Island to Alaska with Pictures (part 2)

[JanaJohn]

The very helpful National Park Service Park Ranger came on the intercom and announced that there was a bear on the shoreline. Right there off of the Starboard side of the boat. Mmmm... Starboard, that’s us, we’re on the starboard side of the boat.

 

The very helpful National Park Service Park Ranger said it was a brown bear right on the shoreline at 9 o’clock from the bridge. Now that’s helpful. I understand that. That’s right down my alley. 9 o’clock, he should be right there... Ahh, there it is. Right where it should be. At 9 o’clock from the bridge.

 

I'm slightly confused right now; at least more confused than normal. You first tell us the Ranger said the bear is on the Starboard (right) side of the ship. Then the ever helpful Ranger further says the bear is at 9 o'clock from the bridge. So now I'm placing myself on the right side of the bridge (looking forward) and look for the 9 o'clock position. Wouldn't that be the Port side??? :confused: Since you saw the bear you must have looked in the correct direction...I'm just not too sure which direction that was.

 

Have I missed something here or am I totally confused?

 

Any chance your review will conclude before July of this year? We're approaching the 1 year anniversary of your initial post. You've accumulated a dedicated following here and we all eagerly await your next post. By the way, I can't remember if you took just the cruise or did you take the cruise along with the land tour?

[cworld]

I'm slightly confused right now; at least more confused than normal. You first tell us the Ranger said the bear is on the Starboard (right) side of the ship. Then the ever helpful Ranger further says the bear is at 9 o'clock from the bridge. So now I'm placing myself on the right side of the bridge (looking forward) and look for the 9 o'clock position. Wouldn't that be the Port side??? :confused: Since you saw the bear you must have looked in the correct direction...I'm just not too sure which direction that was.

 

Have I missed something here or am I totally confused?

 

Any chance your review will conclude before July of this year? We're approaching the 1 year anniversary of your initial post. You've accumulated a dedicated following here and we all eagerly await your next post. By the way, I can't remember if you took just the cruise or did you take the cruise along with the land tour?

 

Wow, I can't believe it took a whole week for someone to notice.

 

And yes, you're right, it was the port side. (Really I just got confused. I'm a little dyslexic. As we say at work 4 out of 3 controllers are dyslexic.) Also, I don't have a clue when this thing will end. I'm hoping to finish before the summer baseball season heats up. The spring season ends this week so things should slow down a little, and I'll have a little time to spend writing. Also we only had time (and money) for the cruise, although we'd love to go back and do the whole thing.

 

I promise (check's in the mail) I'll try to get something up by Tuesday. We've been real busy with baseball the last couple of weeks.

[Mrs. cworld]

Isn't it kinda scary that there are dyslexic air traffic controllers????? Makes you wonder exactly how safe those friendly skies are?

 

Yes, DH, when are you ever going to finish this "little" project of yours? Your first post was May 20, 2005.

 

And, dear readers, if you think there is a long break before summer baseball, think again. Spring season ends April 27 and summer starts May 26. Will my DH be finished before then?

 

Stay tuned!

[cworld]

After a couple of weeks of glacially slow travel we came to the end of the line. Here, in this place we are to see the mother of all of the glaciers, at least in this area. The Margerie glacier. The Margerie Glacier is a special glacier. It’s really two, two, two glacier’s in one.

 

Picture of Special Glacier:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/351554714/1353255371070712923RtpScE

http://community.webshots.com/photo/351554714/1353255429070712923dsZyua

 

As you can see (or maybe you can’t and you’ll just have to take my word for it (Sucker)) from the pictures, half of the glacier was black with rock and trash, (kinda like my son after a baseball game) and the other half of the glacier was pristine, natural, untouched by man or machine. The explanation the very helpful National Park Service Park Ranger gave us was the dirty area is where the glacier was receding (going backwards for those of you in Arkansas), and the pristine area was where the glacier was expanding. The 2 areas came together right here just for us, never before to be seen by mortal man. We are the first to witness this unusual phenomenon. Thousands before us have been here but just for us this glacier changed... Just for us... (NOT.) Really it’s been this way for a long, long time.

