Leaving the Land of the Sun.

My Alaskan sojourn is coming to an end, Gentle Reader, and as might be expected I find myself entirely tuckered out. The sun's stubborn refusal to ever entirely leave the Alaskan night sky has left me truly bewildered and disoriented on many a late evening. It is hard to say goodnight, or even realize that it is the appropriate hour to do so, when the good times are being had and a glance out the window seems to suggest that the hour is most certainly 1:00 pm and surely not 1:00 am. However, on many occasions this past week a glance toward the old timepiece has proved otherwise.  

Since my adventure on the High Seas with Captain Ellis I've had the opportunity to appreciate properly a bit more of the coastline, and interior, and Awe-Inspiring beauty of this one wild and precious land. 

When the brothers Ellis, a truly remarkable duo, depart to take tourists on chartered fishing expeditions each day, this is my steed:

And I am free to ride it about the countryside and explore my environment. 

This, my first mate:

The mighty Titus! Dog of local fishing legend, and the younger of the Ellis brothers, Zac Ellis. Titus proved to be an excellent travel companion and did a great deal to help me cope with a longing to see my own old K9 friend back at home.  Below are some of the places Titus and I went and some of the things we saw.

This is the mighty Mount Redoubt seen from from across the sea in the quaint and charming Ninilchick Village. Redoubt is an active volcano that last erupted in 2009. The following is taken from the reputable information gathering database, Wikipedia: 

"Active for millennia, Mount Redoubt has erupted five times since 1900: in 1902, 1922, 1966, 1989 and 2009. The eruption in 1989 spewed volcanic ashto a height of 45,000 ft (14,000 m) and caught KLM Flight 867, a Boeing 747aircraft, in its plume; the flight landed safely at Anchorage. The ash blanketed an area of about 7,700 sq mi (20,000 km²)."

Theoretically the mighty Mount Redoubt is scheduled to explode again in the not too distant future, but alas, it was a soundly sleeping giant for the entirety of my stay. 

On Sunday Zac Ellis (hereinafter referred to as Maestro, or, The Maestro) had the day off and we set off to go fly fishing in the beautiful Kenai River. 

         (The Maestro, Readying his Line)

   (The Glacial Waters of the River Kenai)

Maestro has built up quite a name for himself around this part of the country. In a part of Alaska where fish related topics dominate about 99% of conversation, and people you meet on the street hand out smoked salmon as though it were a calling card, The Maestro and his conquests are frequent fodder for conversation amongst locals. The Sockeye and King Salmon that The Maestro routinely pulled out of the exotically named Tustumena, Kasilof, and Kenai Rivers kept us deliciously and well fed for the entire week. Particularly memorable was a freshly caught bit of White Salmon that we grilled to perfection. The delectable white flesh of this particular aquatic beast was perhaps the best fish this humble scribbler has ever tasted. I'm also happy to say that I caught some fish myself and was able to send meat back to the Northeast via the US Mail. I'm either going to need to organize quite a seafood themed homecoming soirée, or I am going to be eating halibut and salmon for some time to come.

Last night I spent my final evening in the Inlet View Bar and Grill (the "IV").

        (The "IV" circa 11:30 last night)

And this morning I bid my farewell to my gracious hosts, the Ellis brothers. Captain Seth and The Maestro himself. It was certainly tremendous to see these two old friends once again and to witness the firm bond they've forged through a love of the water, the wilderness, and brotherly blood. They are truly a remarkable pair.

And here I find myself once again, Gentle Reader, in an Anchorage airport catching up with a couple of other old friends, 

while awaiting a gigantic mechanical bird that will bring me back to the lower 48, and to my next destination. 

I'll see you in the cyber salons of the future Gentle Reader.

Courage, 

-Z