This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

These are “bits and pieces” perceptions of a trip to Alaska on a Windstar cruise ship, the Sea Breeze. 

Overall, a great trip, with only one bad day – almost seasick – among the seven days on board.  There was another endurance test – the last day “at sea” heading to Vancouver, B.C.  [Think about the phrase – “at sea” – for a second or two.  Who thought of that instead of just saying “we are on the ocean” or something similar?  Oh well, with so much time on my hands as we were “at sea” heading to Vancouver, B.C., I had time to ponder such imponderables.]

This was my first trip to Alaska, a land of incredible wonder, at least from a geological perspective, if not from other points of view.

Glad Alaska is part of the United States, not Canada or Russia, though it was none other than such a “great observer” as Sarah Palin who once said, “You can see Russia from Alaska.”  Well, almost. 

On this trip:

• No bears.

• No moose.

• No porpoises along the way, but a late sighting of two, cavorting for those of us on the ship.

• But, lots of otter, fish, birds, harbor seals, stellar sea lions – and huge lessons on the flora and fauna of Alaska.

What was the best part of the trip?  Easy.  My personal tour guide.  Wife Nancy, of course.  She is masterful at planning such trips, so I just say, “Go ahead, please tell me where to be and what to do.”

Landed first at Juneau, the Capitol of Alaska.  It is land-locked – the only way to reach it is via boat or airplane.  There have been various attempts to move the Capitol, but history has prevailed to keep Juneau the Capitol.

Also on the first day, learned that baggage on and off cruise chips is the responsibility of the Longshore Union.  And, no surprise here – by appearances, union members tend to work slowly.  Our bags, for example, were loaded first onto a barge, then pushed around so the bags could be loaded on the ship from the water side.  Often, union members carried one bag at a time, not two.  I suspect the Union has a statewide contract to deal with baggage from all ships.

The guide on the second day of the trip was a resident of Haines, a small town, with a population of about 2,500, including Americans and the Tlingit people, the original residents of what became a state in 1959.  A 27-year resident of the town, out guide knew everything and made our three hours with her worth every minute.

She also said the town had 20 feet of snow last year, so much so that the only option was to push snow into the ocean.

Plus, in Haines, it rains more than 300 days a year.  Makes Salem sound sunny.

Learned that all provisions for the small town are barged in twice a month from Seattle.  ALL provisions.  And, gas costs more than $7 a gallon!

In the afternoon, took a walk around the town and visited a Raptor Rehabilitation Facility. There we saw eagles, hawks and owls who had been injured and, most likely, will never make it out to the wild again.  But they are safe.

No surprise here – I talked to all of them and they liked me!

In the finale of the Day 2, we heard a talk by Captain Chris Dodds (a resident of Manchester, England), who provided substantial details of his experience, including the fact that he was on a big ship for a different brand near Africa when the pandemic started.  He and his staff disembarked all the passengers, then set sail for the United Kingdom, many days away.  About 600 staff on board, many of whom, the captain said, learned to steer the ship, with his guidance, during the several-month journey back home.

No new food on board; everyone ate frozen food.

He said it took $1 million of fuel to get home and, when the ship stopped to refuel along the way, no one was allowed ashore.

The captain also had a good summary of staff on board for our cruise.  There were about 190 crew members who hailed from 31 countries, but only a couple from the U.S. – and they were contractors for the company that handles expeditions for those on board. 

The image?  He said the 190 staff get along very well despite the various cultures and perspectives.  So, he asked, what about assigning Members of Congress in the United States or Members of the Parliament in England to go on a cruise for several months and then expect them to get along? 

Good idea!

On Day 3, the major activity was a Zodiac tour which took us near a mammoth glacier.  It stretches 200 feet high off the water floor, but also goes 200 feet below the water line.  Some of the water in the glacier, which stretches 20 miles back up the mountain, has been there for hundreds of years.

While within a couple hundred yards of the glacier, we saw first-hand what’s called “calving.”  That’s when huge chucks of ice fall off into the water.  It sounds like a jet taking off.  And, then the meeting of ice and water causes waves…not huge ones, just swells.  It’s been happening for thousands of years!

On the way to the glacier, we saw a lot of harbor seals, which mostly weigh each about 150 pounds.  The only ones we saw were female.  They lie on top of small mounds of ice to give birth.  Then the pups nurse for a few hours until they are able swim a little.  An hour after birth, they can swim enough to remain buoyant, but they tend to stick close to their moms for much longer.  At some point, both moms and pups head to the sea where food is more plentiful.

All the males, their task done, have already returned to the open ocean.

Again on a Zodiac on Day 5, we rode with a very qualified and orally- skilled naturalist guide.  It appeared that he knew everything about the flora and fauna, not to mention animals.  But, then again, if he was wrong about something, how was I to know?

At one point, he told us that terns – a type of bird – live on the sea, but make their way between 50-100 miles inland to find their previous nests or at least something close to those nests.  Sounds like salmon returning to spawn.

The nests, by the way, are usually made in and around moss, which is pliable and allows the parents to make what seem like cups for the chicks.

There, the female terns lay their eggs.  Then, as the chicks hatch, the parents bring them food a couple times a day.  After about three months, it is time to head back to sea, so the terns empty their nests and the chicks have one chance to fly.  They drop – and then they fly, at least I hope they do.  If they don’t, well, you know the rest of the story.

As they fly for the first time, the chicks follow their parents to the ocean and then, knowing the way, both there and back, the cycle starts over again.  Part of life.

Near the end of our Zodiac trip, we saw two harbor seals poking their noses up through the top of the water, looking, I suspect, at us.  We didn’t venture near them.  We learned that, given the unclear character of the water – a lot of plankton is in it, which makes it healthy – seals cannot see under water.  So, to find food, they use their whiskers as “finders.”  Incredible!

Plus, today, the sun was out and it was about 70 degrees!  No kidding…here in Alaska.

You would have had to explain to Alaskans what that bright spot was in the sky.  Yes, sun!  Plus, blue sky, which made some of our cruise sojourners begin sun-bathing on deck.  Not me.  I preferred more wine.

The next day, we docked in Ketchikan.  On a board walk over water, we saw a lot of salmon, some of whom were being challenged by harbor seals.  It didn’t appear that the seals, though very quick in the water, were able to turn as sharp corners as salmon do – so it appeared the salmon escaped.

As we continued to make progress toward Vancouver, B.C., the water became calmer and the clouds parted, so, as we arrived at the Port, it was clear blue sky and about 85 degrees.

A lovely entrance to the Port, which included work by a pilot who got on the ship far from the Port property and guided it to its berth.  I thought a lot about the Columbia River Pilots whom I represented for almost 25 years.  A very different kind of work on a river, but still substantial credentials to get on a big ship and keep it heading in the right direction.

So, now back on land, would I go on this trip again?  About 50-50.  As good as it was most of the time, once is probably enough.

As I say that, it is not a negative view.  Just reality for me.  A lot of positive memories for me and my tour guide.  But good to be back home.