 

As the incredible Island Princess approached the Margerie glacier, Mrs. C and I decided to go up on deck so we could the glacier from either side of the ship, and to take some more wonder pictures. So we walked up to deck 14 and tried to find a place for Mrs. C to camp out while I tried to take wonder pictures with the wonder camera of the wonder glaciers. We found a place for Mrs. C to sit down and read her book while I went in search of wildlife and great photo opportunities. We asked one of the cute little servant people to bring us a Coke, which they did after about 20 minutes or so. I wonder why it took so long? (Probably because I wasn’t buying something that included an automatic 100% tip, or it may have just been my condescending attitude, no that wasn’t it, I really was nice when I asked, but it just disturbs me a little that some of the servers weren’t too happy about bringing Cokes to us. What they didn’t know was that I would have happily tipped them, in cash, if they would have just provided service with a smile.)

 

I took a long draw on my Coke, and off I went. I hunted high and low, I hunted left and right, I hunted up and down, (wasn’t there a Smothers Brothers song along those lines?) I was looking but not finding... Hey dear, what was it I was looking for? Oh, yeah, wildlife or ice. Ice and wildlife were everywhere. The only problem was that I couldn’t get a good look at the ice because all of the wildlife was in the way.

 

Picture of wildlife in the way here:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/419328125/2004342560075876446GOTBni

 

I pushed and whined as I looked for a place to take wonderful pictures of wonder ice. I banged around this incredibly unappreciative herd for a 10 or 15 minutes, trying both sides of the ship looking for a place to roost. Finally, I got bored (imagine that) and went over and sat down next to Mrs. C and took a big swig of my Coke and then took a nap.

 

After about 10 minutes or 10 days or something, the captain turned the Island Princess to where our cabin would have a great view of the glacier, so since it was a little cold, and a way too crowded, Mrs. C and I gathered up our stuff and went back to our cozy beautiful wonder balcony. I hate crowds. I’m shy.

[margord]

Carl and Mrs. C,

 

Just wanted you to know I am still with you. Keep them coming.

 

Marilee

[camperhawk]

Still here also...thanks again Carl and Mrs. C. for all the thought provoking details, humor, and all the great pictures! The thread obviously has a "life of it's own" don't you think? It will be a sad day for all...if it ends..emphasis on if...............................or when? Sure that when this saga ends, Carl and Mrs. C.will entertain us or at least send us a copy of the signed book....Right?

[cworld]

Interruption time. The other night Mrs. C and I stumbled over a show on the Discovery Channel, which is rapidly becoming our most watched, about the glacier/iceberg that sunk the Titanic. Now that’s a glacier. That's what I’m talking about when I think about glaciers. The glacier that spawned the Titanic’s nemesis is huge. It’s 9 miles or something across and hundreds of feet high, and millions of miles long. Now that’s a glacier. That’s what I was expecting to see. Miles and miles of blue ice that spit out icebergs of Titanic proportions. Alas...

 

Sorry it’s so short. I’m working on a couple of posts that should be done over the weekend. Baseball ended today with a rainout. So I should have a little more time over the next month or so for frivolous endeavors. Hopefully, for my sake, I’ll wrap this up in that time... or then again probably not.

 

Thanks camperhawk for the kind words, and maybe just maybe, if everyone wishes hard enough, something might magically appear to take the place of this thread. I’ve got a couple of ideas rolling around in my head right now, and you never know.

 

PS. When and if the book ever gets writ (oops, I mean) written, I’ll do my best to give my loyal readers of this post a personally stamped copy for a nominal fee. No, really, if I do ever get a book finished you all will be the first ones to know, and I will be happy to send out autographed copies. But that’s a day far away.

[cworld]

I’ve may have been a little confusing about what time it is in ships time. Not that it really matters what time it really is, since you could read this today or next year. To give you a little idea of what was/is going on onboard the Wondrous Island Princess, we arrived at the Margarie Glacier between 9:30 and 10:00 in the morning, which was something like 2 o’clock in the afternoon Oklahoma time. By now my body was a little confused. All I know is that it was after breakfast and before lunch.

 

On the way back to the cabin Mrs. C wanted to check out the casino, again. Luckily it was closed.

