And so the fall/winter season begins...

Hey Everybody!

I find myself sitting in the Kodiak Public Library. It is rainy & the wind is picking up. Not misty like the other days....real rain & up to 45mph gusts by tonight. Such weather will make the unpaved roads less manageable with the rental car. And those are usually the roads I want to take. This weather is predicted for the remainder of my stay....oh goody! I will still go out to the beach and the canopied forest and walk, but for the moment I'm up just gonna whine :-). If you want REAL whining, however, you'll have to make your way to Kodiak by Sunday when 700 people arrive by cruise ship for a day. They'll want to see bears, not fog & rain! Silly tourists.....

There is no bookstore in Kodiak. There used to be...it closed 12/31/11 after 7yrs. Today was the first time I tried to stop in - I'd been saving it for a rainy day. This is a VERY small town. I admit it! I am a city girl...one who lives on a much smaller island than Kodiak without even half its population, but within easy reach of cities. You know, places where there are shows, BOOKS from THIS decade, and movie theaters that show more than one movie & more than once a day (2x on the wknd).

The weather doesn't stop the locals. They continue to walk here & there. Students had a car wash this morning....a bit odd, but they had a longer line of cars than I've seen anyplace else. That's support! I think the only fishing going on is likely to be what I saw from the shorelines today. No visibility at all for boats.

Twelve days is a long time to be here when traveling solo & as an inexperienced bushwalker. Especially because there aren't harbor tours or cruises like in other places. Everything is about charters & there are minimum numbers for those activities. They aren't cheap for a group of 6 (a common minimum number) and they are outrageous for one person (up to $1,000). Never gonna happen!

There will be no bear searching this evening :-). Maybe tomorrow...For now, I intend to keep my promise....here are some places to eat when you get here:

1. Java Flats - I am pretty sure it's the only place I have ever been able to get artichoke hearts on a breakfast sandwich! Excellent sandwiches & cookies... well, see for yourself. One of their cookies is called "Electric Banana Monkey Love."

When I was in the other day I asked about what looked like marshmallows in a cookie. It immediately took on a life of its own...they're talking about creating a s'more cookie. I told them I had only 6 days left (now 4). I hope they perfect it before I leave!

2. Safeway Deli - yes, really, a grocery store deli. It's cheap & tastes good. I can get rice & veggie spring roll for under $5.

3. Mill Bay Coffee & Pastries - this is operated by a European couple. They serve breakfast & I can only assume provide cakes for just about every area wedding. I forced myself to pass on the chocolate to try a Salmonberry Mousse Cake. It was quite good....but not chocolate! I think my body rejected it...didn't recognize white as a color in the dessert spectrum :-).

Really, the one you must try is Java Flats.... That's not just my opinion :-). A local poll voted them #1! The rest is FYI for the rainy days. Java Flats is located just beyond town center (about 10mi) in an area known as Bell's Flats, which is the "where the free thinkers live". That's what I was told. In the cafe you're as likely to sit next to US Coast Guards as a local artist.

More soon....or whenever I get to do stuff outside for more than a few minutes. Have a good weekend & thanks for stopping by!

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