While walking Hamilton Loop in Craig, Alaska the other day, I saw an old friend. Here it is in the background: St. John or San Juan Batista Island, so named in the 1700’s by the first Spanish explorers to the area.

And here’s another friend, known to science as Port Bagial, but known to me as Twice-a-Day Bay, after its habit of emptying out completely at low tide.

I also passed South Cove of the boat harbor, with the Forest Service building in the background:

And some new friends that I pass the time of day with every lap:

(Yes, Craig is full of free-range chickens.)

And, true to her nature as a denizen of the rain forest, this path through the city is bursting with flowers and plants.

Here are some thimbleberry blossoms and pushke (aka cow parsnip, aka Indian celery) flowers:

Thimbleberry blossom in the singular. They are so called because when you pick them you get a thimble-shaped shell of drupelets. Drupelet is my new favorite word.

New green thimbleberries:

Here are some forget-me-nots (the Alaska state flower) next to some big green leaves and a pretty pink thing that I cannot identify. Forget-me-nots are very tiny and very beautiful.

Close up of the pretty pink thing holding its bounty of raindrops:

Alder trees don’t live very long. This one is holding on with all its might:

These fall-looking leaves were clustered around the roots of the old alder. Thimbleberries? Cranberries? You be the judge:

Some tender new spruce tips (I am told they make a lovely and medicinal tea):

Never forget the salmonberries! They are delicious and want to take over your yard:

Here are some bachelors’ buttons, buttercups, daisies (which smell like dirty socks but look nice) and purple clover to round things out. Also some wild mint.

And last but not to be laughed at: the ginormous skunk cabbage. Around here skunk cabbage is known as nature’s tin foil. If you ever have the opportunity to roast a fish in your campfire, be sure to wrap it in skunk cabbage. You’ll be glad you did.

Over and out from Craig, Alaska.