The perfect fall weekend

We just spent a long weekend out on M's parent's island with M's best friend, wife, two daughters, and a total of four crazy little hunting dogs running around.  Our friends were visiting from Göteborg on the western side of the country, and they brought us fresh lobster and a huge bag of shrimp. The weather was unbelievably gorgeous...bright sun, the water was like a mirror, and just a little fall chill in the air. 

This photo was taken just a few hundred meters up the road from our house.

The bay where we live, headed out toward M's parent's island.

 Island sheep

 Island ponies

 This pony is so teeny, he looks like a dog.

One of the best things about M's parent's house is their wood-fired hot tub out on the dock.  There's something about soaking in hot salt water and then jumping back and forth into the chilly sea that makes you feel like ten pounds of dirt has been scrubbed out of your skin. 

 We stopped to grill hot dogs on the way out to watch seals on the rocks

A grey seal

 Taking photos of swimming seals from a bobbing boat wasn't easy, but with a good zoom I managed to catch this guy's eerily human-like eyes.

Swan launch

Island Life

Some photos from the island where M grew up and where his parents still live.  There are no cars out here, only boats, ATV's, and tractors.

  The homestead, along with at least eight boats (last I counted).

An inventive ATV seat.

The definition of "traffic."

M testing out my new kayak (finally I have a boat too!!)

 My turn to try the kayak.

Island cows, kickin' it.

You expect trolls to pop out whenever you turn around...

...or maybe just a rådjur (roe deer)

These horsetails are so fine and fuzzy they look like they aren't in focus.

Wild rose

Island farm

Major highway

This is a knipa, or common goldeneye, with her brand new babies.  M's family has about five nest boxes for them in the yard, and the eggs were hatching while we were visiting.  The babies only spend a day or so in the nest before they have to make the perilous plunge down to momma in the water.  Unfortunately there are evil seagulls lurking everywhere, just waiting to swallow them whole.

M and his father checking the nest box.

Just hatched...we put him back for a rest before the big jump.

Late evening sunset during one of the longest days of the year.

Yarrrrr.

I'm headed back to work tomorrow morning to live for five weeks on a seismic research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. I work as a marine mammal observer, surveying for whales, dolphins, and sea turtles and ensuring the vessel is working in compliance with protected species regulations. What this boils down to is that I watch the ocean for hours on end, every day, for five weeks straight.  Some days can be exciting while others can be very tedious...just when you think there can't possibly be any animals for miles and you feel like your eyeballs will never recover from staring at the blue sky and horizon, something interesting makes an appearance, be it a sperm whale, sea turtle, dolphin, rainbow, flying fish, or disheartening piles of garbage floating by. 

                                           My early morning coffee with a couple of warblers.

                                                     Bottlenose Dolphin.  Photo by Jen Leo

 

         This is a sperm whale's dorsal hump (back), preparing to dive below the surface.     

    Photo by Melissa Hayes

  

Green Sea Turtle.  Photo by Melissa Hayes

                                                                                                                                        

 

Getting paid to watch each sunrise and sunset.

 

                            Seismic vessel BOS Atlantic, in port off the south coast of Australia.

                                                       This is always good advice!