Having a blast watching the Bore

The weather in Anchorage, AK has been much warmer than usual.  In fact, they are setting new records for highest temperature and most days over 70 deg F.  Normal summers are in the low 60s F and we have been enjoying day after day in the high 70s.  And, there has been a lot less rain than usual.  This has made our sight seeing adventures especially pleasant.  We know that winter will come very soon so we are trying to make the most of the wonderful weather.

A week ago we went to see the bore tide out at Turnagain Arm.  Turnagain is a stretch of land along Cook Inlet where the mountains practically touch the water.  There is just enough room for the road we drove.

viewing deck at Beluga Point

It is a great place for whale watching (when they are actually out there... I have yet to see one) and general wildlife viewing.  But our mission was not to see animals.  It was to see the tide come in.  See, when there is a full moon, the tide comes in especially fast and due to the conditions of the inlet (scientific explanation HERE), there can be a wall of water up to 6 feet tall coming up the inlet.

It was not that dramatic when we were there, but it was neat to see the tide come in with a single wave stretching across the entire expanse of the inlet.

Bore tidal wave

The warm weather decided to take a little break that day and since we were on the water, it was cooler and jackets were a definite must.  This was the perfect opportunity from my son to try out is new Zippy Jacket by Blank Slate patterns. 

hanging out

I recently was blessed with the opportunity to test this pattern for Melissa and it is a winner.  In fact, when my daughter saw the completed jacket hanging, she exclaimed "That is soooo cool!  Can I have one?"  But alas, the sizes are only 18 mo through 8 years and she is in a definite 10.  (I will have to see what I can do to alter it.)

It has a rectangle collar and wonderful circle pockets. 

The jacket requires a separating zipper but these are easy to find in just about every color in the rainbow.

The bottom band and the cuffs are made with ribbing.  I used an ultra soft performance knit ribbing which is always a pain to so but wonderful to wear.  For the main body I used a heavier weight knit that only stretched horizontally.  It worked like a dream.

I definitely recommend this pattern.  And if you ever get the chance, I also recommend seeing the bore tide.  And, if you see it when it is multiple feet tall, let me know what it was like.

Have you ever seen a bore tide?  Do you have strange tidal events where you live?

If you are interested in hearing more from us, there are a couple ways for you to keep in touch!