lulu
Alaska abounds with breathtaking natural beauty.
Snow capped mountains and islands covered with hemlock, spruce and cedar are enough to satiate the senses, but there’s more.
Even the sunsets are wondrous on drizzle free days.
We were fortunate to witness two technicolor skies, one intense and dramatic.
The other was softer and cast its pastel glow over mountains and water.
When I see sights like this
and this, it renews my faith in a power greater than man and fills my heart with gratitude.
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
Whatever is seen at sea level is only a portion of the glacier which is likely to have originated some distance away and higher on the mountain. 
The visible portion may not look large from a distance, but do not be deceived. It is likely to be hundreds of feet tall and more than a half mile wide.
Much of a glacier appears to be some shade of icy blue which I learned is a function of density and the way light is reflected. 
The more color the denser the ice meaning that it contains very little air. 
Sometimes a glacier has dirty looking areas resulting from mudslides that leave behind dirt that gets locked in the ice.
On occasion there is a loud crack followed by a chunk of ice breaking off and becoming an iceberg only 10% of which is visible above the water. These lovely pieces of floating ice can be very dangerous as the Titanic sadly experienced.
The rain has stopped and this morning Houstonians woke to a clear sky for the first time in several days. Some, however, also woke to the reality of loss. I can’t imagine how that feels. What I do know is that people in this fourth largest US city will come together. Neighbors will help neighbors and strangers will open their hearts and offer helping hands to those in need because Houston’s heart is as big as all of Texas.
A friend very excited about her newly acquired chickens couldn’t wait to show them off.
I must say her feathered friends are being treated royally and claim as home a specially built coop.
I didn’t catch it at first, but check out the name. That is so my friend!
As entertaining as her new beauties were, it was impossible not to let the eye be distracted by the drama of nature that was all around.
Every growing thing looked like it was on steroids which was attributed to fish emulsion. I’m thinking that is a must for next year’s garden.
Complementing nature’s bounty was the magic of the fog wafting in from the water.
Its quiet presence is a thing of wonder,
to say nothing about how its veiled mystery enhances color.
At every turn there were breathtaking vignettes with an astounding variety of color and texture. Remembering that a short time ago there was nothing more than grass between the house and the shore makes all this bounty even more remarkable.
I think you will agree that it would be very easy to spend hours right here listening to the sound of the sea, watching the fog come and go, experiencing the quiet beauty of nature and keeping company with the chickens that are sure to come calling.
Here on Rockport Harbor, it is interesting to watch the fog’s journey. Today it is creeping in from Penobscot Bay on little cat feet.
Left behind is a sky so blue that it makes the contrast between clear and mist even more dramatic.
As the fog makes its way into the harbor, it begins to wrap the trees along the shore in a transparent veil.
It slinks above the boats rocking gently on their moorings
and makes its way to the head of the harbor where it outlines the vessels tied at the pier.
Gradually, the fog thickens hiding all hints of blue sky and shrouding everything in its path.
As I stand and watch the fog blanket the harbor, all but that which is a few feet away becomes invisible. Whether it is here to stay or to disappear soon only time will tell. For now, it is intriguing to follow fog’s journey which makes me again marvel at nature’s mysterious ways.
