Sitka and the 4th of July

Mt. Edgecomb has many personalities and countless ways to wear clouds.

We were told that if you want to be in Sitka for the Fourth of July, you should get there a week ahead of time.  We arrived on July first, knowing that the first was a salmon opening; many of fish boats would be out chasing a living.  There might be room for a 40-footer.

Parking lot attendants.

You check the cars near the water.  I’ll get the second row.

In front of Sitka’s Pioneer Home, the first facility in AK to offer a home
to aging Sourdoughs

Sunset from Greywolf’s stern.

I have an ability to cut off the tops of trees  people’s heads totem poles, and buildings with my camera.  After I took this photo of  St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, a gentleman asked me,

“Did you get the eagles on top?” 
I didn’t even get the top....

The top. And the eagles.

Tourists and resident bear.

View from bow early in the evening, July 2nd.

On the July 3rd, the fireworks started at 11:30.  From Greywolf’s bow, the explosions  were centered precisely over moon.  After a few minutes, the moon became irritated and moved to the south. Allie became frightened and moved to the west.  She sat in the pilot house and began the paper work to file a pet-abuse complaint.  After the city’s display ended at midnight, individual displays continued into the morning hours.  Allie slept with us, under the covers.  She chewed up the complaint forms in the morning.

Of course, we went to the Fourth of July parade. Two cruise ships were in town, so that added about 2,500 people to Sitka’s 9,000 residents.   

First parade entry --  Raven Radio celebrating 30 years of community support.

When we walked into town on our first day in Sitka, our second stop (after the Murray Pacific marine store) was the handsome house where Raven Radio has their broadcast studio.  In 2008, we had gone there to buy a hat with their raven logo.  Raven Radio's call letters are CKAW, pronounced KAY CAW, hence the raven.  We are now enjoying a new hat, a coffee mug, and Raven Radio’s uniquely Alaskan personalities and programing including the “muskeg messages” designed to get news to people who do not have telephones or to send out lost cat (good luck with that) announcements.

                             Sitka Fine Arts Camp attacts kids and instructors from all over the US.

Unfortunately, the Alaska Festival participants  had black powder muskets that sounded exactly like fireworks to a poodle that had slept with us the night before. 
She tried to escape, but there was a fence behind us.

We appreciated this.  Our 50th Franklin High School Reunion is in September.
We read in the paper that Sitka’s reunion (with any and all graduates invited..that why the “more or less” on the banner) consisted of a picnic and a breakfast.

But where will the women wear their hoochie dresses?  Doug found this dress and heels 
for me at Murray Pacific.

  

They were having fun!!!

We went the the Farmer’s Market the following Saturday.  Rhubarb seems
to be the vegetable of choice this year.

 After the parade,we followed the crowd to the elementary school playground 
where Filipino  and Native food was being sold.  

Fire engines and sirens followed Peanut, but we though she was a fitting end to the parade.

Important Information:

chronicle |ˈkränikəl|  noun

• a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence.

• a work of fiction or nonfiction that describes a particular series of events.

We are using the second definition...no order.

Murray Pacific is a pet-friendly marine supply store.  In addition to the
usual dog cookie, Allie got pizza crust on her second visit.  After that, she
pulled and tugged to cross the street every time we walked past the store.
Sorry, honey.

Why not?

Andre was creating and selling signed original finger crayon art on the dock.  For some reason, the picture that I bought downloaded sideways.  Tilt your head for the full effect.

Andre gave permission for me to use a photograph of him on the blog.