Natural History Art & Science Illustration
Enjoying the alpine above Lake Clark
If you’ve sent me an e-mail in July-early August, then you probably got some sort of away message. This is the heart of summer in Alaska, and it seems that each year I spend most of the time with an away message on auto reply. I trade my computer and studio projects for living out of a backpack
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The open ocean!
Before we begin, I should say that I am not afraid of adventure or doing something different at the expense of creature comforts. I love a good mountain expedition where you spend days on end with a small group of people not showering and having little privacy. I don’t have very much experience on the ocean, most of which has been in protected waters near Alaska – in Prince William Sound and the Inside Passage. Going out on a research vessel was a new experience I thought I’d like, but I really wasn’t sure. Enough people asked me if I got seasick that I was pretty nervous about that. Also, I’ve never quite felt at home on or in the water. I was a little nervous and excited when we left.
Read moreI’m not sure if there is a niche for travel journaling with a focus on art and natural history, or if I fill that, but I wanted to share my experiences with you. Perhaps you are also sitting in a lonely winter landscape on a too warm day (34 degrees?!) and as much as you love that, might appreciate a break from the scenery.
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Sunlight on the river at 10 pm, from my front yard
Happy summer solstice! Summer solstice officially occurs at 2:07 am Alaska Time. Where I live in McCarthy the sun will rise at 3:49 am and set at 11:17 pm for a total of 19 hours and 28 minutes of daylight. That contrasts with the winter solstice, where we have 5 hours and 22 minutes of daylight. Daylight gives us energy and makes us happy so it’s a reason to celebrate. You can use this daylight calculator to see how much daylight there is on a certain day of the year in your location.
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