There are almost NO clouds in the sky at 6:30 PM.  This is weird.  We have not seen blue skies for such a long time and suddenly we have no clouds.  Maybe it will be cold tonight.

What a beautiful sunny day.  I saw a momma bear and two cubs.  The bears went into the woods and were bleating and yelling for an hour.  I thought it was people back there making noise but no - it was the bears.  I took pictures of a rainbow after we had a cloud burst that soaked a Harley rider in front of me.  I got a lot of great shots of the glacier today.

WE HAVE A SUNNY DAY IN JUNEAU!!!  I got up and saw sun so I took the new camera out and took pictures.  The forecast was for downpouring rain so we are so very lucky.  I have a bunch of school work to do today so I am going to work and then get outside and take pictures.

Juneau and Douglas are so very amazing when the sun is shining.
These pictures were shot yesterday and it was raining lightly.  I was in my car shooting with the window down.  I like this old tug because someone lives in it. It has not moved in the 4 years that I have been in the Juneau/ Douglas, AK area.  There is a fellow that I work with who lives on a boat.
I think that would be interesting to do for a while.  I was talking to a gal who had her own fishing boat and she lived on it.  She also was a substitute teacher for me at times and she told me some pretty amazing stories of trying to keep the wind from ripping the doors off during major storms that blow through here. She was a graduate of Duke University and her dad was a Doctor but she chose to fish in Alaska and be a substitute teacher.

The streams are running strong.  The mountain tops are hiding in a cloud.  We have a high of 45 and a low of 30. Summer is over.  The cruise ships finished up last Wednesday.  It is just us locals waiting for the snow to start.

This is Juneau today and all the past week.  Can you say rain and more rain.  I am trying out my new camera and I finally got some reasonable shots.  It has so many things which can change the pictures and lighting modes that it is taking a bit of practice.  I had to take the pictures in the car because I do not want to get the camera soaking wet.  

Here is a dog chasing Polar Bears near the Beauford Sea.  The dog did fine - just playing.

http://www.logbookwasilla.com/logbookwasilla/2012/9/27/dog-chases-polar-bear-polar-bear-chases-dog.html

I got a new camera:  A Nikon CoolPix.  I really like it.  I took it out for initial pictures and it was super cloudy and rainy so the pictures are not the best.  The dark pictures are about 8 AM and the lighter pictures are at noon.  The pictures are a true representation of what it is like here in Juneau on this rainy and super cloudy day.

It was a rainy weekend and this afternoon the rain was a downpour.  Just a few minutes ago, we had torrential rain - quite noisy and loud.  With the regular downpour, we had rain running down the streets. I live close to the Gastineau Channel so the water ultimately runs off into the Channel.  In the valley, they get overflowing streams and have water getting near houses.  There is some snow starting to fall on the tops of mountains, there was a little white when the clouds let the mountains show through.

I will be in Portland, OR two weeks from today.  I am going to see my Grandson Bennie for the first time.  I have seen pictures but I get to hang out with the little guy.  I will sleep in the room next to him and they said he will wake me up at night.  Getting out of Alaska is sure expensive though.  

Here is a link to pictures of my new Grandson Baby B,  Benan.  He has had a good week keeping mommy and daddy up at night.  His dad went back to work so mommy is taking most of the sleepy eyed duty.

http://photos.haleylovettphotography.com/Portraits/Benan-Newborn-Photos-Canby/25380728_TbSQsM#!i=2088196540&k=Hvg2kdS

It has been rainy all week - make that super rainy - in Juneau, AK.  We have had lots of cruise ships in and I bet the folks are disappointed.  Everything is wet and muddy.  The tourist stores close in a week.  The tourist season is coming to a close.

Snow in Alaska.  Hatcher Pass has snow and Fairbanks had a freeze and is supposed to get snow.  We get snow 2 weeks or a month after places North so I am assuming we will continue with rain.  It rained all weekend in Juneau.  I am kind of glad because I felt like crap and I just crashed at my apartment.  I left a couple of times but had sneezing or coughing fits and went back home.  Today I still feel rough but I got an OK sleep.  I sneezed and coughed myself awake about 2 AM and was about to fall asleep when cats started fighting.

True Story from this weekend:  My son in law went to get a load of wood while the kids stayed home with Grandma.  (Mom was away taking a class.)  Dad got home with a trailer load of wood and the 1st grade boy, Shad and Pre-School Rana got their ear protection and gloves and went to work helping their dad, Gar, split wood.  Rana threw the wood that was too small to split, Dad put the wood on the splitter and Shad worked the lever.  They worked for an hour and Grandma and kids got the wood stacked.  Daddy then put the kids on the driving lawn mower and mowed the backyard and frontyard.

That is such a great way for kids to grow up.  I had a big smile on my face when I was told about the weekend my Grandkids had.

Ash, Brian and Baby B are settlling in but the parents are not getting a lot of sleep.  Thankfully, Brian's parents live across the street and can be called to go over in the AM and take Baby B to their house so the parents can get some sleep.

More Benan Pictures:

My youngest daughter had a baby 9/7/12.  I could not be happier.  I could be in Portland to help greet Baby Benan but it was not to be.  I will see them in a month.  Ash is in medical school and took the fall off to have Baby Benan.  She has been on bed rest since May so she is glad she can get moving again.  Whenever they lightened up on the bedrest, she would get contractions and ended up back at the hospital.  She was in labor for 36 hours and pushed for 3 hours.  (I said, 'you got off easy'  and her reply 'I was in labor for 36 hours and hard pushing for 3 hours, THAT WAS NOT EASY!")
I can put my foot in my mouth pretty good at times.

Benan is doing well.  Ashley is doing well and Brian is doing well too.  There was lots of family and friends to welcome Baby Ben into the world.  I was there in spirit but feel that I was well represented and people were sending me texts, pictures as things happened.

Benan was only minutes old in this picture.

I feel so very fortunate to say that little Benan and my other 4 Grandchildren are surrounded by adults who will love and guide them.  Even though I am not a direct fulltime person in their lives, they are in great hands and hearts.

Welcome Benan Schmieding.