One summer we caught so many red, pink and silver salmon that we were literally exhausted from hauling them in. Some summers the fish are scarce, but the beauty of the river and the thrill of standing in the rushing turquoise water are always breathtaking.

One summer there were forest fires in our area, and it was always intriguing to watch the helicopters with their enormous buckets hauling water from Skilak Lake to the fires.

Another spring I saw a moose with twin calves on the day the calves were born, then again for the next two weeks almost daily. The progress of those baby moose calves in that amount of time is incredible.

This summer there have been volcanoes erupting in the Aleutians, and the ash from those volcanoes has caused scheduling challenges for our guests who are flying in and out of Anchorage. We see wildlife on almost a daily basis; bears, moose, eagles, porcupines, dall sheep. Each summer we have experienced small earthquakes. It seems no matter how many times I visit Alaska, it is always an amazing place to be.

submitted by Joy Cogburn at the Kenai Princess Lodge