I'm back

OK so I've been back for five days and haven't gotten anything posted.  Sorry.   My nice little internet provider was bought by COMCAST.  It took me four hours of waiting one day and then another two the next to get back on line.  I find it interesting how much I use email, my blog and the internet in my life.

Now I'm working on the slide show.  I don't think I want to use all 300 pictures.  Some of them aren't that good.  And I'm very proud of some of them.

Have a look at my first video.

Last day.

This evening we will be in Victoria, Vancouver, British Columbia.  We are going to the Burchart gardens.  Something everyone we talked to said not to miss.  Right now we are sailing along through fog.  Mostly it is cold outside but comfortable inside.  We are 120 nautical miles to Victoria.  The captain just said so.

We walked the deck for breast cancer.  It is the Holland American chosen charity and they have raised $1,000,000 in the last year.  It was a little cold but fun to walk the 3.2 miles.   Last night at our formal dinner they brought out baked Alaska for dessert.  The dining room staff walked around the dining room with the Alaska with sparklers while marching music played.  The chef and his crew came out for bow.  We were eating with a couple from Liberty, Indiana.  She had just retired from 28 years of teaching and he changed from teaching to investment business in the 70's.  It was the fourth night we sat with people we didn't know and there was at least one teacher in each group.

Yesterday we walked all over, well almost all over the port at Ketchikan, Alaska.  It sits at the base of a mountain and houses built on the mountain side are reached by long stairways.  It is a most interesting way of getting around.  We have taken a lot of pictures but I choose not to use our time to post them since we get charged for internet connection.  I wasn't going to pay but I wanted to write something while on the ship.  We have both taken a lot of pictures.  

Here's to BUCKSNORT coffee.

Sue:  I'd go again.

Alaska at last

Today we have been sailing through the Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm on our way from Juneau to Sitka.  The scenery has been gorgeous, fantastic, beautiful, awe-inspiring and any other adjective you can think of to describe scenery.  We viewed the Sawyer Glacier and sailed among ice floes and icebergs from early morning until noon.  Right now outside our window I see mountains that rival Colorado and Yosemite.

Cruising is fun.  The food IS wonderful and always available.  

More details of other days later.

There are four of these fountains at the Bremerton Ferry terminal.

Pictures

I told you there was MOOSESNORT COFFEE    

Far left is Chris and Paulette doing Cha Cha.

More pre-cruise fun

Paulette and I explore Port Orchard.  The main street has a few businesses, and antique mall, a couple of antique stores and The Candy Shoppe (Yes, we bought candy.  Salt Water taffy and peanut brittle.)

Lunch at the Corner Deli.  Great sandwiches and MOOSESNORT COFFEE.  Please don't leave out the R.  On our way to meet Chris we stop at the ferry port to see the dancing water fountain.  The wind adds some very splashy moves to the dance.  Flowers and fountains shaped like ship smoke stacks that spout like Old Faithful but not on schedule.  

Paulette has a Cha Cha lesson with Chris and we are off to Gig Harbor.  Chris goes to Costco.  At the YMCA (very posh and big)  I walk a mile and a quarter on a treadmill while Paulette takes a Zumba class.  Then we take a night club two step and a cha cha classes with Chris.  

Monday

The Columbia Hotel  we had the first room to the left of the sign.  That's me standing under the little blue awning.  I took the bottom picture out of the window of our room.

Monday morning in Ashland we woke up in the hotel.  I got a free cup of coffee and prepared for the day.  No line at the shared shower so i shower.  Paulette is awake when I get back.  She showers and soon we are ready to check out. It is only 8:30am.  Outside we take a couple of pictures.  The Key of "C" coffee and bagels cafe provided our road breakfast.

ARCO for gas (higher than Sacramento) and on to I5 North to Seattle.  We listen to Les Miserables from start to finish and leave I5 at Eugene, Oregon.  To the University where we find the Duck Store and add significantly to the economy of Oregon.  

Paulette drives and I ride, read, look out the window as the ever-changing landscape.  Sometimes I read the road signs out loud.

Hours later we park in Chris and Mike's driveway.  No body home.  Paulette gets on the phone and learns; Mike is in Santa Barbara and Chris is teaching a dance class.  He directs us to where Chris is teaching.  We find her, Paulette joins the lesson.  I read my book.  Chris has two more classes to teach so we return to her house by way of Safeway where we buy two Chinese entrees for a late dinner.  

I went to bed at 11;30PM.  I don't know how long Paulette and Chris stayed up.