Sitka posts from my sketchbook

As I stepped off the boat today, a fisherman nodded to me and I said, "Hello."

"Nothing worse than a leaky boat unless it's a complaining woman," he responded. Even though I laughed out loud over his statement, I was a little stung. I admit it, I've been complaining lately. I think I'm just tired of this trip. We are more than 1000 miles from home and even though we are heading back south, it will be a while before I sleep in my own bed at home. I guess I am worse than a leaky boat. Sheesh.

I am a sucker for cemeteries and I never pass one by without going in and looking at the stones. This one, in Juneau, kept me busy for a few hours.

Masks are irresistible!

Between Juneau and Sitka: Appleton Cove

Painting while we hang on the anchor has been a comedy of errors. And a source of frustration. If the wind blows or the current/tide shifts (which it always does), then my subject is no longer visible.

While we waited for the weather to improve and the wind to stop blowing through Peril Strait, I decided to try something new. I studied the arc of the boat and selected three subjects along that arc. Then, I painted all three paintings at once. As the boat swung, I just painted what was in front of me.

Swinging on the hook. I will try this again.

Between Juneau and Sitka: Tenakee Inlet

On a long boat trip, it's important to get out and walk when the getting is good. From my standpoint, walking on a logging road with bears in the woods nearby is OUT OF THE QUESTION! But, when we turned into Tenakee Inlet, we were able to tie up at the dock of Tenakee Springs and walk through the charming small town. With a population of less than 100, this is a very small town. Homes line the 10'wide (1.5 miles long) dirt road and we walked the road and talked to the people we met.

We anchored near Crab Bay in Tenakee Inlet and I painted this in the time before our 10:00 sunset.