Little Wonders and Big Whales

It has been a beautiful weekend here in Nome.  The sun is shining (day and night I should mention), the sea breeze is blowing, and the only sounds outside of my window are waves crashing and the sound of kids playing on the street. 

The view from the back porch of the volunteer house.

Though I have walked the the perimeter of the bulk of the town several times, I never cease to find something new to ponder and snap a photo of.  I think that is part of the magic behind Nome, Alaska.  For being a town so small in its population and spread, it holds a vast amount of little wonders.  And what is life without all of the little wonders?

A rather large wonder happened my way that I have been checking up on throughout the week.  A beached whale was found on Friday morning just a couple of blocks from the station.  Sadly, by the time it was discovered it had already passed.  The corpse however was photo documented and observations concerning it were sent to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.  I've visited it a couple of times this past week as the waves move it along the shore.

This is with the tail facing the camera.

A seagull has to do what a seagull has to do.

...and one just because I was feeling a bit artsy.

I have managed to find some time to breakaway from photographing large marine mammal carcasses though.  Below are the results of my walking around town paired with my obsession with making everything look like it came out of a photo album from 1967.

This here...this is an awesome house.

I found a matching limb three miles away.  Seriously.

At the Alaska National Guard Armory.

I doubt I'll grow tired of living this close to the Bering Sea.

No reason.  I just like creepy, old looking photos.

Before I drown you out with more pictures I should go.  Stick with me though as I am bound to have more adventures coming up as I am determined to use some of my free time to do more than take pictures of abandoned things. 

Here's to another, hopefully dead whale free, week of learning how to operate all of those flashing buttons and sliders at the radio station.