Yes, this is Alaska!

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When we were up in Haines, Alaska, there was a little store with wonderful gifts inside, and the most remarkable garden outside. While others were buying artistic souvenirs, I couldn't help snapping some photos of their amazing flowers. Even in a chilly place with a short growing season, somebody has a very green thumb!

Oddly enough, Haines used to be a city, but no longer is. (It's now a home-rule borough, in case you know what that is!) According to the Haines, Alaska website, the population is 2400 people, 1897 dogs, 4000 eagles (in the fall), and 260 species of birds.

And one master gardener!

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I'm looking forward to getting back to the far north next summer, on our next Alaska tour for women. It's a wild and beautiful place -- perfect for a great adventure!
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Related posts:

1. Sedona - Hedgehogs in bloom
2. San Juan Islands - old friend foxglove
3. Whales came from tiny deer-like mammals

A new study suggests that whales evolved from tiny deer-like animals that jumped into rivers to flee prehistoric predators.

Recent evidence has shown that whales evolved from the group of mammals known as artiodactyls, which includes pigs, sheep, hippos, and giraffes. Hippos are the closest living relatives of whales, but there’s a gap in the evolutionary chain.

This new study proposes that the Indohyus is the missing link. “It was only the size of a raccoon, but if you saw it in a zoo, you would think it was a miniaturized deer," said paleontologist Hans Thewissen, who led the team.

National Geographic: Whales evolved from tiny deerlike mammals

PS. This photo is from a whale watching expedition we did in Glacier Bay, Alaska last year. It was a spectacular outing, and the humpbacks were plentiful. Everything was so quiet and peaceful, you could hear the whales breathing. One thing’s for sure -- they don’t bear much resemblance to small deer anymore!

PPS. I'm off for a bit -- nothing more here until the new year. Happy holidays!

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We’ll be reprising our women’s trip to Alaska in the summer of 2009. If the whales are jumping then like they were in 2007, it could be quite a show! I’ll post anything relevant and interesting in our Alaska category.
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Related posts:

1. Killer whales and navy sonar
2. Whales trump Bush
3. Bush trumps court, Navy trumps whales