Fertilizer Picking

     After picking empty clam and mussel shells and seaweed from the high tide mark, I sat against a log to rest my back. It was so peaceful to just sit and relax in the sunshine, and watch the boats come and go from Auke Bay.

     Why am I picking shells and seaweed? Well, it’s an abundant, organic, free source of fertilizer. According the book Gardening in Southeast Alaska, “seaweed contains growth hormones, macronutrients, functional elements, and chelating agents” which helps stimulate root development and produce stronger healthier plants.
     Every year, I put a nice layer of seaweed around the plants in our garden and then place a circle of crushed shells around the seaweed. Not only does it help fertilize the plants, but it also keeps the slugs away. I add extra seaweed and shells to the garden each month when there are plants growing. In the spring, I till the shells and seaweed into the soil along with an extra helping of compost.

Annual Planting

Remember the greenhouse I photographed on March 15, 2010? Well, after Carol Ackerson (a crew leader with the CBJ Parks and Landscaping) and her crew meticulously cared for the annuals at the CBJ greenhouse and cold frames, they are now ready to be planted. Carol designs a grid in the soil before she begins transplanting the flowers into one of the many planters around Juneau.

Sky Watch

The weather lately has been spectacular, so for my birthday, my husband and I took a stroll around town before he took me to lunch at The Hangar. We stopped along Seward Street to watch the clouds wisp over Mt. Juneau and the Gross 20th Century Movie Theatre (Juneau's first real movie theatre established in 1911).
If you would like to see more Sky Watch photos from around the world, visit Sky Watch

Marine Park

As these tourists disembark their cruise ship, docked at the Alaska Steam Ship Dock, they take in the view from Marine Park.

The first annual Juneau Maritime Festival is on Saturday May 22, 2010 at Marine Park & Plaza from 11am to 5pm. Come celebrate Juneau’s maritime history, culture, and commerce. Visit Juneau Maritime Festival for scheduled activities.

Kayaker on Mendenhall Lake

A kayaker maneuvers his way around bergy bits on Mendenhall Lake.

If you would like to see more photos from Ruby Tuesday participants, just click on the link.

Twisted Fish

The Twisted Fish Company-Alaskan Grill

550 South Franklin Street

Juneau, Alaska 99801

(907) 586-8173

The Twisted Fish is a superb restaurant if you’re interested in tasting some of Alaska’s finest seafood. They are only open during the summer month (May-Sept). Since it’s a favorite among locals and it’s located right next to the cruise ship docks, it can get quite busy so I suggest making a reservation.

And if you’re interested in taking some seafood home to your family and friends, step next door to Taku Smokeries. They offer a wide variety of seafood plus they’ll even ship it home for you.

If you would like to see more photos with a yellow theme visit Mellow Yellow Monday.

Globeflowers

     Since it rained moose and bear for most of yesterday and I’m dealing with a bad cold, I decided to photograph the bouquet of Globeflowers (Trollius europaeus) sitting in our kitchen window. I picked them a week ago on Mother’s Day. I wasn’t sure they would bloom this year since I only transplanted them this spring.

     Globeflowers do extremely well in southeast Alaska with our abundant source of moisture (a.k.a. rain). They will bloom throughout the summer as long as they are not allowed to dry out. I learned the hard way, and they ended up dieing back by mid June because I didn’t water them daily when we had dry spells.

     This little bouquet has definitely added some sunshine to my very blah day. Oh, did I mention that today (Sunday) the weather has come full circle and we have beautiful blue sky?
If you would like to see more flowers from around the world visit Today’s Flowers.

Canada Geese

Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis) fly over Eagle Beach at low tide. The Eagle Beach State Recreation Area is located approximately 28.7 miles north of downtown Juneau. The snow-covered peaks, in the background, are a few of the mountains within the Chilkat Mountain Range.
To see more Straight Out of the Camera (SOOC) shot just click on the link.

Red Squirrel

Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) live throughout most of Alaska. They forage and nest in coniferous forests. Their diet primarily consists of spruce cone seeds, willow seeds, berries, bugs, and fungi. They make a loud, warning chatter when alarmed.
This squirrel has been frequenting our yard all spring, and enjoying a feast of seeds from the Sitka Spruce. A couple weeks ago, I observed it carrying lichen and very small twigs up one of the large spruce. They have their young in late May and early June.

If you would like to see more critters from around the world then visit Camera Critters.

Sky Watch

A trace of blue-sky attempts to peak out toward Fritz Cove, and a Wings of Alaska floatplane comes in for a landing as I walk along the newly expanded Airport Dike Trail.


If you would like to see more Sky Watch photos from the other participants, visit Sky Watch

Sherwood Cabin

As you head north along Glacier Highway from downtown Juneau, past the airport area, and across Brotherhood Bridge you can see this cabin nestled in a grassy field to the left across from Sherwood Drive.


