A friend asked to see nature photos. I chose this one from Google Earth. It was where I camped some three plus decades ago, with my late friend, John. I'm sorry you can't see the water and the spruce and the hemlock growing up toward the snow capped mountain peaks. But I see it. I can see the seal, the eagles and the brief summer darkness and the rain. I still feel the uneasy exhilaration of watching brown bears looking across the sand and sedge at me. I can still feel the suction of the bog pulling my leg down, a few minutes after the float plane left. I still know the weight of my backpack as I slipped it off and pulled my leg free. I can feel the roughness of the starfish we tossed back into the water after low tide stranded them. I still feel the rocks and my body falling and the Devils Club ripping my hand as it stopped my fall. The majestic island, the calls of the ravens in the kingdom of the Alaskan Brown Bears is forever etched upon my soul. -KJC
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