The least crazy thing that happened to me on the 3rd was getting interviewed for NPR.

NOAA begins process of updating Kachemak Bay nautical charts | APRN

Shortly after a death-defying deployment of Launch 1018, repairing a snafu'd gangway, and in the midst of fixing a sliced mooring line, a reporter from the local NPR station in Homer showed up to interview me about NOAA Ship FAIRWEATHER's role in the Kachemak bay project, also known as Hydropalooza. It's weird to hear one's own voice on the radio. You never sound how you think you sound. But overall I came off sounding ok, only stumbling over my own words a few times.

I'll write more when I get a chance. I promise.

Beach Party! (And Kayaking)

Nagai Island Kayaking, AK
Originally uploaded by thewbert.

Beach parties are fun. The other night, after many rumors were flying around, the command officially announced a beach party while we were anchored in Larsen Bay. Part of the bay had a nice sandy beach to play on, with dunes and ridges to climb on. The ship's kayaks found their way to the beach somehow, so one of the ensigns and I took them exploring up this inlet around the corner from the beach. It was a magical trip up a waterway I'm sure very few people have been. It started to get pretty shallow and we didn't know what the tide was gonna do, so we cut the trip a little shorter than we liked, having not discovered what was "just around the next bend." And we even made it back to the rest of the party for there to be one Coors Light left. Hey, at least it's colorado beer.