Day 29: Another Rainy Day in Homer

Owls & Otters

Another Rainy Day View (with crane) of the Home Spit from Our Cottage 

 We awoke to rain again today-- so no boats and no hikes, just another lazy day around Homer. 

We did learn that Otters like rain, and we saw several of them playing in the water right in front of our cottage.  Well, not exactly right in front-- more like several hundred feet off shore.  Pictures from my phone showed them as little black dots.  Pictures from the binoculars camera were a bit better, and we could see them very well through the binoculars, but the best pictures by far came from the Nikon camera.  Though in this case, "best" means still pretty small and blurry-- but I think you can see their little faces in the pics below (Bob says dark blur).
Otter swimming in the bay in front of our cottage


The same otter doing the back stroke


Anotter otter playing in the bay in front of our cottage (sorry, couldn't resist that one)
With nothing much better do to we headed out to do a bit more exploring of Homer areas NOT on the Spit. We visited a couple more galleries, a Used/Antique bookshop that seemed far more interested in collecting and piling up books than actually selling any, and returned to the gallery we visited yesterday to revisit the owl we had been considering.

 We decided to bring him home.  Here he is in flight:
Our Newest Addition, by artist Rachelle Dowdy
This piece was created by artist Rachelle Dowdy special for the exhibition at the gallery.  She is a well known Alaska artist, who has a major work installed at the Ted Stevens International Airport-- also of birds in flight.  We're thrilled to bring home this unique owl--which will take flight in our great room, after it manages to sleep in the car for the rest of the trip. (The two sections come apart, so the owl is riding flat for a bit.)

 Finding fresh fish to cook at home in Homer has been more difficult and expensive than we imagined.  We think the problem is likely that everyone who lives here fishes themselves (or has a neighbor or relative who fishes), and has a freezer full--so no need for a fish store.  

 So we decided to forgo cooking tonight and to try dinner at a restaurant in town (NOT on the Spit).  We're spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the cottage and taking pictures in between raindrops.  Here are a few:
Boat on the Water, Rain in the Sky


Deck Chairs in the Backyard Overlooking the Bay


Clouds in the Mountains (also taken from the deck)


Harding Ice Field-- as captured with the binoculars camera

Tomorrow we're packing up and heading over to Seward-- to another cabin on the beach.  Hopefully the rain does not follow.

 --Lisa

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