The island gets a greenhouse

Lauri and Greg continue to make the island home exactly what they want -- adding the new furniture that Greg made over the long winter and a greenhouse (I suspect for Lauri's 5 different kinds of tomatoes).

Lauri writes:
"All of Greg's winter wood projects, plus greenhouse pieces, bags of soil, a sofa, totes of pantry food, plus assorted odds and ends of Zachary's. The next day, we built the greenhouse! No wonder we sleep 9-10 hours at the island!"

Indeed!

Daybreak on Hesketh Island

Many different days, always the morning.

You're not going to believe this

How fun would it be to go exploring along this shore line? Wow, the things you could find. Seastars, shells, maybe a crab, beautiful rocks and bull kelp. Excuse me? Yup, you heard correctly, bull kelp. Bull kelp is found along protected and open coastlines of the Pacific from Alaska to California. Bull kelp forests offer protective shelter for young fishes and many invertebrates, such as sea urchins, sea stars, snails and crabs. Sea otters thrive in kelp forests too. They can find their favorite foods on the forest floor, then take an after-lunch nap in the forest’s golden canopy—often wrapped in a flexible stem or two to keep from drifting away.

And when the bull kelp washes ashore, the locals go about picking it up and...and...hmmm, looks like they're...no, they couldn't be...could they? Are they tooting them like horns?

Looks like Greg's got the hang of it. I can just hear the deep, melodic rumble of the Alaskan bull kelp tenor pipe, can't you?

Lauri writes:
"I wish you would come to the island this summer and HEAR the kelp horns for yourself! Better yet, see if you can make music with one! I will send you a photo of what I do with kelp tomorrow. Other than play it, we also make all of our pickles with it, and last year made a gigantic vat of salsa with it, that I canned ( jarred ) and we have 2 cases of it. Yummo."

This is the promised photo -- long strands of bull kelp hung up to dry. I'm sure I don't have the complete picture here, there must be so much more to this. I'll just have to go to Hesketh Island and see. I'm partial to an alto horn myself.

Get 'er done

Greg is sitting on the joists that will hold the roof boards. You realize I'm just making this up as I go along. I got these pictures and a slight, brief description of what was going on, but not anything real in-depth. I suppose I could just show you the pictures and let you imagine what's going on. How about it? You up for that? Here we go:

Looks like the inside is getting done. It's so beautiful, isn't it? Really inviting. I can't wait to spend my first night in this guest house.


These two worked so hard. I have no idea how they do it, they just keep on keeping on. But Alaska's like that: you work hard to live there.

And when you wake up in the morning, get your coffee and go out on the porch. Make yourself comfortable in the rocker and this is what's waiting for you.

Wow.

Tidepooling around the island

Lauri's lovin' it!

The brittle sea stars

A beautiful and rare blood sea star

The island

In Hunting trip Part 3, Lauri mentioned needing to go close up the island. This is the most amazing thing to me -- she and Greg bought a parcel in 2002 on Hesketh Island. It's the little box on the map (the map gets bigger if you click on it).


Hesketh, in the local language, means island with the driftwood on it. I see what you mean. Set right on the beach is their cabin and the sauna (the little one) is next to it.

Their slice of this island faces Tutka Bay.

In the fall, the early morning is misty and cloudy, getting ready for the cold to come. They are situated between Seldovia Point and Tutka Bay, so the views are spectacular.


I'll be bringing you more stories and photos and letters from Lauri. There's lots to tell about Hesketh Island. 'Til next time.