At Home in Homer

April 2023 Due to the surplus of daylight lately, Matt has been able to ski a bit later into the evening. One one particular evening, he skied the marathon trail (25k) and was on the Sunset Loop trail right at sunset! Look closely for the volcanoes on the horizon! He also skied one day while Charlie was at biathlon practice and took a few pictures from the overlook out by the 7k loop trail at McNeil. Kachemak Bay in the winter is still a pretty place.   

4.14.23 Hattie's first grade class had a little violin performance at an arts event at Paul Banks Elementary. She has been learning violin twice a week during school due to a local grant that brings strings into the lower elementary grades. Kinders start on cardboard violins (yes, cardboard!), and first graders graduate to actual violins. From what I gather, the program does taper in second grade - second graders have to meet after school and they are required to buy their instruments. There is a small youth orchestra presence due to the strings program, or maybe it's the other way around? Maybe the youth orchestra got the grant and brought in violins for K/1/2? Anyway, Hattie is learning the violin. I actually accompanied the first graders on two little numbers. Their instructor is teaching them via the Suzuki method. Along with the violin performance, there was an art show, a glass bottle craft, and teachers dressed very formally with plates of kid-friendly appetizers.    

4.16.23 On a whim, Matt called a local charter about an empty seat for the next day. The charter, Homer Fishing Adventures, was offering a much discounted rate for a Homer local. Matt spent $150 on a full day of fishing across the bay and south toward the open ocean. He landed three halibut that day; the one pictured was close to 35 pounds! The other two were under the 28'' limit, so he kept one and the other went to another fisherman on the trip. The limit is two halibut per day; one above 28'' and one under 28''. He also caught three cod! All in all, Matt came home with about 35 pounds of fish filets for the freezer - and eventually our bellies.  Matt said that the weather was a bit wild that day. Matt felt fine while they were driving across the bay and to the fishing spot, but the second the boat slowed and he stepped out of the cabin, he said that all the blood in his body rushed to his feet and he nearly passed out. From that moment on, he felt nauseous an...