July 11-12, 2024 Eagles, Pratt Museum, Old Boats, Rain and Wind!

This morning started slow and our eagle appeared.  This guy comes every time the tide is almost out until it starts to come in.  I started to walk towards him and our neighbor was doing the same.  So we chatted and took it slow.  This our first view as we got closer:

The rest of these views are telephoto.  We walked about 10-20 feet and then we would stop and chat.  We would go a little further and do the same.  When we were about 50 feet away, he "bristled" then warned us so we stopped, took more pictures and backed away.  He was majestic!

What a treat!

From there I headed to the Pratt Museum in town.  In 2009, I was at this museum and had to say, it rated in my top 10 museums of all times.  Some of the things I learned there about the oil spill and the earthquake affected me for quite a while.  So I wanted to go see it again.

There were quite a few skeletons hanging from the ceiling:

And a taxidermy display - the wolf is the larger animal, the coyote is the smaller animal:

AWWW!

There was a small display about homesteading:

There was a little theater where they interviewed homesteaders and their children.  Initially I could not hear it so I asked for higher volume.  It was good for a short time and then it went near silent again.  (Sadly this was the case in all the videos in the museum - very disappointing!)

(We talked to a gentleman tonight (7/12) at the Legion that talked about spruce trees.  He remembered how beautiful they were.  When the quake hit and that part of the spit fell, all those trees were in salt water and died - so sad.)

A little about the oil spill:

So sad:

The location of the oil spill - it was massive:

More displays:

Sad:

Cute:

From there I wandered out to the gardens and the homestead:

Okay! So my opinion: I was very disappointed.  In 2009, this museum was all about the history of the area.  They had great little areas to watch videos, there were many interviews of folks who homesteaded, folks who lived thru the earthquake, folks who lived thru the oil spill and those who volunteered.  They still had some of that (although I could barely hear the videos!) but there was a lot of artwork - very nice but not appropriate to a history museum.  Since there are many art avenues in Homer, that really took me by surprise.

So would I recommend it - maybe if you have some time and are doing the art trail.  If you are doing the history trail - no (because of the cost, lack of good history, and poor videos that have the history!).  Sad, because Homer has such great history and stories to tell.  I know, I usually recommend most places but darn! this was a big disappointment.  (Too much DEI which has no place in history! Sorry!)

OK Then.. lets move on.

We decided to do a little road trip later in the afternoon - first the old boat yard:

This is an interesting boat - we think someone is living in it:

There are a lot of plants on the upper floors.  We did see some lights on the lower floor but no one came out:

Interesting place!

The lupines are just gorgeous - all over the town:

Our next stop was the Seafarer's Memorial:

Someone added the flowers - how nice:

The poem is below the pictures.

"Every time a commercial fishing boat leaves the harbor, loved ones left standing onshore know one of two things will happen. Their fishermen will return with a bright fresh seafood payload, or they will never see safe harbor again.

Why do they do it? Risk and reward. Ask any gambler. Add addicting freedom, adventure and the pure joy of living in close touch with the ocean and you can begin to understand the soul of the seafarer.
Drew Scalzi was among the fishermen who knew these risks and rewards first hand and who suffered the loss of fishing friends. Ironically, Scalzi died not at sea, but from cancer at a relatively young age (53) in 2005. Before he fell to the scourge of cancer, he orchestrated the creation of a memorial, "A tribute to the living and the lost" that stands as a heart-wrenching reminder of the dangers of the sea and the power of the community that loves the men and women who go to sea to put heathy protein on the tables of the world. It is also a lasting testament to the strength of people pooling their efforts to fulfill a dream.
Around 70 names, along with their vessels and dates they died are engraved on plaques mounted on the inside of the pillars of the memorial. They date from 1934 and include several varieties of vessels, including the "Munson Mail Boat", kayaks, skiffs and canoes, commemorating losses of lives at sea that didn't involved commercial fishing. Several deaths from herring spotter aircraft crashes also have plaques on the inner sides of the pillars.
The memorial is an ongoing project, as the apron of bricks dedicated to loved ones continues to expand. Brass plaques on the inside of the pillars are reserved for those who perish at sea.
The memorial, which originated in the early 1990s with the North Pacific Fisheries Association, was constructed with monies from a state grant, fundraisers and a plethora of materials, supplies, equipment, time and labor donated by virtually the entire community.
Mark Degraffenried designed the sculpture while the design of the memorial structure evolved over time with input from artists and others working on the project. The monument stands 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. The six-sided concrete pillared structure encloses a seven-foot tall statue of a rugged mariner, preparing to throw his dock line. He is protected by a three-tiered copper-shingled dome. The site is graced with flower beds and a picnic area, and accented by a separate brass bell that Scalzi found in Philadelphia.
A free-standing pedestal seaward of the memorial bears a bronze plaque with a poetic tribute to the power of the ocean, written by Ryan Bundy in 1996. "The sea tells a story. It tells of the life it brings and the lives it claims. Its deep dark waters are home to some, a final resting place to others. The sea tells a story. It tells of the cycle of life running through its waters. Fish spawning, dying, sinking to the ocean floor, returning to the circle that engulfs all life. The sea tells a story. It tells of prosperity, yet how the prosperity can be unforgiving. Nearly everyone will experience its vastness, but some will remain there forever."
The memorial will continue to evolve with the addition of bricks to the apron. They are purchased through the North Pacific Fisheries Association with Barbara Scalzi heading up the effort. Proceeds go toward maintaining the site and a scholarship fund for children of fishermen.
The annual May blessing of the fleet is held at the memorial.
We who remain on shore have to believe that our fishermen will return from each of their ventures out to the fishing grounds. In the past 25 years advances have been made in vessel safety and crew safety training as well as search and rescue. Still, commercial fishing remains one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. Hazards included, it comprises a basic ingredient of life on the Kenai Peninsula and surrounding waters."

Heading back home - here is our campground - we are the one with the flag:

Another wonderful day!

Today, Friday, 12th, was rainy, windy and chilly so we stayed in and watched the sea.  Late afternoon, we went to the local Legion for their hamburgers - YUM!

Tomorrow we sadly leave Homer and head north so stay tuned and enjoy today.