Wind Songs: The Sun's OK Too

People were walking around with goofy grins all day today.

Because of the sun.

Because of the warmth.

Because, as someone said to me, if it's not gonna snow the sun's OK too.

Lots of people are eagerly watching the sky and increasingly and impatiently waiting for Eaglecrest to open.

But if it's not gonna snow the sun's OK too...........

The picture above is a central place of commerce in downtown Juneau.

Known as Merchants Wharf Mall it contains indoor restaurants, outdoor and sidewalk restaurants in the summer, crafty stores and artsy stores all year round.

The kinds of places tourists love, and the kinds of places granola eating tree hugging wind chiming dream catching bunny hugging downtown Juneauites love.

And the place where tourists line up to wait for their float plane adventures.

It is amazingly noisy, but also amazingly fun and interesting to watch the continual line of float planes speeding along the channel taking off and landing throughout the summer.

Finally Merchants Wharf is one central piece of that total place known as Marine Park.

My favorite downtown place regardless of the time of year............

After conducting business in various places early this afternoon I looked towards Marine Park as I inevitably do, and was drawn to it as I inevitably am.

Everything about the place compels me to go there.

At this time of year (with quiet streets, sidewalks and water) the sun and the mountains and the sky were what drew me there today.................

City Hall to the right and the Sealaska building to the left. And the mountains in back........

I have been working at a seemingly frantic pace at work for months now.

Since my return from Sitka I have been consistently busy and deliberate in ticking off issues that need to be addressed one at a time.

Busy and deliberate is very good.

Frantic - not so much.

For the first time in what seems like months I have had time to think, to deliberate, to plan, to get in front of (rather than be stuck behind) work.

Is that a result of the quieter approaching holidays? The delegation of an interim position to pick up some of the slack while I continue to juggle two jobs? My renewed energy after taking a week off? All of the above?

I am not certain - probably a combination of all of those variables.

Regardless, I will gratefully take the control and relish it for as long as I can before the craziness begins again........

The top of Mt Roberts.

The Mt Roberts Tramway is now quiet, and will be until next Spring.

At the end of next week I am planning on taking a helicopter ride.

Cost is only $30 - a fundraiser - for a helicopter ride to see the Christmas lights in the Valley.

I am really looking forward to that very much.

Although some things in Juneau are expensive there are also many opportunities during the year for locals to really take advantage of and enjoy some of the special things that this town has to offer.

There are cheap rides on the tramway, cheap helicopter rides, free entry to museums and fish hatcheries, free social get togethers (with food!) between politicians and citizens, cheap whale watching cruises and much more.

One of many advantages of living in this very special town..........