Only in Alaska

Every once in a while I see something, or something happens that reminds me that I’m not living just anywhere…I’m living in Alaska. (Which, I know, most of you think crazy the way it is…) Today was one of those days.

I was driving home along the highway (which, by most standards is just a double lane road with a median) which runs alongside the Channel. Suddenly, there was a whale cresting right beside me. And when I say, right beside, I mean RIGHT beside. Those of you who’ve been here know how close the highway is to the channel, so this will mean that much more. He was just cruising along, most likely enjoying all the spawning salmon that come up the channel to the fishery this time of year. The thing with Alaska, especially south east, is you exist WITH nature. You don’t even have to go past your front yard to see deer, bears, in fact, at one point, I had a porcupine living in the tree just off my deck. We went camping last month on a little island only about 20mins by boat off the main land and I spent an hour the next morning watching whales cresting and breaching all around us. This may not be your booming metropolis of a city, but I’ll trade that in for green space and fresh air any day.

(Note to my family: That doesn’t mean I don’t miss home…)

PS This is not the whale I saw today, but I DID take this picture…