Dip netting on the estuary

An estuary is a place where salt water meets fresh water.  At high tide the salt water may be 12 miles up river.  However, it was low tide when we traveled to the city of Kenai to watch for ourselves the dip netting that only Alaska residents can participate.
  
The dip nets are huge.  They are hooked to the top of small cars traveling to the beach to participate in this Alaska tradition. 
 
The netters form lines along the inlet and as the tide comes in with their big nets.  Sometimes they will form a “conga” line where they all work together to get the fish. 

There are tents, RVs, food vendors out on the beach.  It looked like everyone was having a great time.  And, the weekend crowds weren’t even there yet.
Notice the mud the guy with the net is walking through.  It is almost like quick sand.  We visited with a friendly local man about his day of netting and he said years back, there were people killed when they became stuck in the mud and the tide came in.  While we were visiting, he explained that a old looking plane struggling to gain altitude  out over the inlet was full of gasoline for the remote settlements.  How about flying an old airplane full of gas for a job!

It was a beautiful sunny day today.  Still only in the 70s.  Not to say that to rub in our cool temperatures to our family and friends in sweltering Kansas, but to say once again how beautiful weather we have been fortunate enough to have here.  Everyone says it is more often than not, rainy.  The other interesting thing is when the weather is sunny, the parents let the children play until there is no longer light—11:00 or later.  I guess they experience enough darkness in the winter
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While I’m on the subject of interesting observations, there are handguns for sale in the grocery store and fishing supplies in the hardware store here in Soldona.  Only in Alaska.

The only down part of the day is that I lost my cell phone, possibly on the beach. We retraced all steps but could not find it.  So, I disconnected service to my number until Monday when I can get a new phone.

Got to get to bed.  Plan on getting up to fish at 4:00 am.  A final picture of Mt Redoubt, an active volcano, visible from the beach.