.

 

4 hours ago, Lady Hudson said:

Update — baby Jalen and Mom cleared to go home.  Lung and glucose tests (for Mom) all ok.  Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes.  Katherine 

Great news. Congrats to all! 🙂

[smitty34877]

@JazzyV, Vanessa, sending prayers for the young football player and his family.Also I am really glad you are not trying to mow in this humid environment!

@Lady Hudson, Katherine, congratulations on the great grandchild. I am so glad they will be home soon.

@grapau27, Graham, I am sorry to hear about Sarah’s friends BIL. Brain tumors are very difficult to manage. Sending prayers for him and for his family.

 

We decided it was way too hot to cook outside so Tana and I decided to make cold noodles in sesame sauce as well as a large salad for dinner. We had leftover chicken for the carnivores and DSIL went out to the new Italian ice place and got an assortment for the group. DH said he would try to eat a piece of French Toast.Baby steps.

[dobiemom]

8 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Late yesterday the good sister let me know that DM blacked out and fell while walking outside.  She's in Paoli hospital.  Early reports were very bad. Overnight the  diagnosis is slightly better but still not good.  DS will keep me updated as things progress. 

Oh my! 😱 Your mom is in my prayers. 🙏

[Cruising-along]

7 minutes ago, dobiemom said:

Maybe we should start a club? No! 😳 Yes, I was able to go back to sleep for a few hours. 

(BTW @Cruising-along Carolyn, my name is Marcia [pronounced Mar-shah]. 😉)

Yikes, why did I say Laura??  So sorry!

I'm glad you were able to get a few more hours of sleep 🙂