 

After Mrs. C and I got back to the cabin we took up our places on the balcony. Have I mentioned before how much I enjoyed our balcony? Over the course of the week we must have spent more than 15 or 20 hours out on the balcony. It was our quiet place, our place of great solitude, it was the place where we contemplated the meaning of life, it was the place where great ideas were born, (yeah, like coming back and doing this again about every 6 months) it was our spiritual retreat, it was where we plotted our day, it was where we plotted the overthrow of the known universe (maybe that was just a dream I had), it was just about the best place in the whole ship.

 

One great thing about the balcony was that we could sit out there, turn the TV up and still hear the very helpful National Park Service Park Ranger talk about what we were seeing, and if we got cold we could go back inside.

 

That reminds me, I don’t think I’ve talked very much about the TV.

 

Television is either man’s greatest invention or man’s worst. I can’t really make up my mind about it. While it does bring us pictures of what’s happening all around the world to us, it can be addictive. How many of us need to say, repeat after me... Hi, my name is (insert your name here), and I’m addicted to television? I’m sure at some time in our lives each of us has struggled with the horrible disease of TV addiction. I hear some of you out there saying, not me. I’m not addicted to TV. OK, go outside and cut the cable and just see what happens.

 

Down boy... This is not the forum for your delusional, idiotic, anti-establishment ranting. Get on with the story.

 

Ahhh, the TV. When we, Mrs. C and I went on our first cruise, 25 years ago, on the SS Dolphin, Scourge of the Seas, we had what was at that time, a really nice cabin. It was an outside cabin with a big porthole. In those days, most cruise ships didn’t have these wonderful balcony cabins for the “little” people. I’m not sure that the nicest cabin on the SS Dolphin, Scourge of the Seas, had a balcony. Our cabin had a bed and a bathroom and not much else. Of course, being newlyweds, that’s about all we cared about. I think we stored our suitcases under the bed, or something, my memory’s a little foggy after all of these years. But one thing I’m absolutely sure about is we didn’t have a TV.

 

The TV in our stateroom of the Incomparable Island Princess was a garden variety TV with about a 19-inch or so color screen. It wasn’t a great big plasma, but it was enough. The TV had 25 or so channels including ESPN (notice which on I mention first), ABC, CBS, NBC, a couple of news channels, TNT, and a couple of others again the memory is getting fuzzy.

 

There were also some dedicated ship channels. A couple of the special ship channels were pretty cool. The one I liked the best was the one that had the ships navigational information. It would show the ships heading and speed and how far it had traveled both since departure and since our last stop. It was really cool. The other ship channel we enjoyed was the one that showed the weather. It would show the temperature, the wind, and the waves height. It was interesting the way they characterized the waves. We would get tickled whenever the waves would be called wavelets. Every time we saw that we laughed. In fact we started laughing again this morning when we were discussing wavelets. Mrs. C even cracked me up when she said “what would a wavelet look like at a baseball game? Just standing half way up and putting your hands up to your shoulders?” She kills me.

 

There was one of the ships channels we could have done without. That was the thievery channel. How annoying. There was this lady who would drone on about places in each port to go and get robbed. OK maybe she said something about buying and selling things, but it was about the same as robbery. Neither Mrs. C or I would watch this channel. We both hate to shop.

 

Rating for the TV – B+ Two or three 60-inch plasmas with 240 channels of hi-def would have been better, but we really enjoyed having the one.

 

Funny how I don’t remember missing the TV while we were on the SS Dolphin, Scourge of the Seas. Maybe it was because it was 90 degrees in our cabin most of the first day or so, or maybe it was because I had other things on my mind while we were in our cabin. Maybe TV in the cabin is an old people thing. Anyway I’m sure glad the diversion was there. If that wonderful TV wouldn’t have been there we would have had to do things like mingle with other people or something. That would have inhaled with great force. I hate crowds.

 

So here we were sitting on the balcony while the TV blared out the very helpful National Park Service Park Ranger talking about the glacier when The Miracle happened.

 

Next: The Miracle

[Mrs. cworld]

Mrs. C even cracked me up when she said “what would a wavelet look like at a baseball game? Just standing half way up and putting your hands up to your shoulders?” She kills me.

 

 

BUT you love me!!!!!