This area was once part of the Jensine Pederson Dairy, which was later purchased by Curtis Sherwood. Sherwood came to Juneau in 1940 from California. He helped incorporate Glacier Highway Electric Association (GHEA) in Auke Bay and was the president of GHEA for seven years. He was an avid birdwatcher and identified the first cowbirds in Alaska. He also studied the predacious fungi in the sphagnum fields around the Mendenhall Valley. He left Juneau in 1964, and the farm was taken over by the Dept. of Roads when the Glacier Highway was built, however, the land where this cabin sits now belongs to a private owner, so please respect the NO TRESPASSING signs.

If you would like to see more photos from those participating in Sepia Scenes, just click on the link.

Thunder Mountain

Thunder Mountain reflects in a slough along Mendenhall River.

If you would like to see more photos from those participating in Watery Wednesday, just click on the link.

South Franklin Street

Now that tourist season has begun, and cruise ships are arriving daily, Juneau is starting to boom with pedestrian activity.

Surprise

For Mother’s Day, my husband and our two children surprised me by taking me up the Mt. Roberts Tram for a hike and then out to lunch at the Timberline Bar and Grill (located at the top of the mountain). We were fortunate to have a window seat, which enabled us to watch the tram cars go up and down the mountain every five minutes plus look down on Juneau. I took this photo while we were waiting for our food to arrive. My husband and I had seafood quesadillas (with halibut, salmon, crab, and shrimp), which is riddled with delicious jalapenos. If your not a fan of hot, spicy food, I wouldn’t recommend it. Our kids each had a giant nacho platter. They were so large that they could have shared one. You should have seen the look on their faces when the waitress brought them. It was priceless. It was definitely a very special Mother’s Day.

Governor's Mansion

The Governor’s Mansion (center of photo-white with a green roof) was built in 1912 and designed by James Knox Taylor, the supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury. Walter Eli Clark, Alaska’s district governor at the time was the first to live in the house. It has been remodeled and upgraded many times. From this view, you can see that it is surrounded by homes from both the original Juneau Town Site and the Casey Shattuck neighborhoods. Governor Sean Parnell currently resides here with his family.

Marsh Marigold

Marsh Marigolds

Common Name: Marsh Marigold
Scientific Name: Caltha palustris
Family: Buttercup, Crowfoot/Ranunculaccae
Habitat: Marshes, Streams, and occasionally around Lakes
Bloom Time: Early May to Late June (depending on how early spring arrives)
Edibility: Early spring greens are edible when fully cooked. This requires cooking the young leaves in 2-3 changes of water until barely tender. I like them cut in small pieces and drizzled with vinegar. They should only be eaten in small quantities.

Warning: NEVER eat the leaves raw. The mature leaves contain a toxic chemical called ranunculin.

Hoary Marmot

A boy hugs the giant stuffed Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata) located on one of the stair landings at the top of the Mt. Roberts Tram.


The Hoary Marmot is the largest species of marmot. They inhibit mountainous regions of North America. The largest population is here in Alaska. They make elaborate tunnel systems in which whole communities live. They hibernate from October to May. A great place to see them in Juneau is up Mt. Roberts along the trails above timberline. They like to sun themselves on the large boulders.

Sky Watch

With the increase in daylight hours, which is currently 16 hours and 8 minutes, it can make for some very long days. It’s that time of year again, when I should start taking my late morning/early afternoon nap. We’ll gain about 5 minutes a day until the 21st of June.

If you would like to see more photos from those participating in Sky Watch, just click on the link.

Reflection

From the shores of Mendenhall Lake, you can see the deciduous alder and willows are beginning to green up displaying the forest succession of where the Mendenhall Glacier once excited.
If you would like to see more photos from those participating in Watery Wednesday, just click on the link.

Northern Red Currant

     While I was wondering along the Mendenhall Peninsula shore, I came across these delicate, little flowers blooming. It’s always exciting when I come across a new plant that I haven’t seen before. After searching through my wild plant field guides, I discovered they are Northern Red Currant blossoms (Ribes triste). Unlike the Bristly Black Currant they have a smooth stem.
     According to the book Discovering Wild Plants: Alaska, Western Canada, The Northwest by Janice J. Schofield, they are high in vitamin C and copper. They can be found in open areas along moist woods, near stream banks, and the seashore. They range from northern Alaska and the Yukon to Oregon.
     I’ll have to return when they are ripe so I can photograph the berries, and I can pick a few to try in a pie. I wonder if they would be good with blueberries. Let me know if you have any suggestions for berry combinations.

If you would like to see more photos from Ruby Tuesday participants, just click on the link.

Smile

When I saw this satellite dish attached to the back of a camper, I couldn’t resist posting it. Since it’s Monday, I thought we could all use a bit of whimsy. Have a great week!

Spring Perennials

Now that the temperature has warmed up in Juneau and the surrounding area, the spring perennials are adding a splash of color.

If you would like to see more flowers from around the world, visit the other participates atToday's Flowers.

Alaska State Capital

The marble used to construct the pillars in front of the Alaska State Capital is from Tokeen on Marble Island a small island off the west coast of Prince of Wales Island. Very little marble was returned to Alaska because of shipping costs, therefore, most of it was used in buildings throughout the northwest United States once it was sawed and polished at the Vermont Marble Company in Tacoma, Washington.