BrownStone Chinooks is devoted to fostering the excellent health and wonderful temperament of Chinook dogs. Hard-working Chinooks excel in many activities such as agility, obedience, back yard play, hiking, dog powered sports, search and rescue, and as service dogs. The affectionate Chinook is an excellent family dog matching its activity level to that of its companions - be it strenuous exercise or snuggling on the couch.

Saturday, January 21, 2023

More Christmas Ice

Just when I thought I could spend time doing, say, house cleaning, I found another SIM card, with pictures of the transit through the Gerlache Straight and Lemaire Channel, that could not be ignored.

Christmas Day was a day when Ma Nature kept on giving and I took hundreds of pictures of her splendorous presents.








Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry. ~Jack Kerouac



We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. ~anon


Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit. ~Frank Borman



While it's important to stay grounded in what we know and continue learning, it's also essential to explore new horizons, uncover new mindsets, and gain fresh perspectives ~anon

Christmas dinner ambiance





Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain





To travel is to take a journey into yourself ~Danny Kaye



Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietist chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey. ~Pat Conroy




Friday, January 20, 2023

Drake "Tax"

Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than the power that crosses the white sea, driven by the stormy wind, making a path under surges that threaten to engulf him. ~Sophocies.

I figure my cabin was a good 60 foot above the ocean surface. I was on the calmer, lee side of the ship. My deck and the one above mine, were awash. The sliding door windows and deck ceiling were dripping spray. When I awoke, this was the scene from my berth.

My notes written before breakfast: "What a night!!!!! We made up for the relatively easy southerly passage on our way back north. Ma Nature is throwing everything she has at us. The top of the sliding door was being hit with wave spray. Lying on my berth, I could feel the brief pause whenever the ship hesitated on the top of a particularly high wave. A grinding noice and vibration of the hull followed each of these suspensions then, it felt like the ship was falling.  (Later I learned that the props coming out of the water as we went over a wave, created the noise and vibrations.)  It took until after 0400 to find all the cabin noise makers, including the chapstick with free access to the sides of and everything in my desk drawer. My rock collection (on the shelf above the desk) clattered until I placed the rocks separately on the carpet. Poor Waldo (my stuffed penguin) must have take a nasty fall from the bed. This time it wasn't CJ that hid him, cowering, under the berth. I had to be careful when getting off the toilet not to end up in the shower. Last night trips to the head (bathroom) were  pinball games, in the dark". 

The following pictures do not show the horizon, they are of the top of the swell after it has gone under the ship.

When I arrived in the galley, a line of waiters awaited me. They were there to physically escort you and your chosen breakfast to the table. The waiters carried the plates. With some diners, it was two escorts per person sashaying down the isle. Not many of us made it to breakfast. However, my usual table mates did show. We shared humorous stories about what wayward items rattled in our cabins. Stuffed penguins were found in all sorts of new places. We all agreed that the metal tissue box scraping across the bathroom counter and crashing to the floor was probably the worst.

No one was allowed outside. After breakfast, I went up to the bridge. The current sea swells were 12 meters high and the winds in excess of 80 mph with higher gusts. The decks below were awash and the bridge windows were getting hit with spray. The bridge was 2 decks above my cabin. The only known casualty was the wall of mirrors in the yoga studio. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me to capture the scene from there.

An Albatross using the updrafts of the powerful waves to soar freely.
Our morning activity was watching the historic movie Around Cape Horn from our berths. I am not sure if the message wasn't "it could be worse. You could be furling sails in a 1800's, wooded, tall sailing ship."
In reality, the Resolution was relatively stable in these seas. I could be up and walk the halls, though always within reach of the handrail to avoid careening across to the other wall. Glasses and dishes stayed on the table as we ate. I was not the least bit sea sick, even confined inside. I would however, dread the experience of making this crossing in just about any other vessel. 
Hot lemon ginger tea was always available in the Ice Lounge and Tupaia. The day continued with many staying in their cabins. For the more ambulatory of us, there was a naturalist's presentation on "Working for Uncle Sam, the Ice Science Man" and after lunch a presentation "Seals of Antarctica" followed by a recap given by the Global Explores (teen passengers who took part in the program) showcasing their Remote Ocean Vehicle driving lesson; conclusions from the science experiments and; presenting challenges to the adults about the environment in the teens' future. 