 

Don't forget about Dave, the cruise director, talking about the daily shipboard activities (and the d--- piece of plastic) on the ship channel when the shopping lady wasn't on.

 

Also, remember how "unsettling" it was to watch ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball at like 3:30/4:30 p.m. When we usually watch it at 7:00/7:30 p.m.

 

And the channel dedicated to first run movies--the times were listed in the ship's daily "newspaper"--the Princess Patter????? It's been so long that I can't remember what it was called.

[cworld]

About the time I got really bored a really incredible thing happened. It’s been over 16 years since I’ve seen anything like it. I witnessed a real life, honest to goodness miracle.

 

We had been watching the Glacier just sit there and do nothing for a while when all of the sudden the miracle happened. There was this loud crackling sound. It sounded a lot like a tornado, (and I do have personal knowledge of what a tornado sounds like, but that’s another really long and equally boring story all together) or long rolling thunder. Mrs. C grabbed the video camera, and I grabbed my fantastic Nikon D70 with the 18-200 Nikon lens, and we both started taking pictures.

 

How many times in your life do you get to witness the miracle of birth? But here we were 3 bazillion miles from home, in a foreign land, and right there in front of us this beautiful lady was giving birth. What a sight.

 

Right before the blessed event I swear I heard “You did this to me you creep. I’ll never let you touch me again. I hate you. I’m hot. Do you think it will have your eyes? I want some ice cream. Do you think this is funny? Give me that blanket back, you idiot, it’s cold in here. Why are you trying to stuff my face with ice cream, do you want me to get fatter. Oh, dear, I love you. If I ever get through with this I’ll kill you.” Maybe that was just a flashback, but...

 

After a lot of huffing and puffing, a tiny little iceberg was born. Ahhhh. I love babies. You could just see the proud parents swell up with pride. The typical dad, all dirty and grimy just lay there and did nothing, while the beautiful pure clean mother did all of the work. It really was something to behold.

 

I snapped these pictures of the blessed event:

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/351554714/1353255511070712923PeKRtk

http://community.webshots.com/photo/351554714/1353255562070712923rOwkak

http://community.webshots.com/photo/351554714/1353255641070712923cKJnii

 

After all was said and done, I swear I heard “Isn’t he so cute. He’s got your hair. I can’t wait to do this again.

[camperhawk]

Thanks again Mr. and Mrs.C !!!!

 

Just knew you would come up with something when your mini novel ends( did I say mini in my loud voice?) ..hope not.. Looking forward to the end of this tour and on to the next one like ( Oh I don't know...maybe ..the Life and Times of Mr. and Mrs C....or Spending time with Mr. and Mrs. C..or "The C-Worlds"(Of course that would be one of those reality shows) and I don't think either of you are ready for that!!

 

Still a loyal reader! and my patience is waning..and what was It? did anyone ever get that?

[Sea Fan]

Nope! as far as I know no one has gotten "IT". I think clues are needed don't you? After all we are loyal (crazy) readers.:rolleyes:

 

How about it Mr. C?????

 

Dianne

[cworld]

This morning, being the ever vigilant, completely thorough, meticulous fact checker that I am, I decided to check my video of The Miracle to see if I might be able to share some of it with all of you, my wonderful, brilliant, fantastic, magnificent, patient, loyal, friends. When I found the clip, I quickly became obvious that I couldn't share it with you. Why? Mrs. C reminded me this morning of, as Paul Harvey would say, The Rest of the Story.

 

The Rest of the Story

 

Mrs. C did not witness The Miracle. In fact I don’t think she saw any miracles. She missed it. Completely. She not only didn’t hear the voice (I promise, I really heard it), she didn’t see anything... Zip, Zero, Nada. When The Miracle happened Mrs. C was otherwise occupied. She was... hmmm... what should I say? I’ll just say that she was busy and couldn’t come out on the balcony and watch The Miracle.

 

Yes, this means once again I lied, made things up, embellished the truth, or whatever you want to call it. Sorry (NOT).

 

I can’t emphasize enough how thankful I am for your continued Patience and loyalty.

 

Sea Fan, So you want a hint. OK, here goes.

 

"It" cannot be seen.

