Somewhat of a silence because I have been catching with with backlogs and getting ready for another trip next week. The second part of my Alaska journey took me to Kodak Island, one of my favorite places in Alaska. (This was my second visit.) Spending time with the folks at the Alutiiq Museum was the highlight. This marvelous small museum commemorates the history of the Alutiiq people, who have lived on Kodiak Island for thousands of years. Sven Haakensen, himself one of them, is devoting his career to preserving Alutiiq culture, language, traditional skills, and artifacts with remarkable success. To give a lecture in the museum was a true privilege, for the people involved with it, whether staff members or volunteers have a refreshing passion for their important work. I originally came across the museum while working on a book on the Lake Clark National Park for the Park Service, for the history of that area is closely tied to Alutiiq whale hunting, among other things. To visit and spend time with the people behind it was a nice way of rounding off the project. It also gave me a chance to say thanks in person for the help they gave me.