First City

Yesterday, we had the best weather I've seen during my entire month up here. I thought you might enjoy a couple of closeups of the big "KETCHIKAN" sign downtown. Here we see the left side. Scroll down for the right side.




They did a good job on this neon sign and have had it for as long as I can remember. See? I'm not THAT old. When the neon flickers, it looks like the fisherman fights the fish.

Ketchikan got known as the "1st City" because when you travel the Inside Passage from the Lower 48 states and Canada, you come to Ketchikan first.

PS--You see the top of Deer Mountain, Ketchikan's tallest mountain at 3,001 feet, under the sign.

Weight

Yarr! Me barnacles got plundered off me weight. Shiver me timbers! The scurvy gulls be no friends o' mine.

New Dock Progress

So far, they haven't paved paradise but they are adding to the "parking lot". Here we see progress on the addition to the new dock for cruise ships in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Listen: when ships anchor instead of tying to a dock, some tourists choose to stay onboard rather than go ashore via smaller boats. Well, to squeeze out more dollars, I mean get more visitors, you build more dock space.

I read in the KETCHIKAN DAILY NEWS this week that visitors spent 162 million dollars here last year. We shall see what the new dock brings.

Tall Hydrant

Not a totem, of course, but a tall fire hydrant at Saxman, Alaska's totem park...and, as you can see, rust never sleeps...

The Tunnel

I took this photo around 2 PM in Ketchikan, Alaska.

The End

My week in Juneau went by so fast. I could never have done all of the things or seen all of the people I wanted to, especially with less than 8 hours of daylight each day. However, I got blessed with a fantastic Thanksgiving. I will try to remember the great fun had instead of the many possibilities missed.

Here we see a pothole at the end of the road, north of town.

Mount McGinnis

Red Ladder

near Juneau, Alaska's Mendenhall Glacier

Parking Garage

We haven't had any blue sky days while I've been here this week but it hasn't really rained, either. So, I'll take it.

Here we see some public art on one side of the downtown parking garage in Juneau, Alaska.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Juneau Peek

Enjoy a peek at the Douglas Bridge in Juneau, Alaska, as seen through some trees at the foot of Mount Juneau.

Old and New

Totems at Saxman, Alaska...

House Post

Kasaan, Alaska

Old Face

What if you came back now
To our new world, the city roaring
There on the old peaceful camping place
Of your red fires along the quiet water,
How you would wonder;
Planes in the sky over, swarms of cars
Like things frantic in flight.

[all apologies to Oodgeroo Noonuccal, UNDERSTAND OLD ONE]

Underwater Grill

If you have visited here regularly, you know that I am from Alaska. Yes, born and raised, too. I left after High School.

Okay, let me tell you something. I am in Alaska all month. Sorry, I just didn't mention it. For a couple of days this month, I posted some NYC shots taken before I left, and even though I have taken many, many photos this and every year and only a small percentage get posted, I don't like using "old" shots very often. Thus the days this month without a post.

You know, this is a New York City blog and I wasn't going to post Alaska shots, except for a special "when I am back" post ala this summer.

Well, anyhow, I changed my mind. I like posting photos and will share Alaska photos until I'm back in NYC. Alaska is always in my thoughts when I'm in New York, so, in that regard, these are a part of "New York Nitty-Gritty" as much as any others.

Here we see a grill at Ward Lake near Ketchikan, Alaska, my home town. Ketchikan gets well over 100 inches of rain per year--in your face, Seattle!!

For The Birds

Spam

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Park Here

Got Junk?

On Canal Street in Manhattan...

Jack Lantern

Can you believe it? I had never carved a pumpkin for Halloween before this year. Here he is! I hope you enjoyed your Halloween, too.