@Ronald It is a 13 day Guided Tour. It starts with a 3 day cruise up the Inside Passage, followed by a day on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, then several day bus tour on the Alaskan Highway, followed by a day on a Riverboat, then back to the bus to finish the tour.
We will be visiting many of the iconic Alsaka stops along the way including Ididarod Trail, Denali National Park, an Athabascan Village, a Glacier Cruise on Prince William Sound, and more
Dave B

@DWBrinkman

What is in Alaska for you? A cruise? Driving the Alaska Highway ?
Fishing or ?

@Ronald The wildfires are 200 miles away. So no danger from the fires.
But the smoke has been blown down here by the tradewinds. This morning, the AQI is "down" to 392 ... still really bad ... but better.
We are leaving for Alaska a week from tomorrow, so we will be out of this, if it still persists.
No "topless" Miata driving until we can safely breath the ambient air for sure!
Dave B

@DWBrinkman
Are you able to leave the area for other regions? Is your property in danger?

Keep the Miada roof up!

Where I live (between Alexandria and Minneapolis on the map), the AQI is currently 648!
301 to 500 is considered hazardous .... sigh
The Boundary Waters Fire is north of Ely, MN extending into Canada.

Rain is in the forecast in s few days, hopefully it will clear out the smoky skies.

This smoke is extending out over the US east coast, relatives down Boston way are feeling the effects of it too. Orange/Yellow haze in the skies.

I just did further research as to where the fires are in Northern Minnesota. Six are in your state!Red dots indicate fire.
Then I zoomed out and saw that there were fires across North America.

We are experiencing terrible air quality right now, smoke from wild fires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area 200+ miles north of us blew in this afternoon.
I will post a picture from this weekend before the fires, and one from a few minutes ago.
The air has a heavy pungent smoke smell, and burns the lungs.
The "experts" are saying this may be around for an extended period of time.
This and the 90+ Fahrenheit temps certainly curtail outdoor activities .... sigh
Dave B

Love it! Thanks for posting this Ron. 😊

@Ronald
Lovely sounds on a beautiful morning.

My morning breakfast includes listening to the birds in my area. The song sparrow is one that is very pleasant and regularly rests on the upper parts of the chestnut tree.

I tried calling him in and caught this photo of him looking my way.

Despite showing interest neither the robins or blue tits decided to use the nest boxes this year. So two types of bumble bees have decided to take up residence and have been there for some weeks now. But the blue tit box is on the side of the shed and being later than the blue tits would use it is catching the afternoon sun and getting hot - the bees could be heard buzzing and you would see one at the entrance buzzing away to lower the temperature. During the last hot spell we positioned one of the garden parasols over it but need that to cool the rear of the house now.

So I first put a sheet of ply on the shed roof held down with house bricks to provide shade and then draped a wet towel over the box - the buzzing has stopped so seems to be working.

Chris

Been back to the lake after 31/2 weeks to see how the cygnets are getting on. One less and down to six now but they are of a size where they should be OK.

Nice lake but getting more and more overgrown, no good for boating!

Spot the "missing" cygnet in the first photo!

Chris

Blackburian Warbler

Blue Indigo

Yes I experience that too, so frustrating! There is a Blue Indigo in 2nd video and the first one has a North American Robin and the one in the tree is a Blackburian Warbler

😁

@Ronald The Merlin bird app is great isn't it. I regularly put it on if my wife and I are out for a walk, or even just sat in the garden. We have used the photo i.d option once or twice as well.

Will

I have Merlin bird app on my phone. I have called in various birds to where I am at including a Bald Eagle! I stopped at that experience. Though recently I was playing the call of a juvenile American Gold Finch and was amazed with the response.

The other day I had not called any birds but the male specie was doing his thing and six showed up.

@ChrisF I do love a Wren, it's one of my favourite birds, I love seeing them around the garden, or down the lane to my Mums house.

@RNinMunich
I guess I never thought of it that way.
But .... yeah ... I guess one could call it that. 🤣
Dave
Here is a link to a great YouTube video discussing the Loon's "Wail" (call).
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D4ENNzjy8QjU&ved=2ahUKEwjF59iYh-KUAxUghisGHeXlCCkQwqsBegQIGBAB&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw0v1lY5gCc880KW47MXkC-b

@DWBrinkman "We love listening to their calls."
What you might call 'Loony tunes' Dave🤣

😎

Young wren in the garden this morning. Parent wasn't far away!

@ChrisF
That's great!
Thanks for the pics!
Dave

Ah, cute, that's a great photo Dave.

As it happens, I went to a lake in the grounds of a hotel a few miles away first thing this morning, as my sis-in-law mentioned that the swans had got a few cygnets. They have grown up a bit now and unfortunately reduced from 10 to 7. Managed to get some nice shots of them and some other birds.

