Category: A Daily Tree

Arthur seems to be recovering apace. He ate oatmeal for breakfast, tomato soup for lunch, and a bit of a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. Considering he hadn’t eaten for a day and a half before this, that’s a very good sign.
I wish he could find a way to be optimistic – or at the least. pretend to be optimistic. In fact, even just pretending to be optimistic has positive psychological effects – almost as many positive effects as actual optimism. I speak from experience.
Here is a tree, with a largish stump next door.

[daily log: walking, 2.5km]

Things have taken a bad turn with Arthur’s health.
I don’t want to say more than that – the situation is not clear.
Here is a tree picture from a stockpile of tree pictures.

[daily log: walking, 1km]

Here is a dead tree.

Here is a snapshot of pastoral Alaska, in one of those moments when I feel like I could be in Appalachia (or Humboldt).

[daily log: walking, 4km]

Arthur and I went out in the boat to Noyes Island (just past Siketi Sound). While out there, we passed a point of land and I saw a tree (well, several – the one I had in mind here is the one farthest to the left).

We actually caught one fish. It was not a desirable salmon, however – rather, a fat lingcod.

I made fish soup (Chilean style fish chowder) with it, when we got home.
[daily log: walking, 1km; boating, 60km]

Here is a tree. Well, more than one, actually – but one on the left is closer and more salient.

Earlier, Arthur and I went out in the boat. We caught one (1) fish. A small sea bass type fish. But perhaps it’s a step in the right direction. Here is a bald eagle supervising traffic at the entrance to the Port Saint Nicholas fiord.

Later we went into town. I saw this car elevated in an unusual way. Alaskans take the availability of heavy machinery for granted.

[daily log: walking, 1.5km]

A tree challenging the sky.

Earlier, I saw this pink sea star heading for the rising sun at low tide. It looks like Patrick Star taking a jog.

[daily log: walking, 4.5km]

Arthur and I went out in the boat in the morning. Still no fish. I worry, sometimes, that Arthur is making some major mistake with respect to his fishing technique, which is causing the fish to avoid us. I wouldn’t know if he was – because I have very little experience fishing. On the way back to the house in the boat, we experienced some disconcerting engine behavior with the outboard motor. So we need to deal with that.
In the afternoon, we took a walk down the road. We met a bear. Arthur said, “Looks like it’s time to go the other direction.” I agreed.
Here is a tree past mile 9.

Here is water looking out at San Juan Island, in the morning.

Here is the bear (blackish blur, lower center of picture).

[daily log: walking, 3km]

Arthur and I went out in the somewhat debarnacled boat this afternoon, after getting it back in the water. There was a steady drizzle. No fish.
So I didn’t take a picture of a tree. I offer this fine tree from my archives – taken near Kaikoura, New Zealand, 2011.

Here is the boat, back in the water.

[daily log: walking, 1km]

I went to the airport to pick up Arthur on his way back from the VA in Juneau – but the leg of his flight from Sitka to Klawock was canceled due to weather. It is misty and drizzly with very low visibility. So I came back home.
Here is a purplish tree in front of someone’s house along the expressway. Some kind of maple. It came out somewhat blurry.

[daily log: walking, 3km]

Arthur will stay another night in Juneau.
Hopefully they don’t find anything unexpected.
Here is a tree.

[daily log: walking, 2km]

I took Arthur to the airport this morning. He has some tests the VA doctors want done, and needs to be at the hospital in Juneau.
Later in the day, he called me to say the doctors are keeping him overnight. This is … concerning – but not overly so. Arthur and I have already discussed that the doctors at the Juneau VA seem overly cautious. He feels like they are wasting his time, but he nevertheless is deferring to their wishes. We’ll see what happens.
I took this picture of a tree against a metal shed at the airport this morning.

Here is the airport.

[daily log: walking, 2km]

Arthur and I went out in the boat today. Still fishless, though.
The tide was very low in the morning. I took this picture of a tree reflected in the water with a fat starfish under the water in the shade of the dock.

Here is the low tide – you could actually step from the beach to the dock.

Here is a sea otter I saw.

[daily log: walking, 1.5km]

This is a the tree at the corner where the new driveway splits off from the expressway.

I am making progress on the well shed thingy.

[daily log: walking, 1km; digging gravel, 50cm]