Mendenhall Glacier and More

On a recent trip to Southeast Alaska, my Aunt Char and I visited family and enjoyed several outings. Spring vegetation was just presenting itself in fresh new leaves, spruce tips, and grasses; and the rhododendron bush was just pushing out its large pink buds. We had a variety of weather from overcast, to sunny, to changeable, to cold rain. As in the San Francisco Bay Area, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes! Our last trip to Juneau, Alaska was a year ago, also in May (see Jensen-Olson Arboretum and Alaska - The Last Frontier).

Mendenhall Glacier

Nugget Falls (click to expand the photo and see the tiny people in front of the falls!)

Our first outing was to Mendenhall Glacier about 12 miles from town. The glacier has been receding for the last 70 years that our family has been in Juneau. When we were children, the ground consisted of gravel remains from the glacier, and the vegetation was mainly fireweed and other nitrogen fixers. The boulders that had been carved by the glacier were largely bare and easily climbed and clambered over. Since then, soil has collected, and trees and vegetation have grown throughout the area. It's been a wonderful lesson in natural history and plant succession, and always interesting to see changes since the last visit.

View of the Chilkat range down channel

Golden Hour and a brief view of sunlight

At home, Mom and I took a walk in the neighborhood to see the majestic Chilkat Mountains down channel. We saw a lot of eagles and watched for a bear that had been spotted out in the wetlands near the Juneau Pioneer Home. Later we enjoyed a delicious dinner of baked potatoes, cottage cheese, veggies, chocolates, and good conversation; and then watched several episodes of Madame Secretary. The sun sets around 10:00 PM this time of year, and the sunsets are beautiful! Back at the motel, Aunt Char and I settled in for the night to review the day and read our novels.

Juneau sunset in May

Field Notes for May

Welcome back to Field Notes!

May 1, 2024

Today I start the next season of life as a retiree, and I plan to do absolutely nothing. What a delicious feeling! It won't last for long - I have too many outings, projects, and plans for that. But, I want to pause during the transition, and see what it feels like to be newly retired!

I plan to do absolutely nothing today, but there are a few projects in my future ...

May 3, 2024

Saw this beautiful white wisteria on my afternoon walk in the neighborhood. I love its long tendrils of white blossoms and how graceful they look draping over the fence.

White blossoms (Wisteria floribunda)

May 5, 2024

Over the weekend, our neighborhood was visited by a mass migration of birds. Hundreds (maybe a thousand or more) descended on our neighbor's toyon for its red berries, then rested on another neighbor's weeping willow, and then swarmed through our oak tree possibly hunting for caterpillars and insects. It was a glorious flurry of wings and wind and bird song. Merlin ID identified them as Cedar Waxwing from the song. Below is a detailed view from a larger photo. 

Gathering of Cedar Waxwing in the neighbor's tree

May 7, 2024

My Aunt Char, husband Rick, and I enjoyed lunch at Fentons Creamery in Oakland today, and celebrated a birthday and my recent retirement. Aunt Char and I typically split the crab sandwich and then each have room for our own Black and Tan Junior ice cream confection (two scoops of toasted almond ice cream). Yum!

Aunt Char recently wrote her memoirs using the Storyworth platform. I was so pleased to receive a copy of her book at Christmas and to read more about her life and memories (I still need her to sign my copy). We had a great time together at lunch and look forward to our next gathering together!

May 12, 2024

Check out these glorious yellow panicles on this Aeonium Black Rose Tree, spotted in the neighborhood on my afternoon walk! 

Aeonium Black Rose Tree (Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop') 

May 15, 2024

Today my Aunt Char and I are flying to Juneau, Alaska to visit my folks, brother, and sister-in-law! We were all together last year about this time, and had the best time together (see Jensen-Olson Arboretum and Alaska - The Last Frontier). Time for another visit!

Alaska Airlines on the tarmac in Juneau, Alaska

May 17, 2024

I learned today that our beloved Mako left for the Happy Hunting Grounds this afternoon. He was 15 in dog years, and an Alpha male to the end. Mako looked out for his pack - routinely walking through the house and patio to determine everyone's whereabouts (especially Jason). He was always available for a snack, a walk, or an adventure. He was legendary for being able to remove the squeaker from any squeaky toy in seconds flat. We will miss his sweet presence in our lives, but will hold him close in our hearts.

