Spring on "The River"

   Many of us here in the Chilkat Valley are happy that the month of May has made its departure and with it the cold rainy days it has imposed on us. Because we only had one day of sunshine and warmth, the snow has lingered high on the mountains with no intentions of melting off,  until early June brought sunshine and warmer temperatures to the valley and "the melt began".

Karen (the moose) eating her first banana

   The river is now flowing four feet higher, which makes it easier to navigate and more accessible. Along the riverbanks cow moose and their new born calves have been spotted, and most of the calve's are anywhere from hours to just a couple of days old. They rely solely on their mothers milk for a couple of months until they begin eating vegetation. 
   The cow moose are like any other mother and will protect their calves with great intensity.  Although they are great protectors of their young approximately eighty percent of the calves born in the spring will not survive their first year.  The calf in the picture was abandoned by it's mother for reasons unknown, but was found by a passerby and taken to the wildlife park outside of town to be raised.

Sierra admiring Trumpeter swans

  
   Another of the many sightings on the river in the last few weeks was the Trumpeter Swan.
   The swans are native to North America and mate for life,  living mostly in small eddies of water just off of the rivers main channels.  It is here where they nest and raise their young, called (cygnets).  Just a couple of days after the youngsters are born they leave the nest and begin learning how to feed, and by their fourth month they are ready to begin learning how to fly.
  Adult Trumpeter Swans have a wing span of up to eight feet wide, and taking off from a body of water causes a violent turbulence that can be seen and heard.  We witnessed the three swans in this picture as they took off from the water then turned and flew passed us.

by Angie

Elaine, from Cockatoo Australia having a great time eating a (weina). Pronounce weiner or hotdog here. 



  
  

My favorite picture of the week. Here you go kid! Your famous!

When I asked everyone to wave from the boat this kid went all out.

 

 

                                        Hello from Switzerland!                                        

Merci vilmal fur de schon Tag
( Thanks a lot for this lovely day)