Eagle Beach On A Rainy Day

It was windy, cold, grey and pouring with rain this evening.

A number of people that we know expressed surprise that we were not going into Juneau tonight to see the fireworks display. 

I have heard that it is a great display - but we have both seen fireworks before, and standing in the cold pouring rain on a Saturday night pretending to enjoy fireworks just did not sound like a good way to spend an evening.

Going to Eagle Beach sounded like a much better way to spend our time together, and that is what we did.

It was a fair guess that there would be no-one else out there, and we guessed correctly.  And we were both very pleased to have the entire beach to ourselves.......

When we arrived at the beach we immediately saw a group of 10 or 12 "little gnarly heads" (as LC is fond of describing them) bobbing in the water.

We walked closer to the water snapping pictures, zooming in too far to try and catch a decent picture of them.

And then all of a sudden one unexpectedly popped way up out of the water maybe 50 feet from shore, scaring the heck out of me.  When he popped up, breaking the quiet so suddenly I made a startled noise and jumped back, which in return startled the curious little guy in the water and he quickly submerged.

A few minutes later he popped back up again, and the others moved closer to shore as well, all now curious about the two people and dog walking in the rain on the beach.

For the next 10 minutes or so we took pictures, talked, laughed and watched these funny and curious little creatures check us out........

Although it was raining it was also clear out when we first arrived, but we could see fog banks beginning to make their way from the coves, all heading towards us.

I have seen many birds at this beach in the past, so it must be a very productive feeding area.  But tonight, in the quiet and cold of this beach there were literally thousands of birds first circling in the air, and then resting on the ground close to the waters' edge.

We walked, all three of us, towards the birds and as we got closer deliberately picked up the pace a bit to scare the birds into flight.

We took many many pictures of these birds.  These are a few of them.........

LC my nature lover, having a great time snapping bird pictures.

As we walked along the beach some more, we were surprised to notice that our seal-friends seemed to be following us.  They looked in our direction often, and for the first time I saw these wonderful creatures push themselves up higher out of the water, so they could get a better look at us.

One was separated from the rest of the group and we heard him bark to the others, and some of them barked back.

One of the things I love about this place is that you just never know what you are going to run into whenever and wherever you go.

Tonight we came across seals and thousands of birds.  This morning I came across a 1920's rusted out and bullet-ridden vehicle on a trail.  A few weeks ago we were driving home and witnessed a young bear.  A couple of months ago I watched an eagle swim a fish-meal to shore and then fight with other eagles to hang on to his catch.  Lots and lots of eagles.  Lots and lots of whales. 

When you head out your door to take a simple ride or simple walk, you can unexpectedly experience the most wonderful of things..........

A soaking wet me and a soaking wet Jamie-dog having a very wonderful time together.

It was really great to see her tail high and wagging the entire time we were out tonight.

We spent an hour or so at the beach enjoying the walk, the talk, the laughter and all the things we had the opportunity to photograph.

When we finally looked to see how far we had wandered along the shoreline, we realized how foggy it was getting.

It was raining very heavily by this time and the fog was moving in fast.

This picture was taken at just about the same place as the picture near the top of this blog......

This picture is looking over at the Boy Scout trail and beach area.

We were at this place last Sunday, when the day was beautiful warm and sunny.  We took pictures of blue sky, blue water, lots of seals and eagles, and beautiful fields full of wild flowers.

Tonight the Boy Scout beach was a socked in and foreboding looking place. 

But also beautiful in a very different kind of way..........

As we were slowly heading back towards the car, we saw this heron from a distance, and hoped that he would stay in one place long enough to take a picture of him.

Thankfully he did.  This majestic bird seemed very content to stay in one place for a while and watch out over the quiet water.

But eventually he decided that we had gotten too close and took flight, only to land on the beach a few hundred yards away again.

Of all the places LC has seen here so far, Eagle Beach is by far his favorite place.

Sometimes he feels closed in at the cabin (now simply and good naturedly referred to as UBC - Unabomber Cabin - by my colleagues). 

Sometimes he feels closed in knowing that there is no road out of Juneau. 

Having an exit strategy is important to a man like him.

But he does not feel closed in at Eagle Beach.

I am so glad that we have this place, and that it is so close to where we live.  And that he can easily be at this place whenever he needs to feel free.......

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin