Summer Memories

This has been quite a summer. In the thirty three years I've made Alaska my home, I can't remember ever experiencing such a warm, dry summer. I bitch a lot about the heat and the westerly winds that accompany the dry, sunny days, but I know that when I'm neck deep in snow and hugging the toyostove for a little extra warmth, I'll look back and wish I had a little of this heat that is bringing so much discomfort right now.
This top picture is of Spud Creek. It's not uncommon for it to run dry for a bit in the summer, though this year it has been longer than usual. In the winter the water that is usually there freezes and long icesicles form on the rocks and steps. The astilibe grows wild here. I was fortunate enought to snap a shot before the flowers turned. I guess the locals used to bring buckets to the creek years ago to get their water. I don't know why it's called spud creek- maybe someone used to grow potatoes in the area next to it. Now it forms a barrier between Colette's Cupboard and the school shop. Colette's used to be a garage that belonged to Mary Johnson, but when she died, Raino Hill bought the property and enlarged and remodeled the garage and turned it into a store. I think he primarily gets his groceries from Costco over in Juneau. His store is only one of two here in Hoonah.
The school shop was built around six or eight years ago, maybe longer, at quite an expense. Unfortunately it hasn't been in use for the past three or four years for various reasons. I think largely because we have so few kids going to school here now.
This next shot I took while I was walking home from the harbor. I had just gotten in from the king salmon opening and was stuck by the way the sunset made everything appear differently. The high tide provided a reflecting surface for the pilings and I liked the way it looked. Hoonah Cold Storage is in the backround. That's where I sell my fish. They have been an important part of this community for as long as I've been here, and no doubt long before then too.
I have quite a few pictures of sunsets here- I never get tired of looking at them. In part because they are beautiful, but also because it won't be long before they are just a memory of a summer unlike any other.