Lady Baltimore

Cruisers know that time on land is valuable, and in various locations they gravitate to an excursion that is so quick and easy to access that it gives the most enjoyment for the least expenditure of time. Many shorelines large enough for modern cruise ships are not adjoining high ridges or hills, but a few of them are. When one has a tram or sky ride, it is often anchored near the ship dock and is always worth the time it takes to grab the view. In the Caribbean, for instance, we always tram up on St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands.

In Juneau, the tram is an easy walk to the ship and the skyline views -- along with the sky view of the cruise ship -- are certainly worth the ride. And in our case, as we were on the up ride, I looked down and snapped a photo of a sizable brown bear directly below us. The town to the right and the ship to the left as we looked down offered several interesting images as well. And none of those images ranks with the feature at the top of the ridge. On the way to the expected gift shop, we found Lady Baltimore.

The bald eagle is in a large cage and will spend the rest of her life there for her own protection. As the photo shows, she has been blinded in one eye but a careless hunter, who shot her, striking her in the beak. When she turns her head, viewers can see the gnarled wound, which drove her to the ground, blinding her eye and causing other injuries. She has recovered from all but the blindness, which makes her incapable of caring for herself in the wild. Now fed well and apparently comfortable as the Lady of the area and the star of the show, she strikes me as a majestic survivor. I see strength, resolution, and dedication in the powerful eagle and I wish her a long life. When I return to Alaska, as I no doubt will, I will tram up to say hello to her once again. Until then, best wishes to Lady Baltimore.

It was time to tram down, walk to the pier, and board ship. One stop left, in Ketchikan, would feature more eagles. These eagles, free and plentiful, are the stars of the next post.