Paladin Roaming

Cruise Day 11

End, morning. You have the options of having carrying your luggage off the ship, or they will have it on the pier building awaiting for you to pick it up just before the streets. We can carry our own, which meant we get to leave first. From the time we were in our stateroom to the time we were on the streets was under 20 minutes -- slowed by my having to pause and get my breathe as we were walking briskly. They were very organized.

Cruise Day 10

At Sea, nothing here to see. I actually like the relaxed cruising. Next cruise I may wear my suit for High Tea.

Cruise Day 9

Victoria, BC, Canada -- they didn't care if I had a Passport. Again we just walked, past the water to the city. They have houseboats, and pirate ships:

Into the city itself, saw art, an old bank building that now holds an Irish Pub, and a broken musician:

Cruise Day 8

At sea. No pictures. High Tea was moved and shut down before 4:10.

Cruise Day 7

Glacier Bay was fabulous bright sunny day with blue skies. 400 miles south in Ketchikan was grey with drizzle. We had no tours planned for Ketchikan. Good thing, the ship didn't put in at a dock -- The Sapphire Princess beat us to the dock, we had to anchor out in the bay and shuttle to and from town. Since we do not do the "wait in line" thing, we had a leisure breakfast.

As you arrive at town you see a 20' tall sign bragging their weather -- an average of 12'6" rainfall with a record of 16'10". Gardena gets an average of 13.5 inches, and '04-'05 set a new record, about 3 feet! Most of the roofs have moss growing -- some with moss over six inches tall.

Today is our last stop in Alaska so today is shopping day. Naturally, there is another Harley-Davidson Motorcycle store in town. This time we went in, asked, and no, they do not have a dealer with motorcycles and service, just Harley Davidson stuff like mugs and hats and shirts. The closest dealer is actually in Juneau.

We walked about, heard about a Totem Heritage Museum, found, interesting. There are only new Totems.... totems rot and only last 50-100 years. We walked over 3 miles. Went to the Fish Pirate's Saloon -- decent good. Picked up a Fish Pirate shirt for Amanda, a flask for me, a Ulu and chopping block for me, a very chic shirt for Wendy, a Moose made from wood from the Mojave, etc..

Cruise Day 6

Glacier Bay, morning was grey and foggy. Then the sun came up with a cloudless sky. A day worth the cruise no matter what else happens. A one in a hundred day that is totally perfect. Our maid was out taking photos as it was a day she has never seen. The *Captain* took the ship up a bay they usually went, because it was a day the Captain has not seen. Naturally, Wendy and I were grinning like idiots.

These were just a few of the shots, ones that I now have on for wallpaper on my laptop. (I have the not bad pictures on the folder, even the ones are not on the blog.)

Cruise Day 5

Skagway, we arrive at the break of dawn:

Off the bow I can see the snow plow that I had seen on the Google Maps, street view. I do my morning walk around the promenade deck, off the stern I see two other cruise ships going to Skagway. After breakfast Wendy and I walk about the streets do see what we can see; starting with that plow!

That is one BIG snow blower. (wikipedia)

Past the plow, we see the sights, above, and some of the old gambling equipment, below.

The afternoon we rode the train:

The ride is fabulous -- the camera cannot capture what you can actually see.

And, of course, every town has to have a Harley Davidson Motorcycles dealer:

Cruise Day 4

Early morning on out front balcony. We hit Juneau about noon.

A busy day, starting seeing the Juneau Suburbs, left, and our U.S. Coast Guard escort gun boats, same as in SF:

Downtown Juneau is a big city.

Things different than in California, the floatplanes and the telecommunications.
Check the dishes -- Telecommunications satellites are in a geostationary orbit above the equator. In L.A., dishes are about 45 degrees up. In Juneau the dishes about 10 degrees off the horizon.

Anyhow.... we have a triple-tour for today. Starts with the Salmon Hatchery. They toss the fingerings into the river for them to go free in the ocean, and they come up the stairs back home after years later. The Rain Forest is wet and green. The last tour was the Mendenhall Glacier.

We have a little more time for a little shopping and the sights -- a fur bikini and a fur monokini, and just to prove Juneau is a Big City, Graffiti!

CRUISE DAY 3

Still at sea! Still an early riser, having my tea, reading a book.

We had some heavy waves. On the ocean, and on the ship: (Click to see the video)

CRUISE DAY 2

Woke 5am, as I usually do, have my morning pill, wait an hour (stupid pills!) and have a cup of tea. Small, have another. Check the breakfast buffet, not bad, a mushroom with scrambled eggs, roasted potato, not too bad sausages. A little cool, but Hell, it is a buffet.

Wendy with to breakfast, we walked around. Mostly just relax. The Ice Cream shop is not ice cream, it is soft serve. Went for High Tea, *REAL* tea from a pot, pastries, and scones with clotted cream and jam. All correct. Went for a walk along the deck...

Dinner was far better than yesterday, a Chow Mein better than I ever had. First day was a fluke.

Cruise Day 1

Woke at 2 am, pack everything, leave home 4:15 and drive to San Francsisco. Only takes 45 minutes to take the last 4 miles to the parking lot. Get thru the papers, headed for boarding the ship, and we have to go back and wait across the street. They have the Fire Department checking the ship out. Half an hour and go back.

Ship pulls out, we see passing out the Golden Gate. Wendy is not feeling good. I get a plate from the buffet for Wendy, I go to the restaurant by myself. Royal Carribian's food was a 5+ top restaurant. The Princess not as good. Excellent coffee, a mushroom-splitpea-whatever soup I can't match, a hazelnut icecream I think I could match. The prime beef I would expect from Denny's, it is had to ruin a baked potato and it didn't, a cob of corn that Col. Sanders would have been ashamed of.

It was a long day. Tomorrow is all day at sea. We will see how the day goes....

Windows

Windows (Malicious Software) Removal Tool -- for removing malicious software

Windows Malicious (Software Removal Tool) -- screwing up with removing software

Hmmmm..... Looking at on the Internet with how many people having problems removing Microsoft programs, it is the Software Removal Tool that is "malicious."