There are some new words that we’ve added to our vocabulary on our journey this summer – most of which define specific land masses that are not found in the flat corn fields of Ohio.

In Petersburg, we learned that a slough (pronounced slew) is where the sea encroaches during high tide to connect 2 bodies of water. In fact, I painted at a slough called Hidden Rapids where the actual river rapids was totally covered twice a day with the high tide of the sea.

In Homer and Seward, we have camped on a spit. The Homer Spit is a 3 and 1/2 mile long peninsula that is made of rocks and sand. It seems to be about 300 ft wide at the widest point, and is sometimes as narrow as the road people travel on, one side facing Katchemak Bay and the other Cook Inlet. Alaskans pack a lot of stuff on a spit!

There’s a City Campground, that spans both sides of the road in 3 different places, a community theatre in the City Campground, 4 private campgrounds, a bunch of little shacks called Cannery Row – on both sides of the road – that sell fishing tours, a prime fishing hole where the fishermen outlast the seagulls at night, sell or buy fish, fishing clothing and equipment, fish restaurants, booze and 2 ice cream parlors. You can also find State Park Water Taxis, the Alaskan Marine Highway Ferry, a Marina and boat repair, some big storage tanks and 1 hotel. It’s a hopping place to be even when the weather is dreary!

Of course, it would be a moosetake if I didn’t also mention all the words that Dave has created for calling the moose. It starts with moosey in an irritating sing-song voice. Then, just in case the animal is Italian he calls for moosetacholli, and (the Greek one) moosaka, (the Chinese one) MooseyGooGaiPan. Isn’t time for Dave to go home now??????