 

There, hope that helps. You can click HERE to go back and review the “It” contest. And make sure to go HERE to check the contest rules.

[cworld]

And by the way, I came upon a picture of Mrs. C. I don't think she'll mind my posting it. Check it out HERE

[camperhawk]

Mrs C. Love the pic of you that Carl so graciously let us share, hey balcony,relaxing..what more can you ask for?

 

Carl you are not the greatest hint provider are you? "IT" How about a breeze?

[mich2]

Oh, Camperhawk. What a good guess!

 

I'll probably get in trouble again, but, has anyone guessed "the sunset"?

[cworld]

Camperhawk, sounds great, but it is wrong.

 

Mich2, I'll be nice this time, no, it wasn't a sunset. Good guess not.

 

Sorry.

[cworld]

Kinda hard to believe it was one year ago today that we were frantically packing for our trip. One year ago today, I bought the wonder camera. One year ago today... Seems like 10 years ago.

 

On with the show...

 

Pretty soon, the Captain, who I met months ago, really neat guy he was, of the Indefatigable Island Princess started rotating the boat. He turned the other side to the glacier. This little operation is just pretty cool. The Unadulterated Island Princess never really changed its position in relation to the glacier. It pivoted and turned around. What was the front of the ship was now the back of the ship, and what was the back of the ship was now the front of the ship, what was the middle of the ship was still the middle of the ship (thought I better throw that one in for those of you in Arkansas). A full One-Hundred and Eighty-Degree pivot. Amazing. After it was done the Port side of the ship was where the starboard side used to be and the starboard side was where the port used to be. The right side was on the left and the left side was on the right, I think. You get the picture.

 

When all was said and done, and the boat quit rocking, the port side facing the Margerie glacier, and the starboard side (our side) now facing... well, come to think of it, it wasn’t really facing anything. So I grabbed the cameras and took off in search of more pictures.

 

In a couple of minutes the very helpful National Park Service Park Ranger said that the bridge had spotted another bear on the shore. Sure enough after putting the long lens on the wonder camera again I looked and there it was. A real life bear. Amazing. My life again has been blessed. I’m fulfilled. Whohoo.

 

2nd bear picture here:

 

 

As you can see from the picture, maybe, this one was eating lunch. Yeah, lunch, that sounds good. Is it lunchtime yet? Yep. Great let’s go, beside the captain, my buddy, is sounding retreat. He’s saying something about the British are coming or something so the Wondrous Island Princess turns and starts back toward the same unimpressive glaciers we had seen all morning. Yawn.

 

Next time I’m gonna see a polar bear.

[camperhawk]

Okay you made me do this Carl, just because it wasn't a breeze or something as delightful....could it be an often audible discharge of the intestinal tract? Had to do it I win don't I?:eek:

[camperhawk]

One year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :confused: :D :) :)

Congratulations on such an endeavor.....an amazing feat!!!

[cworld]

camperhawk,

 

Gee, I don't know exactly what to say. I must say that you vaulted into the lead of the most creative way to describe a unappealing bodily function list. But alas that's not what we were looking for. (PS. Mrs. C never has an an often audible discharge of the intestinal tract that so it would rule that one out.)

 

But again thanks for playing.

 

Here's another hint. We couldn't have gotten "It" on our first cruise on the SS Dolphin, Scourge of the Seas.

[Sea Fan]

Okay Recap,

 

1. They got it everyday when in port.

2. Highlight of their day.

3. Brought them moments of happiness.

4. Also brought a couple of moments of Irratation.

5. Mr.C couldn't wait until this happened!

 

 

Hmmmmm!!!!! I really did like Camperhawks answer.

 

Happy One Year!!!! M&M C.:)

 

Dianne

[cworld]

After a little (very little) contemplation, I erred this morning. My hint should have been you couldn't smell "it".

 

Ha, Ha

 

And thanks Dianne, that was a very good recap of the "IT" contest.

[cruzluvr2]

Could "it" be when you were met at the bottom of the gangplank by the "animals" to have your picture made with them?

 

Gail

[Sea Fan]

Okay Mr. C so what your saying is "you couldn't of smelled "IT" on the SS Dolphin.:confused:

 

Is that what your saying??????:confused: :confused:

 

Dianne