30 Weeks

Denali and the Harbor Seal

  What a busy week/weekend this has been! Whew! The busyness started out on Wednesday when I decided that Denali and I needed to check out the water aerobics class at the base gym. We had such a great time! The instructor is really hard core for water aerobics and I was definitely getting my heart rate up, but I was keeping up with the rest of the class. About halfway through the class the instructor told me to slow down and "Only low impact for you! We don't want to have a baby in this pool!" So, I slowed it down. It felt really great to get some exercise without feeling so awkward. Friday I went back
to the class and again got a good workout. There was free swim after the class and John came by after work and we swam until closing, two hours later. We had a really great time just hanging out and splashing around. Denali seemed to think I don't swim very well because she did flutter kicks with me every time I started swimming! It was like she was trying to propel me along! Normally she settles down when I walk, so I thought it was amusing.
  Saturday morning I woke up in excruciating pain. My whole body ached like I had the flu, but my wrists were especially painful. I started crying and John massaged my wrists until the pain receded a bit.  I guess I overdid it with swimming Friday night! I took some Tylenol and managed to feel a bit better, but I was still in pain. John and I had planned on going to play a game with a club that he found, but I decided to skip. Instead, I dropped him off and went to the Scandanavian bazaar and a stopped in a little shop I've been wanting to visit. That was about it for me and I went home, had a nap and read until it was time to pick John up.
  Today we decided to go to the Alaska Zoo! We had never been before. John and I agreed that of all the animals, we enjoyed the Harbor Seals the most. I could set up a chair and watch them for hours! They are just dog mermaids and they crack me up! We also saw otters, musk ox, brown bears, black bears and a polar bear! (If you're interested, you can watch the polar bears live here) Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves and now I'm exhausted!

Denali petting a seal

They're ridiculous!

  After the zoo we went for a drive along Turnagain Arm. It was gorgeous, as always. Today, the termination dust was creeping down the mountains towards Anchorage and it made a pretty contrast to the fall foliage. We drove by Potter's Marsh and saw Trumpeter Swans for the first time this year! Then we stopped at Bird Point where I finally saw a Beluga Whale! Too bad it was an inorganic version. 

Termination Dust

The only Beluga we'll ever see, I'm afraid