June 4th

Welcome to rainy Alaska, my very first rainy, windy and stormy day in Alaska. The other wind storms and high waves we went through didn't include any rain. There might have been a couple other days on one of the earlier hunts where it was raining but I don't think so. It has rained all day long with high winds. One moment I'm looking out at the island to the left of the boat and the next moment that island is gone and I'm looking at a totally different island. Good thing the anchor is holding. Guess this is truly more like SE Alaska spring weather but I've been lucky enough to only see sunshine. If I took pictures now, all you Oregon people would think I was taking pictures of home, so I won't bother. The hunters are out in this nasty stuff though. Have to admire the wife that went out as a spotter with her hubby. Pretty sure I would have said, have at it buddy and I'll see ya when you get back. Plus they are sitting in a metal boat with no blankie or book along. Nope, makes no sense to me whatsoever. Tonight we had stuffed pasta shells, salad and pecan tarts. Everybody was happy and full. Soup is on the stove now, sorry, can't put a name to it or if I did it might be.....taco tortilla soup, yeah, let's call it that. :-) I sort of want to bake something else but haven't decided what. This kind of weather makes me think I need to bake. The problem is with only four people on the boat, if we have too much dessert around, yep, you get the picture. Plus, the hunter already said he isn't a big dessert eater and Brad, well, he's just Brad. Did I mention that he isn't a "foodie"? To him, there is no such thing as good food, it's just food. Now I suppose if he was getting really awful food served to him then he would see the difference between good and bad food. He even said, food is food, that's all. Well, excuuuse me but I beg to differ Captain! A meal prepared by someone with intentions to warm the soul and please the palate is not just "food", it's an offering by the cook to bring happiness and comfort to those eating the meal. I'm well aware that alot of meals are cooked with the only goal is to fill the stomach. Some people don't like to cook but are in the position of having to provide meals for family or for work and in those cases, the food put on the table may very well be "just food". But for people like me, cooking and/or baking is not only fun but it allows me to be creative and find new ways to make people happy. I love creating new recipes and then sharing them at a dinner party or potluck. So with all that being said, cooking on the boat has been fun but in a different way. I'm serving a purpose, not making history as they say. And I'm okay with that. Cripes, how on earth did I get on that rant? Sorry, see this is what happens when I am left alone with a keyboard and no one to visit with. The weather is still nasty out there and I'm looking for the skiff but it's no where to be seen. And I'm betting a dollar that those guys won't bring Diana back if she gets too cold, pretty sure that isn't allowed. Another reason I'm happy right here looking out. Okay, that's all for tonight. Sure is nice to be able to blog in real time and get it posted before day's end. Love ya.....dj