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Wildflowers

Another week come and gone...I can't believe it.  I went hiking this weekend by myself.  I've never been one to go alone, but lately I feel like it has been very much needed to have my own time to think and reflect.  I hiked along the beach to my favorite spot where the Bay opens up to the Icy Strait and you can see for miles and miles on a clear day.  I like to sit there and watch the whales and listen to the eagles while my hair blows in the wind and there isn't anyone around to distract me.

I've been thinking about something this past week, mostly because of a conversation that I had with Kelly.  Up here in Alaska, these last couple of days have been "invasive plant (weed) awareness days" and every morning I get an email that has a picture of a weed that is not supposed to be growing in the area.  What I've noticed is that these plants are mostly beautiful wildflowers that apparently are okay to get rid of.  My question is - who gets to decide what is a weed?  Who has the right to put a label on something and to determine what is okay and what is not?  If I had it my way, my whole backyard would be full of wildflowers!  Even if they are "weeds", that would make me a very happy girl.

My thoughts didn't just dwell on weeds and flowers, but this attitude of labeling and making judgements is so prevalent and I'm just a little sick of it.  I have been having a rough time lately because of various labels that have been placed on me since I got here.  We all seem to have in our minds this preconceived idea of what is good and what is not and it can be so destructive.  We are all special and beautiful to our maker.  We all have the ability to bless and to uplift.  We all have something to offer and we were all created to be different.  I was walking through a field of wildflowers today and I was just thinking to myself "you may not belong but you have the ability to bring beauty and happiness to an otherwise dreary world."  If I had to be a plant, I would choose to be a wildflower!

I would not make a very good mermaid...

This past week I was able to spend a day kayaking by myself.  I think I definitely prefer having my feet on dry land.  By the end of the day I was "ready to walk, ready to run, ready to play all day in the sun!  Out of the sea, wish I could be."  Just to quote one of my favorite childhood movies....

It was amazing to see and experience something completely new to me.  I'm really not too familiar or comfortable with life in the ocean and to be experiencing it on my own, by myself was very rewarding.  I started out early in the morning when the water was completely glassy.  As I was paddling, I could hear breathing behind me, so I turned around and realized that I was being followed by a seal.  Curious little creatures.  In the distance I could hear noises so I stopped and looked real close at the other side of the bay.  I could see fins coming up and out of the water.  I was hesitant to continue moving in that direction, but that was the way I needed to go and so I kept paddling.  Before long I was in the middle of the ocean with many black fins around me as the harbor porpoises came up to breathe.  Then they started to jump.  Then I started to freak out a little bit because they were within a few feet of my kayak.  At one point I looked down to see one swimming underneath me.  Yep, not okay with me.  They followed me the rest of the day and I must say, I never got used to having them around.  Everytime they'd come up to breathe, I'd jump a little bit in my seat.

Overall it was magical though.  Words can't really describe how peaceful and serene it was to be that close to the underwater world.  Hopefully next time I won't be so cowardly!

Kayaking Glacier Bay

I liked them from this distance and wish they would have stayed right there!

Search and Rescue

Well, I got to participate in the first Search and Rescue of the season this past week.  It was awesome actually because nobody got hurt and we found the people we were looking for....definitely the best outcome.  I was given a radio and some bear spray and I was asked to do the dirtiest job, which I have to admit I was SO excited about.  I got to hike up the river, cross it several times at the low tide, go through nasty smelling sinking mud, sand, and bushwhack through heavy brush.  It was a gorgeous day I was in heaven!  Did I mention we found the people?....I was looking for them as well when I wasn't getting distracted by the scenery and taking self-timed pictures of myself :)

Things here are starting to green-up.  If you look closely you can even see the lupines.

The ocean is very respected by South-east Alaskans.  It is it's own entity, it's own force.  Here they don't try to control it or wish it behaved differently.  They just embrace the fact that it will do what it wants and that it is a force that cannot be tamed.  When you try to go against the natural way, you get into trouble (which is what happened to the people we were searching for).  The water and tides change for no man and I'm starting to learn and experience the real meaning of wilderness.  In a world where people strive to have control and dominion of all things, its nice to know that there are still things that we absolutely cannot restrict or contain, as hard as we may try.  We get to leave that to God.  It's a great feeling to be so small and to recognize that we are not all powerful like we think we are.  He is still completely in control and we just get to enjoy it!

These boots are made for walkin'

This summer, I've traded in my chacos for rubber boots.  Everyone in Southeast Alaska wears these big brown boots called X-tra tufs and I've decided to try them out.  You can't be considered an Alaskan if you don't own a pair of these!  They do come in handy when I go tide-pooling or fishing but boy oh boy they are BAD for hiking in.  Example....Sarah and I went on a 25 mile hike in X-tra tufs and I ended up in a knee brace and she is on crutches.  They were nice to have while we were hiking along the beach and falling into sinkholes, but now I know that I will NEVER hike in them again.

My X-tra tufs

The hike was beautiful though and the day was perfect.  We started at Bartlett Cove and followed the beach the whole way, walking over rocks and sinking into the mud.  When we got to Point Gustavus we could see up into Glacier Bay from one direction and the whole Icy Strait from the other.  We concluded that this would be the perfect place for pirates to hang out and stash their booty.

The desolate sandy beach covered in seashells

Me at Pt. Gustavus

We're trapped!!!

I've had some great missionary experiences this week as well.  Being somewhere beautiful definitely helps people feel God's love and reach out for something higher.  It's hard to be surrounded by His creations and not yearn for something more.  I've been able to share my testimony with a few close friends that are looking for guidance and direction.  I'm so grateful for the peace and the love I feel everyday and I'm happy to share it with everyone I meet!