Chris

One of my "Lake Neighbors" just had a baby!

We are lucky enough to have 2 pair of nesting Loons on our lake, We love listening to their calls.

Dave B

Two of the three sibling cubs from the winter of 2024 up behind the cabin today. They're not really cubs anymore as each weighs in at about 80 to 100 pounds. The third cub was a few yards off. Their mother gave them boot sometime in 2025, but they've remained together; which isn't unusual. It'll only be a bit longer before they go their own way.

What amazing animals, Jumpugly.

Coyotes and the Bobcat are back.

Thanks so much Dave!

Beautiful photo Chris!

My little friend is happy to pose!

Great pictures. Simply Beautiful.

Just steps away from the traffic and smog of the city.
Here are some images of the Rio Scuro stream, thirty minutes from my house.

A ghostly pack of coyotes patrolling my boss’s yard caught on my game camera not too long ago. It’s unusual to see them traveling in packs in suburbia, barely 40 miles from New York City!

Hi Chris, we call it "Folaga" but the scientific name of the genus is "Fulica."
I'm not sure which of the ten living species of the Fulica genus this one is (for example, a Fulica armillata or a Fulica cornuta).
Can you identify it?
I think it's a Fulica atra.

Moorhen family.

Who needs water-skis! 😀

Yes, I was able to sneak up very well and stood only 1 meter away. He noticed me immediately after I took the photo and then he was gone.

Yes, Wolle, the common kestrel [falco tinnunculus]—known in Italian as "Gheppio"—is small but deadly with its unmistakable colors.
Bravo for managing to photograph it.
Raptors are wonderful birds.

You did well there, normally they are off like a shot. But I suppose it didn't want to leave its meal!

Birds of prey are lovely birds but it's a shame when the sparrowhawks that visit our garden take a bird.

I snuck out past the kestrel. It had just eaten another bird.

Not my photo in this case as I misplaced my Cooper’s, as well as my local Red Tails. I will find them! More to follow. 😉

Thank you for the kind words Alessandro!

Yes, I was interested in it as well. A nice looking bird!

Hi Jumpugly, your hideout is fantastic, full of interesting models, but this time I was fascinated by the Cooper's hawk (Accipiter Cooperii). Is that a photo you took?
You have a very rich and diverse fauna, beautiful.

All Good Lew!
👍😉

Jump, et al.,

As not everyone is interested in model truck building I will create a build blog for the semi tractor - lowboy trailer and post info there.

Building this rig involves a lot of practices similar to those used in RC model boat building, direction, speed, sound, lights, and operational accessories.

Look for it soon as I am going to try to get the semi tractor done while the "cool" weather is upon us.

Lew

Ah, 3D printing! Just finished the transfer case to power the front wheels as well.

Lew

Keep those semi pix coming Lew!
😊😉

Hello Jump. The temperature here got down to almost freezing. Been living in Florida too long and I guess my blood is too thin". And the cold really affects me.

About 2 years ago I bought two 1/16 scale toy model low boy tractor trailer. As you were says these operating scale units are expensive. However I paid less than $30 each on a sale. Finally getting around to make them radio controlled. Parts like Wheels etc from the 2nd will be used to update the model with more wheels and axles.

I even have another radio for it. Kind of old, but it's still a 2.4 Futaba 6 channel radio. Paid $50 for it and it has everything, batteries, four servos, charger in barely used condition.

This will go very well with my 1/16 scale armor, and my 1/16 scale Springers.

Lew

More brick laying in the basement. I am sure that even the Cooper's Hawk thinks I'm nuts!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hey there Colin!!! Good to see Ya'!
Lew! Up Connecticut we are freezing our asses off. 9 degrees isn't cutting it for me! Praying for Spring to come quickly or, at the very least, some moderating temperatures.
Fortunately the sun-house I built for my wife (last photo and finished on Christmas Eve) has worked out well and has been great in fighting her "seasonal affective disorder" during this brutal winter. It's fully insulated and I ran the electric to it. With a six foot electrical "plug-in style baseboard heater and with a bit of sun we can get the temperature up to 65 degrees in there and she loves it. With a bird feeder just outside the windows, the locals put on a great show...although the ever present Red-Tailed and Cooper's Hawks keep a watchful eye on the place. Local Cooper's in the first photo.

And, as always, I've got my projects down in the shop....The K-7 is awaiting a new canopy, decals and first test runs, I still haven't gotten to the dreaded rigging on the Pacific Trader, and the Dumas Pay-n-Pak hydroplane's warped lumber has been a brick laying battle, but fun all the same!

PS: Dying to build a Semi in 1/16th scale!!!!! But they are incredibly expensive these days! Will have to save my nickels and dimes. Keep us posted on the RC conversion!
😉👍