A strong ebb tide swirled around icebergs in Le Conte Bay and swirled us as well whenever we paused to appreciate their frozen grandeur. Unlike the grounded icebergs left sitting on the bottom of the bay, we floated and bobbed around in our little black boats as we circumnavigated the various ice sculptures. Periodically we would zoom across the bay to a bigger, bluer berg and take on a new appreciation of the wonders of what could be accomplished with snowflakes.
The town of Petersburg and its periphery became our playground for the afternoon. Amongst numerous activity choices were bog walks, dock walks, photo walks, bicycling, or checking out the best hardware store in Southeast Alaska. Those that explored in the bog found the innocent looking lollipop paddles of the sundew cheerily propped up in small rosettes. These sticky little plants have a much more sinister side to them as they capture and dissolve unsuspecting insects to obtain nutrients for plant growth.
Those walking amongst the floating docks found items of interest above and below water level. Below water, attached to the floating docks, was a garden of sea creatures including numerous species of anemones. The white plumose anemones looked as though a garden of fluffy feather dusters were being cultivated underneath the harbor.
Photographically the town of Petersburg held numerous items of interest. Fishing floats hanging amongst the branches of a Sitka spruce, fishing boats, and their reverse reflections in the harbor and colorful murals painted on the downtown businesses reflected the historical aspects of the town.
With bicycles we were free to tour the town and the coastal road system. Sandy Cove Park offered a respite to the peddling and a few benches to sit and absorb the ambiance of a lovely summer afternoon. Our day ended with a crustacean-oriented feast. Shells flew freely about the dining room as we dove into fresh steaming plate after plate of Dungeness crab. A satisfying day visually as well as gastronomically.
Ode to Ice by Nazzi Waldrop
Beautiful iceberg
Slowly melting in the sun
Soon there will be none.
