There is a lot to put on here since I haven't been online for awhile. I will try to edit it down some.



SATURDAY July 3, 2010
Up early again, what else is new. Mike rolled out of the top bunk about 3:40 AM ship time, 4:40 AM home time, about when we would normally get up. We kind of took our time rolling out of the room as we didn’t think the cafeteria opened until 6. However, we learned it is open 24 hours a day, so we grabbed some coffee and did our morning devotionals. Once we finished with that it was time to just sit and relax and enjoy the scenery as it went by. One of the things we hope to see on this portion of our journey is marine life and we were not disappointed. It wasn’t long before a small whale, called a Minki, was spotted off the port side of the ship. Very shortly after that we spotted a large group of Pacific White-sided Dolphins that were swimming toward the ship and jumping around us. I guess they were just having a good time. Then shortly after that we spotted a small pod of killer whales, a bit further out but still very easy to tell what they were.
Mike and I just finished breakfast (I had huevos rancheros) and are now sitting in the TV lounge waiting for the movie, Alice in Wonderland to begin. We are also beginning the first, and longest, open water crossing, which will take about two hours. You can definitely feel the motion of the ocean affect the motion of the ship. Nothing serious but I am sure it is enough to be uncomfortable to some.
Well, while sitting and watching the movie, there was a ship-wide announcement, “Thar she blows”. You should have seen that TV room empty. Everyone made it to the starboard side of the ship where we hoped to spot the whale. Off in the distance, there were several times that we say spouts of water but the whale was far enough off to make it difficult to get a good picture. We did see a good tail fluke and a few dorsal fin shows, but that was it. Even though we didn’t get a picture, it was still exciting to see what we did.
At one point we passed a small village, probably around a couple thousand people, called Bella Bella on our port side (OK, for those non-nautical types, that is the left side – four letters, port, left). Just beyond that is a light house, Ryan’s Point lighthouse, reportedly the most photographed lighthouse on the west coast. It was a nice photo opportunity. Also, on the starboard side, there was a small compound on an island which I got photos of. Interestingly, there were at least two pickup trucks and a small excavator on the island.
After that we listened to Amy, our on-board Tonga National Forest naturalist, talk about the life cycle of the salmon. She taught us an interesting way to remember the five species of salmon of the pacific. Using your hand, the first rhymes with your thumb……chum. The next is your index finger stuck in your eye….sockeye. Then the big finger or…..king, followed by your ring finger that often has precious metal on it……silver and finally your pinky finger…..pinks.
We finally made our way back to our cabin because, after all, it’s five o’clock somewhere, and had a cold adult beverage. That is where we are now. Mike is listening to a sermon by Andy Stanley and I am updating this and reading a book my son, Jeremy, bought for me, Simply Christianity. I have MercyMe playing in my headphones. Life is good. At the time, we are passing through some pretty narrow passages. You can tell when that is going on because the ship slows way down. At some point we will make our way to the cafeteria for something to eat.