Mako on patrol from the car in his younger years 

May 22, 2024

Having a great time in Juneau, Alaska - wish you were here! A favorite activity is an outing to the Mendenhall Glacier. It has been receding since our family arrived in Juneau (close to 70 years ago) and it has been so interesting to watch the process.

Mendenhall Glacier to the left, and Nugget Falls to the right
(in the foreground, the land is protected for Arctic Tern nesting)

Bird Buddy

We love to watch the birds that visit our yard, and recently added a Bird Buddy feeder to our renovated landscape. The feeder is solar powered and includes a camera for capturing images of the birds that stop by to feed. The bird feeder is mounted on a tall, squirrel-proof pole. You can monitor the feeder through an app on your smartphone, download snapshots, and subscribe to postcards of birds visiting other feeders.

Bird Buddy feeder ready for visitors

At first, we didn't receive any feathered visitors, but the literature indicates that it can take several weeks before birds discover the feeder and feel comfortable approaching. A couple of times we had "almost visitors", but they didn't stay.

An Oak Titmouse now visits regularly (this time bringing a tasty insect)

Finally an Oak Titmouse visited the feeder, and it's been busy ever since. Here is a shot of an Oak Titmouse and the insect it brought!

Landscaping: Some Favorite Plants

We recently had our yard landscaped by professionals, who installed a wonderful drought-tolerant and wildlife friendly landscape. The garden is still young, and the plantings are quite small, but seem to be thriving with irrigation once a week, and the extra water from spring rains. This is a great time to get to know some of the new plants. Following are several that have caught my eye, all of which require low moisture.

The Ceanothus 'Blue Cascade' is planted in a sunny and well drained section of the lower yard. According to Calscape, this plant grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or fast-draining soil; and prefers sun in coastal sites. This rounded shrub grows 8-10 feet tall, and 10-12 feet wide. Flowers are blue and blossom in winter. The variety was introduced in 1979, and its parents are thought to be C. papillosus (endemic to California's coastal mountain ranges in woodland and chaparral), and C. thyrsiflorus (native to California's coastal areas from Santa Barbara County to Southern Oregon). Look at that blue!

California lilac (Ceanothus 'Blue Cascade')

The front entrance is an open, sunny, and well drained area of the yard, and is planted in Island alum root. Upon planting, they immediately produced flower clusters with tiny white flowers. Right after that, the neighborhood deer ate the flowers (a chance for me to practice a gardening-for-habitat-rather-than-beauty attitude)! According to Calscape, this species is in the saxifrage family, and is endemic to the Channel Islands of California, where it grows on cliffs. It is valued as a groundcover, forming a broad patch of large, rounded, multi-lobed green leaves with flower clusters that can be almost 2 feet tall. It performs best in coastal gardens, where it can take full sun to part shade.

Island alum root (Heuchera maxima)

A drift of Sea pink thrift is planted in the rock garden, which is in full sun and well drained. They have been blooming continuously for the last month, and are just producing seed heads. According to Calscape, this thrift is a perennial herb, 4.8 inches tall, with pink flowers that bloom in spring. It grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the North Coast, the Central Coast and South Coast regions. It tends to grow in ocean bluffs, ridges, strand, sand, exposed grassy places.

Sea pink thrift (Ameria maritime californica)

What beautiful and interesting plants!

A New Season of LIfe

Today is the first day of the rest of my life - I'm newly retired! Every few years I'm offered an early retirement option at work, and this year I decided to take it. As much as I love my job and working with my colleagues all over the world, I felt that the timing was right to finish that season of life, and start the next one. Yesterday was my last day of work, and today is my first day of retirement.

Starting a new path in a new season of life!

What do I plan to do today? After waking up without an alarm, drinking a cup of coffee, and eating a leisurely breakfast, I plan to do whatever I please, or absolutely nothing. I'm retired!