Retirement Commences....Our First Outing

Retirement officially started for us Monday morning at 7 a.m. To check out how well we packed the van motor home, we planned a short overnight camping experience. We certainly hope that every day is going to show us such wonderful sights as today. But somehow we doubt it.

Anyway, out to  Pasagshak and Surfer's Beach we headed, near the end of the Kodiak road system.  It's an hour from the city limits, or about 38 miles away.

About midway there we spotted a fox walking along the road's edge. We have seen him or her before (let's just say it is a Her). And she is not shy. We drove our van right next to her and took this picture out the window with the I-Phone; she was about 4 feet away. Only when we stopped ahead of her and got out to take a picture as she approached us, did she decide it was better to head off into the woods, carrying the meal for her family in her mouth.

We continued onward. Near our final destination, we spotted a herd of buffalo that belong the a local ranch.  There were close to 40 of them,  and many had small calves with them. These two particular guys seemed to be standing guard, as others crossed the road.

When we finally stopped the van, we just sat for a few minutes and enjoyed the view.  Waves were crashing all along the coastline and the sound alone was so relaxing.

It was Surfer's Beach. Of course, there they were, practicing.  And they continued late into the evening, since at 58 degrees north, close to the longest day of the year, it is relatively bright until after 12:30 AM.  We don't know if they were surfing again by 4:30 AM as light returned; we slept till 8:30. And there they were, again, enjoying the new day. They kind of looked like seals, with their wet suits on, to help warm up the 50 degree North Pacific ocean water.

The surfers didn't seem to have much luck in finding waves to ride, till they spotted a whale close behind them.

Suddenly they caught the very next wave and came in to shore.

Amazing how that whale brought them so much luck!

We, on the other hand, wondered up and down the beach in unexpectedly warm 70 degree air temperature. It made us almost think we were indeed in the Northern-mostHawaiian Island, as Kodiak is sometimes jokingly called.

Meanwhile, two bald eagles sat on the cliff on one side of us and another one was on the other cliff,
basking Kodiak's warm setting sun, days before Summer is supposed to begin.

And every 15 minutes or so, they would fly down by the ocean shore to check for things to eat.

Well past midnight they continued their rounds,

but, we decided this was enough fun for the first day of retirement.
So, off to sleep we went.

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