Rainy Days and Wednesdays

RV travel suits me right down to the ground. And although I don’t mind rainy days, I’m optimistically hoping for a long “Indian summer” this year. I’m not at all ready to hang my keys up for the winter.

I awoke early this morning to an entirely different view out my bedroom window from what I went to sleep to. The mist-filtered morning light showed fog over the bay and clouds draped in an open, lacy pattern over the shoulders of the mountains on the far side. A fishing boat was drifting by, heading out to sea for the day. What a way to start the day.

As the morning progressed, I caught my first sea otter sighting and something larger slightly further out – probably a stellar sea lion, but I’m not sure.

Ronni and I went for a late morning walk, sticking mainly to the long, winding walkway conveniently provided along the shoreline.

As Ronni cheerfully investigated the grass on either side of the walkway and made the acquaintance of a bouncy, egg-headed bull terrier, I enjoyed watching the mists drop and lift, offering brief peeks of the towering mountains on either side of the bay.

The “ceiling” was rapidly dropping though, so once Rhonda had completed her morning business, we took the hint and headed back to the RV.

As the expected rain started up after lunch, I settled in with my current knitting project and a good Audible book. I’m working on an alpaca smoke ring – a misty blue color that suits my current surroundings and should go nicely with my dark blue down winter coat.

The pattern is a simple one, meant to be reversible. I haven’t decided yet which side I like better. What do you think?

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Rhonda settled in for an afternoon of people-watching out the front window from the comfort of the swivel passenger chair. She’s proven to be a [mostly] polite and fairly quiet travel companion, even when joggers and dog-walkers pass by. She WILL promptly announce anyone actually approaching the door though, which is absolutely fine with me. 👍🏼

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My afternoon was briefly interrupted by a very welcome (appropriately socially distant) visit from a pair of “Internet friends”, Ben and Rebecca Pazdernik, who call Seward home when they aren’t off adventuring in their awesome, big, on-and-off-road 4×4 RV.

I’ve been following Ben and Rebecca’s Outliers Overlander YouTube vlog (video blog) for years, here in Alaska, across the lower 48 and off into other countries, so I feel like I’ve known them for ages. It was fun getting to meet them both “in real time”. Miss Rhonda immediately recognized fellow dog-lovers, of course, and was her usual charming self.

Check out their videos – if you like Alaskan travels (or Canada, Mexico or anyplace in-between), you’ll quickly get hooked on their honest, informative and entertaining escapades. Several of my more off the beaten path Alaskan adventures have been inspired by their videos.

I may not be capable of 4-wheeling off into the wilderness, but within “Roada’s” abilities, I’ve discovered many beautiful and lesser-known camping areas I might never otherwise have seen.

As the rain continues to fall today, I’ve been grateful for my cozy, warm RV. I have plenty of rainy day options; reading, writing, knitting, spinning and working jigsaw puzzles being high on my list.

While I enjoy indoor activities, I’ve watched entire mountains appear and disappear across the bay, seeming no more substantial than the clouds hiding them from view, fishing boats drifting silently by in the mist, marine life and birds plying the shoreline, and the occasional dog-walker, braving the steady rain in time-honored tradition.

Fortunately, I thought ahead and set up a much-appreciated covered “potty area” for Ronni, just in case the clearly forecasted heavy rains did actually materialize. I don’t mind bundling up in rain gear for dog walking in adverse weather, and the long dog is fine with light rain (she loves a good walk) … but if it’s raining really hard, Ronni has been known to balk.

It’s good to have options. 😉