This is mostly finished for now. Will be going back through and trying to fix pictures, etc.
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Thanks
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
11/16: MV Malaspina -- back in the calm waters of good ol Alaska
Today was Monday and it was nice and calm. We pulled in to the port of Ketchikan at about 6 am and were headēd out again by 8 am. Wrangell was next and then we were made Petersburg by about 4 pm. They sure looked pretty. We gathered up some bags of our non-essentials and carried them down to Moki at one of the port calls. Moki was just fine and nothing was out of place. We spent a good part of the day in the observation lounge watching the wonderful Alaskan mountains, forests and isles pass by. We were a bit apprehensive about visiting the cafeteria, but there was no more excitement to be had. Apparently, busy body had disembarked and the children were all very well behaved. We went to bed early. We arrived in Juneau at about 3 am. It's a bit colder out then when we left and the roads have some black ice. First we went for donuts and coffee and a dcni and then parked Moki safely at home.
We brought most of our gear inside from Moki. Fussed with our fish tank and cleaned up a bit and then visted with Jenn, Gavin and Oliver. Jonathan and Amber stopped by later in the day. We were both so excited to be back home.
We sure had a great trip and are already looking forward to our next adventures. Thanks again to all our wonderful hosts and everyone else who has helped us along the way!
We brought most of our gear inside from Moki. Fussed with our fish tank and cleaned up a bit and then visted with Jenn, Gavin and Oliver. Jonathan and Amber stopped by later in the day. We were both so excited to be back home.
We sure had a great trip and are already looking forward to our next adventures. Thanks again to all our wonderful hosts and everyone else who has helped us along the way!
11/15: MV Malaspina -- rough seas and rougher women - pic
Today is Sunday, the seas are rougher today. It's the worst when we are crossing the large open areas that aren't protected by islands. It's not all that bad, but it's really not that safe to be walking the decks either. There's a bit of a roller coaster effect from the forward observation lounge. We were safe inside calmer areas by the afternoon. We passed the little town of Bella Bella, B.C. about 3 pm. In this area, there is a different kind of danger. You could almost toss a rock from either side of the ship and hit shore. It is amazing how skilfull and confident we are at navigating through these waters.
Our big excitement for the day was watching two ladies almost come to blows at dinner time in the cafeteria. One family with three young children were on our side of the cafeteria. The kids were quite loud, but were not jumping on the tables or forcing anyone to walk the plank. Not that they could have anyway; eldest was about 5 or 6, middle child 4 and youngest was 2 or 3. They were just being kids - for the second day in a row. Mom and dad had given up on absolute control and seemed oblivious to the racket of their offspring. Can't really say that we would have done a better job, but ît looked like the parents weren't even trying. Enter two more young ones (ages 5 and 6), who proceeded directly to the table of their playdates amid excited welcoming squeals from the first three kids. I'd say this elevated excitement level went on for about five more minutes, when across from the other side of the cafeteria came the other lady. She stooped down in front off the five children and scolded that they were making to much noise and were ruining the dinners of her fellow passengers. Mom and dad's jaws dropped along with any other adults within hearing range. That was basically the entire cafeteria.. The poor children were dumbfounded and had no time to respond before the out spoken complainer launched into another verbal assault. Now, the real fireworks started when the first childrens' mother (mother bear) reared up from the table and told the busy body to address her concerns with her or her husband, but she was never to speak with her children again. Well, the busy body now reared up on her haunches and got right in the face of mother bear and advised the her that she should keep her kids quiet. Then the mother bear got even closer to the busy body and said she could at least tell her to her face and she was not to correct her children directly ever again. This didn't sit very well with the busy body and tensions escalated. Now they separated, with the first mom going to the mother of the other two kids who was trying to get their dinners from the kitchen. Now is when the AMHS security guy strolled through the scene. All was quiet, and the security guy left the scene. Then mother bear came out of the kitchen and walked past the busy body's table. She sat down alone one table away and didn't say anything at all for a minute or so. Then mother bear got up and walked over to the busy body and renewed the quarrel. She got right in busy body's space and reiterated that she was never to address her children again and that she should take such matters up only with an adult. They both were shouting and getting closer and closer to an actual physical altercation. A ferry waitress stepped up and helped to diffuse them as did husband of the mother bear. That was basically it. Not an actual cat fight, but close enough. I can see both sides of this. It sure could have been handled more civilly by both. And here nI am, making light of all that. Anyways, it was the talk of the ship for the rest of the evening and a good portion of the next day. It was probably one of those you had to have been there type things.. We were talking later with the waitress who told us that there were never situations as tense when the ferry was still operating it's bar. That was good for a chuckle.We had to watch two movies in our cabin to calm down, San Anreas and that new Terminator one
