Connor and Rowan Tell Their Stories Tales of growing up in Sitka, Alaska

Yesterday, me and dad went to Whale Park to watch for Marbled Murrelets. Then John and his wife dropped us off at the end of the road. We lifted our bikes over the gate and started biking. We biked to a fish hatchery and found a trail. We had to look in the forest for the trail. We had to cross a river to get to where the trail was. We went on a big fallen tree log and walked across. It was hard because there was another log across with tree branches hanging down that we had to go under. Then we went to the trail and followed the trail to find the canoes. I went in the front and leaded the way to the lake and back from the lake.

We saw the canoes and we went in one. There was a silver canoe (which we went in) and there was a skiff (which is a little boat) and there was a yellow boat that had some holes. Before we went in the canoe, we had a little picnic. We had to paddle across the lake and we got stuck in the grass because there was a big rock under the boat. Then we got unstuck and started on our way again. We got to shore and a little picnic there too, then we looked around.

When we looked around, dad found some bird eggs. Then he called me over and I looked. I thought dad pointed at a bear print, then dad said “Look under there!” then I looked under there and knew what he was talking about, some eggs. The eggs were pretty cool. They were Spotted Sandpiper. I saw the Spotted Sandpiper. It was on the rock behind a tree. Then it flew over to a different place.

Before I saw the Spotted Sandpiper, I saw some deer prints in the sand. Then I called dad and said, “I saw some deer prints.” Dad said, “Yeah, I see them.”

Then I said, “When is it going to be time to go?” Then dad said said, “Soon.” Then I said, “When is it going to be time to go?” Then dad said said, “Soon.” Then I said, “When is it going to be time to go?” Then dad said said, “Soon.” Then I said, “When is it going to be time to go?” Then dad said said, “Soon.” Then dad said, go over to that little rocky place in the middle of the water and throw rocks in the water. It was too deep, so I said, “It’s too deep.” So dad came over and said it was, so he took me over. I throwed rocks. Then I keeped asking when it was going to be time to go, and dad said “soon.”

Then we paddled back and kind of got stuck again and then we saw an eagle, but I thought it was a human. Then I saw the eagle poop, then it flew away and landed in a tree.

Before, when we were eating food, a hummingbird came close to our face and we could hear it humming.

I helped dad get the canoe put up. Then I asked if I could tie the rope around a tree, but dad said, to just put it under the canoe.

Dad said to remember to try to find the lens cap (because it would be hard for him to find it by himself and I thought probably it had fallen in the river). I looked and looked, but couldn’t find it. I found a dead junco. It was in the forest by the trail. I said, “Dead Bird! Dead Bird!” then dad came over and said it was probably a junco.

We had to cross the logs again to get back.

Dad saw another dead bird on the road before we into the forest. Then we got on our bikes and started on our way home. Then dad took a lot of pictures. Then we finally got home.