Once again fog and rain totally obscured any view of the Horn. Late that afternoon we entered the Beagle Channel. While offering calmer seas, it was pouring rain, very windy and so foggy that shore was invisible. We docked in Ushuaia in time for a non-tossing-about dinner followed with a showing of passenger pictures.
The port of Ushuaia was full of a dozen or so cruise ships, from all over the world, waiting to cross the Drake until after the storm had passed and, the Resolution and her sister-ship the Endurance, ending their voyages.

In the morning after breakfast, we left the ship carrying our bags, heavy with memories.

Having smiled in the warmth of the sun on the other end of the world, I am not the same. ~Kay Lee Brown

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Icebergs Astern

Our notice before we turned north and left the icebergs astern stated: "The Drake may not be quite as kind to us as on the way down....but, what an opportunity to understand what all the fuss is about. Maybe put on the (scopolamine) patch tonight the 27th before sleeping. Be sure that breakable items are carefully stowed before retiring this evening. The 28th should start out fairly gentle, and reveal itself as the day goes on. Often referred to as the "Drake Tax", it must be paid for the astounding beauty of the icy continent."

Seas the morning of the 28th.

"The Drake Passage is considered one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make. Currents at this latitude meet no resistance from any landmass, and waves can top 40 feet, hence it reputation as "the most powerful convergence of seas. As the Drake Passage is the narrowest passage around Antarctica, its existence and shape strongly influence the circulation of water around Antarctica and the global oceanic circulation, as well as the global climate" ~Wikipedia

The current in the Drake is west to east. On our trip south, we had a following wind and the influence of a High pressure area. There were waves and wind but our passage was relatively calm due to the stabilizing ability of the Resolution. On our way back north, a Low pressure system, with gale force winds, slammed up against the high. Think of all the lines running counterclockwise (cyclonic) on our evening weather news, converging into a near solid black line. Looking at "Windy" website graphics, we knew we were in for quite a ride. With the wind and prevailing waves from the west the, Port (west) side cabins of the boat received extra precautions. Deck 4 windows were covered with wooden inserts and on Deck 5 and 6, all dividers between cabin decks were removed along with all tables and chairs. 

Captain Marvin steered us on a NE course to skirt the worst of the storm as long as possible. The night of the 27th and morning of the 28th were only slightly worse than our southerly passage.  My deck table and chairs were strapped down but, I decided to hang my hammock anyway to enjoy the sway - abet limited by the table and a chair. CJ came in later that morning to take it down. I had her take my picture before we did.


Cape Petrels entertained us as as we ate breakfast the morning of the 28th and throughout the day. Large flocks took advantage of the "lift" off the waves to perform aerial acrobatics alongside the ship.
Cape Petrels, also called the Cape Pigeon, Pintado Petrel or Cape Fuma, are extremely common seabirds with an estimated population around 2 million. During breeding season, Cape Petrels feed around Antarctica's shelf and during the winter they range further north, as far as Angola and the Galapagos Islands. 
Image copied from Wikipedia
Cape Petrels, when fully grown, are 14-16" long and have a wing span of 31-35". They have a salt gland situated above the nasal passage that helps desalinate their bodies of the high amount of ocean water they ingest. Their bills are unique in that they are split into between seven or nine horny plates which the saline solution is excreted through their noses. Cape Petrels produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in their digestive track. This is sprayed out of their mouths as a defensive against predators; adults during territorial fights and; as an energy rich food source for chicks and for adults during long flights. 
After breakfast, we heard/watched presentations on Whale ID, biology and behavior and Polar Environmental Governance.

As the day progressed, the seas grew more impressive. 

The Petrels and an occasional Albatros remained our traveling companions.

During the afternoon we had presentations on Antarctic Paleontology and one from our Nat Geo photographer, Nick, titled "How to shoot like a National Geographic Photographer".

With the seas becoming more turbulent, the evening cocktail hour and recap had notably fewer attendees.