The Ones I Still Have To Explore

A sunny Monday in Juneau is a very difficult environment in which to get any productive work done.

I struggled all morning to focus on things work related.  That is a very tough thing to do when you can look out of your office windows and see both the mountains, and eagles and ravens flying against a bright blue sky.

It's tough to ignore the call they all shout out to me, to get up from my desk, grab my sunglasses, walk out the front door and not look back.

I tried unsuccessfully for a late-morning retreat, but by mid-afternoon and (for the first time since I lost a full-time employee two weeks ago) I took a walk during lunch.

For the first time since I lost a full-time employee, took over her responsibilities until we can rehire (in addition to doing my own still-new job), I felt like the fires were finally put out enough that I could walk away for a short period and things would continue to run the way they should.

I can finally see my desk again.  That's a good thing.  I finally had a chance to work through the mail that had been sitting in a pile unopened on a filing cabinet.  I worked the unopened emails down to a more manageable number.  In short, the uncontrollable is still uncontrollabe, but it's better.  And all of those things are good.

There are a few places very close to work where I can walk quietly, commune with either the mountains or the water, and regroup enough to be able to go fight the good fight again for the rest of my work day.

With temperatures in the low 70's (as it was today) life is good and beautiful in Juneau Alaska.

I walked down to one of the many harbors in the area, walked some of the piers, watched work men and work women cleaning and preparing and fussing over their boats, and took some pictures.........

 

 

After work today I drove to a beach close to home.  Many of the beaches in Juneau are not sandy beaches like they are down in the lower 48.  

There are a few beautifully sandy beaches - over on S Douglas, further Out the Road.  But many contain rocky coastline, moss-covered trails, pine tree filled points, washed up trees.

Regardless, they are all beautiful in their own way.  And they all have many things in common in this northern place. 

The mountains are always everywhere you turn.  So are the islands and so are the waves lapping against the shore.  I called my Mountain Boy while I was walking along the coastline, and put the phone down near the waves so he could hear them.

For two people who live (or used to live) in Tennessee, hearing waves against the shoreline is only something we normally hear when we vacation in places like the Gulf Coast or Florida.  They are not something you can walk down to, only a few minutes from the house where you live.  They are not something you can stop at on a whim, on the way home from work.  Pick a beach.  Any beach.  They are everywhere and I love all of the ones I have found, and look forward to all of the ones I still have to explore.............