Soaking up the Sun

I'm pretty sure that days like today are the main reason that people choose to live in Kodiak. This very well could be one of the most beautiful days I have ever seen. Sure, that opinion is probably swayed by the fact that I'm comparing today to the last 110 cruddy days we've had but nevertheless, it was a day to be remembered. The temperature hovered in the mid-60's, the sky was bluer than blue, and I took the opportunity to pull my capri pants and a tank top out of storage. Nothing was keeping me in the house as I've been told that one of the best ways to cope with living out here is to take full advantage of days like today, where you can actually get out and do stuff without wearing head-to-toe rain gear.

I spent the morning welcoming in a new Coast Guard family that arrived on the ferry today after spending the last 3 weeks traveling from Connecticut. They were happy to finally arrive and I was thrilled that they were able to have such nice, warm first day here although I'm sure plenty of people have already told them not to get used to it. I HOPE they haven't been told that but if I know anything it's that people love to shower positives with negatives. I myself have been trying to keep from being that way and it's a struggle sometimes. The wife, Joellen, and I enjoyed a nice breakfast of egg sandwiches and fruit at Java Flats and then took some time to get to know each other over our coffee. I can tell I'm really going to like her - she's a good person.

Afterward, I had coffee with another dear friend then headed home to spend some quality deck time with the dog. The rays of the sun hit our back deck in such a comfortable way that I love hanging out there on my patio chair with Jack, a drink, and a snack. I throw my feet up on the railing and exercise my brain with crossword puzzles while my skin soaks in the warmth. Jack sprawls out on the wood and suns himself, getting up every now and again to beg me for some of my snack. Even HE seems to know the importance of these sorts of days. We stayed out until the bugs got too interested in us then headed in for a reprieve.

To top everything off, I had a new adventure today. My friend, Lindsay, and I hiked to the top of Old Women's Mountain. Hiking Old Women's is just one of those things that everyone does at least once while they live here and I have intended to do it, but up until my invitation from Lindsay today, had not yet done so. I would guess it is about 3 miles round trip (2500 ft. to the top) and is a rocky, relatively steep trail. It basically just goes straight up until you get to the top and you return down the same trail. The views on the way up and from the top are gorgeous. You can see all of Kodiak City as well as the Coast Guard base. I could see my house too!

Can you see my house in this picture? :)

Being up there kind of helped me get a better understanding of the "lay of the land" around here and it was exciting to see the green starting to show up on the surrounding mountains. I liked that I got a nice workout from the hike and the big side-bonus was that Lindsay and I had some great conversation through our huffing and puffing and were able to grow our friendship a little more. She is also one of the "good people" and I know I will be blessed through knowing her.

Joe had the right idea about today too. He headed to work for half of the day then pulled out his halibut gear, hopped on a boat, and spent the afternoon fishing with friends. And now that we have freshly caught halibut in the freezer, I'm so excited for him to make his world-famous (in our little world) "halibut nuggets". It's the one fried food I DON'T feel guilty about eating way too much of!

I really hope that you had a beautiful day too, no matter how simple or busy it was. Sometimes you have to remember just to stop and be happy simply because the sun is out. And when you do, wish it my way, ok?