Cousins, Swallows, Kingfishers and a Lost Hummingbird

August 1st, already, and a month of summer is behind us.  Well, that's what the calendar says, at least.  Kathy did tell me that one week while I was in San Diego, it was sunny in Klawock.  Of course it was sunny in San Diego for my entire two week visit, and heavenly.     My cousin Kay and Carol also brought some sun up from Texas when they arrived a week ago, too, which was very nice of them.  It lasted about two days, then went back to clouds, and then to rain.  


We really haven't had much rain for over the last two months or so, which was a nice change, but the clouds were mostly still in place, hanging over our island.  Sun is better than clouds, which are better than rain.  Here's a news flash:  San Diego weather tops all. :-)


It was so nice of Kay and Carol to bring the sunshine.  They got to see the island in all its glory:  green, green forests, quite a bit of snow-white still scattered on the mountain ridges, and the so-blue waters.  It was very fun having them visit us.  Taking them around the island renewed our appreciation of where we live.  

Carol, Kay and Kathy, Sandy Beach, above Thorne Bay

I think it was Saturday night that we had dinner with them at the Fireweed Lodge.  After dinner, we headed out for a walk along the Klawock River Trail.  We were walking along the road to get to the trailhead when we spotted a bear about a quarter of a mile down the road, making his way across it and headed to the trail we were planning on taking.  That was it for Kathy and Carol:  they headed back. Kay and I pushed on (Kay and Carol had started out on this same trail a day earlier, only to be chased down by the Klawock Police Chief, telling them a bear had been sighted on the trail just minutes previously.) Kay and I hike on, seeing nothing until we got to the six-foot high bushes along the Bear Highway, within sight of the First Falls, where we know they go to catch fish.  


We never saw a bear, and decided against tempting fate by heading into the bushes.  The fish aren't running yet, so it's unlikely the bear we saw was headed there, unless he was checking it out.  


Saturday, we headed out on a road trip, across the island to Thorne Bay.  After a tour of the city and lunch, we headed up north a bit to Sandy Beach, some place Kathy and I had heard about but never been.  Up a gravel road through the forest for about 20 minutes, and we found it, a nice picnic area and the deserted beach beyond.  The tide was out, which we had been told is the time to go, so we were lucky.  No sand dollars though.  It was a big, wide beach, with nice views across the Clarence Straight to islands on the other side.  It was so quiet and peaceful, it was hard to leave.  


Next stop was Coffman Cove.  Along the way, we stopped at the Honker Divide Canoe Trail, and visited the weir, where they catch and count all salmon returning upstream.  The fish haven't arrived yet though.  Carol couldn't resist going out to see for herself.

The weir-watchers live in a cool, good-sized shelter along the river.  They hear wolves baying, see black bear, and have a great summer in the forest.

To be continued........