so much depth to the island, it's people and it's history. We have talked about the thousands of years that the Alutiiq people have lived here but the island has been around much longer. On one of our previous visits here we talked about "Fossil Beach", a place where the dimmest glimmers of our past as a planet come to the surface of the present. It isa place of enormous contrasts and juxtapositions. A place where the
remnants of creatures that lived here millions of years ago mingle with artillery emplacements built during World War II. A place where remnants of ancient Eskimos stand in stark contrast to the presence of animals who never imagined living in this place - American Bison!! We love roaming around in these places 
of anomaly and anachronism. We even take part in the pageant that is the timeless connectedness that exists here. Let me explain, as we cruised back toward St. Paul Harbor we passed the beautiful home where Linda's sister lived when her children were young - the place Linda visited during her first trip to 
Kodiak. We spent time exploring the sands and rocks of Mission Beach looking for "sea glass" the gem-like 
remnants of glass that have found their way into these waters and have been buffed, honed and polished by the waters, rocks, ice and wind of 
Alaska. Treasures that look more like rubies, emeralds, jade and pearls than ordinary glass. Remarkable!! We found treasures we never imagined would be present among the rocks of the beautiful coast. And when we thought all the surprises were done we looked up and found more new friends - two and four footed - to spend 
some time with!! And, speaking of friends ... we also took time out to visit some great friends of our niece and nephew and got a chance to experience more Kodiak hospitality of the highest order. Not only was their home beautiful and absolutely full of works of art celebrating life on 
this fantastic island - it was right on the waters of the bay with fleets of sea lions cruising by to check on us as we chatted. The comfort of the people here is a bit difficult to describe but it is as if you have known them forever and they are some of the most genuine, sincere people you could ever meet. As if to provide a live demonstration, when we mentioned "geocaching" our 
niece jumped on the idea immediately and took us on what has to be one of the most beautiful searches we could have imagined. And - it was right next door!!! We took a walk through Abercrombie State Historical Monument and got a re-introduction to one of the most fantastic 
state-owned properties anywhere in the country. This extraordinary park was one of America's "last line of defense" posts during WWII. Here you can still see numerous old gun emplacements and evidence of the dramatic preparations the United States made for protecting our homeland. Now, 
however, it is a place of peace and beauty. Trails criss-cross the park and provide challenging routes for the Kodiak High cross-country team as well as strenuous exercise paths for day-hikers. The views from the cliffs are spectacular - and scary - and the 
driftwood art provides food for thought and dreams at every turn. We successfully found our geocache within the park - with a LOT of help from our beautiful niece (without the benefit of a GPS!!!) and took the opportunity for yet another photo op. To commemorate the find we assembled the whole crew (with me taking the photo) 
for a picture to add to the log for our "find". Then we headed back to Cliffside Road but not before pausing along the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes you will ever see. The park has 
provided picnic facilities all along the way and it would be hard to imagine a better place for a long summer afternoon. But our time on Kodiak was drawing to a close and we had to get started on our preparations for return to the 'real world.' Our 
final day would be spent with our beautiful family and looking around their home town. Along the way we would spend time 
pondering creatures of incredible magnitude; of creatures that inhabit the space we walk blithely through without ever realizing that we share the environment. We would revel in the accomplishments of those to whom we are related while humbly expressing our deepest gratitude for 
the blessings we have been privileged to experience. We would allow ourselves to be engulfed with the beauty, peace, love and pride of this experience while pleading with 
utmost earnestness for the protection of all the wonderful people who have enriched our lives. We would take a last look out the window - and remember .... that we forgot to tell you about that place across the bay!!!!!!! That beautiful, peaceful stretch of land we showed you earlier is the home of one of the most advanced training sites of the United States Navy S.E.A.L.S.!!! So - 
don't plan on sneaking up on us from the other side of Mill Bay!!! This has been a spectacularly wonderful trip folks. One made a little less perfect by the absence of Sherwood as we traveled - but - she was extremely busy attending some extraordinary events related to the accomplishments of her beautiful grand-daughters who you met during our visit to the Boykin Christmas Parade. When we have a chance to get together and share photos we will try to update you on the "Third Traveler's" exploits in Wilmington, NC. Notwithstanding the photos we will get from Sherwood, there are literally hundreds from this trip we might not be able to share with you right away. We will try to come back with updates of the posts we have already made - and - to share some of the additional videos we have that show the spectacular beauty of Alaska. You have earned a break for now, though, so we will take a break to collect our thoughts and to get ready for the next chapter in this adventure. Until then ... See ya!!
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