Prologue

When we returned from Alaska in 2003 (check out our journal at http://livingourdream.us/alaska_2003_week_1.htm) we knew we wanted to go back but there were so many other places to visit that it took a while for Alaska to get back on the planning list. After our wonderful volunteer experiences at Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, we decided to make volunteering part of out 2008 Alaska trip. We applied to several National and State Parks and finally secured a volunteer position with a state wildlife refuge about ten miles south of Anchorage. We will be interpretive hosts at Potter Marsh. We will be responsible for keeping an eye on the place to discourage vandals, pick up litter and patrol the boardwalk with binoculars and spotting scopes to help visitors find and identify birds and other wildlife. We will volunteer four days a week from June 15^th to August 15^th and have the rest of the time available to explore other parts of Alaska. Roberta and Elliot Schultz have decided to visit us in Alaska so we will see them from June 16^th to July 2.

As practice for wildlife trips in Alaska, the four fabulously fortunate friends went on a whale watch from Boston on Wednesday May 14^th. They warned us of six foot swells but off we went. The trip out was very lumpy but the whales were fabulous. We saw whales feeding at the surface with gulls all around. We saw a mother and calf swimming side by side and all of this took place very close to the boat. Check out the pictures

Humpback on Surface	Tail Flapping	Mother and Calf	Feeding with Gulls	Tail Flukes

We plan a leisurely trip up to Alaska, departing on May 17^th and allowing almost a month to get to Potter Marsh. Follow along reading our journal or just look at the pictures, as we spend an exciting summer in Alaska.