Because our flight was due to leave at 8:30 PM and the fact that we had to be off the ship by 7:00 AM, we decided to do another excursion, which proved to be the best of the bunch. The first critter we spotted was a Harbor seal. I almost missed him, but he surely kept his eyes on us.

These birds poop all over the place and then use the excrement to build their nests. Quite a social group, poop and all.

None of my photos of the horned puffin were very good. Choppy water and a telescopic lens don't make for good company. But, I tried.

Nanny and baby mountain goat out for a morning stroll.

(7-14-1) Entering Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, we received a royal welcome from some of the more friendly critters (I think Dall's porpoise) who were feeding in the early hours of the morning and who often ride the bow waves of tour boats.

(7-14-2) Approximately 250 years ago, Glacier Bay was all glacier and no bay. Back then, it was a massive river of ice, roughly 100 miles long and thousands of feet deep. Today, fewer than a dozen smaller tidewater glaciers remain in this area. This is a tidewater glacier which means it is fed by heavy snow and extends to the sea where calving occurs from its face. The glacier in the background is named Margerie Glacier and is about one mile wide with an ice face that is about 250 feet above the waterline a

(7-14-3) Once we approached the actual glacier area, I found a special friend who was more interested in crackers than in the surrounding beauty of the majestic mountains of ice.

(7-15) What would a cruise be without feeding one's face!

(7-11-3) Bending over to see the antique car, not from the bumpy boat ride, John is trying to decipher something about the car's radiator.

(7-12-1 ) On Wednesday, the 12th, we were in Juneau. This excursion took us to the Mendenhall Glacier via a mile hike through a small corner of the Tongass National Forest. We spent about an hour amid forested moraines and other glacial landscapes scattered with wild flowers and mosses. We were not fortunate enough to see any black bears or salmon.

(7-12-3) From there, we boarded a specialized watercraft for whale-viewing. This proved to be more successful than the other day. The guide informed us that the Stephens Passage was/is a well-known whale area. We witnessed a lot of flukes, but no breaching whales.

(7-11-4) Kyle and Stephannie enjoyed exploring the natural artifacts in an Alaskan art store.

(7-12-2) The flower, if I remember correctly, is a red fireweed. (I'm sure if Skip has time to read all this stuff, he'll catch and correct any errors I make!)

(7-12-5) On our way back to shore, we spotted some lazy seals resting on a buoy.

In Juneau, the highlight of all the beauty, was Skip's sculpture, "Tahku". There are no words, at least in my vocabulary, that can do justice to this monument. We were/are in total awe.

FYI for Skip--the eagles are still pooping on Tahku.