Our big excitement for the day was watching two ladies almost come to blows at dinner time in the cafeteria. One family with three young children were on our side of the cafeteria. The kids were quite loud, but were not jumping on the tables or forcing anyone to walk the plank. Not that they could have anyway; eldest was about 5 or 6, middle child 4 and youngest was 2 or 3. They were just being kids - for the second day in a row. Mom and dad had given up on absolute control and seemed oblivious to the racket of their offspring. Can't really say that we would have done a better job, but ît looked like the parents weren't even trying. Enter two more young ones (ages 5 and 6), who proceeded directly to the table of their playdates amid excited welcoming squeals from the first three kids. I'd say this elevated excitement level went on for about five more minutes, when across from the other side of the cafeteria came the other lady. She stooped down in front off the five children and scolded that they were making to much noise and were ruining the dinners of her fellow passengers. Mom and dad's jaws dropped along with any other adults within hearing range. That was basically the entire cafeteria.. The poor children were dumbfounded and had no time to respond before the out spoken complainer launched into another verbal assault. Now, the real fireworks started when the first childrens' mother (mother bear) reared up from the table and told the busy body to address her concerns with her or her husband, but she was never to speak with her children again. Well, the busy body now reared up on her haunches and got right in the face of mother bear and advised the her that she should keep her kids quiet. Then the mother bear got even closer to the busy body and said she could at least tell her to her face and she was not to correct her children directly ever again. This didn't sit very well with the busy body and tensions escalated. Now they separated, with the first mom going to the mother of the other two kids who was trying to get their dinners from the kitchen. Now is when the AMHS security guy strolled through the scene. All was quiet, and the security guy left the scene. Then mother bear came out of the kitchen and walked past the busy body's table. She sat down alone one table away and didn't say anything at all for a minute or so. Then mother bear got up and walked over to the busy body and renewed the quarrel. She got right in busy body's space and reiterated that she was never to address her children again and that she should take such matters up only with an adult. They both were shouting and getting closer and closer to an actual physical altercation. A ferry waitress stepped up and helped to diffuse them as did husband of the mother bear. That was basically it. Not an actual cat fight, but close enough. I can see both sides of this. It sure could have been handled more civilly by both. And here nI am, making light of all that. Anyways, it was the talk of the ship for the rest of the evening and a good portion of the next day. It was probably one of those you had to have been there type things.. We were talking later with the waitress who told us that there were never situations as tense when the ferry was still operating it's bar. That was good for a chuckle.We had to watch two movies in our cabin to calm down, San Anreas and that new Terminator one
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| Margi looking at Ketchikan. |
11/14: MV Malaspina in Canadian waters - pics
Saturday was our first full day on the ferry. We are in Canadian waters and are advised to keep our cell phones in airplane mode so we can avoid any international toll charges. Seas are a little rough. It was an uneventful day. Scenery was wonderful of course. Dinner was in the ferry cafeteria. We tried to watch the most recent "Terminator Genisys Revolution" movie, but the player application on my laptop was skipping. We gave it up and slept well instead.
Friday, November 13, 2015
11/13: Farewell to Bellingham & our departure via AMHS - pics
Today is Friday the 13th. We packed our tote bags to prepare for cabin life aboard the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS). Flushed Moki's sewage tanks and then disconnected from the RV park by 11 am. We arrived at the ferry terminal about 4 hours early. What used to be an ordeal for me, is now not that unpleasant. That's thanks to Moki Ruby. By ferry, it should take us three days of travel up the Inside Passage of Southeast AK, to reach our home in Juneau. I plan to get my monies worth of that ferry cabin.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
11:/12: Thursday was a shopping day in Bellingham town
Today is Thursday and it is our grandson Oliver's first birthday. We started out the day by a facetime with Oliver. Margi cooked me some eggs for breakfast. We each took a shower in the Moki facility and it was so nice. Then we were off to the malls! First we went to a pawn shop, but made no purchases. Fred Meyer and the Bellis Fair mall are just down the street from our superbly located Bellingham RV Park. While Margi shopped, I waited in Moki and listened to my music. I fixed myself a baloney sandwich and Margi stopped by for some lunch. When she finished her lunch, she went back to shop some more. She left her dcni in Moki when she went out again, so she had to get another. She got some nice blouses for herself and that's a good thing. After that we came home to the RV park and I took a nap until dinner time. We watched free internet TV (Gotham and Black Sails), until it was time for some sleeping.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
11/11: Taking it easy at the Bellingham RV park
Margi still wants to go out and shop. I really need a day to recuperate... I win! We stayed home all day and did very little. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all prepared at home by my delightful, personal chef Margi. She figured out how to light the ovens pilot light and then made cookies. We watched some tv shows and Youtubes, worked a little bit on the blog pictures, made some phone calls and facetimed with Gavin and Oliver. Margi took a short walk to the 7-11 across the street for her standard dcni. Dr. Sweatie helped me replace a lost crown. My dental kingdom has been restored! My big excitement for the day was flushing Moki's black and grey water tanks.
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