A Quiet And Gentle Day

Today was a better day all the way around, compared to the one I experienced yesterday.  A sunny and beautiful day - cool for most of the day, but then warmer as the day progressed, until I was finally able to be outside wearing only one long-sleeved shirt (no sweater and no jacket).  And happily, a quieter day at work.

Because I did not have a demanding work schedule today, and because it was sunny I actively searched for (and found) reasons to be outside.

I took a quiet walk to a cemetary close to work late this morning.  There is a walk-way that runs through the center of this place, and usually people who travel through here are in a hurry to get from one place to another.  And consequently they walk without seeing.

I have visited this cemetary a number of times.  Because it is close to work.  Because it is surrounded by mountains - Douglas Island mountains in one direction, and the mountains in back of the city of Juneau in the other.

But this is not a place I can hurry through.  Rather, it demands that I slow down.  It demands respect and introspection of me.  It is filled mostly (but not completely) with the graves of servicemen of the wars our country have fought.  WW1, WW2, Korea - two young men who died in 1968 and 1969 respectively, and who are buried side by side, having died in Vietnam.  They were both 21 years old............ 

And this woman, who according to her stone died at the age of 115 years.

Later in the morning I had reasons to be at the Convention Center.  It is a small facility as convention centers go, but is an extremely busy and active center featuring both large and small scale special events as well as your rank-and-file business meetings.

This center contains touches that make it unique to Juneau - framed posters describing Juneau history, a piano in the center of the hallway (that I have seen people sit down and play impulsively on the spur of the moment), a vistors center, a stuffed black bear, beautiful views from the windows........... 

This afternoon, while driving back to the city after a meeting in the Valley, I stopped for a few minutes at the Wetlands pull-off.  This area is well known for all manner of birdlife, and one of these days I want to take some time to take an easy and gentle walk, and go explore this boggy, muddy, flat area just to see and enjoy them.

An article from the Juneau Empire today on this area:

http://juneauempire.com/stories/041610/out_610556848.shtml

On the way home from work tonight I stopped at Leena Beach, which is only a few miles from my house.  This is the same area where I ran into eagles fighting a few weeks ago on a cloudy, rainy and cold Saturday morning.  The beach is rocky.  The view is beautiful.  And the water is always quiet and calm because it is located in a protected cove.  Very often I see people walking their dogs, and today was no different.  Today for the first time, a sure sign that winter is over, there was a family cooking on one of the grills at the beach.  Warm enough to cook and eat outside on a picnic table at the beach.  Spring in Alaska.

This eagle is one of 4 eagles I saw today.  Two flew by my window at work this morning.  I saw one in the grass in a field near Mendenhall Valley on the drive home, and this one in a tree at the beach.

I took a picture of this rock sitting on the beach because at first glance it reminded me of a bear standing on its hind legs.  On second glance though, and with the orange coloring, it reminded me of a spooky character from a Halloween decoration.  I did not pick up the rock and take it home with me today.  I hope it is still there the next time I visit the beach though, because on second thought I think I would like to keep it.

I was at my car and getting ready to leave the beach when I took this last minute picture on a whim.  One last view of the mountains and water, framed by two trees and the ground.  I like this picture.

I asked some people about this plant today - it is called skunk cabbage, and some people from work had told me that it was a plant that smelled bad.  I have never heard of this plant before, but it is common at this time of year in muddy, boggy areas along the side of the road in Alaska.  There are also a few of these plants growing in my yard.

Happily, I was advised to just leave them be and enjoy them for what they are - exotic plants that begin bright yellow and eventually turn into something that looks like this.  I am pleased to be able to just leave them alone, and enjoy this unique plant.

One last quiet and gentle picture from the cemetary in town.